Starting with the first international publication of Le Van Thiem (Lê Văn Thiêm) in 1947, modern mathematics in Vietnam is a longstanding research field. However, what is known about its development usually comes from discrete essays such as anecdotes or interviews of renowned mathematicians. We introduce SciMath—a database on publications of Vietnamese mathematicians. To ensure this database covers as many publications as possible, data entries are manually collected from scientists’ publication records, journals’ websites, universities, and research institutions. Collected data went (...) through various verification steps to ensure data quality and minimize errors. At the time of this report, the database covered 8372 publications, profiles of 1566 Vietnamese, and 1492 foreign authors since 1947. We found a growing capability in mathematics research in Vietnam in various aspects: scientific output, publications on influential journals, or collaboration. The database and preliminary results were presented to the Scientific Council of Vietnam Institute for Advanced Study in Mathematics (VIASM) on November 13th, 2020. (shrink)

Dữ liệu trên RDocumentation (CRAN) cho thấy phần mềm máy tính bayesvl có lượng download trong tháng 1/2024 cao vượt bậc so với tháng 12/2023, tăng 164%. Sự hào hứng này đã cho tôi động lực tiếp tục tìm hiểu mức độ lan tỏa của bayesvl. Nhờ thế nên tôi mới phát hiện ra 2 thông tin thú vị.

Mặc dù vẫn còn những nghi ngờ về sự thay đổi khí hậu trong một số tài liệu nghiên cứu, sự đồng thuận mạnh mẽ trong cộng đồng khoa học vẫn xác định rằng nhiệt độ bề mặt toàn cầu đã tăng trong vài thập kỷ gần đây. Biến đổi khí hậu, chủ yếu là kết quả của hoạt động con người, đang trở thành một trong những thách thức toàn cầu cấp bách nhất của thời đại chúng ta. Trong (...) thập kỷ vừa qua, con người đã thực hiện những nỗ lực đáng kể để đối phó với cuộc khủng hoảng biến đổi khí hậu và đã đạt được những ảnh hưởng nhất định trong việc chống lại biến đổi khí hậu và tạo ra nhận thức sâu rộng về hậu quả của nó. Tuy nhiên, câu hỏi tiếp tục đặt ra là liệu chúng ta đang đi đúng hướng để giải quyết cuộc khủng hoảng này một cách hiệu quả hay không? Bài tiểu luận này sẽ xem xét những thành tựu trong cuộc chiến chống biến đổi khí hậu, nhận thức ngày càng tăng về tác động của nó, mức độ nghiêm trọng ngày càng tăng của khủng hoảng khí hậu và liệu hành động của chúng ta đã đi đúng hướng chưa hay liệu chúng ta có cần xem xét lại cách tiếp cận của mình hay không. (shrink)

Nghiên cứu tập trung phân tích ảnh hưởng của đặc điểm tài chính đến khả năng thanh toán của các công ty lĩnh vực xây dựng và bất động sản niêm yết trên thị trường chứng khoán Việt Nam. Dữ liệu nghiên cứu thu thập từ báo cáo tài chính của tất cả công ty lĩnh vực xây dựng và bất động sản niêm yết trên Sở Giao dịch Chứng khoán TP. Hồ Chí Minh (HOSE) và Sở Giao dịch (...) Chứng khoán Hà Nội (HNX) trong giai đoạn 2016-2022. Nghiên cứu sử dụng phương pháp hồi quy đa biến để phân tích tác động của các nhân tố. Kết quả phân tích cho thấy, Khả năng thanh toán hiện hành của các công ty được phân tích chịu tác động của các nhân tố: Tỷ lệ nợ trên vốn chủ sở hữu; Quy mô tổng tài sản; Lưu chuyển tiền thuần từ hoạt động kinh doanh; Cấu trúc tài sản; Tỷ lệ vốn lưu động. Trong khi, Khả năng thanh toán tức thời chịu tác động của các nhân tố: Tỷ lệ nợ trên vốn chủ sở hữu; Quy mô tổng tài sản; Tốc độ tăng trưởng doanh thu thuần; Lưu chuyển tiền thuần từ hoạt động kinh doanh; Cấu trúc tài sản; Tỷ lệ vốn lưu động. [The study focuses on analyzing the impact of financial characteristics on the solvency of construction and real estate companies listed on Vietnam stock market. Research data is collected from financial statements of all construction and real estate companies listed on the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange in the period 2016-2022. Employing multivariate regression, the study indicates that solvency of the aforementioned companies is affected by the following factors: Debt-to-equity ratio; Scale Total assets; Net cash flow from operating activities; Asset structure; Working capital ratio. In addition, Immediate liquidity is impacted by the following factors: Debt-to-equity ratio; Total assets; Net revenue growth rate; Net cash flow from operating activities; Asset structure; Working capital ratio.]. (shrink)

(Dân trí) - Bạn hãy thử hình dung một bức tranh thể hiện hình ảnh một thương gia cưỡi một chú lạc đà. Dưới chân họ chỉ có cát nóng bỏng của sa mạc khô cằn, phía sau lưng họ là ánh mặt trời chói lòa, bỏng rát. Hai bên đường chỉ có sương rồng gai góc, như biểu trưng cho hành trình vất vả đầy chông gai. Một điều gây bất ngờ: chú lạc đà lại kéo theo một chiếc (...) xe hơi sang trọng. (shrink)

Bạn hãy thử hình dung một bức tranh thể hiện hình ảnh một thương gia cưỡi một chú lạc đà, dưới chân là cát nóng bỏng của sa mạc khô cằn, phía sau lưng là mặt trời bỏng rát, hai bên đường chỉ có xương rồng gai góc, như biểu trưng cho hành trình vất vả đầy chông gai. Một điều gây bất ngờ: chú lạc đà lại kéo theo một chiếc xe hơi sang trọng.

On April 19, 2024, the New York Declaration on Animal Consciousness was announced at the “Emerging Science of Animal Consciousness” conference held at New York University. The New York Declaration is an effort to showcase a scientific consensus on the presence of conscious experiences across all vertebrates (including reptiles, amphibians, and fish) and many invertebrates (at least including cephalopods, decapod crustaceans, and insects). Scientifically, the New York Declaration marks a significant advancement for humanity. However, it also brings heightened awareness to (...) the moral challenges associated with animals that have conscious experiences (or phenomenal consciousness). This article will discuss philosophical approaches to the moral issue of killing sentient beings, thereby highlighting an existing moral dilemma in human society: In sustaining human survival, a species considered to have morality, we have to violate our own moral standards by killing other species with intrinsic value, consciousness, or sentience. This moral dilemma has long been present in human society. Various solutions have been proposed and implemented in practice to address this issue, such as the non-violence and vegetarian approach of Buddhism, the application of Islamic law and sacred rituals to animals in Islam, animal rights movements and voluntary extinction in Western countries, and the technology producing meat using animal cells. However, despite these approaches, we have not yet been able to fully resolve the dilemma, as sentient beings continue to be killed for our survival. We believe the most feasible solution is to change the current food consumption culture, build an eco-surplus culture to mitigate climate change, prevent deforestation, and promote peace. (shrink)

Environmental activism is crucial for raising public awareness and support toward addressing the climate crisis. However, using climate change mitigation as the cause for blockage, vandalism, and harassment activities might be counterproductive and risk causing negative repercussions and declining public support. The paper describes a dataset of metadata of 89 blockage, vandalism, and harassment events happening in recent years. The dataset comprises three main categories: 1) Events, 2) Activists, and 3) Consequences. For researchers interested in environmental activism, climate change, and (...) sustainability, the dataset is helpful in studying the effectiveness and appropriateness of strategies to raise public awareness and support. For researchers in the field of security studies and green criminology, the dataset offers resources to study features and impacts of blockage, vandalism, and harassment events. The Bayesian Mindsponge Framework (BMF) analytics was employed to validate the dataset. Consequently, the estimated result aligns with the Mindsponge Theory’s theoretical reasoning. (shrink)

This short piece of communication has the sole purpose of identifying some evidence, supporting our view regarding a possible missing environment-nurturing cultural value. Here, we attempt to examine the presence of cultural studies within the boundary of climate change research.

This short piece of communication has the sole purpose of identifying some evidence, supporting our view regarding a possible missing environment-nurturing cultural value. Here, we attempt to examine the presence of cultural studies within the boundary of biodiversity research.

This short piece of communication has the sole purpose of identifying some evidence, supporting our view regarding a possible missing environment-nurturing cultural value. Here, we attempt to examine the presence of cultural studies within the boundary of air pollution research.

Marine conservation extends beyond the preservation of our oceans and coastlines; it entails understanding human behavior and attitudes toward environmental protection. A recent study sheds light on the significance of considering both knowledge and emotion when examining stakeholders’ attitudes and behaviors regarding environmental issues, particularly marine protection.

The 5P, an acronym for the five principles, was proposed precisely to bridge the gap between scientific progress and societal acceptance, particularly in interdisciplinary scientific research on sustainability.

Vừa rồi, nguyên hiệu trưởng của trường ĐH Stanford, Marc Tessier-Lavigne, đã rút bài nghiên cứu khoa học trên Nature. Đây là một sự kiện ảnh hưởng đến độ tin cậy đối với các nghiên cứu khoa học trong công chúng. Vì thông báo rút bài minh bạch sẽ giúp giảm nhẹ tác động tiêu cực của việc rút bài đối với cộng đồng học thuật và công chúng nói chung, tôi đã sử dụng trí tuệ nhân tạo (Google (...) Bard) để kiểm tra xem các thông tin quan trọng liên quan đến việc rút bài đã được cung cấp hay chưa. (shrink)

Ngày xuân, đi du xuân trên Internet. Có thời gian lang thang tìm đọc, cũng là niềm vui với người làm nghề nghĩ-viết. Thế rồi, tình cờ ghé thăm cửa “đền” ETH Zürich, bỗng lại có một niềm vui khác: gặp lại “người quen”. Ấy chính là cuốn sách A New Theory of Serendipity, trong đó, tôi tham gia một số chương [1]. Nay đã có sự hiện diện trong ETH Library. -/- Gọi ETH Zürich là một ngôi đền khoa (...) học nhân loại chẳng có gì quá. Nơi đây, 32 giáo sư giải thưởng Nobel đã được trao gửi. Nhà bác học vật lý vĩ đại nhất thế kỷ XX, và cũng của mọi thời đại, Albert Einstein là sinh viên, sau đó là giáo sư tại chính nơi này. Đây là nơi Einstein đặt nền móng cho rất nhiều tư tưởng lớn suốt cuộc đời. (shrink)

Năm 2023, Hindawi đã rút hơn 8,000 bài báo khoa học, nâng tổng số bài báo bị rút trong năm lên hơn 10,000 bài, mức kỷ lục cao nhất từ trước đến nay. Vì thông báo rút bài minh bạch sẽ giúp giảm nhẹ tác động tiêu cực của việc rút bài đối với cộng đồng học thuật và công chúng nói chung, tôi đã sử dụng trí tuệ nhân tạo (Google Bard) để kiểm tra xem các thông tin (...) quan trọng liên quan đến việc rút bài đã được cung cấp hay chưa. (shrink)

Trong cuộc sống hằng ngày của chúng ta, khoa học và công nghệ dường như có thể thấy được ở bất cứ đâu. Vì thế, chúng ta đều có nhu cầu tích hợp và sử dụng các thông tin khoa học cho các cân nhắc quan trọng, ví dụ như những quyết định về chăm sóc y tế, an toàn thực phẩm, đầu tư, sáng tạo, và biến đổi khí hậu. Truyền thông khoa học là việc cực kỳ quan trọng (...) vì nó giúp chuyển hóa các kết quả nghiên cứu khoa học (thông tin đã được phần nào kiểm chứng thông qua quá trình đánh giá nghiêm ngặt) thành một phần của kiến thức tập thể được ứng dụng trong cuộc sống hàng ngày. Các kiến thức này sẽ giúp làm tăng sự hiệu quả và phù hợp của quá trình đưa ra quyết định và hành động các cá nhân trong tập thể đấy. (shrink)

The rapidly declining biosphere integrity, representing one of the core planetary boundaries, is alarming. One of the most widely accepted measures to halt the rate of biodiversity loss is to maintain and expand protected areas that are effectively managed. However, it requires substantial finance derived from nature-based tourism, specifically visitors from urban areas. Using the Bayesian Mindsponge Framework (BMF) on 535 Vietnamese urban residents, the current study examined how their biodiversity loss perceptions can affect their willingness to pay for the (...) entrance fee and conservation in protected areas. We found that perceived environmental degradation, loss of economic growth, loss of nature-based recreation opportunity, and loss of knowledge as consequences of biodiversity loss has indirect effects on paying willingness through the mediation of the attitude towards conservation. Especially, the perceived knowledge loss also has a direct positive influence on the willingness to pay for the entrance fee and conservation. In contrast, perceived loss of health is negatively associated with the attitude towards conservation. Based on these findings, we suggest that building an eco-surplus culture among urban residents can be a promising way to generate more finance from nature-based tourism for conservation in protected areas and ease the domestic government's and international organizations' funding allocations problems. (shrink)

Chúng ta có thể hiểu được phần nào động cơ dẫn đến sự xuất hiện của ‘Republic of Letters’, ‘Invisible College’ và các hiệp hội học thuật sau này trong thời kỳ đầu của khoa học hiện đại. Sự ra đời của các tạp chí khoa học đầu tiên có thể được xem là kết quả của một quá trình tiến hóa trong đó các nhà triết học và sử học tự nhiên cố gắng tìm cách cải thiện hiệu suất (...) và hiệu quả của việc lưu thông các thông tin khoa học. (shrink)

Marine and coastal ecosystems are crucial in maintaining human livelihood, facilitating social development, and reducing climate change impacts. Studies have examined how the benefit perception of aquatic ecosystems, knowledge, and emotion about climate change affect peoples’ support for marine protection. However, their interaction effects remain understudied. The current study explores the intricate interaction effect of the benefit perception of aquatic ecosystems, knowledge, and worry about climate change on marine protection support. Bayesian Mindsponge Framework (BMF) analytics was employed on a dataset (...) of 709 stakeholders from 42 countries generated by MaCoBioS—a research project funded by the European Commission Horizon 2020. The statistical analysis shows that the impacts of benefit perception of ocean ecosystems, knowledge, and worry about climate change on marine protection support vary due to their interactions. Specifically, when stakeholders perceive ocean ecosystems to have little utility in mitigating climate change, greater climate change knowledge and concern are associated with a higher level of marine protection support. Nevertheless, in the scenarios where stakeholders perceive the benefits of ocean ecosystems, the effect of climate change knowledge becomes conditional on the worry level. If stakeholders are concerned about climate change, those with a greater level of climate change knowledge will associate with a higher level of marine protection support. Otherwise, greater climate change knowledge will result in lower support. These findings highlight emotion’s importance in directing climate change knowledge’s effect on marine protection support. Linking people’s “objects of care” to the consequences of climate change can help improve climate change communication effectiveness. (shrink)

The three learning modalities in nursing education are classroom meetings, skill laboratory practices, and clinical practice in hospital or community settings. In clinical internships, the collaborative self-directed learning method is highly encouraged among nursing students. The use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in clinical learning supports the implementation of evidence-based nursing and student-centered learning. The current study examines whether the relationship between social influence and ICT using intention is moderated by the daily duration of use and the number of (...) classmates being friends on social media. The Bayesian Mindsponge Framework (BMF) analytics was employed on a dataset of 702 Moroccan nursing students. We found that social influence was positively associated with nursing students’ intention to use ICT for clinical learning during the internship. This positive association was positively moderated by the daily duration of social media usage and negatively moderated by the number of classmates being friends on social media. These findings underscore the potential of using social media platforms to facilitate the incorporation of ICT and social media in nursing education and training. However, the adverse effects of social media on students’ mental well-being also need to be acknowledged and managed appropriately. (shrink)

o achieve meaningful and sustainable enhancements in agricultural practices, prioritizing the fostering of supportive social relations is important. This requires adopting an approach centered on social interactions and networks, recognizing that successful adoption relies on resource availability and cultivating conducive community relationships capable of driving long-term transformation.

This study develops the approach by Minh & Khanh [1] to the classic Barro and Sala-i-Martin method [2], [3] named “expanded Barro regression method”, and applies this approach in analyzing the convergence of provincial per capita GDP in Vietnam over the period of 1991-2007. Different aspects of provincial convergence are considered in this paper. The estimated result on conver-gence from our model is compared to other models.

Vấn đề biến đổi khí hậu đang đặt ra một bài toán quan trọng và đòi hỏi sự hợp tác ngay từ tất cả mọi người, bao gồm cả cá nhân, chính phủ và doanh nghiệp. Không có gì ngạc nhiên khi hoạt động của con người, đặc biệt là ở các nước phát triển như Hoa Kỳ, góp phần lớn vào việc phát thải khí nhà kính. Hơn nữa, các nghiên cứu mới đây đã rõ ràng cho thấy rằng (...) 1% dân số giàu nhất trên thế giới đang đóng góp tới hơn 30% lượng khí thải này. Trong bài viết này, chúng ta sẽ khám phá các thách thức mà văn hóa tiêu dùng đã và đang làm trầm trọng hơn vấn đề biến đổi khí hậu, và đề xuất rằng việc chuyển đổi sang lối sống đơn giản và tiết kiệm có thể là một giải pháp hiệu quả trong cuộc cuộc chiến chống biến đổi khí hậu. (shrink)

As the world’s population grows and urbanization continues, the global waste crisis is becoming more severe, especially in developing countries. Without proper waste management, they may encounter various environmental and health risks. Biological technologies are regarded as promising waste management and recycling approaches in developing countries due to their cost-effectiveness and capability to handle diverse waste categories. One prominent technology in this aspect is the vermicomposting of organic waste utilizing the black soldier fly larvae. Nevertheless, significant financial resources are still (...) necessary to advance and expand biological waste treatment, which requires the participation of businesses. By examining waste management companies listed on the Vietnamese stock market, we highlight two challenges that hinder the adoption and scaling of the waste treatment system using black soldier flies and potentially other biological technologies in Vietnam. Specifically, the business regards the environmental services they offer primarily as a means to generate profit rather than as a genuine commitment to environmental preservation, and the values of companies operating in the environmental sector, particularly in waste management, have been significantly undervalued by the Vietnamese investing public. Therefore, we advocate for societal shifts toward the eco-surplus culture and apply the semiconducting principle of monetary and environmental values exchange to address the problem. (shrink)

Scientists in anthropology, geography, and other fields within social sciences and humanities have long suggested that the environments in which people live deeply influence their cultural value systems and practices. Shota Shibasaki, Ryosuke Nakadai, and Yo Nakawake have built on this idea, demonstrating that local ecological characteristics shape the appearance of trickster animals in folklore. Based on their finding and the SM3D (Serendipity-Mindsponge-3D) knowledge management framework, we discuss how the individuals’ or groups’ ability to create cultural products depends on the (...) availability and accessibility of information from the surrounding environment. Due to biodiversity loss and climate change, such valuable resources for cultural creativity have been diminished. Thus, it is crucial to adopt biodiversity preservation and climate action as fundamental values of a progressive and humane culture. Only then can we continue to preserve and enhance the creative cultural capacity of society. (shrink)

This article takes up the idea of language as a home and dwelling, and reconsiders what this might mean in the context of diasporic bilingualism – where as a ‘heritage speaker’ of a minority language, the ‘mother tongue’ may be experienced as both deeply familiar yet also alien or alienating. Drawing on a range of philosophical and literary accounts (Cassin, Arendt, Anzaldúa, Vuong, among others), this article explores how the so-called ‘mother tongue’ is experienced by heritage speakers in an English-dominant (...) world. From navigating one’s being in-between language-worlds, to the experience of language loss and efforts of reconnection, I argue that bilingual dwelling involves many complex layers often overlooked by philosophical accounts of language that do not attend to the lived world of the migrant and racialised outsider. By turning to the example of bilingual parenting, I then examine how such an undertaking, while labour-intensive, offers opportunities to refresh and co-create language-worlds anew. (shrink)

Studying the psychology behind the purchase of eco-friendly products and second-hand items can offer valuable insights to promote sustainable consumer behavior. This paper examines factors influencing Italian consumers’ willingness to pay regarding bio-based clothing and second-hand items. Drawing from data collected from 402 Italian participants, we examine how motivations and socio-demographic factors are associated with willingness to pay in the context of sustainable fashion. Our findings reveal that motivations related to environmental concerns are positively associated with consumers’ willingness to pay (...) higher premiums for bio-based clothing. Higher income and education levels are also associated with the willingness to pay higher premiums. Meanwhile, motivation related to vintage appeal is associated with lower desired discounts for second-hand items, particularly among older consumers. Gender differences also influence discount preferences, with men seeking larger discounts on second-hand clothing compared to women. By providing insights into Italian consumers’ sustainable fashion choices, this study offers implications for businesses, policymakers, and researchers aiming to promote eco-conscious consumption and sustainability in the fashion industry. (shrink)

Value systems, goals, beliefs, and worldviews need to be changed to leverage the sustainability transformation within the human society, as they define how humans interact with nature, generate knowledge and technologies, and utilize natural and artificial resources. Therefore, the humanistic values of this era demand the inclusion of environmental sustainability, and building an eco-surplus culture is essential for the social transition away from eco-deficit dystopia. The Topical Collection welcomes viewpoints, reviews, and theoretical and empirical work.

This short piece of communication has the sole purpose of identifying some evidence, supporting our view regarding a possible missing environment-nurturing cultural value. Here, we attempt to examine the presence of cultural studies within the boundary of waste management research.

Compared with traditional statistics, only a few social scientists employ Bayesian analyses. The existing software programs for implementing Bayesian analyses such as OpenBUGS, WinBUGS, JAGS, and rstanarm can be daunting given that their complex computer codes involve a steep learning curve. In contrast, this paper introduces a new open software for implementing Bayesian network modelling and analysis: the bayesvl R package. The package aims at providing an intuitive gateway for beginners of Bayesian statistics to construct and analyse mathematical models in (...) social sciences... (shrink)

This short piece of communication has the sole purpose of identifying some evidence, supporting our view regarding a possible missing environment-nurturing cultural value. Here, we attempt to examine the presence of cultural studies within the boundary of water pollution research.

Despite the numerous benefits of natural solutions, potential challenges and limitations impede their widespread adoption. A recent paper suggests these obstacles may include financial issues through the stock market and eco-deficit of environmental companies and investors. Specifically, natural solutions, such as biological waste management methods utilizing organisms like black soldier flies, face challenges due to financial considerations and the prevailing eco-deficit culture within the business and investment sectors.

Food security is one of the major concerns in the Philippines. Although livestock and poultry production accounts for a significant proportion of the country’s agricultural output, smallholder households are still vulnerable to food insecurity. The current study aims to examine how livestock production and selling difficulties affect smallholder households’ food-insecure conditions. For this objective, Bayesian Mindsponge Framework (BMF) analytics was employed on a dataset of the Food and Agriculture Organization’s Data in Emergencies Monitoring (DIEM) system. We found that production and (...) selling difficulties significantly adversely affect food insecurity in the Philippines. However, their effects vary according to the severity of food insecurity. In particular, production and selling difficulties affect the households’ likelihood of eating less healthy and nutritious food equally. However, the production difficulties have more negligible impacts on the possibility of skipping meals and even ambiguous impacts on the likelihood of not eating for a whole day compared to the effects of selling difficulties. Moreover, we also found that the market plays a crucial role in facilitating not only livestock trading but also livestock production (e.g., purchase of feed and medicines). Based on these findings, we suggest that the livestock market needs to be expanded and regulated to maintain the balancing prices between livestock products and products and services used for livestock production, and facilitate the product-exchanging mechanism. (shrink)

Liệu con người chúng ta có phải đang tồn tại trong những ảo giác bị giam cầm trong cái lồng "suy nghĩ" của chính mình (giới hạn bởi quan điểm chủ quan), hay chúng ta có thể là điều gì đó hơn nữa, vượt ra khỏi những suy nghĩ và nhận thức cá nhân.

Khởi đầu năm 2024, khoa học Việt Nam đã đón nhận tin vui khi 2 cuốn sách lý thuyết và phương pháp luận khoa học hoàn toàn thuần Việt đã lần lượt được lưu trữ trong thư viện của Đại học Harvard danh giá. Điều này đồng nghĩa với việc lý thuyết và phương pháp luận đến từ Việt Nam sẽ được sử dụng như tài liệu tham khảo cho các giảng viên và sinh viên của Đại học Harvard.

Today, many people have realized that the climate change and biodiversity loss issues lie in how and to what extent humans consume products for their lives in the Anthropocene era. Consumerism has pushed natural resource exploitation to its peak, and the depletion of resources is becoming increasingly prevalent. The beauty and personal care industry has a large market and high profits, especially in the high-income segment. However, this advantage also carries the risk of facing scrutiny, investigations, and criticism from civil (...) society organizations, environmental activists, and consumers. More than anyone else, the industry is vulnerable to the perils of unfavourable societal assessments, particularly the repercussions of consumer-led boycott actions. In this discourse, we suggest that, given the current circumstances, it is imperative for multinational beauty corporations to take a proactive role in allocating resources towards the development of sustainable agriculture practices. This entails not only advocating for the widespread adoption of environmentally conscious production methods but also dedicating efforts towards conducting research and innovation in the area of nature-friendly manufacturing techniques. Doing so will help demonstrate their commitment to the environment and actively provide convincing evidence to consumers of their social responsibility through emission reduction and biodiversity conservation activities. (shrink)

Effective stakeholder engagement and inclusive governance are essential for effective and equitable ocean management. However, few cross-national studies have been conducted to examine how stakeholders’ economic and cultural benefit perceptions influence their support level for policies focused on ocean preservation. The current study aims to fill this gap by employing the Bayesian Mindsponge Framework (BMF) analytics on a dataset of 709 stakeholders from 42 countries, a part of the MaCoBioS project funded by the European Commission H2020. We found that economic (...) and cultural benefit perceptions are generally negatively associated with the policy support level. Regarding economic aspects, stakeholders considering transportation and shipping, renewable energy generation, and oil and gas provision as the most crucial benefits their countries’ oceans provide tend to obtain less support for policies focusing on ocean preservation. Meanwhile, for cultural aspects, perceiving recreation and tourism, aesthetic pleasure, mental health and well-being support, and sense of identity provision as the most important benefits provided by the country’s ocean are negatively associated with the policy support level. The perceived economic, cultural, and environmental tradeoffs when supporting policies focused on ocean preservation were discussed. Recommendations for improving the effective management of multi-use marine space are also provided to reduce the perceived competing interests among stakeholders. (shrink)

Coral reefs provide substantial benefits to humans by generating biologically diverse ecosystems and reducing coastal hazards. However, in recent years, mass mortality of coral reefs due to bleaching has been witnessed in the ocean worldwide. Bleaching induced by the loss of the symbiotic relationship between algae and coral is mainly attributed to climate change. Marine protected areas (MPAs) can effectively prevent local disturbances but are less likely to conserve the coral reefs from global events like climate change. Other conservation and (...) restoration methods can be useful to protect and replenish the coral population temporarily, but whether they are feasible as sustainable conservation strategies is still equivocal. Coral reef mass mortality is not an exceptional occurrence but is linked to various instances of ecological loss, serving as an S.O.S. signal of severe prolonged climate extremes. (shrink)

The nationwide economic reform in 1986 transformed Vietnam from a centrally planned economy to a socialist-oriented market economy. Entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial spirits within the populace are suggested to fuel the structural changes. Despite the importance of entrepreneurship in Vietnam’s economy, studies in Vietnam mainly pay attention to the practical aspects of entrepreneurial activities and neglect the cognitive and theoretical aspects of entrepreneurship. Thus, the current study employs the information-processing perspective of the Mindsponge Theory to explore how entrepreneurs’ knowledge accumulation can (...) affect their perceived likelihood of business success. Bayesian analysis indicates that business-related experience positively affects entrepreneurs’ business success likelihood. Greater willingness/readiness to transform thinking, acting, and beliefs can improve the business success of entrepreneurs who study others’ failures carefully. However, for entrepreneurs who perceive learning from others’ failures as unnecessary, higher willingness/readiness to transform diminishes their chance of success. Based on these findings, we recommend Vietnamese entrepreneurs accumulate knowledge through experience, learning, and an open mind for better decision-making and innovation creation capabilities. However, the learning process should be selective. (shrink)

Inner speech vs. anendophasia: Questions of information, serendipity, and the mental realm’s connection with nature.

The Mindsponge culture can be defined as a set of thinking processes, beliefs, and behaviors that is result- or target-driven. It is an entrepreneurship culture that urges me to overcome hardship with a transparent mind about my target. Adopting this culture is a tough process, but its fruitful results are worth the cost. Especially in the next decades, humanities have to acquire two crucial targets for sustainable development: curbing climate change and reducing biodiversity loss. To accomplish these targets, shifting the (...) eco-deficit mindset to the eco-surplus mindset at the individual level and building eco-surplus culture at the organization level (e.g., business sectors) are required. Obtaining the Mindsponge culture can help us progress and actualize these objectives through creative performance. (shrink)

Academia is a competitive environment. Early Career Researchers (ECRs) are limited in experience and resources and especially need achievements to secure and expand their careers. To help with these issues, this book offers a new approach for conducting research using the combination of mindsponge innovative thinking and Bayesian analytics. This is not just another analytics book. 1. A new perspective on psychological processes: Mindsponge is a novel approach for examining the human mind’s information processing mechanism. This conceptual framework is used (...) to construct models in studies. The framework is highly flexible and widely applicable for many different types of information processes. The mindsponge approach can help researchers discover interesting ideas or even formulate their very own theories when investigating psychosocial phenomena. This approach brings a fresh wind to the current landscape of social sciences and humanities (SSH). 2. Easy-to-follow analysis protocol: The Bayesian Mindsponge Framework (BMF analytics) is useful in terms of computing and visualizing power but also easy to learn and apply. Contrary to being intimidating, the Bayesian analytics section of this book is presented in a reader-friendly manner with a detailed yet clear step-by-step procedure. Examples are from published BMF articles, allowing readers to immediately practice the method and quickly create their own applications. With educational purposes in mind, the book is very suitable for ECRs who are looking to innovate their research methods. 3. Advocating for low-cost, high-quality research: Doing science can be very costly. Mindsponge innovative thinking and BMF analytics help produce impactful studies using openly available data on online repositories. This is based on the authors’ previous works and experiences. The book presents examples of employing the open R package bayesvl on secondary data from different sources. With less financial constraints, researchers can have more freedom of thought to pursue their curiosity and creativity. ECRs in low- and middle-income countries may find this aspect crucial in their careers. 4. Support and collaboration: The authors share their insights from experiences in the academic publishing system to help readers get through the processes of manuscript writing and peer-reviewing more easily. The authors are also ready to support other researchers with further inquiries and collaboration opportunities at the following website, mindsponge(dot)info. This book is for: a) ECRs whose only abundant resources are their innovation capacity and strength of will; b) Researchers in SSH who want to explore a novel approach to thinking and study conducting; c) Low- and middle-income countries’ researchers looking for a cost-effective research protocol; and, d) Innovative thinkers who want to turn their interesting thoughts into good publications. (shrink)

Recently, I have noticed increasing media voices about the Western dominance over the world’s scientific literature. Some questions relevant to my research pursuit arise.

Khi chúng ta còn trẻ, lời khuyên phổ biến từ cha mẹ thường là "Đừng tin người lạ". Và ở những tình huống khác, họ cũng hay động viên sự tự tin của chúng ta bằng cách nhắc nhở: "Hãy tin vào bản thân mình". Tuy nhiên, khi đối diện với người nào đó có vẻ ngoài giống chúng ta ngay từ cái nhìn đầu tiên, liệu chúng ta có tin tưởng họ không?

Products made from animal fur and skin have been a major part of human civilization. However, in modern society, the unsustainable consumption of these products – often considered luxury goods – has many negative environmental impacts. This study explores how people’s perceptions of biodiversity affect their attitudes and behaviors toward consumption. To investigate the information process deeper, we add the moderation of beliefs about biodiversity loss. Following the Bayesian Mindsponge Framework (BMF) analytics, we use mindsponge-based reasoning for constructing conceptual models (...) and employ Bayesian analysis aided by Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithms on a dataset of 535 Vietnamese urban residents. The results show that people’s preference for using products made from animal skin/fur is negatively associated with perceived consequences of biodiversity loss when they believe biodiversity loss is real and a major problem. In contrast, if urban residents believe biodiversity loss is unreal or not a significant issue, the association between perceived consequences of biodiversity loss and personal preference happens in the opposite direction. The same effects of biodiversity loss perception on people’s possession of skin/fur products was not found, indicating a more complex information process on behaviors compared to attitudes. Nevertheless, in the scenario that people believe biodiversity loss is not a significant issue, the higher the perceived consequences of biodiversity loss are, the greater number of animal-based products they likely own. Our results suggest that policymakers should not neglect the factor of personal belief besides knowledge and awareness in environmental campaigns. (shrink)

The study of Enrici et al. (2023) in Ecology and Society [1] is one of a few in-depth discussions of the significance of money on how people (including academics, politicians, and residents) understand the impact of humans on the environment. These insights are critical, especially given the urgency of understanding anthropogenic influences on the ecosystem in the face of the unpredictable dangers of climate catastrophe.

Giới trẻ trên toàn cầu hiện nay rất nhiệt tình ủng hộ các biện pháp phòng chống biến đổi khí hậu, thừa nhận mức độ nghiêm trọng của sự phổ biến của các hiện tượng nắng nóng, bão và lũ lụt. Quyết tâm của họ bắt nguồn từ hiểu biết rõ ràng về những hậu quả sâu rộng của suy thoái môi trường và sự cần thiết phải có các biện pháp thích hợp nhằm ngăn chặn một tương lai bị (...) hủy hoại bởi các thiên tai và các hiện tượng thời tiết khắc nghiệt. (shrink)

In May 2023, Fakhraee et al. published a research article titled “Ocean alkalinity enhancement through restoration of blue carbon ecosystems” in Nature Sustainability. In this essay, we discuss an assessment of the costs of restoring and maintaining the mangrove-seagrass ecosystems indicated in the article.

The article relates to “empirical ecocriticism” and has attracted the attention of many academics, political circles, and social groups for the global living environment. Schneider and Mayerson explore the topic of “climate fiction,” a literary genre focusing on climate related themes that has grown in popularity over the last decade. It is generally believed that this genre can create positive ecological-political impacts by providing climate information to the readers and helping them recognize the urgency of climate change.