In the production of astaxanthin from Haematococcus pluvialis, the process of growing algal biomass in the vegetative green stage is an indispensable step in both suspended and immobilized cultivations. The green algal biomass is usually cultured in a suspension under a low light intensity. However, for astaxanthin accumulation, the microalgae need to be centrifuged and transferred to a new medium or culture system, a significant difficulty when upscaling astaxanthin production. In this research, a small-scale angled twin-layer porous substrate photobioreactor (TL-PSBR) was used to cultivate green stage biomass of H. pluvialis. Under low light intensities of 20–80 µmol photons m⁻²·s⁻¹, algae in the biofilm consisted exclusively of non-motile vegetative cells (green palmella cells) after ten days of culturing. The optimal initial biomass density was 6.5 g·m⁻², and the dry biomass productivity at a light intensity of 80 µmol photons m⁻²·s⁻¹ was 6.5 g·m⁻²·d⁻¹. The green stage biomass of H. pluvialis created in this small-scale angled TL-PSBR can be easily harvested and directly used as the source of material for the inoculation of a pilot-scale TL-PSBR for the production of astaxanthin.

Light-emitting diodes are increasingly used as artificial light sources in Haematococcus pluvialis cultivation due to the fact of their energy advantages. The immobilized cultivation of H. pluvialis in pilot-scale angled twin-layer porous substrate photobioreactors (TL-PSBRs) was initially performed with a 14/10 h light/dark cycle and showed relatively low biomass growth and astaxanthin accumulation. In this study, the illumination time with red and blue LEDs at a light intensity of 120 µmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹ was increased to 16–24 h per day. With a light/dark cycle of 22/2 h, the biomass productivity of the algae was 7.5 g m⁻² day⁻¹, 2.4 times higher than in the 14/10 h cycle. The percentage of astaxanthin in the dry biomass was 2%, and the total amount of astaxanthin was 1.7 g m⁻². Along with the increase in light duration, adding 10 or 20 mM NaHCO₃ to the BG11-H culture medium over ten days of cultivation in angled TL-PSBRs did not increase the total amount of astaxanthin compared with only CO₂ addition at a flow rate of 3.6 mg min⁻¹ to the culture medium. Adding NaHCO₃ with a 30–80 mM concentration inhibited algal growth and astaxanthin accumulation. However, adding 10–40 mM NaHCO₃ caused algal cells to accumulate astaxanthin at a high percentage in dry weight after the first four days in TL-PSBRs.

This study focused on five microalgal strains resembling Desmodesmus isolated from the Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve. The objective was to assess the effectiveness of morphological and molecular methods for algal identification and to evaluate the genetic diversity of the relevant taxa. The five isolated and reference strains were cultured axenically in a BG-11 medium. Both microscopy (at magnifications of 40× and 100×) and molecular techniques (using ITS and 18S rRNA markers) were employed for analysis. Phylogenetic analyses were conducted using Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian inference methods. The results indicated that five of the ten strains were consistently identified using both approaches. Molecular data prompted a taxonomic reassignment for the three remaining strains, while morphological traits were more decisive for two reference strains. Phylogenetic analyses revealed significant genetic diversity within Desmodesmus, highlighting the ecological adaptability of genetically distinct variants. This study emphasizes the reliability of molecular tools in algal taxonomy, particularly for differentiating between Desmodesmus and Scenedesmus-like taxa. It contributes to understanding microalgal genetic diversity in the Can Gio Biosphere Reserve and provides a foundation for future ecological and biotechnological applications.

In the context of globalisation and digital transformation in higher education, enhancing English for Specific Purposes (ESP) skills among students in agricultural sciences, particularly in Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, has become increasingly essential. However, the absence of specialised and contextually relevant learning tools poses a significant barrier to accessing international academic resources. This paper presents the development process, technical features, and application potential of the Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine (ASVM) Dictionary, a bilingual digital glossary designed and implemented by a research team at Can Tho University. With over 10,000 English–Vietnamese terms, including pronunciation, illustrative images, and real-time search functionality, the ASVM Dictionary not only facilitates accurate terminology acquisition but also promotes self-directed learning and digital engagement. Results indicate that there were more than 80,000 website visits and 2,000 app downloads, reflecting high practical interest and adoption. The paper also compares the ASVM Dictionary with traditional reference materials, analyses its integration into current ESP curricula, and proposes future development directions, such as incorporating artificial intelligence and expanding interdisciplinary applications. African swine fever (ASF) continues to pose a major threat to pig production in Vietnam, highlighting the critical role of farm-level biosecurity. This study aimed to evaluate the biosecurity status of large-scale commercial pig fattening farms in Central Vietnam using a standardised digital assessment tool. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on five commercial pig farms (≥300 livestock units) using the Food & Agriculture Organisation’s framework based PigHealth Security-X software, which comprises 165 questions grouped into eight biosecurity vectors. Biosecurity performance was quantified on a scale from 0 to 100%. Overall, all surveyed farms were classified as having an excellent level of biosecurity, with a mean score of 91.3%. Nevertheless, three vectors showed comparatively lower scores: Good husbandry practices (83.4%), transportation (85.0%), and structural location (85.6%). Major non-compliant indicators included high stocking density, frequent entry of external vehicles, insufficient vehicle disinfection time, and the absence of off-site disinfection facilities. These findings indicated that despite high overall biosecurity scores, specific operational weaknesses that may increase the risk of pathogen introduction and spread remained. Regular biosecurity assessments using digital tools such as PigHealth Security-X can support farm managers in identifying critical control points and implementing targeted improvements to strengthen disease prevention and control in commercial pig production systems. Dong Tao and Ri chickens are indigenous Vietnamese breeds that differ markedly in morphology and productive performance. This study evaluated morphological traits, reproductive performance, egg quality, and hatchability of Ri, Dong Tao, and their reciprocal F₁ crossbred hens in order to assess genetic effects and crossbreeding potential. A total of 53 laying hens were raised under identical management conditions. Body weight and shank traits were measured at 24 weeks of age, while egg traits were monitored over a 19-24-week laying period. Dong Tao hens exhibited significantly greater body weight and shank dimensions (P<0.05), but showed delayed sexual maturity and lower egg production compared to Ri hens. In contrast, Ri hens reached sexual maturity earlier and achieved a higher laying rate and hatchability. Reciprocal F₁ hens displayed predominantly intermediate morphological and egg quality traits, indicating strong additive genetic effects, while showing improved reproductive performance relative to Dong Tao hens. Partial heterosis was observed for age at first egg and egg production, with limited reciprocal effects. Overall, reciprocal crossbreeding between Ri and Dong Tao chickens mitigated the trade-off between body size and reproductive efficiency while maintaining acceptable egg quality and hatchability, thus supporting the sustainable utilisation of indigenous chicken genetic resources. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common myocardial disease in cats and can progress to congestive heart failure. This study was conducted at Procare Veterinary Hospital from December 2024 to December 2025 to investigate the prevalence, clinical characteristics, diagnostic indices, and treatment outcomes of HCM in cats. Among 2,195 cats presented for examination, 167 cases (7.61%) were suspected of having heart disease; 30 cats (17.96%) were definitively diagnosed with HCM by echocardiography. HCM was most frequently observed in British Shorthair cats (66.66%), followed by mixed-breed cats (20.00%); sex was not an independent risk factor. Cats younger than 6 years accounted for 83.33%, and those weighing under 5 kg accounted for 73.33% (p < 0.01). Clinically, tachycardia and/or a gallop rhythm was the most common finding (34.67%), whereas cardiac murmurs were less frequent (8.00%); gallop rhythm represented 80.00% of all cardiac auscultation abnormalities. Echocardiographic parameters showed that interventricular septal thickness in diastole (IVSd) and the left atrium-to-aorta ratio (LA/Ao) increased significantly with disease stage, with LA/Ao reaching 2.55 in stage C. Vertebral heart score (VHS) gradually increased from 8.06 ± 0.15 in stage B1 to 9.83 ± 0.47 in stage C. Treatment outcomes were highly favorable in early stages (100% in B1; 94.44% in B2) but poor in the heart failure stage (16.67% in stage C), highlighting the importance of early screening by echocardiography to improve the prognosis of feline HCM. This study concludes that treatment is most effective when the disease is detected in the early or pre–heart failure stages, supplements scientific data on feline cardiovascular disease, supports early screening and the development of appropriate follow-up strategies in clinical veterinary practice in Vietnam. Based on the study findings, a key recommendation for future application by clinicians dealing with this condition in their practices is that echocardiography is essential for definitive diagnosis of HCM because clinical signs and cardiac auscultation findings have limited diagnostic specificity. This study characterised mitochondrial genetic diversity in Vietnamese Ven dogs using a 582-bp fragment of the HV1 region from 21 individuals. A total of 32 polymorphic sites was identified, and sequence variation resolved 14 haplotypes assigned to three major haplogroups (A, B, and C). Haplogroup A was predominant, while haplotype C2 was the most frequent (19.06%). One novel haplotype (Cn) was detected at low frequency (4.67%). Genetic diversity indices indicate substantial maternal variation within the sampled population (Hd = 0.943; Pi = 0.01524), consistent with patterns reported in other Vietnamese and Southeast Asian village dogs. The haplotype network further supports the coexistence of both closely related and moderately divergent maternal lineages, although demographic inference remains limited by sample size. Overall, the findings suggest that Vện dogs represent a phenotypically defined subset embedded within a diverse regional gene pool rather than a distinct maternal lineage. This study provides a baseline HV1 dataset for Vện dogs and highlights the need for expanded sampling and genome-wide analyses to better resolve population structure, evolutionary history, and implications for conservation and breeding strategies.