How does Family Matter? Investigating the Experiences of Expatriates and their Families in International Assignments

University of Technology Sydney. UTS Business School.The significance of expatriates in managing the overseas operations and providing a boundary spanning role that helps integrate the operations of a subsidiary in the wider inter-organizational global network is widely accepted in international human resource management literature. Extant literature suggests that family plays a certain role in expatriation decisions, and success or failure of expatriates. The number of expatriates that are married/partnered make up the majority of the expatriate population, and most global assignees have family concerns and are influenced by their family in many aspects of their work life. While extant literature has paid attention to the experiences of the family and their influence on the expatriates’ adjustment and performance in the host country, most of these studies have focused on expatriate families who accompany expatriates. The group of split families (where the family does not accompany the expatriates on the international assignment) has been neglected in the literature, thereby limiting our understanding of why in some instances families do not accompany expatriates, how expatriates adjust and perform their tasks in the host country without the physical presence of their families, and how split expatriate families experience international assignments. Using family systems theory, the motivations to undertake international assignments of accompanied and unaccompanied expatriates were investigated, as were the reasons why split expatriate families participate in the split situation. In addition, how families of both situations influence expatriates’ challenges and work outcomes in the host country and how these families experience international assignments were explored. Data for the study were collected using semi-structured interviews with expatriates, expatriate spouses and human resource managers or organizational representatives. The data collection was conducted in Vietnam, which hosts a large number of foreign expatriates, and is an emerging economy. The findings of this current study show that families influence the motivations, considerations, challenges and work outcomes of expatriates in both accompanying and split situations. Furthermore, the experiences of expatriates and families in the split situation are vastly different from those in the accompanying situation although similarities also exist between the two situations. The key findings focus on six major areas: work-related vs. family-driven reasons, family-centered concerns and considerations, adjustable vs. enduring challenges, crossover and spillover effects on expatriates’ work outcomes, tested emotional bonds and organizations’ lack of care for the split situation. By offering insights about split expatriate families in comparison with accompanying ones, this study contributes to the literature on expatriate recruitment, adjustment, work outcomes and family systems theory. In terms of practical contributions, the research outcomes will serve as lessons for multinational enterprises, organizations operating internationally and expatriates and their families to increase expatriation success without compromising family outcomes

On Building a Community to Exchange and Share Sustainable Fashion Applications

Sustainable development is a standard plan for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and in the future, set forth by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which was adopted by all United Nations member states and agreed to in 2015. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are an urgent call to action for all developed and developing countries in relation to global cooperation. Many factors cause environmental pollution, but the fashion industry is considered by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) as the second most polluting industry in the world. It accounts for 10% of global carbon emissions due to the energy used in production, manufacturing, and transportation. In particular, the factors that strongly affect the environment in the fashion industry are the textile materials, the fabric dyeing industry, and the rapid development of fast fashion. The data was collected through an online survey of 101 fashion consumers and interviews with nine target audiences who need to buy and sell used clothes or are interested in buying and selling used clothes or sustainable fashion. Sustainable design is not a new concept, but it is still quite strange to the Vietnamese. Consumer ignorance about sustainable consumption and the harmful effects of the fashion industry on planet Earth is a big reason why consumers constantly plunge into the shopping vortex. The problem of wasteful and unsustainable fashion consumption is a big global problem at a time when the fashion industry is gradually emerging into the sustainable fashion movement. This is an opportunity to build a community by connecting consumers through their essential needs, helping them raise awareness, change their behavior, and make each individual part of a sustainable fashion community. They are thus contributing to sustainable development in the future. Keywords: SDGs, sustainable fashion, sustainable consumption, communit

Immunohistochemical expression of anaplastic lymphoma kinase in neuroblastoma and its relations with some clinical and histopathological features

Background Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) mutations have been identified as a prominent cause of some familial and sporadic neuroblastoma (NB). ALK expression in NB and its relationship with clinical and histopathological features remains controversial. This study investigated ALK expression and its potential relations with these features in NB. Methods Ninety cases of NB at the Department of Pathology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam from 01/01/2018 to 12/31/2021, were immunohistochemically stained with ALK (D5F3) antibody. The ALK expression and its relations with some clinical and histopathological features were investigated. Results The rate of ALK expression in NB was 91.1%. High ALK expression (over 50% of tumor cells were positive with moderate-strong intensity) accounted for 65.6%, and low ALK expression accounted for 34.4%. All the MYCN-amplified NB patients had ALK immunohistochemistry positivity, most cases had high ALK protein expression. The undifferentiated subtype of NB had a lower ALK-positive rate than the poorly differentiated and differentiated subtype. The percentages of ALK positivity were significantly higher in more differentiated histological types of NB (p = .024). There was no relation between ALK expression and: age group, sex, primary tumor location, tumor stage, MYCN status, clinical risk, Mitotic-Karyorrhectic Index, prognostic group, necrosis, and calcification. Conclusions ALK was highly expressed in NB. ALK expression was not related to several clinical and histopathological features. More studies are needed to elucidate the association between ALK expression and ALK gene status and to investigate disease progression, especially the oncogenesis of ALK-positive NB

Isolation an agar degradation Bacillus sp. AT6 and preliminary application for seaweed saccharification

Background: Agar is a common polysaccharide found in nature. However, agar is strongly resisted to the degradation processing, leading to limitation of its application in various areas. Thus, finding an effective solution for agar saccharification significantly improves the economically effects of agar based substrates.Methods: Soil samples were collected from TienPhong Forestry Ltd. Company, ThuyXuan District, ThuaThien Hue province, Vietnam. Potential agar degrading bacteria were screened on a mineral salt agar medium. The isolate was identified based on 16S rRNA nucleotide sequence, morphological, physiological, and biochemical characteristics. Agarase production was evaluated by modification culture conditions including incubation time, shaking speed, and initial inoculum size. Molecular mass of extracellular agarase was determined by native SDS-PAGE. The effect of pH, temperature, metal ions, and organic solvents were conducted for enzyme characterization. Application of enzyme was investigated on seaweed saccharification.Result: An agar degrading bacterial strain was isolated from soils and identified as Bacillus sp. AT6. Maximal agarase accumulation obtained in the culture containing an inoculum size of 10% (v/v), shaking speed of 210 rpm, and 96 hours incubation. The agarase revealed a single band on zymogram analysis with an apparent molecular weight of 180 kDa. The optimal temperature and pH were 40°C and pH 8.0, respectively. All tested metal ions and organic solvents partially decreased enzyme activity. Treatment seaweed by agarase resulted in reducing sugars release present in the reaction, indicating the saccharification of seaweed was succeeded.Conclusion: Bacillus sp. AT6 is a new report of agarolytic bacteria that produces extracellular agarase enzymes. The present results promise strain AT6 is a great candidate for agar saccharification for industrial application

The global response: How cities and provinces around the globe tackled Covid-19 outbreaks in 2021

Background: Tackling the spread of COVID-19 remains a crucial part of ending the pandemic. Its highly contagious nature and constant evolution coupled with a relative lack of immunity make the virus difficult to control. For this, various strategies have been proposed and adopted including limiting contact, social isolation, vaccination, contact tracing, etc. However, given the heterogeneity in the enforcement of these strategies and constant fluctuations in the strictness levels of these strategies, it becomes challenging to assess the true impact of these strategies in controlling the spread of COVID-19.Methods: In the present study, we evaluated various transmission control measures that were imposed in 10 global urban cities and provinces in 2021 Bangkok, Gauteng, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta, London, Manila City, New Delhi, New York City, Singapore, and Tokyo.Findings: Based on our analysis, we herein propose the population-level Swiss cheese model for the failures and pit-falls in various strategies that each of these cities and provinces had. Furthermore, whilst all the evaluated cities and provinces took a different personalized approach to managing the pandemic, what remained common was dynamic enforcement and monitoring of breaches of each barrier of protection. The measures taken to reinforce the barriers were adjusted continuously based on the evolving epidemiological situation.Interpretation: How an individual city or province handled the pandemic profoundly affected and determined how the entire country handled the pandemic since the chain of transmission needs to be broken at the very grassroot level to achieve nationwide control

Safety and efficacy of fluoxetine on functional outcome after acute stroke (AFFINITY): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Background Trials of fluoxetine for recovery after stroke report conflicting results. The Assessment oF FluoxetINe In sTroke recoverY (AFFINITY) trial aimed to show if daily oral fluoxetine for 6 months after stroke improves functional outcome in an ethnically diverse population. Methods AFFINITY was a randomised, parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial done in 43 hospital stroke units in Australia (n=29), New Zealand (four), and Vietnam (ten). Eligible patients were adults (aged ≥18 years) with a clinical diagnosis of acute stroke in the previous 2–15 days, brain imaging consistent with ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke, and a persisting neurological deficit that produced a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 1 or more. Patients were randomly assigned 1:1 via a web-based system using a minimisation algorithm to once daily, oral fluoxetine 20 mg capsules or matching placebo for 6 months. Patients, carers, investigators, and outcome assessors were masked to the treatment allocation. The primary outcome was functional status, measured by the mRS, at 6 months. The primary analysis was an ordinal logistic regression of the mRS at 6 months, adjusted for minimisation variables. Primary and safety analyses were done according to the patient's treatment allocation. The trial is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12611000774921. Findings Between Jan 11, 2013, and June 30, 2019, 1280 patients were recruited in Australia (n=532), New Zealand (n=42), and Vietnam (n=706), of whom 642 were randomly assigned to fluoxetine and 638 were randomly assigned to placebo. Mean duration of trial treatment was 167 days (SD 48·1). At 6 months, mRS data were available in 624 (97%) patients in the fluoxetine group and 632 (99%) in the placebo group. The distribution of mRS categories was similar in the fluoxetine and placebo groups (adjusted common odds ratio 0·94, 95% CI 0·76–1·15; p=0·53). Compared with patients in the placebo group, patients in the fluoxetine group had more falls (20 [3%] vs seven [1%]; p=0·018), bone fractures (19 [3%] vs six [1%]; p=0·014), and epileptic seizures (ten [2%] vs two [<1%]; p=0·038) at 6 months. Interpretation Oral fluoxetine 20 mg daily for 6 months after acute stroke did not improve functional outcome and increased the risk of falls, bone fractures, and epileptic seizures. These results do not support the use of fluoxetine to improve functional outcome after stroke

Adopting the Health Belief Model and Social Cognitive Theory Framework to Explore Factors Impacting STIs Prevention Behaviors Among Youth: A Case Study in Vietnam

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are an important health concern in Vietnam, with a consistently increasing prevalence, particularly in youths. These infections have significant consequences for personal health, longevity, and the welfare of society. Preventive measures against STIs among Vietnamese young have become common, bringing noteworthy challenges despite the importance of the circumstances. The authors evaluate the actual preventive measures used by this particular population for STIs. Our research explores the influences on STI prevention by combining the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) with the Health Belief Model (HBM). We collected data from 835 respondents across various areas of Vietnam via SPSS 26.0 and SmartPLS 4.0 software. The results highlighted the key factors that influence STIs prevention and provided recommendations to enhance these preventive actions. The goal of this research is to reduce STIs rates and enhance sexual and reproductive health in young adults to ensure a better future. Keywords: STIs prevention behaviors, the Health Belief Model, Social Cognitive Theory, Youth in Vietnam DOI: 10.7176/JESD/15-3-01 Publication date:March 31st 202

Fabrication of injectable bone substitute loading porous simvastatin-loaded poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) microspheres

An injectable bone substitute (IBS) with well-controlled release mechanism of simvastatin (SIM) was fabricated from SIM loaded-porous poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) microspheres (PLGA MSs), biphasic calcium phosphates (BCP) and CaCO3 nano powder as the solid phase and gelatin, citric acid and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose as the liquid phase. The ratios of PLGA MSs and BCP were varied to obtain IBS with optimal mechanical properties, biocompatibility and bioactivity. In vitro test with MG-63 pre-osteoblast cells showed that IBS with higher amount of PLGA MSs yield better cell adhesion and proliferation. In vivo study on rabbit femoral defect also suggested that the IBS promoted osteogenesis

Chitinophaga vietnamensis sp. nov., a multi-drug resistant bacterium infecting humans

International audienc

Characterizations and Antibacterial Efficacy of Chitosan Oligomers Synthesized by Microwave-Assisted Hydrogen Peroxide Oxidative Depolymerization Method for Infectious Wound Applications

The use of naturally occurring materials with antibacterial properties has gained a great interest in infected wound management. Despite being an abundant resource in Vietnam, chitosan and its derivatives have not yet been intensively explored for their potential in such application. Here, we utilized a local chitosan source to synthesize chitosan oligomers (OCS) using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) oxidation under the microwave irradiation method. The effects of H2O2 concentration on the physicochemical properties of OCS were investigated through molecular weight, degree of deacetylation, and heavy metal contamination for optimization of OCS formulation. Then, the antibacterial inhibition was examined; the minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration (MIC and MBC) of OCS-based materials were determined against common skin-inhabitant pathogens. The results show that the local Vietnamese chitosan and its derivative OCS possessed high-yield purification while the molecular weight of OCS was inversely proportional and proportional to the concentration of H2O2, respectively. Further, the MIC and MBC of OCS ranged from 3.75 to less than 15 mg/mL and 7.5–15 mg/mL, respectively. Thus, OCS-based materials induce excellent antimicrobial properties and can be attractive for wound dressings and require further investigation