Factors affecting employee performance through a mediation of job satisfaction. An empirical study of hospitality industry in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

The research was conducted to explore the relationships between the factors of career development, team spirit, relationship at work, compensation and benefit, working environment, job stress and the factor of employee performance through a mediation of job satisfaction in Hospitality Industry in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Based on previous theoretical and empirical studies, the research conceptual framework and hypotheses were constructed. The primary data was collected from a questionnaire survey with 711 respondents. Multiple regression and Path analyses were conducted to test the research hypotheses, the results showed that career development, team spirit, relationship at work, compensation and benefit, working environment, and employee job satisfaction positively and directly impacted on employee performance. In addition, all factors indirectly influenced employee performance through job satisfaction. Hence, organizations operating in hospitality industry in Ho Chi Minh City should understand better employee expectations to efficiently and effectively improve and manage their human resources

Village Baseline Study – Site Analysis Report Ma village-Yen Binh district, Vietnam

Ma village, Vinh Kien commune, Yen Binh district, Yen Bai province has been selected to be one of Climate Smart Villages (CSVs) under the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) in Southeast Asia. The village baseline survey (VBS) of Ma village, was therefore conducted as part of the baseline effort. This VBS aimed to provide baseline information at the village level about some basic indicators of natural resource utilization, organizational landscapes, and information networks for weather and agricultural information, which can be compared across sites and monitored over time. The study was conducted using the method developed and provided by CCAFS. The study’s findings show that Ma Village is rich and diverse in natural resources. There are three main resources of vital importance for the local people livelihoods, namely farmland, forest and water resources. However, improper exploitation and management have caused negative impacts on these resources. As mentioned by farmers, in the past, farmland of the village used to be very fertile, but has now become severely degraded due to overexploitation and improper management. Regarding forest resources: before 1980s, natural forests existed in large areas and consisted of valuable timber and wild animals. Today, much of the forest area has been converted to production forests or to food crop production land. Water resources, including lakes, rivers and streams have been severely polluted with pollutants from processing cassava, wood and also from animal husbandry and crop production. Degradation of water, farmland and forest resources are causing increasing challenges to agricultural production and also to other human activities. Results of farmer group discussions also demonstrate that there are 34 organizations operating in the village. Most of them are governmental. Very few are private or non-governmental organizations. The number of organizations involving in food security accounts for nearly 50%, the figure for those involving food crisis is 41.6% and in natural resources management is 25%. Those organizations working in food security and food crisis focus mainly on providing support (financial, seed and agricultural inputs) to local farmers to implement some production activities. Insufficient attention and input spent for sustainable development by these 34 organizations, especially those working in the area of natural resources management, could be one of the main reasons for the degradation and erosion of natural resources. There was no activity supporting Ma Village to develop production systems which can respond well to climate change. The study findings however show that local people are very flexible and creative, especially in exploitation of information. Among media channels, television is the most popular. Nevertheless, organizations, in particular, extension networks, Farmers’ Union, local authorities, etc., also have an important role in information dissemination. Exploitation of information from the internet and mobile phones has also been given attention, but mostly by young people only

Exercise Motivation among Fitness Center Members: A Combined Qualitative and Q-Sorting Approach

This study aimed to explore the components of Exercise Maintenance Motivation (EMM) and identify its consensus and distinguishing aspects among members of fitness centers (FCs) in Vietnam. The study incorporated both qualitative and Q-sorting methodologies across two stages. The first stage involved conducting ten in-depth and four focus-group interviews with 39 members of six different FCs in Vietnam, resulting in the generation of 40 EMM statements. In the second stage, these statements were subjected to Q-sorting by 39 participants. The KADE application for the Q method was used for data analysis, and Principal Component Analysis was employed to determine the optimal number of factors. The analysis yielded four factors, encompassing 34 statements and accounting for 86% of the variance in EMM components among participants. These components, labeled “F1. Exercise achievements”, “F2. Exercise environments”, “F3. Exercise enjoyment”, and “F4. Workout-aholic”, achieved consensus among 17 (37%), 14 (30%), 5 (12%), and 3 (7%) participants, respectively. The leading motivational expressions were “get to be healthier”, “a better-looking appearance”, and “get a fit body appearance”. These were followed by FC-based supportive exercise conditions, positive feelings, and exercise addiction. There were five consensus statements that spanned all four factors. The numbers of distinguishing statements varied across factors, with F1, F3, and F4 each contributing 11 (28.2%) and F2 contributing 15 (38.5%). This study contributed to the four central drivers of EMM. To facilitate the development of a comprehensive EMM scale, future research should incorporate larger samples, allowing for a dissection of motivational paradigms.   Doi: 10.28991/HEF-2023-04-03-07 Full Text: PD

CSA: Thực hành nông nghiệp thông minh với khí hậu ở Việt Nam

During the last five years, Vietnam has been one of the countries most affected by climate change. Severe typhoons, flooding, cold spells, salinity intrusion, and drought have affected agriculture production across the country, from upland to lowland regions. Fortunately for Vietnam, continuous work in developing climate-smart agriculture has been occurring in research organizations and among innovative farmers and entrepreneurs. Application of various CSA practices and technologies to adapt to the impact of climate change in agriculture production have been expanding. However, there is a need to accelerate the scaling process of these practices and technologies in order to ensure growth of agriculture production and food security, increase income of farmers, make farming climate resilient, and contribute to global climate change mitigation. This book aims to provide basic information to researchers, managers, and technicians and extentionists at different levels on what CSA practices and technologies can be up scaled in different locations in Vietnam

International Consensus Statement on Rhinology and Allergy: Rhinosinusitis

Background: The 5 years since the publication of the first International Consensus Statement on Allergy and Rhinology: Rhinosinusitis (ICAR‐RS) has witnessed foundational progress in our understanding and treatment of rhinologic disease. These advances are reflected within the more than 40 new topics covered within the ICAR‐RS‐2021 as well as updates to the original 140 topics. This executive summary consolidates the evidence‐based findings of the document. Methods: ICAR‐RS presents over 180 topics in the forms of evidence‐based reviews with recommendations (EBRRs), evidence‐based reviews, and literature reviews. The highest grade structured recommendations of the EBRR sections are summarized in this executive summary. Results: ICAR‐RS‐2021 covers 22 topics regarding the medical management of RS, which are grade A/B and are presented in the executive summary. Additionally, 4 topics regarding the surgical management of RS are grade A/B and are presented in the executive summary. Finally, a comprehensive evidence‐based management algorithm is provided. Conclusion: This ICAR‐RS‐2021 executive summary provides a compilation of the evidence‐based recommendations for medical and surgical treatment of the most common forms of RS

Potential Antidiabetic Activity of Extracts and Isolated Compound from Adenosma bracteosum (Bonati)

Adenosma bracteosum Bonati. (A. bracteosum) has been used in traditional and modern medicine in Vietnam for curing hepatitis. In this study, ethanol and aqueous extracts of A. bracteosum were evaluated for their α-glucosidase inhibitory activities and anti-hyperglycemic effects on glucose loaded hyperglycemic and streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic mice. The α-glucosidase inhibition of the extracts was evaluated by colorimetric assays, and the anti-diabetic activity was tested on a STZ-induced diabetic mice model. The ethanol and aqueous extracts showed a significant α-glucosidase inhibitory activity, which was more effective than acarbose at the same concentration. In the STZ-induced diabetic mice, both extracts showed a strong anti-hyperglycemic activity, with the group receiving 50 mg/kg of ethanol extract and the group receiving 50 mg/kg of aqueous extract presenting 64.42% and 57.69% reductions, respectively, in the blood glucose levels when compared with the diabetic control group, on day 21 (p > 0.05). Isoscutellarein-8-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (IG) was identified from the ethanol extract, which showed a strong inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase, with a ten times higher potency compared with the positive control acarbose. The anti-hyperglycemic effect of IG was effectively similar to the standard drug, glibenclamide, at the same dose of 10 mg/kg (p > 0.05). These results indicated that A. bracteosum has a great antidiabetic potential

The Application of Selective Hepatic Inflow Vascular Occlusion with Anterior Approach in Liver Resection: Effectiveness in Managing Major Complications and Long-Term Survival

Background. Hepatectomy is always a challenge to surgeons and requires an appropriate approach for specific tumors to achieve effective complication management. Selective hepatic pedicle clamping is more considerable strategy when comparing with total hepatic pedicle clamping in the balance between reducing blood loss and transfusion with causing the hepatic parenchyma damages (two main complications affecting liver resection result). Objectives. In this study, we aim to describe the application of selective hepatic inflow vascular occlusion (SHIVO) and anatomical anterior approach in liver resection and evaluate the results, focusing on intraoperative and postoperative complications. Methods. We enrolled 72 patients who underwent liver resection with SHIVO at Viet Duc University Hospital in 4-year period (2011-2014) and then followed up all of them until June 2020 (in 52.6±33 months; range, 2-105 months) or up to the time of death. All the patients were diagnosed with primary or secondary liver cancer, and their future remnant liver volume measured on 64-slice CT scan (dm3) to body weight kg>0.8% (for right hepatectomy). Perioperative parameters were collected and analyzed. Results. The average operation time was 196.2±62.2 minutes, and blood loss was 261.4±202.9 ml; total blood transfusion proportion during and after surgery was 16.7%. Complications accounted for 44.5% of patients in which pleural effusion was the most common one (41.7%). There were no liver failure and biliary fistula after surgery. No deaths were recorded during 30 days postoperatively. Average hospital stay was 11.4±3.7 days. Blood transfusions during the operation and major liver resection were the factors significantly affecting the percentage of complications after liver surgery in our study. In the last follow-up evaluation, 44 patients were dead and 28 patients were alive, in which 7 with recurrence and 21 without recurrence. The overall survival rate was 38.9%. Conclusion. SHIVO in anatomical liver resection is a safe and feasible approach to help resect precisely targeted tumors and manage several complications in liver resection

Controllable synthesis of MoS2/graphene low-dimensional nanocomposites and their electrical properties

© 2019 Elsevier B.V.In this study, a novel hydrothermal route has been developed for the synthesis of MoS2/graphene composite with controllable structures, in which ammonium molybdatetetrahydrate, as-prepared graphene oxide (GO), and thioacetamide were used as staring materials. Effects of Mo4+-to-C precursor ratios and crystalline time on the structures, components and morphologies of MoS2/graphene were investigated. MoS2/graphene samples were characterized using XRD, FESEM, HRTEM, FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, HAADF-STEM/EDS, HXPES and electrical measurements. The results show that petal-like MoS2 nanostructures with ultrathin petals (~1–10 layers) and coexistence of 1T- and 2H-MoS2 phases can be synthesized on graphene surface in a short time (~2 h). Comparison of crystallization conditions, we found that the crystallization time had a significant effect on the size of the MoS2 nanopetals. The shorter the reaction time is, the thinner the petal-like MoS2 nanoscale is. On the other hand, by adjusting the ratios of Mo4+to C (denoted as: MoS2/C (1:2), MoS2/C (3:2), MoS2/C (2.5:1) and MoS2/C (3:1)), different MoS2/graphene architectures including “sandwich-liked”, “layer–by–layer” and “anchored” can be obtained. On the basis of these results, a possible growth mechanism of MoS2nanopetals on GO was proposed. Interestingly, the as-synthesized material depicts its memristive behavior through the Volt-Ampere characteristics, suggesting a potential application in logic memory devices11Nsciescopu

Prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity in urban Hanoi, Vietnam

This study aims to assess the prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity among adults in urban Hanoi, Vietnam; and compare these results to previous estimates among adults in urban Ho Chi Minh City. Survey participants were residents in urban Hanoi, Vietnam and aged between 25-74 years. Data from a cross-sectional biomedical survey conducted in 2004 were collected; which included a questionnaire, physical examination and blood tests. The age-standardised prevalence of overweight and obesity in 2004, using Asian-specific body mass index cut-offs, were 28.6% and 2.1%, respectively. The prevalence of overweight/obesity (combined) was similar in males (29.7%) and females (31.5%), and generally increased with age. The prevalence of overweight/obesity was considerably lower if the standard cut-off values of the World Health Organization were used. The age-standardised prevalence of underweight was 13.3%; and that of 'increased risk'/'substantially increased risk' waist circumference (combined) was 27.9% in males and 25.7% in females, respectively. Almost one in three adults in urban Hanoi were overweight or obese in 2004 and more than one in ten were underweight (based on Asian-specific cut-off values). This prevalence of overweight/obesity is similar to that for adults in urban Ho Chi Minh City, but the prevalence of underweight is lower. While low body weight remains a concern, overweight and obesity are an increasing problem for urban Vietnamese adults