Difficulties encountered by teachers in using storytelling to teach very young learners

Storytelling is widely applied in second language teaching, especially to Very Young Learners (VYLs), as this teaching technique is believed to be highly effective. However, storytelling application in VYLs classrooms may be challenging since these learners possess unique characteristics in terms of second language acquisition, which might cause a variety of difficulties for teachers. This paper examines the difficulties Vietnam - USA Society English Center’s teachers encounter during their storytelling application to teach VYLs. Accordingly, 60 teachers at the language school, who were selected based on their teaching experience, participated in the study. An online survey was carried out in order to find out the participants’ opinions on storytelling application challenges regarding the teaching method, the learners’ characteristics, and the materials. Additionally, in-depth interviews were conducted with twelve randomly chosen teachers to better understand their rationale and suggestions for those difficulties. For data analysis, descriptive statistics were calculated for questionnaire information while the qualitative responses were transcribed and put into themes. The results revealed that the participants encountered certain challenges while delivering storytelling lessons which mainly stemmed from the students and other subjects namely teachers and materials. The findings from this study may help teachers to mitigate the challenges of the storytelling lesson

Research on Factors Affecting Credit Risk of Joint Stock Commercial Banks on Vietnam Stock Market

Design/methodology/approach: The article aims at identifying factors affecting credit risk of commercial banks in Vietnam. The study uses data collected from financial statements of 15 typical joint stock commercial banks out of a total of 27 joint stock commercial banks listed on the Vietnam stock exchange from 2012 to 2022 with panel data of 15 joint stock commercial banks for the period 2012 - 2022. The banks in the research data are the those with the largest total assets in the banking system. After collecting and processing data, research sample includes 165 observations and the study uses E-view software in quantitative analysis to build a regression model to determine the relationship and level of influence of Internal factors to credit risk of listed joint stock commercial banks.   Findings: Research results indicate that factors affecting credit risk of listed joint stock commercial banks include: Ratio of equity to total assets, capital structure of the bank, and operational performance of the banks.   Research, Practical & Social impications: These results confirm the importance of taking into account micro finance factors when making financing. Understanding the impact of these factors and relationships contributes to decision and risk management.   Originality/value: In order to limit credit risk it is necessary to focus on: Ensuring reasonable equity; Stricter control over loan capital; Optimal use of resources

Does the income of the chief executive officer affect the quality of corporate financial statements? An evidence from industrial firms in Vietnam

Research aims: This study examines the relationship between the CEOs’ income and the quality of financial statements of industrial firms listed on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HSX) during the three years from 2018 to 2020. Design/Methodology/Approach: This study investigated the influence of CEOs’ characteristics, particularly their income, on the quality of financial statements of listed firms in the Vietnamese industry by using features of information quality proposed by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), Random Effects model (REM), Fixed Effects model (FEM), and Feasible Generalized Least Squares (FGLS) regressions were applied for empirical examinations. Research findings: The results of this study demonstrated that a CEO’s income positively affected the quality of corporate financial statements. Additionally, the analysis results confirmed the positive correlation between the firm’s size and the quality of disclosed reports, consistent with prior studies. However, this study uncovered that Big4 auditors did not influence the quality of financial statements. Theoretical contribution/Originality: This study contributes to the literature by providing a comprehensive perspective on the assessment of corporate financial statements quality and examining its association with the CEO’s income in the context of an emerging economy. Practitioner/Policy implication: The study is useful for investors and other financial statement users to assess the quality of corporate financial statements through the CEO’s profile; it also contributes as a scientific basis for firms to adjust the compensations offered to their CEOs. Research limitation: This study was limited by looking at the mono-directional impact of the CEO’s income on the financial statement quality. The following studies need a larger sample of industries and countries to strengthen the research findings. Also, further studies can broaden their perspectives to investigate the multidimensionality of this relation

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

The role of ecological consequences of green energy in developed and developing economies

AbstractRecently, green energy has been a significant factor in the technology changes that require researchers’ emphasis. Thus, this study examines the impact of green energy such as renewable energy production, energy import and renewable energy consumption on the technological changes. The current article also investigates the role of economic factors (control variables) such as economic growth and population growth on the technological changes. The present research has selected ten developed and ten developing countries and extracted the data from 2008 to 2019. This article adopted fixed-effect model (FEM), robust standard error and generalized method of moments (GMM) to examine the association between the variables. The results indicated that green energy, such as renewable energy production and renewable energy consumption, along with economic factors such as economic growth, have a positive association with technological changes. The results also indicated that energy import and population growth have a negative association with technological changes. This article guides the regulators while developing effective policies regarding technological changes in the country

Optimization of Ultrasonic-Assisted Extraction of Phenolics and Terpenoids from Sweet Basil Leaves Using Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents

This investigation focused on assessing and enhancing ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) using natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) to extract phenolics and terpenoids from sweet basil leaves. The initial stage involved evaluating the extraction performance of twelve NADES and ethanol. A NADES comprising lactic acid and glucose with a 2 : 1 molar ratio and 20% water content (WC) obtained the highest total phenolic content (TPC) and total terpenoid content (TTC). Single-factor experiments systematically examined the impact of liquid-to-solid ratio (LSR), water content in NADES (WC), ultrasound power, temperature, and exposure time on the extraction yield. Optimization using Box–Behnken Design (BBD) models for the lactic acid and glucose-based UAE revealed the optimal conditions to be 80 ml/g LSR, 30% water, 300 W, 50°C temperature, and a 15-minute exposure time. Under these optimized parameters, the extraction achieved the highest TPC and TTC at 69.88 mg GAE/g and 110.71 mg UA/g, respectively. This study presents an environmentally friendly and sustainable extraction protocol for the extraction of phenolic compounds and terpenoids from sweet basil leaves

Optimization of Oligomer Chitosan/Polyvinylpyrrolidone Coating for Enhancing Antibacterial, Hemostatic Effects and Biocompatibility of Nanofibrous Wound Dressing

A synergistic multilayer membrane design is necessary to satisfy a multitude of requirements of an ideal wound dressing. In this study, trilayer dressings with asymmetric wettability, composed of electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) base membranes coated with oligomer chitosan (COS) in various concentrations of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), are fabricated for wound dressing application. The membranes are expected to synergize the hygroscopic, antibacterial, hemostatic, and biocompatible properties of PCL and COS. The wound dressing was coated by spraying the solution of 3% COS and 6% PVP on the PCL base membrane (PVP6–3) three times, which shows good interaction with biological subjects, including bacterial strains and blood components. PVP6–3 samples confirm the diameter of inhibition zones of 20.0 ± 2.5 and 17.9 ± 2.5 mm against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. The membrane induces hemostasis with a blood clotting index of 74% after 5 min of contact. In the mice model, wounds treated with PVP6–3 closed 95% of the area after 10 days. Histological study determines the progression of skin regeneration with the construction of granulation tissue, new vascular systems, and hair follicles. Furthermore, the newly-growth skin shares structural resemblances to that of native tissue. This study suggests a simple approach to a multi-purpose wound dressing for clinical treatment

Twelve-Month Outcomes of the AFFINITY Trial of Fluoxetine for Functional Recovery After Acute Stroke: AFFINITY Trial Steering Committee on Behalf of the AFFINITY Trial Collaboration

Background and Purpose: The AFFINITY trial (Assessment of Fluoxetine in Stroke Recovery) reported that 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 seizures. After trial medication was ceased at 6 months, survivors were followed to 12 months post-randomization. This preplanned secondary analysis aimed to determine any sustained or delayed effects of fluoxetine at 12 months post-randomization. Methods: AFFINITY was a randomized, parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in adults (n=1280) with a clinical diagnosis of stroke in the previous 2 to 15 days and persisting neurological deficit who were recruited at 43 hospital stroke units in Australia (n=29), New Zealand (4), and Vietnam (10) between 2013 and 2019. Participants were randomized to oral fluoxetine 20 mg once daily (n=642) or matching placebo (n=638) for 6 months and followed until 12 months after randomization. The primary outcome was function, measured by the modified Rankin Scale, at 6 months. Secondary outcomes for these analyses included measures of the modified Rankin Scale, mood, cognition, overall health status, fatigue, health-related quality of life, and safety at 12 months. Results: Adherence to trial medication was for a mean 167 (SD 48) days and similar between randomized groups. At 12 months, the distribution of modified Rankin Scale categories was similar in the fluoxetine and placebo groups (adjusted common odds ratio, 0.93 [95% CI, 0.76–1.14]; P =0.46). Compared with placebo, patients allocated fluoxetine had fewer recurrent ischemic strokes (14 [2.18%] versus 29 [4.55%]; P =0.02), and no longer had significantly more falls (27 [4.21%] versus 15 [2.35%]; P =0.08), bone fractures (23 [3.58%] versus 11 [1.72%]; P =0.05), or seizures (11 [1.71%] versus 8 [1.25%]; P =0.64) at 12 months. Conclusions: Fluoxetine 20 mg daily for 6 months after acute stroke had no delayed or sustained effect on functional outcome, falls, bone fractures, or seizures at 12 months poststroke. The lower rate of recurrent ischemic stroke in the fluoxetine group is most likely a chance finding. REGISTRATION: URL: http://www.anzctr.org.au/ ; Unique identifier: ACTRN12611000774921