Perceived Audit Quality, Earnings Management and Cost of Debt Capital: Evidence from the Energy Listed Firms on Vietnam's Stock Market

This study examines the impact of perceived audit quality and accrual-based earnings management on cost of debt capital of the energy listed firms on Vietnam's stock market. Our data set includes 29 energy companies on Vietnam stock markets (HNX and HOSE) in the period from 2010 to 2016. We used FEM and REM estimator to test our hypotheses. The results confirm that there is no significant statistical association between accrual-based earnings management and cost of debt. There is a negative association between audit quality, firm size, return on assets and cost of debt while firm leverage and the tangible asset has a positive association. Moreover, global financial crisis has no statistically significant influence on the cost of debt capital. The research results have implications for regulators and investors about the stability of the economy in emerging markets. Keywords: cost of debt, earnings management, audit quality, energy enterprises, Vietnam. JEL Classifications: M42; G32 DOI: https://doi.org/10.32479/ijeep.699

Evaluation Of Allelopathic Potential Of Cissus sicyoides Against the Growth Of Echinochloa Crus-Galli And Some Tested Plants

Many plant species in nature exert significant allelopathic potential as part of the defense mechanism system, many among their secondary metabolites (allelochemicals), including mineral constituents, which are responsible for the suppression of weeds and enhancing crop yield when directly incorporated into paddy fields. Cissus sicyoides is considered a high-potential allelopathic plant because of its invasion in nature and detected allelochemicals from the plant parts in some studies. The objective of this research was to exploit the allelopathic properties of C.sicyoides against paddy weeds and some indicator plants under laboratory bioassays and greenhouse conditions. The results demonstrated that C. sicyoides had significant inhibition on E. crus-galli, tested plants, and other paddy weeds. In the laboratory conditions, the extracts from C.sicyoides leaves inhibited the growth of Echinochloa crus-galli by 54.3%. The powders from C.sicyoides leaves inhibited the emergence of paddy weeds by approximately 100.0%. In the greenhouse conditions, the powders from C.sicyoides leaves by adding after 3 and 13 days inhibited the growth of E. crus-galli and the emergence of paddy weeds by 64.4%. Remarkably, negligible harmful effects on rice growth were observed. The findings of the study may provide useful information for the exploitation of this plant species to effectively control weeds in the rice fields for sustainable agriculture production

The ASIASAFE road safety handbook: the best practices in traffic safety between Europe – Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam

This handbook on Road Traffic Safety, titled "The ASIASAFE Road Safety Handbook: The Best Practices in Traffic Safety between Europe – Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam," is a collaborative effort involving nine universities across Asia and Europe. It represents over three years of intensive research, discussions, and consultations with relevant agencies in participating countries. The six Asian universities involved are the Malaysia University of Science and Technology, Universiti Malaya (Malaysia), Universitas Gadjah Mada, Universitas Muhammadiyah (Indonesia), and Nguyen Tat Thanh University, University of Transport and Communications (Vietnam). The three European universities are Linkoping University (Sweden), University of Porto (Portugal), and University of Rome "Tor Vergata" (Italy). While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and relevance of the information provided in this handbook, it is essential to acknowledge that each country has its own unique conditions and circumstances concerning road traffic safety. Therefore, the content of this handbook should be adopted and adapted according to the specific situations and needs of individual countries. Readers are advised to exercise caution and discretion in implementing the recommendations and strategies outlined in this handbook, considering the local context and consulting with relevant authorities and experts as needed. The authors and contributing institutions do not accept any responsibility for the consequences of actions taken based on the information provided in this handbook

Antibiotic use and prescription and its effects on Enterobacteriaceae in the gut in children with mild respiratory infections in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. A prospective observational outpatient study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Treatment guidelines do not recommend antibiotic use for acute respiratory infections (ARI), except for streptococcal pharyngitis/tonsillitis and pneumonia. However, antibiotics are prescribed frequently for children with ARI, often in absence of evidence for bacterial infection. The objectives of this study were 1) to assess the appropriateness of antibiotic prescriptions for mild ARI in paediatric outpatients in relation to available guidelines and detected pathogens, 2) to assess antibiotic use on presentation using questionnaires and detection in urine 3) to assess the carriage rates and proportions of resistant intestinal Enterobacteriaceae before, during and after consultation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients were prospectively enrolled in Children's Hospital 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and diagnoses, prescribed therapy and outcome were recorded on first visit and on follow-up after 7 days. Respiratory bacterial and viral pathogens were detected using molecular assays. Antibiotic use before presentation was assessed using questionnaires and urine HPLC. The impact of antibiotic usage on intestinal Enterobacteriaceae was assessed with semi-quantitative culture on agar with and without antibiotics on presentation and after 7 and 28 days. RESULTS: A total of 563 patients were enrolled between February 2009 and February 2010. Antibiotics were prescribed for all except 2 of 563 patients. The majority were 2nd and 3rd generation oral cephalosporins and amoxicillin with or without clavulanic acid. Respiratory viruses were detected in respiratory specimens of 72.5% of patients. Antibiotic use was considered inappropriate in 90.1% and 67.5%, based on guidelines and detected pathogens, respectively. On presentation parents reported antibiotic use for 22% of patients, 41% of parents did not know and 37% denied antibiotic use. Among these three groups, six commonly used antibiotics were detected with HPLC in patients' urine in 49%, 40% and 14%, respectively. Temporary selection of 3rd generation cephalosporin resistant intestinal Enterobacteriaceae during antibiotic use was observed, with co-selection of resistance to aminoglycosides and fluoroquinolones. CONCLUSIONS: We report overuse and overprescription of antibiotics for uncomplicated ARI with selection of resistant intestinal Enterobacteriaceae, posing a risk for community transmission and persistence in a setting of a highly granular healthcare system and unrestricted access to antibiotics through private pharmacies. REGISTRATION: This study was registered at the International Standard Randomised Controlled Trials Number registry under number ISRCTN32862422: http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN32862422

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

A SWOT Analysis With A Digital Transformation: A Case Study For Hospitals In The Pharmaceutical Supply Chain

The pharmaceutical business meets all requirements for a complicated and tightly regulated sector, including multi-stakeholder participation. The objective is to study digital transformation strategies in hospitals to improve the safety and convenience of pharmaceutical services when providing healthcare services. In this study, a SWOT analysis is performed to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats with a digital transformation case study for hospitals in the pharmaceutical supply chain in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Information source for SWOT analysis of published articles and reports in the following aspects: Digital transformation environment of hospitals in the global pharmaceutical supply chain; new technology with reliability, safety, and security; Culture with human resources and customer experience; Laws and policies. The outcomes of the SWOT analysis highlight the opportunities, threats, weaknesses, and opportunities. The SWOT matrix and pertinent strategies should be used by hospitals in the pharmaceutical supply chain to maximize their strengths and opportunities while minimizing risks or managing their weaknesses and issues with the digital transformation. Finally, decision-makers and stakeholders are urged to apply the lessons learned from SWOT analysis and planning to the hospital's role in building a reliable pharmaceutical supply chain. The consequences of this study include integrating potent new technology, revising methods, and redesigning organizational structure in order to alter and modernize a pharmaceutical supply chain operation

Firm constraints on the link between proactive innovation, open innovation and firm performance

This study aims to examine the impacts of firm constraints and proactive innovation on firm performance, using a sample of 3504 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Vietnam from 2011&ndash;2015. Our findings suggest that technological innovations in general are beneficial to firm performance, increasing firm sales and profits. Further filtering innovations into two categories of proactive and reactive ones, we find that reactive innovation negatively affects firm performance, consistent with the view that proactive entrepreneurial behavior is a highly sought-after characteristic or a valuable resource for a firm as specified in resources-based theory. Finally, our result implies that if firms have low constraint or have sufficient resources, proactive strategies should be the choice if firms seek to improve their performance

Determinants of Student Loyalty From Service Quality Through Their Satisfaction in Bphram Education – a Proposed Model

Educational service is recognized as an emerging term in academic sectors. In global perspective, higher education is affirmed as a business and students, or parents and other related bodies are customers of universities. For their sustainable development, they insist on development and enhancement of their service quality by improving student satisfaction. Significantly, research of factors affecting student loyalty from service quality with the intermediating role of customer satisfaction of Bpharm education institutions Vietnam is really limited. Hence, this study is to propose a theoretical model on that matter for private universities located in Ho Chi Minh city in special and in Vietnam in general. To achieve that objective, the study uses mainly qualitative approach with the techniques of the systematic review, the meta-analysis, and the expert consultation with the data from different sources including Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science (WoS), EBSCO, Cengage and Springer, etc. From which, 145 publications have been found eligible for this study. Also, the study contributes to the knowledge of educational quality management and requires empirical studies to confirm whether the proposed framework exists or is adjusted for practical implementation

Does corporate tax avoidance explain firm performance? Evidence from an emerging economy

Corporate tax avoidance is an act aiming at reducing tax amount liable to the government, which is expected to raise firm value. However, agency theory postulates that opportunistic managers can lower tax liabilities through the arrangement of complex transactions, enabling them to shirk or pursue own interests. Therefore, the need to examine the link between corporate tax avoidance and firm performance is evident, yet there has not been any research on this in the context of Vietnam, a country plagued with tax-avoiding cases. We are the first to examine the empirical link using a sample of Vietnamese listed firms over the period from 2010 to 2016, using a wide-ranging set of performance and tax-sheltering indicators. Overall, the results indicate a mixed relationship between corporate tax avoidance and firm performance in Vietnam

Does CSR Moderate the Relationship between Corporate Governance and Chinese Firm’s Financial Performance? Evidence from the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) Firms

We have performed a focalized investigation to explore how corporate social responsibility (CSR) moderates the relationship between corporate governance and firms&rsquo; financial performance. We applied a panel regression to examine this relationship from a sample of 3400 Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) listed firms, based on yearly observations from 2009 to 2018. Our results show that the presence of female directors on the board is associated with improved firms&rsquo; performance and that corporate social responsibility (CSR) moderates this relation, thus indicating that sharing strategic decision-making with female board members revealed a better relationship between CSR and firms&rsquo; financial performance. Our findings showed that foreign institutional investors positively influenced firms&rsquo; financial performance and that CSR moderates the relation between foreign institutional shareholders and the firm&rsquo;s financial performance. Supported by corporate governance theories, such as resource dependence and stakeholder theory, our results help to better understand the nexus among corporate governance, firms&rsquo; performance and corporate social responsibility. These findings are advantageous to government departments in emerging countries in terms of encouraging marketing practitioners and participants to implement CSR practices and change the attitude associated with CSR implications. This study highlighted the problems of the foreign institutional investors&rsquo; scheme, which was the main contribution to the financial market reform of China after 2003. These findings offer significant implications to corporate affairs executives and managers, practitioners, academicians, state officials, and policy-makers, and might provide China with the opportunity to extend its market liberalization to the global markets. This research also contributes to the existing literature, which investigates how CSR moderates the relationship between corporate governance and firms&rsquo; financial performance in the Chinese market context