Corporate governance and firm performance: Evidence from Vietnamese listed companies

The research aims to provide empirical evidence on the relationship between corporate governance and firm performance in Vietnam – a developing economy in Asia. It focuses on the corporate governance of Vietnamese listed companies with a data-set of the five-year period from 2011 to 2015. Vietnamese listed companies are governed and controlled by two boards, Board of Directors and Supervisory Board. The research investigates the impacts of directors’ and supervisors’ characteristics and ownership structure on firm performance. The outcomes reveal that most governance mechanisms employed by Vietnamese listed companies were not effective and had no effect on the companies’ performance, except for managerial ownership and Supervisory Board size. Specifically, management ownership and firm performance were negatively correlated. Additional analyses show a positive relationship between the number of supervisors and firm performance, which was measured by market-based measurement

An approach for linguistic multi-attribute decision making based on linguistic many-valued logic

There are various types of multi-attribute decision-making (MADM) problems in our daily lives and decision-making problems under uncertain environments with vague and imprecise information involved. Therefore, linguistic multi-attribute decision-making problems are an important type studied extensively. Besides, it is easier for decision-makers to use linguistic terms to evaluate/choose among alternatives in real life. Based on the theoretical foundation of the Hedge algebra and linguistic many-valued logic, this study aims to address multi-attribute decision-making problems by linguistic valued qualitative aggregation and reasoning method. In this paper, we construct a finite monotonous Hedge algebra for modeling the linguistic information related to MADM problems and use linguistic many-valued logic for deducing the outcome of decision making. Our method computes directly on linguistic terms without numerical approximation. This method takes advantage of linguistic information processing and shows the benefit of Hedge algebra

STRUCTURE, MICROSTRUCTURE, AND PIEZOELECTRIC PROPERTIES OF KNLNS-BNKZ LEAD-FREE CERAMICS UNDER THE EFFECT OF DIFFERENT SINTERING TEMPERATURES

Samples of 0.96(K0.48Na0.48Li0.04)(Nb0.95Sb0.05)O3-0.04Bi0.5(Na0.82K0.18)0.5ZrO3 piezoelectric ceramic were fabricated with conventional ceramic techniques and sintered at different temperatures. The effect of sintering temperature (TS) on the structure, microstructure, and piezoelectric properties of the ceramics was studied in detail. The experimental results showed that with an increase of the TS temperature, the structure of the ceramics transformed from an orthorhombic-tetragonal mixed phase (O-T) at TS £ 1100 °C into a rhombohedral-tetragonal (R-T) mixed phase with a dense microstructure of uniform grain size at TS = 1110 °C. When TS was further increased (TS ³ 1120 °C), the ceramics showed only a rhombohedral phase (R). The ceramics showed the best electrical properties for TS = 1110 °C at which the rhombohedral and tetragonal (R-T) phases coexist. Specifically, the ceramic density reached its highest value (4.22 g/cm3), the electromechanical coupling coefficients kp and kt were 0.46 and 0.50, respectively, and the piezoelectric coefficient d33 was 245 pC/N.Samples of 0.96(K0.48Na0.48Li0.04)(Nb0.95Sb0.05)O3-0.04Bi0.5(Na0.82K0.18)0.5ZrO3 piezoelectric ceramic were fabricated with conventional ceramic techniques and sintered at different temperatures. The effect of sintering temperature (TS) on the structure, microstructure, and piezoelectric properties of the ceramics was studied in detail. The experimental results showed that with an increase of the TS temperature, the structure of the ceramics transformed from an orthorhombic-tetragonal mixed phase (O-T) at TS £ 1100 °C into a rhombohedral-tetragonal (R-T) mixed phase with a dense microstructure of uniform grain size at TS = 1110 °C. When TS was further increased (TS ³ 1120 °C), the ceramics showed only a rhombohedral phase (R). The ceramics showed the best electrical properties for TS = 1110 °C at which the rhombohedral and tetragonal (R-T) phases coexist. Specifically, the ceramic density reached its highest value (4.22 g/cm3), the electromechanical coupling coefficients kp and kt were 0.46 and 0.50, respectively, and the piezoelectric coefficient d33 was 245 pC/N

Effect of Inducers, Incubation Time and Heme Concentration on IC50 Value Variation in Anti-heme Crystallization Assay

Heme detoxification through crystallization into hemozoin has been suggested as a good target for the development of screening assays for new antimalarials. However, comparisons among the data obtained from different experiments are difficult, and the IC50 values (the concentrations of drug that are required to inhibit 50% of hemozoin formation) for the same drug vary widely. We studied the effects of changes in heme concentration (precursor of β-hematin), incubation time and three inducers (SDS, Tween 20 and linoleic acid) on the IC50 of some antimalarials (chloroquine, quinine, amodiaquine, and clotrimazole). The results showed that increasing both inducer concentration and incubation time raised the IC50 of selected antimalarials. Any change in those factors caused the IC50 value to vary. Standardization of assay conditions is, therefore, necessary to increase reproducibility and reduce discrepancies in assay performance. Considering all of the variables, the best choice of inducers is in the order of SDS > Tween 20 > linoleic acid

EFL STUDENT’S PROBLEMS WITH PARAGRAPH WRITING AT TAY DO UNIVERSITY, VIETNAM

This paper studied problems in EFL students’ paragraph writing. The research participants were first-year students of English in Tay Do University (TDU). To achieve the desired aims of the current study, the researcher combined both qualitative and quantitative methods, using questionnaires, interviews, and observations as the main instruments. The researcher used the package of social sciences (SPSS) for analysis. Research results showed that the freshmen at TDU often encountered problems in writing paragraphs. These accounted for grammatical structures, vocabulary, and coherence. Basing on the research results, students could recognize their difficulties when writing and find some new ways to overcome them. It is suggested that teachers should find and update some new teaching methods so as to develop students’ paragraph writing skills. Article visualizations

Sintering behavior and physical properties of Bi0.5(Na1–xKx)0.5SnO3 lead-free ceramics

In this study, Bi0.5(Na1–xKx)0.5SnO3 (BNKS) ceramics (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4) were fabricated via ultrasound wave before milling. The time of ball milling decreased from 20 to 1 h. The X-ray diffraction patterns show that the BNKS has a single-phase structure. When the potassium content increases, the phase structure of the ceramics changes from rhombohedral to tetragonal. When sintered at 1100 °C and x = 0.2, the ceramics’ physical properties are the best with the mass density of 5.59 g/cm3, the electromechanical coupling constants kp of 0,31 and kt of 0.27, the remanent polarization of      11.9 µC/cm; the dielectric constant εr of 1131, and the highest dielectric constant emax of 4800

Factors affecting consumer’s bargaining behavior: The case of fashionable clothing

Shopping is one of the current trends of the Vietnamese. According to Nielsen’s research results about consumer confidence in the fourth quarter of 2017, more than half of Vietnamese people (51%) use their spare money to buy new clothes at modern business models such as supermarkets, shopping centers, or at very traditional models like street vendors and wet markets where haggling (also known as bargaining) is considered as a common habit for Vietnamese. This is due to business characteristics from a very long time ago in Viet Nam. The bargaining behavior is not so hard to recognize in shopping. Even now, a large part of foreign tourists is familiar with the bargaining culture. This study aimed to discover bargaining behavior, the factors affecting such a behavior in buying fashionable clothing of the consumers in Ho Chi Minh City, and to consider whether the differences in bargaining behavior exist among different groups of gender, age, and income. The research was conducted using mixed methods concluding qualitative research (in-depth interview and focus group) and quantitative one (survey). The results showed that Attitude towards bargaining, Perceived behavioral control, Interest in bargaining affect Consumer’s bargaining behavior when buying fashionable clothes. Results were validated in Ho Chi Minh City context, and some conclusions were also presented

Differential Cytotoxicity of Curcumin-Loaded Micelles on Human Tumor and Stromal Cells

peer reviewedAlthough curcumin in the form of nanoparticles has been demonstrated as a potential anti-tumor compound, the impact of curcumin and nanocurcumin in vitro on normal cells and in vivo in animal models is largely unknown. This study evaluated the toxicity of curcumin-loaded micelles in vitro and in vivo on several tumor cell lines, primary stromal cells, and zebrafish embryos. Breast tumor cell line (MCF7) and stromal cells (human umbilical cord vein endothelial cells, human fibroblasts, and human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells) were used in this study. A zebrafish embryotoxicity (FET) assay was conducted following the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Test 236. Compared to free curcumin, curcumin PM showed higher cytotoxicity to MCF7 cells in both monolayer culture and multicellular tumor spheroids. The curcumin-loaded micelles efficiently penetrated the MCF7 spheroids and induced apoptosis. The nanocurcumin reduced the viability and disturbed the function of stromal cells by suppressing cell migration and tube formation. The micelles demonstrated toxicity to the development of zebrafish embryos. Curcumin-loaded micelles demonstrated toxicity to both tumor and normal primary stromal cells and zebrafish embryos, indicating that the use of nanocurcumin in cancer treatment should be carefully investigated and controlled.3. Good health and well-bein

Effectiveness of perindopril/amlodipine fixed-dose combination in the treatment of hypertension: a systematic review

Background: Uncontrolled blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Fixed-dose combination (FDC) therapy offers a promising approach to addressing this challenge by providing a convenient single-tablet solution that enhances the effectiveness of blood pressure control. In our systematic review, we assess the effectiveness of perindopril/amlodipine FDC in managing blood pressure.Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search across four primary electronic databases, namely, PubMed, Virtual Health Library (VHL), Global Health Library (GHL), and Google Scholar, as of 8 February 2022. Additionally, we performed a manual search to find relevant articles. The quality of the selected articles was evaluated using the Study Quality Assessment Tools (SQAT) checklist from the National Institute of Health and the ROB2 tool from Cochrane.Results: Our systematic review included 17 eligible articles. The findings show that the use of perindopril/amlodipine FDC significantly lowers blood pressure and enhances the quality of blood pressure control. Compared to the comparison group, the perindopril/amlodipine combination tablet resulted in a higher rate of blood pressure response and normalization. Importantly, perindopril/amlodipine FDC contributes to improved patient adherence with minimal side effects. However, studies conducted to date have not provided assessments of the cost-effectiveness of perindopril/amlodipine FDC.Conclusion: In summary, our analysis confirms the effectiveness of perindopril/amlodipine FDC in lowering blood pressure, with combination therapy outperforming monotherapy and placebo. Although mild adverse reactions were observed in a small subset of participants, cost-effectiveness assessments for this treatment remain lacking in the literature

Awareness and preparedness of healthcare workers against the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional survey across 57 countries.

BACKGROUND: Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, there have been concerns related to the preparedness of healthcare workers (HCWs). This study aimed to describe the level of awareness and preparedness of hospital HCWs at the time of the first wave. METHODS: This multinational, multicenter, cross-sectional survey was conducted among hospital HCWs from February to May 2020. We used a hierarchical logistic regression multivariate analysis to adjust the influence of variables based on awareness and preparedness. We then used association rule mining to identify relationships between HCW confidence in handling suspected COVID-19 patients and prior COVID-19 case-management training. RESULTS: We surveyed 24,653 HCWs from 371 hospitals across 57 countries and received 17,302 responses from 70.2% HCWs overall. The median COVID-19 preparedness score was 11.0 (interquartile range [IQR] = 6.0-14.0) and the median awareness score was 29.6 (IQR = 26.6-32.6). HCWs at COVID-19 designated facilities with previous outbreak experience, or HCWs who were trained for dealing with the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, had significantly higher levels of preparedness and awareness (p<0.001). Association rule mining suggests that nurses and doctors who had a 'great-extent-of-confidence' in handling suspected COVID-19 patients had participated in COVID-19 training courses. Male participants (mean difference = 0.34; 95% CI = 0.22, 0.46; p<0.001) and nurses (mean difference = 0.67; 95% CI = 0.53, 0.81; p<0.001) had higher preparedness scores compared to women participants and doctors. INTERPRETATION: There was an unsurprising high level of awareness and preparedness among HCWs who participated in COVID-19 training courses. However, disparity existed along the lines of gender and type of HCW. It is unknown whether the difference in COVID-19 preparedness that we detected early in the pandemic may have translated into disproportionate SARS-CoV-2 burden of disease by gender or HCW type