Relational Benefits and Costs in Channel Distribution: A Dyadic Research From Buyers and Sellers Perspective

The benefits from having long–term relationships with customers have become a focal topic and have been widely discussed in the marketing literature (Dwyer, Schurr and Oh 1987; Reichheld and Sasser 1990; Reichheld 1993; Morgan and Hunt 1994; Walter, Ritter and Gemuden 2001). However, careful review of the literature indicates that the literature is deficient in several ways: (1) relational benefits are mostly examined in term of economic benefits, especially in b2b and channel distribution contexts, (2) there is limited number of studies examining cost dimensions, (3) there is lack of studies examines both benefits and costs from dyadic perspective (i.e. data collected from both sides of the relationship—buyers and sellers), and (4) little is known about the interactions between relationship benefits/costs with other important relational construct, e.g. relationship commitment. In light with these problems, we need a systematic framework (Walter, Ritter, and Gemunden 2001), which should not only examine relational benefits and cost from a dyadic perspective, but also investigate the interactions between relational benefits and costs with other important relational constructs such as relationship commitment. Building and testing this kind of framework, thus, is the major purpose of this research. Four studies, two qualitative and two quantitative, were conducted in Hochiminh City, Vietnam, to test the proposed framework. The result shows that there are four groups of benefits that buyers and sellers expect to have from long-term relationships: economic benefits, social benefits, confidence benefits and informational benefits. Relationships, however, are not without costs. Maintenance costs including time, efforts, and resources are major type of costs that buyers and sellers are facing in long-term relationships. Both relational benefits and costs strongly impacted the commitment in the relationship, but in opposite directions. While relational benefits positively impacted commitment, relational costs negatively impacted commitment. Study limitations, managerial implications, and recommendations for future research are also presented

Mechanical response of outer frames in tuning fork gyroscope model with connecting diamond-shaped frame

In tuning fork micro-gyroscopes, two outer frames are connected by using the linking elements. The driving vibrations of the two outer frames are required to be exactly opposite to generate the opposite sensing modes perpendicular to driving direction. These opposite driving vibrations are provided by a mechanical structure named the diamond-shaped frame. This paper presents mechanical responses of two outer frames in a proposed model of tuning fork gyroscope when an external force with different types is applied to them. The results show that the presence of a diamond-shaped frame guarantees the absolute anti-phase mode for the driving vibrations of outer frames

Pro-poor intervention strategies in irrigated agriculture in Asia: poverty in irrigated agriculture: issues and options: Vietnam

Irrigated farming / Poverty / Farm income / Irrigation management / Institutions / Legal aspects / Water rates / User charges / Participatory management / Privatization / Participatory rural appraisal / Performance indexes / Irrigation programs / Irrigation systems / Pumping / Irrigation canals / Social aspects / Economic aspects / Rivers / Hydrology / Dams / Households / Income / Regression analysis / Drainage / Cooperatives / Water delivery / Water distribution / Rice / Financing / Drought / Vietnam / Red River Delta / Nam Duong Irrigation System / Nam Thach Han Irrigation System / Han River

Impacts of Economic Development on the Awareness of Cultural Preservation of Ethnic Minority People in the Border Region of Northern Vietnam

Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine how the Vietnamese government's economic development strategies affect ethnic minority people's knowledge of cultural preservation in the border area of Northern Vietnam.   Theoretical framework: The study focuses on three main driven factors of the awareness of cultural preservation that are economic changes, societal changes, and environmental changes from three economic fields: agriculture, industry, and trade and services.   Design/methodology/approach: The research sample was taken from ethnic minorities in Northern Vietnam's border area. For questionnaire administration, interviewees are selected at random from the population. Face-to-face, drop-off, and phone-calling approaches were used to disseminate the questionnaire. We received 544 completed returns out of 725 surveys sent out. The data was then cleaned and analyzed with SPSS 20 software using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM).   Findings: The results of a study of ethnic minority communities in seven provinces in Northern Vietnam's border region show that the development of agriculture, industry, trade and service significantly impacts ethnic minority people's awareness of cultural preservation issues due to environmental changes. In contrast, economic and sociological developments appear to have little influence on ethnic minority people's attention to cultural preservation. This phenomenon may be due to the long-term effects of economic and sociological changes, which mostly affect intangible cultural heritages. In contrast, environmental impats are felt swiftly and primarily on physical cultural heritages that can be seen.   Research, Practical & Social implications: The findings of the research provide policymakers with valuable insights on the effects of economic development on cultural preservation. The study's recommendations can inform policies that promote sustainable economic development while preserving the cultural heritage of ethnic minority communities.   Originality/value: The research focuses on the border region of Northern Vietnam, which is an area of strategic importance for economic development and cultural preservation. The study's unique focus on this region provides insights into the cultural and economic dynamics of a specific area that has not been extensively studied

The Role of Serial NT-ProBNP Level in Prognosis and Follow-Up Treatment of Acute Heart Failure after Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery

BACKGROUND: After coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, heart failure is still major problem. The valuable marker for it is needed. AIM: Evaluating the role of serial NT-proBNP level in prognosis and follow-up treatment of acute heart failure after CABG surgery. METHODS: The prospective, analytic study evaluated 107 patients undergoing CABG surgery at Ho Chi Minh Heart Institute from October 2012 to June 2014. Collecting data was done at pre- and post-operative days with measuring NT-proBNP levels on the day before operation, 2 hours after surgery, every next 24 h until the 5th day, and in case of acute heart failure occurred after surgery. RESULTS: On the first postoperative day (POD1), the NT-proBNP level demonstrated significant value for AHF with the cut-off point = 817.8 pg/mL and AUC = 0.806. On the second and third postoperative day, the AUC value of NT- was 0.753 and 0.751. It was statistically significant in acute heart failure group almost at POD 1 and POD 2 when analyzed by the doses of dobutamine, noradrenaline, and adrenaline (both low doses and normal doses). CONCLUSION: Serial measurement of NT-proBNP level provides useful prognostic and follow-up treatment information in acute heart failure after CABG surgery

Clinical implications of reduced susceptibility to fluoroquinolones in paediatric Shigella sonnei and Shigella flexneri infections.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to quantify the impact of fluoroquinolone resistance on the clinical outcome of paediatric shigellosis patients treated with fluoroquinolones in southern Vietnam. Such information is important to inform therapeutic management for infections caused by this increasingly drug-resistant pathogen, responsible for high morbidity and mortality in young children globally. METHODS: Clinical information and bacterial isolates were derived from a randomized controlled trial comparing gatifloxacin with ciprofloxacin for the treatment of paediatric shigellosis. Time-kill experiments were performed to evaluate the impact of MIC on the in vitro growth of Shigella and Cox regression modelling was used to compare clinical outcome between treatments and Shigella species. RESULTS: Shigella flexneri patients treated with gatifloxacin had significantly worse outcomes than those treated with ciprofloxacin. However, the MICs of fluoroquinolones were not significantly associated with poorer outcome. The presence of S83L and A87T mutations in the gyrA gene significantly increased MICs of fluoroquinolones. Finally, elevated MICs and the presence of the qnrS gene allowed Shigella to replicate efficiently in vitro in high concentrations of ciprofloxacin. CONCLUSIONS: We found that below the CLSI breakpoint, there was no association between MIC and clinical outcome in paediatric shigellosis infections. However, S. flexneri patients had worse clinical outcomes when treated with gatifloxacin in this study regardless of MIC. Additionally, Shigella harbouring the qnrS gene are able to replicate efficiently in high concentrations of ciprofloxacin and we hypothesize that such strains possess a competitive advantage against fluoroquinolone-susceptible strains due to enhanced shedding and transmission

Diagnostic Accuracy of NS1 ELISA and Lateral Flow Rapid Tests for Dengue Sensitivity, Specificity and Relationship to Viraemia and Antibody Responses

Dengue is a viral infection of humans that is transmitted by mosquitoes. Dengue is a very important public health problem in many developing countries. Recently, new tests to help diagnose patients with dengue have been developed. Evaluating these tests to see how well they perform in different countries and in different health care settings is an important process that helps to guide health care policy on whether these assays are likely to be useful in making a diagnosis, and if so, when best to use them. Our hospital-based results, using two different types of NS1 tests for diagnosing dengue, indicates that these tests are most sensitive when used during the first 3 days of illness and are most likely to be positive if the patient has primary dengue. Our results also show that a positive NS1 test result is a reflection of the amount of virus in the blood, so that patients with high amounts of virus in the blood are more likely to be NS1 positive. Collectively, the results indicate these NS1 tests deserve inclusion in the diagnostic approach to dengue

A novel IGHMBP2 variant and clinical diversity in Vietnamese SMARD1 and CMT2S patients

BackgroundPathogenic variants in the IGHMBP2 gene are associated with two distinct autosomal recessive neuromuscular disorders: spinal muscular atrophy with respiratory distress type 1 (SMARD1; OMIM #604320) and Charcot–Marie–Tooth type 2S (CMT2S; OMIM #616155). SMARD1 is a severe and fatal condition characterized by infantile-onset respiratory distress, diaphragmatic palsy, and distal muscular weakness, while CMT2S follows a milder clinical course, with slowly progressive distal muscle weakness and sensory loss, without manifestations of respiratory disorder.MethodsWhole-exome sequencing of the IGHMBP2 gene was performed for eight Vietnamese patients with IGHMBP2-related neuromuscular disorders including five patients with SMARD1 and the others with CMT2S.ResultsWe identified one novel IGHMBP2 variant c.1574T > C (p.Leu525Pro) in a SMARD1 patient. Besides that, two patients shared the same pathogenic variants (c.1235 + 3A > G/c.1334A > C) but presented completely different clinical courses: one with SMARD1 who deceased at 8 months of age, the other with CMT2S was alive at 3 years old without any respiratory distress.ConclusionThis study is the first to report IGHMBP-2-related neuromuscular disorders in Vietnam. A novel IGHMBP2 variant c.1574T > C (p.Leu525Pro) expressing SMARD1 phenotype was detected. The presence of three patients with the same genotype but distinct clinical outcomes suggested the interaction of variants and other factors including relating modified genes in the mechanism of various phenotypes

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

Spatiotemporal evolution of SARS-CoV-2 Alpha and Delta variants during large nationwide outbreak of COVID-19, Vietnam, 2021

We analyzed 1,303 SARS-CoV-2 whole-genome sequences from Vietnam, and found the Alpha and Delta variants were responsible for a large nationwide outbreak of COVID-19 in 2021. The Delta variant was confined to the AY.57 lineage and caused >1.7 million infections and >32,000 deaths. Viral transmission was strongly affected by nonpharmaceutical interventions