Board Independence and Financial Performance: Empirical Evidence on Mediating Role of Market Competition From the Vietnamese Market

Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine the effect of board independence on the financial performance of companies listed on the Vietnamese stock exchanges with the mediating role of market competition.   Theoretical framework: The topic is based on agency theory, resource dependency theory and stewardship theory. The independence of the board of directors (BOD) is measured in two aspects: the duality and the non-executive members of BOD. This study approaches the measurement of market competition according to the Herfindahl-Hirschman index (HHI). After calculating the HHI, the study will classify companies in a highly competitive market or a low competitive market.   Design/methodology/approach: The study uses secondary data from the financial statements of companies listed on the Vietnamese stock market with the collection period from 2016 to 2020. The data analysis methods comprise of Pooled ordinary least squares (OLS), Fixed effects model (FEM), Random effects model (REM) and Generalized method of moments estimation (GMM).   Findings: The results of GMM showed that CEO duality is found to have a negative effect on the financial performance of listed firms. Meanwhile, the statistical evidence shows that the percentage of non-executive board members and market competition positively affect the financial performance. In addition, the evidence showed that market competition could reduce the positive influence of the percentage of non-executive board members on financial performance of listed companies.   Research, Practical & Social implications: The study has proposed some governance implications to improve the financial performance of listed firms such as limiting CEO duality, increasing the percentage of non-executive board members and empower the management board in a highly competitive market and choosing the appropriate size of the board.   Originality/value: The value of the study is to provide more scientific basis for policy makers in Vietnam and help listed companies choose and make decisions related to BOD to improve financial efficiency

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

Influence of the Preparation Method on Some Characteristics of Alginate/Chitosan/Lovastatin Composites

This study investigates the effects of direct and indirect dispersion methods for lovastatin solid dispersion (LSD) in alginate (AG)/chitosan (CS) composites on the characteristics and properties of the AG/CS/LSD composites. The preparation method significantly influences the structure, morphology, and LSD size distribution of the composites as well as the drug release of LSD from the samples. The differences in dispersion methods for LSD lead to differences in the interaction between the components, the structure, and the control drug release of LSD. Lovastatin was released from the samples containing LSD in two stages (a fast release stage and a slow release stage), and the drug release content prepared using the indirect method is lower than that prepared using the direct method in the same buffer solution. After 32 h of testing, the released LSD content from the indirect and direct LSD dispersion methods in pH 2 and pH 7.4 buffer solutions was 87–94% and 41–61%, respectively. Drug release kinetics from the above samples in solutions with different pH values was also set up

Technical manual: Rice straw management towards circular economy and low emission in the Mekong Delta

The document “Technical manual: Rice straw management towards circular economy and low emission in the Mekong Delta” introduces readers to the characteristics of rice straw, the current status of its treatment, and the management process for using rice straw in a circular way to reduce GHG emissions in rice production. This manual will be a handbook for farmers, extension officers, cooperatives, and others who are interested in rice production that is associated with circular greenhouse gas emission reduction

Coverage of health information by different sources in communities: Implication for COVID-19 epidemic response

10.3390/ijerph17103577International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health1710357

Evaluating Training Need for Epidemic Control in Three Metropolitans: Implications for COVID-19 Preparedness in Vietnam

10.3389/fpubh.2020.589331Frontiers in Public Health858933

Coverage of health information by different sources in communities: implication for COVID-19 epidemic response

Health personnel and community workers are at the front line of the COVID-19 emergency response and need to be equipped with adequate knowledge related to epidemics for an effective response. This study aimed to identify the coverage of COVID-19 health information via different sources accessed by health workers and community workers in Vietnam. A cross-sectional study using a web-based survey was carried out from January to February 2020 in Vietnam. Respondent-driven sampling (RDS) was used for recruiting participants. We utilized the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to examine the construct validity of the questionnaire. A higher percentage of participants knew about “Clinical and pathogen characteristics of COVID-19”, compared to “Regulations and policies related to COVID-19”. The percentage of participants accessing the information on “Guidelines and policies on prevention and control of COVID-19” was the lowest, especially among medical students. “Mass media and peer-educators” channels had a higher score of accessing COVID-19 information, compared to “Organizations/ agencies/ associations” sources. Participants consumed most of their COVID-19 information via “Internet, online newspapers, social networks”. Our findings indicate an urgency to re-design training programs and communication activities for a more effective dissemination of information related to the COVID-19 epidemic or epidemics in general

Within-host evolutionary dynamics of seasonal and pandemic human influenza A viruses in young children.

The evolution of influenza viruses is fundamentally shaped by within-host processes. However, the within-host evolutionary dynamics of influenza viruses remain incompletely understood, in part because most studies have focused on infections in healthy adults based on single timepoint data. Here, we analysed the within-host evolution of 82 longitudinally-sampled individuals, mostly young children, infected with A/H1N1pdm09 or A/H3N2 viruses between 2007 and 2009. For A/H1N1pdm09 infections during the 2009 pandemic, nonsynonymous minority variants were more prevalent than synonymous ones. For A/H3N2 viruses in young children, early infection was dominated by purifying selection. As these infections progressed, nonsynonymous variants typically increased in frequency even when within-host virus titres decreased. Unlike the short-lived infections of adults where de novo within-host variants are rare, longer infections in young children allow for the maintenance of virus diversity via mutation-selection balance creating potentially important opportunities for within-host virus evolution

Within-host evolutionary dynamics of seasonal and pandemic human influenza a viruses in young children

The evolution of influenza viruses is fundamentally shaped by within-host processes. However, the within-host evolutionary dynamics of influenza viruses remain incompletely understood, in part because most studies have focused on infections in healthy adults based on single timepoint data. Here, we analysed the within-host evolution of 82 longitudinally-sampled individuals, mostly young children, infected with A/H1N1pdm09 or A/H3N2 viruses between 2007 and 2009. For A/H1N1pdm09 infections during the 2009 pandemic, nonsynonymous minority variants were more prevalent than synonymous ones. For A/H3N2 viruses in young children, early infection was dominated by purifying selection. As these infections progressed, nonsynonymous variants typically increased in frequency even when within-host virus titres decreased. Unlike the short-lived infections of adults where de novo within-host variants are rare, longer infections in young children allow for the maintenance of virus diversity via mutation-selection balance creating potentially important opportunities for within-host virus evolution