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This research evaluates the impact of ICT on the technical efficiency of firms in 63 provinces and cities in Vietnam. We apply to use the DEA method in which we use the variable return to scale to evaluate because firm sizes in 63 provinces are different. At the same time, this method aims to minimize input factors without reducing output factors to measure technical efficiency. This result that is used a binary variable in the logit regression model to identify factors that have an impact on technical efficiency, especially the ICT factor. The research results show that only nearly 10% of the provinces could be technically efficient in business activities. Provinces with sustainable performance and efficiency all depend on influencing factors such as equity ratio, labor productivity, market size, investment, and especially the ICT factor keep increasing over the years and fluctuate around a pretty high level. On the other hand, for the group of unsustainable and ineffective provinces, these variables tend to decrease and fluctuate around at a low level. The research shows that factors in labor productivity, equity ratio, market size, investment, and ICT all have a positive impact on a firm’s performance in 63 provinces and cities of Vietnam. Therefore, firms that want to enhance their efficiency need to have strategies to improve the factors mentioned above. Moreover, the local government needs to improve the ICT index to help to increase their local Enterprises’ efficiency.

BackgroundThe MyotonPro is a portable device for measuring biomechanical and viscoelastic properties in superficial soft tissues. The aims of this study are firstly to validate the MyotonPro compared to a reliable gold-standard frame and secondly to observe the influence of MyotonPro measurement on the total wrist viscoelasticity.MethodsThree silicone polymers with different elastic properties were assessed with the MyotonPro and with a reference rheometer (Universal Tribometer Mod). Then, a free oscillations method was used to measure the passive elastic and viscous stiffness of the wrist and compared to MyotonPro forearm measurements.ResultsA one-way ANOVA demonstrated the validity of the MyotonPro's stiffness (p = 0.001), decrement (p < 0.001), and relaxation (p = 0.008) parameters for measuring the elastic stiffness (k) of the three polymers. The MyotonPro parameters demonstrated excellent reliability on the forearm. Proximal and distal anterior myofascial measurements of the MyotonPro were moderately correlated to the elastic stiffness (p = 0.0027–0.0275, absolute r = from 0.270 to 0.375) of the wrist while the postero-distal myofascial tissues of the forearm demonstrated a moderate correlation with the viscous stiffness of the wrist (p = 0.0096–0.0433, absolute r = from 0.257 to 0.326).DiscussionThe MyotonPro is a valid device for measuring elastic stiffness as well as a portable, affordable, and easy-to-use tool for quantifying the biomechanical properties and viscoelasticity of myofascial tissue in healthy subjects.

Land acquisition and resettlement issues related to hydropower and irrigation works have always been one of the hot issues in Vietnam mountainous areas for many years. Although the Government has introduced many policies to ensure the rights of resettled people, as well as protect their lives, the effectiveness of these policies seems to be still insignificant, because many resettled people still face many difficulties in their daily life, especially income. The research is conducted within the project titled “The urgent issues in resettlement implementation for the ethnic minorities in Vietnam mountainous areas” and funded by National Council for Science and Technology Policy in 2016-2020 (CTDT/16-20) under Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs. Applying Likert-scale and Propensity Score Matching (PSM), this study shows that 34% of the resettled households have a lower income, specifically estimated to be 8.0 - 13.1 million VND/household/year or 1.7 - 3.0 million VND/person/year lower than the income of the controlled group. However, agricultural income is not significantly different between resettled households and controlled households. This article only focuses on clarifying the impact of the resettlement policy on the general income and agricultural income of ethnic minority households; while methods to create jobs, increase income, and reduce poverty sustainably for ethnic minority households in the resettlement sites should be conducted in another research in the future.

Introduction In central nervous system diseases, joint hyper-resistance presents neural (CNS related) and non-neural (tissue related) components. Its assessment remains mostly clinical, and there is a need for new objective methods to evaluate it. Methods An electromechanical oscillatory device was designed to evaluate wrist stiffness (Wrist-EOD). It applies low amplitude sinusoidal wrist displacements in flexion and extension (10°), at frequencies between 3 and 12 Hertz. This produces a torque response that can be decomposed in viscous and elastic stiffness (Fourier analysis). The paretic and healthy upper limbs of twenty-two stroke patients were evaluated three times with the Wrist-EOD, to assess short and long-term reliability. Clinical and isokinetic (Cybex®) measurements of hyper-resistance were also performed. The Wrist-EOD was also performed in 12 stroke patients, before and after applying shock wave therapy (SWT) on wrist and fingers flexors, to assess its responsiveness to a spasticity treatment. Results Scores for viscous stiffness were significantly higher in comparison to the healthy wrist scores (p=0.008). The short-term ICC for elastic stiffness (0.91) and viscous stiffness (0.95) was excellent. The long-term reliability was moderate (ICC: 0.60 and 0.68). However, only poor correlations were found with clinical or isokinetic measurements. Wrist-EOD scores were significantly more reliable than isokinetic measurements. A significant decrease in spasticity was observed immediately after SWT in the wrist and fingers flexors (p=0.022 and 0.048, respectively). No significant difference was observed with Wrist-EOD. Conclusion The Wrist-EOD is a reliable and discriminative device to measure stiffness of the wrist, enabling to assess mostly non-neural component of hyper-resistance.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Lateral ankles sprains (LAS) are one the most common musculoskeletal injury. However, their impact if often underestimated and a significant number of patients with LAS develop chronic ankle instability (CAI). Limitations of dorsiflexion range of motion (DROM) is a common impairment after LAS which could lead to CAI. Mulligan mobilization with movement (MWMs) are a group of manual therapy techniques that combine active functional movement with manual adjustments, the goals being to improve ROM, pain or function. Aim of this study was to assess how many patients with DROM limitation following LAS responded to MWMs and their efficiency compared to sham treatment. METHODS: Patients with LAS grade I/II were included. MWMs approach was used to assess the responding patient. Assessment included inferior tibiofibular, talocrural or cubometatarsal MWMs. Patients who did not responded to any of the three MWMs techniques were excluded. Responding patients were then randomised into MWM groups, i.e. 3 sessions of real MWMs, or sham group, i.e. 3 sessions of sham MWMs, i.e. without any pression applied. Two-way repeated measure ANOVA was used to assess the effect of interventions for DROM (with Wall-Toe-test and inclinometer), Pain, rigidity sensation, Y-Balance- Test (YBT), Forward-Step-Down test (FSD), Balance-Error-System-Scoring (BESS) and the FAAM questionnaire. RESULTS: 30 patients were assessed (16 female, 23.56 ± 4.042 years). three were non- respondent and 2 dropped out. 10 patients were included in MWM group and 15 into the sham group. Both groups improved in DROM: +2.5cm for MWM group and +1,2cm for sham. Both groups evolved similarly in pain, scale rigidity, YBT, FSD, BESS and FAAM. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with LAS respond positively to MWMs. MWM treatment seems to significantly improve DROM limitations with real clinical improvement (over the MCID of 1,9 cm) and should be considered during the treatment of LAS.

This study investigates the lead and lag relationship between Spot market and Futures market in Vietnam. In this study, we employ the data collected from stock-related database in Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange and Ha Noi Stock Exchange. The data of daily closing prices of VN30 index (the spot price) and VN30F1M (the 1-month future price of VN30 index) are then collected. We apply various methods, namely: Granger causality test, Johansen co-integration test, Vector Error Correlation Model, Impulse Response Function and Variance Decomposition. The result of this paper is consistent with previous research. It finds strong evidence that Spot market leads Futures market in Vietnam stock market in both the short-run and long-run. Therefore, Spot market play a discovery role in which investors can obtain useful information from Spot market to improve their portfolio profit and minimize the risk. Besides, regulators can rely on this finding to come up with better policies and further develop Futures market.

This paper is to examine and evaluate the operational efficiency at the enterprises that have foreign investment at HCMC in the stage 2007-2011. The research also evaluates the factors that effect to financial effect, especially for using BEP ratios-Basis Earning Power (EBIT to the total assets) to measure the financial effect, because FDI enterprises normal get the incentive for differently corporate income tax in Viet Nam. The research results show that there are six factors affecting to financial performance including in: turnover, capital owners (Equity), long term debt to total asset, tangible assets to turnover, sales expensive to turnover and the management expensive to turnover. From that point, the authors also have petitioned that is to enhance performance and management enterprises as well as improvement the investment policy of Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC)

This study is to assess the impact of public investment on private investment and economic growth in Vietnam based on data from 22 economic industries over a 27-year period (1990-2016) by applying PVAR model combined with GMM. The results show that public investment and state sector investment (including public investment and state-owned enterprise investment for production and business activities) has the same positive impact economic growth in most economic industries in the long term, but state sector investment also creates more growth effects in the short term. Public investment has a cyclical impact on private capital stock (domestic private + FDI capital stock) and FDI investment; it has the effect of boosting domestic private investment, FDI investment in the short and long term. Meanwhile, state-sector investment has decreased the private capital stock in the short term, crowds out domestic private and FDI investments in the short term, and in the long term. Both public investment and state sector investment has the effect of increasing public debt in the long term. Based on these results we have some policy recommendations to increase efficiency of public investment and state sector investment.

This study used a quantitative method to assess the impact of public investment on private investment and economic growth based on data from 18 developing countries over a 21-year period (1995-2015) by applying PVAR model combined with GMM. The findings show that all public investment and public-private partnership investments affect private investment as well as affect economic growth but the effects vary cyclically, by time period, and by group of countries.For the ASEAN developing countries, public investment crowds out private investment in short term and crowds in private investment in the medium and long term, but it crowds out public-private partnership investment. For the developing countries in Asia, public investment has a positive impact on economic growth with the inverted U-shaped pattern which stimulates growth in the short and medium term, but in the long-term effects of stimulation growth tend to decrease.

This paper focuses on the evaluation and analysis of revenue and expenditure of the Social Insurance (SI) in Vietnam in recent years (2010-2012). In addition to an overall assessment on the operation of social insurance revenues and expenditures, the research analyzes the causes affecting the collection and expenditure of social insurance leads to the instability of social insurance funds. The assessment and analysis of this paper is based on specific research and data collection. The research also proposes solutions to overcome the remaining difficulties in the management of social insurance funds