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Nowadays, the corporate governance quality (CGQ) of a company has become increasingly important as it is the benchmark for the investment decision-making process. However, there are not many studies of CGQ in the Vietnamese public sector. In this regard, this study adopted and adapted the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) corporate governance scorecard and the Vietnamese Listed Company Awards scorecard to evaluate the CGQ of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in Vietnam. Data from 220 equitized SOEs were collected from a self-administered survey and double-checked with information from in-depth interviews with the company’s managers and their documents. Collected data were analyzed to score the CGQ of surveyed companies. Results showed that the CGQ of survey companies met the basic requirements that comply with the legal framework. The analysis also showed the differences between two groups of state-owned enterprises: listed versus unlisted joint-stock companies. Based on the findings, we suggested companies improve and adjust their governance policies following 77 scorecard criteria and apply international best practices in corporate governance to promote their brand value to become more appealing to investors.

This article investigates the predictors of purchase behavior of the generation Z (Gen Z) in the Vietnamese organic food sector. We proposed a research model by extending the theory of planned behavior (TPB) with the motivation–opportunity–ability (MOA) framework to address the gap between purchase intention and behavior in the organic food market. Data from a self-administered online survey with 426 respondents living in the three biggest cities of Vietnam were analyzed in SmartPLS software to test proposed hypotheses. Our findings show that trust is the most crucial factor affecting the purchase behavior of Gen Z in the Vietnamese organic food sector. Notably, perceived barriers (PB) were found to positively influence purchase behavior. The present study suggests the organic food producers and suppliers to change their marketing strategies and policies in response to the demanding Vietnamese Gen Z.

AbstractAssessing the contamination of paper and board (P&B) food packaging materials poses significant challenges due to the sensitivity limits of analytical methods and the low precision of sampling processes. This study aims to enhance the understanding of P&B food packaging contamination by investigating the distribution of contaminants at different scales using a combination of chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques. A total of 36 substances were targeted, including phthalates, photoinitiators, and bisphenol A. Key findings reveal that intra-packaging variability can lead to concentration variations by a factor of 2–7. Recycled materials generally exhibit higher contamination levels, with concentrations of certain contaminants reaching up to 700 mg/kg. Microscopy, including confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and Raman micro-spectroscopy, enabled the identification and differentiation of contaminants, highlighting specific marker molecules and characteristic Raman bands. The study underscores the necessity of comprehensive sampling strategies, advocating for the grinding of entire packaging to obtain representative samples. The introduction of contamination "fingerprints," based on occurrences and correlations between concentrations, offers a promising approach for hazard identification and risk assessment. Overall, the findings contribute to the development of safer and more sustainable food packaging solutions, emphasizing the need for improved analytical techniques and standardized sampling methods in the context of increasing use of recycled materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews and discusses the neuroscience of a dynamic, contextual and polycultural self. Advances in neuroscience suggests that: (1) the brain can acquire contradictory cultural systems at the same time; (2) all three groups of bi/multi/ and mono-cultural individuals can activate corresponding cultural patterns of the self, based on the cultural cues given in a specific cultural context; (3) individuals may be born with some genetic predispositions and these interact with the cultural environment, such that the same genetic predisposition may have opposite expressions of the self in different cultural contexts. Based on these insights, future research could invest more in (1) understanding the neuroscience of polycultural and global citizens who may have a universal identity; (2) advancing new identity development models for monocultural individuals who have the potential of a dynamic, contextual and polycultural self, but don’t benefit from living in a diverse cultural environment; and (3) because people can be both products and producers of culture, future research can focus on ‘technologies of the self’, in the sense that individuals, organisations and governments can promote human agency (i.e. people as producers/authors of culture), proactively raise awareness and support the cultivation of a dynamic, contextual and polycultural self.

Salinity is a severe stress that causes serious losses in rice production worldwide. This study, for the first time, investigated the effects of fulvic acid (FA) with various concentrations of 0.125, 0.25, 0.5, and 1.0 mL/L on the ability of three rice varieties, Koshihikari, Nipponbare, and Akitakomachi, to cope with a 10 dS/m salinity level. The results show that the T3 treatment (0.25 mL/L FA) is the most effective in stimulating the salinity tolerance of all three varieties by enhancing their growth performance. T3 also promotes phenolic accumulation in all three varieties. In particular, salicylic acid, a well-known salt-stress-resistant substance, is found to increase during salinity stress in Nipponbare and Akitakomachi treated with T3 by 88% and 60%, respectively, compared to crops receiving salinity treatment alone. Noticeably, the levels of momilactones A (MA) and B (MB) fall in salt-affected rice. However, their levels markedly rise in rice treated with T3 (by 50.49% and 32.20%, respectively, in Nipponbare, and by 67.76% and 47.27%, respectively, in Akitakomachi), compared to crops receiving salinity treatment alone. This implies that momilactone levels are proportional to rice tolerance against salinity. Our findings suggest that FA (0.25 mL/L) can effectively improve the salinity tolerance of rice seedlings even in the presence of a strong salt stress of 10 dS/m. Further studies on FA application in salt-affected rice fields should be conducted to confirm its practical implications.

Plant growth inhibitors (PGIs) in rice (Oryza sativa), or rice allelochemicals, are secondary metabolites that are either exudated by rice plants to cope with natural competitors or produced during the decomposition of rice by-products in the paddy fields. Of these, the major groups of rice PGIs include phenolics, flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, steroids, and fatty acids, which also exhibit potential medicinal and pharmaceutical properties. Recently, the exploitation of rice PGIs has attracted considerable attention from scientists worldwide. The biosynthesis, exudation, and release of PGIs are dependent on environmental conditions, relevant gene expression, and biodiversity among rice varieties. Along with the mechanism clarification, numerous analytical methods have been improved to effectively support the identification and isolation of rice PGIs during the last few decades. This paper provides an overview of rice PGIs and techniques used for determining and extracting those compounds from rice. In particular, the features, advantages, and limitations of conventional and upgraded extraction methods are comprehensively reported and discussed. The conventional extraction methods have been gradually replaced by advanced techniques consisting of pressurized liquid extraction (PLE), microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), and solid-phase extraction (SPE). Meanwhile, thin-layer chromatography (TLC), liquid chromatography (LC), gas chromatography (GC), mass spectrometry (MS), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), high-resolution mass spectrometry (HR-MS), infrared spectroscopy (IR), near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), and X-ray crystallography are major tools for rice PGI identification and confirmation. With smart agriculture becoming more prevalent, the statistics of rice PGIs and extraction methods will help to provide useful datasets for building an autonomous model for safer weed control. Conceivably, the efficient exploitation of rice PGIs will not only help to increase the yield and economic value of rice but may also pave the way for research directions on the development of smart and sustainable rice farming methods.

This paper conducted a preliminary study of reviewing and exploring bias strategies using a framework of a different discipline: change management. The hypothesis here is: If the major problem of implicit bias strategies is that they do not translate into actual changes in behaviors, then it could be helpful to learn from studies that have contributed to successful change interventions such as reward management, social neuroscience, health behavioral change, and cognitive behavioral therapy. The result of this integrated approach is: (1) current bias strategies can be improved and new ones can be developed with insight from adjunct study fields in change management; (2) it could be more sustainable to invest in a holistic and proactive bias strategy approach that targets the social environment, eliminating the very condition under which biases arise; and (3) while implicit biases are automatic, future studies should invest more on strategies that empower people as “change agents” who can act proactively to regulate the very environment that gives rise to their biased thoughts and behaviors.

Contamination of recycled paper and board food packaging by mineral oil hydrocarbons caused several crises in the past years. Although the migration from paper and board to foodstuffs has been proved many times, the contamination mechanisms and causalities remain undetermined and face unresolved issues. This study takes part in the collaborative project FoodSafeBioPack, which aims at evaluating the migration of potentially carcinogenic polyaromatic molecules from recycled paper and board packaging to food. New chemical imaging methods are used to follow this contamination at the microscopic scale (fibers and fibrous network). The first images acquired of polyaromatic molecules distribution on fibers were used to develop a methodology that will help to follow their migration. The influence of using different solvents and molecules on the initial chemical potential is discussed. The description of the paper structure and initial conditions of transfer will support the development of a microscopic mass transfer model.

Coffee is not merely a refreshing beverage but also invigorates people, provides relaxation, contributes to human health, and fosters closer social connections. Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages worldwide and the most traded commercial commodity. Moreover, the rapid development of the Vietnamese coffee industry caused some concerns due to its insufficient performance and the fierce competition within the industry. It is significant to establish an efficient supply network; notwithstanding, supplier selection has always been a challenge for companies. Therefore, this paper employs a hybrid model to determine the supplier selection criteria, a vital factor for a manufacturer under practical operating conditions. Firstly, a combined model of Grey forecasting and the Grey Fourier series is applied to forecast future rainfall and temperature data for six consecutive years. Secondly, based on the criteria, strategies, and buyer requirements, the single-objective linear programming model helps identify the outperformed suppliers. The results found that prices and location change are determinants of supplier selection, and supplier shortage is an enormous barrier for the industry. In this study, these price forecasts allow supply chain management to make informed decisions about inventory levels, transportation routes, and resource allocation to ensure smooth operation and optimize coffee supply chain management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]