• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.8
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• pp.1331-1341
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• 2021

Objective: This study aimed to determine the effects of replacing cassava chips with broken rice in a fermented total mixed ration diet on silage quality, feed intake, ruminal fermentation, growth performance, and carcass characteristics in the final phase of fattening beef cattle. Methods: Eighteen Charolais-Thai native crossbred steers (average initial body weight: 609.4±46 kg; average age 31.6 mo) were subjected to three ad libitum dietary regimes and were maintained in individual pens for 90 d before slaughter. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design by initial age and body weight with six replicates. The dietary regimens used different proportions of broken rice (0%, 16%, and 32% [w/w] of dry matter [DM]) instead of cassava chips in a fermented total mixed ration. All dietary treatments were evaluated for in vitro gas production and tested in in vivo feeding trials. Results: The in vitro experiments indicated that organic matter from broken rice was significantly more digestible than that from a cassava-based diet (p<0.05). Silage quality, nutrient intake, ruminal fermentation characteristics, carcass fat thickness, and marbling score substantially differed among treatments. The ruminal total volatile fatty acids, propionate concentration, dietary protein intake, and digestibility increased linearly (p<0.05) with broken rice, whereas acetate concentration and the acetate:propionate ratio decreased linearly (p<0.05) with broken rice (added up to 32 g/kg DM). Broken rice did not influence plasma metabolite levels or growth performance (p>0.05). However, the marbling score increased, and the carcass characteristics improved with broken rice. Conclusion: Substitution of cassava chips with broken rice in beef cattle diets may improve fattened beef carcass quality because broken rice increases rumen fermentation, fatty acid biosynthesis, and metabolic energy supply.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.389-402
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• 2022

The purpose of the study is to analyze the significant impacts of expectations, performance, complaints, and fairness that affect consumer satisfaction. The methodology involves reviewing and referencing relevant literature carefully, then proposing a model for customer satisfaction. This study is empirically based on a survey with 50 respondents who work in the field of import and export in the region stretching from the north to the south of Vietnam. The sampling method used in this study is the in-depth interview method. The results show that: (1) expectation has a specific impact on customer satisfaction, (2) performance has a positive impact on customer satisfaction, and (3) complaint which is an intermediary factor between expectation, performance, and fairness has an impact on satisfaction, (4) fairness has a positive effect on satisfaction, in addition, fairness is an extremely important feature when customers choose an import-export service. Research implies that increasing expectations, performance, and fairness results in an improved customer experience and satisfaction when they use the service. It is suggested that the complaint factor continue to be studied and looked into because it still has some effect on satisfaction and is an intermediate variable that changes how the other factors relate to each other.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.65-77
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• 2022

Purpose: This study aims to identify factors affecting the adoption of e-commerce by household businesses in Vietnam's food and beverage industry. Research design, data and methodology: The integrated TAM and TOE frameworks and ten hypotheses were developed to test the relationship between relevant factors. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to collect valid data from 992 respondents who run F&B household businesses in Vietnam. Results: The empirical research results confirm all proposed hypotheses that e-commerce adoption is affected by the perceived usefulness, the perceived ease of use, vendor support partners, social expectancy, competitive pressure, subjective norm, and household resources. Meanwhile, technical readiness, environment readiness, and organization readiness are intermediate variables that influence the implementation of e-commerce in food and beverage distribution. Conclusions: The findings suggest effective orientations to foster the food and beverage e-trading practice for household businesses in developing countries. Accordingly, to encourage private household businesses to adopt e-commerce, it is necessary to focus on improving business resources, technology readiness, environment readiness, and organization readiness through raising awareness of usefulness, benefits, perceived ease of use, and increased support of vendor partners. Future research can focus on improving the efficiency of e-commerce applications in F&B distribution for both household businesses and larger-scale enterprises.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.65 no.1
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• pp.57-63
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• 2022

Objective : To study the factors relating to operative treatment for spinal metastasis in Thailand during 2005-2014 and to determine the hospital costs, mortality rate, and incidence of perioperative complication. Methods : Inpatient reimbursement data from 2005 to 2014 was reviewed from three national healthcare organizations, including the National Health Security Office, the Social Security Office, and the Comptroller General's Department. The search criteria were secondary malignant neoplasm of bone and bone marrow patients (International Classification of Diseases 10th revision, Thai modification codes [ICD 10-TM], C79.5 and C79.8) who underwent spinal surgical treatment (ICD 9th revision, clinical modification procedure with extension codes [ICD 9-CM], 03.0, 03.4, 03.09, and 81.0) during 2005-2014. Epidemiology, comorbidity, and perioperative complication were analyzed. Results : During the study period, the number of spinal metastasis patients who underwent operative treatment was significantly increased from 0.30 to 0.59 per 100000 (p<0.001). More males (56.14%) underwent surgical treatment for spinal metastasis than females. The most common age group was 45-64 (55.1%). The most common primary tumor sites were the unknown origin, lung, breast, prostate, and hepatocellular/bile duct. Interestingly, the proportion of hepatocellular/bile duct, breast, and lung cancer was significantly increased (p<0.001). The number of patients who had comorbidity or in-hospital complication significantly increased over time (p<0.01); however, the in-hospital mortality rate decreased. Conclusion : During the last decade, operative treatment for spinal metastasis increased in Thailand. The overall in-hospital complication rate increased; however, the in-hospital mortality rate decreased.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.85 no.2
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• pp.137-146
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• 2022

Background: Farinelli breathing (FB) exercise is a typical breathing exercise used by singers. This study aimed to compare effects of FB exercise and diaphragmatic breathing (DB) exercise on respiratory function and symptoms in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods: Sixteen patients aged 51-80 years with mild or moderate COPD were recruited for this study. They were divided into two groups: DB group (n=8) and FB group (n=8). Both groups received complete breathing exercise training five times per week for 8 weeks. Their respiratory functions, COPD symptoms, cytokine levels, and oxidative stress variables were analyzed during pre- and post-tests. Dependent variables were compared between pre- and post-tests using paired t-tests. An independent t-test was used to compare variables between the groups. Differences were considered significant at p<0.05. Results: The maximal expiratory pressure (MEP), maximum oxygen consumption (VO₂max), and COPD Assessment Test (CAT) scores changed significantly in the DB group after the 8-week intervention compared to those at pre-test, whereas force vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in the first second, maximum voluntary ventilation, maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), MEP, VO₂max, CAT score, tumor necrosis factor-α, and malondialdehyde level changed significantly in the FB group at post-test compared to those at pre-test. Moreover, both MIP and MEP in the FB group were significantly higher than those in the DB group. Conclusion: FB exercise improved respiratory functions and COPD symptoms of patients with COPD. It might be an alternative breathing exercise in pulmonary rehabilitation programs for patients with COPD.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.121-129
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• 2022

This study intends to analyze the impact of the country of origin on the intention to ingest COVID-19 vaccinations by measuring Vietnamese people's perceptions of India in the manufacture of COVID-19 vaccines. The research is done using a quantitative method, and primary data was obtained using a conventional manner based on the willingness of the research respondents, who are Vietnamese persons aged 18 and up, to contribute information. The findings revealed that perceived brand association and perceived brand quality directly positively impact the COVID-19 vaccine's consumption intention and willingness. Meanwhile, while the perceived country image component has no direct effect on consumption intention, it does have a positive indirect effect on consumption intention through perceived brand linkage and perceived brand quality. The findings also emphasize the importance and significance of a country's image in brand association and quality perception. The study's findings imply that to increase consumers' willingness to buy India's COVID-19 vaccination, the country should develop communication initiatives to improve consumer perceptions of the country's image, the perceived value of the brand association, and brand quality.

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.557-565
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• 2022

The effect of flow configuration in ammonia-fed solid oxide fuel cell are investigated by using a three-dimensional numerical model. Typical flow configurations including co-flow and counter-flow are considered. The ammonia is directly fed into the stack without any external reforming process, resulting in an internal decomposition of NH3 in the anode electrode of the stack. The result showed that temperature profile in the case of counter-flow is more uniform than the co-flow configuration. The counter-flow cell, the temperature is highest at the middle of the channel while in the case of co-flow, the temperature is continuously increased and reached maximum value at the outlet area. This leads to a higher averaged current density in counter-flow compared to that of co-flow, about 5%.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.33-47
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• 2022

This paper presents a finite element model for predicting the monotonic behaviour of bolted endplate joints connecting steel-concrete composite walls and steel beams. The demountable Hollo-bolts are utilised to facilitate the quick installation and dismantling for replacement and reuse. In the developed model, material and geometric nonlinearities were included. The accuracy of the developed model was assessed by comparing the numerical results with previous experimental tests on hollow/composite column-to-steel beam joints that incorporated endplates and Hollo-bolts. In particular, the Hollo-bolts were modelled with the expanded sleeves involved, and different material properties of the Hollo-bolt shank and sleeves were considered based on the information provided by the manufacture. The developed models, therefore, can be applied in the present study to simulate the wall-to-beam joints with similar structural components and characteristics. Based on the validated model, the authors herein compared the behaviour of wall-to-beam joints of two commonly utilised composite walling systems (Case 1: flat steel plates with headed studs; Case 2: lipped channel section with partition plates). Considering the ease of manufacturing, onsite erection and the pertinent costs, composite walling system with flat steel plates and conventional headed studs (Case 1) was the focus of present study. Specifically, additional headed studs were pre-welded inside the front wall plates to enhance the joint performance. On this basis, a series of parametric studies were conducted to assess the influences of five design parameters on the behaviour of bolted endplate wall-to-beam joints. The initial stiffness, plastic moment capacity, as well as the rotational capacity of the composite wall-to-beam joints based on the numerical analysis were further compared with the current design provision.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.40-48
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• 2022

Objective: As the associations of sperm DNA fragmentation with morphology have not been examined in detail, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between abnormalities of morphological details and DNA integrity in human sperm. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, men from infertile couples were enrolled at Hue Center for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Vietnam. Conventional semen parameters, including morphological details, were analyzed following the World Health Organization 2010 criteria. Sperm DNA fragmentation was evaluated using a sperm chromatin dispersion assay. The relationships and correlations between semen parameters, sperm morphology, and the type of halosperm and the DNA fragmentation index (DFI) were analyzed. Results: Among 130 men in infertile couples, statistically significant differences were not found in the sperm halo type between the normal and abnormal sperm morphology groups. The percentage of round-head spermatozoa was higher in the DFI >15% group (16.98%±12.50%) than in the DFI ≤15% group (13.13% ±8.82%), higher values for amorphous heads were found in the DFI >15% group, and lower values for tapered heads were observed in the DFI ≤15% group; however, these differences were not statistically significant. Small-halo sperm and the DFI were positively correlated with round-head sperm (r=0.243, p=0.005 and r=0.197, p=0.025, respectively). Conclusion: The rate of general sperm morphological abnormalities in semen analysis was not related to sperm DNA integrity. However, round sperm heads were closely associated with sperm DNA fragmentation.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.434-444
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• 2022

Corrosion inhibitors based on Zn-Al hydrotalcites containing benzoate (ZnAlHB) with different molar ratios of Zn/Al were prepared with a co-precipitation process. Compositions and structures of the resulting hydrotalcites were studied with suitable spectroscopic methods such as inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry (UV-Vis), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and surface zeta potential measurements, respectively. Results of physico-chemical studies showed that crystallite sizes, compositions of products, and surface electrical properties were significantly changed when the molar ratio of Zn/Al was increased. The release of benzoate from hydrotalcites also differed slightly among samples. Anticorrosion abilities of hydrotalcites intercalated with benzoate at a concentration of 3 g/L on carbon steel were analyzed using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), polarization curve, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and SEM. Corrosion inhibition abilities of benzoate modified hydrotalcites in 0.1 M NaCl showed an upward trend with increasing Zn/Al ratio. The reason for the dependence of corrosion resistance on the Zn/Al ratio was discussed, including changes in the microstructure of hydrotalcites such as crystal size, density, uniformity, and formation of ZnO.