Ho Chi Minh City Open University

Abstract The study aims to explore the complex relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Innovation, and Firm Value within the context of an emerging market, specifically Vietnam. The empirical analysis uses a panel dataset of 128 Vietnamese listed firms from 2016 to 2023. The study employs Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with a fixed-effects transformation to analyze the direct and indirect effects of CSR on firm value. The results show that the relationship between CSR and Firm value is U-shaped. Besides, the innovation is found to be a significant mediator in this process, and a positive moderator that amplifies the financial returns of CSR activities, particularly in firms with high innovative capabilities. The study contributes to the literature by providing a more nuanced understanding of the CSR-Firm value nexus, especially by exploring the U-shaped relationship and the dual roles of innovation (mediator and moderator) in an emerging market context. It offers valuable insights for managers and policymakers on how to strategically integrate CSR and innovation to enhance firm value.

This study examines how brand social responsibility (BSR) drives positive word-of-mouth (WOM) in service brands. Based on social identity theory, we propose that a brand’s commitment to societal welfare strengthens customers’ emotional attachment, fostering positive WOM. By exploring the BSR-WOM relationship, this study provides new insights into the dynamic mechanisms at play within service branding. Using a sequential two-stage mixed-methods approach, we conducted qualitative in-depth interviews followed by an experiment and a large-scale survey. The findings highlight the pivotal role of BSR in cultivating brand commitment and explaining how brand experience enhances the effectiveness of BSR initiatives in driving positive WOM. This study advances ethical branding literature and provides implications for practitioners.

ABSTRACT Teacher well‐being (TWB) is not just an individual responsibility, but a shared ecological responsibility where individuals live in unity. However, under the increasing pressures and workloads, well‐being seems to be a luxury and self‐care probably is the last option for Giáo đa đoan kiệt quệ (burnout‐multifaceted teacher). The term thong dong/tenang emerge naturally from our conversations about education and is grounded in our teaching practices. Despite our teaching and research backgrounds (i.e., Vietnam, Indonesia and the U.S.), we share the same concern about the teacher's burnout across the globe. In this turbulent time, we are pondering how we can regenerate the thong dong/tenang pedagogy toward our daily journey as multifaceted teachers working in the Global South. Using memory‐rewriting and dialogic autoethnography, our narratives braided together as we moved back and forth to explore what the thong dong/tenang pedagogy means and looks like so that we can work toward healing our own selves in the teaching and research journeys.

Accurately predicting the Depth of Penetration (DOP) is essential for understanding the impact behavior of Functionally Graded Composite Materials (FGCMs) under high-velocity conditions. However, the nonlinear dynamic behavior governing FGCMs, coupled with the high cost and time-consuming nature of experimental tests, make precise DOP estimation a challenging task. This study proposes an efficient predictive framework that combines finite element (FE) simulations with artificial neural networks (ANNs) to overcome the constraints of conventional numerical and experimental approaches. This work focuses on applying the Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA) and the Arithmetic Optimization Algorithm (AOA) as independent optimization strategies to improve the control parameters during the initiation phase, avoid convergence to local optima, and accelerate the learning process. Finite Element (FE) simulations were used to generate input-output datasets, which were used to train three ANN models: conventional back-propagation (BP), WOA-ANN, and AOA-ANN. The optimized ANNs accurately captured the nonlinear mapping between impact velocity ( <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:mrow> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>V</mml:mi> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>i</mml:mi> <mml:mi>m</mml:mi> <mml:mi>p</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> ) and DOP. Results confirm that WOA-ANN model outperformed both AOA-ANN and BP models, achieving lower mean square error (MSE) and higher correlation coefficients. Moreover, the optimized ANNs provide reliable predictions with a limited number of FE simulations, considerably reducing computational effort while maintaining accuracy.

Helicteres isora L. is a traditionally recognized medicinal plant in Asia, used for the treatment of gastrointestinal, metabolic, respiratory, and infectious diseases, with different parts exhibiting diverse pharmacological activities. In the present investigation, the fruits of H. isora L. were successfully investigated, leading to the isolation of β-sitosterol (1), betulinic acid (2), ursolic acid (3), 3b-hydroxyurs-11-ene-28(13)-lactone (4), ergosterol-5,8-peroxide (5), syringaresinol (6), β-sitosterol-3-O-β-D-glucoside (7), curcumin (8), demethoxycurcumin (9), and bisdemethoxycurcumin (10). The inhibitory effects of all isolated compounds on α-glucosidase and xanthine oxidase (XO) were assessed. Among them, compound 9 exhibited the most potent α-glucosidase inhibition (IC50 75.5 ± 0.06 µM), whereas compound 8 showed weak XO inhibition (IC50 95.0 ± 0.16 µM). In the molecular docking results, compounds 8 - 10 demonstrated strong α-glucosidase inhibition with conserved interactions at key residues (Asp203, Trp299, Trp406, Met444, Phe575, and Arg526), and their predicted physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties support their potential as orally active, locally acting antidiabetic agents. HIGHLIGHTS Ten compounds (1 - 10) were isolated from the fruits of Thai Helicteres isora, including 5 triterpenoids (1 - 5), 1 lignan (6), 1 triterpenoid glycoside (7), and 3 curcuminoids (8 - 10). This study reports the isolation of compounds 2 - 10 from isora L. for the first time. Compounds 8 - 10 exhibited potent α-glucosidase inhibitory activity, with compound 9 being the most active (IC50 5 ± 0.06 µM), surpassing acarbose (IC50 198.9 ± 0.02 µM). Molecular docking revealed that compounds 8 - 10 shared conserved binding interactions with key α-glucosidase residues (Asp203, Trp299, Trp406, Met444, Phe575, and Arg526). In silico ADMET predictions suggested favorable solubility and intestinal permeability profiles, supporting their potential as orally active, locally acting antidiabetic agents. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Vietnam’s enactment of the Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL), in 2025, scheduled to enter into force in 2026, represents a landmark shift toward codifying a modern data protection regime. Yet, the law enters a digital marketplace dominated by data-driven e-commerce platforms, uneven institutional capacities, and fragmented regulatory frameworks. This paper examines whether the PDPL can meaningfully safeguard consumer personal data in Vietnam’s rapidly expanding e-commerce sector, and what legal, institutional, and comparative insights can support its sustainable implementation. Drawing on a structured comparative analysis of the EU’s GDPR, China’s PIPL, and California’s CCPA, the paper evaluates how different regulatory philosophies, including rights-based, state-centric, and market-driven, offer lessons for refining Vietnam’s approach. Building on doctrinal, comparative, and normative analysis, the paper identifies persistent gaps in enforcement independence, lawful bases for processing, cross-border data governance, and sector-specific guidance for e-commerce. It proposes a sustainability-oriented, multi-dimensional reform framework emphasizing institutional independence, regulatory harmonization, risk-based governance, and sustainable data stewardship. The paper contributes to theoretical debates on consumer data governance in emerging economies, and provides policy guidance for Vietnam as it seeks to build a trustworthy, rights-respecting, and sustainable digital market.

This study investigated teachers’ perceptions of using Google Docs for writing e-portfolios to improve IELTS writing performance of non-English majors. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with three Vietnamese lecturers, supported by the researcher’s reflections, and analyzed using grounded theory coding procedures. The findings indicated that lecturers perceived the integration of Google Docs both positively and negatively. Specifically, they reported that the platform facilitates writing correction, encourages peer review, and promotes collaborative learning, helps students become more active and confident writers. However, several challenges were discovered including students’ reliance on automatic correction, unstable Internet connectivity, and limited technological skills. Overall, the study highlighted key benefits and constraints of Google Docs–based e-portfolios in university writing instruction and offered practical solutions to address issues encountered in technology-enhanced learning environments.

A new isoflavone-quinone, placovinone E (1), and a new natural isoflavone, placovinone F (2), together with four known isoflavones (3–6), were isolated from the leaves of P. vietnamense. The chemical structures of all isolated compounds were elucidated using spectroscopic techniques (NMR and HRESIMS) and confirmed by comparison with literature data. All isolated compounds were evaluated for their α-glucosidase and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activities. Among them, compound 1 exhibited the strongest α-glucosidase inhibition (IC50 21.6 ± 1.04 µM), which was markedly more potent than the positive control, acarbose (IC50 156.2 ± 5.43 µM). In addition, compound 1 showed the highest xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity (IC50 32.8 ± 0.08 µM), although it remained considerably less potent than the positive control, allopurinol (IC50 2.45 ± 0.01 µM).

Pepino mosaic virus (PepMV) is a significant threat to global tomato production, with symptom severity varying widely among strains and often leading to significant economic losses. Despite extensive studies on aggressive variants, the molecular determinants of mild symptomatology in field isolates, particularly from Korea, remain underexplored. In this study, we characterized a mildly infecting PepMV isolate from asymptomatic tomato plants during a field survey in Jeonju, South Korea. The full-length genome sequence and phylogenetic analysis classified it as a CH2 strain. A full-length cDNA infectious clone of this isolate was constructed and confirmed to induce no mosaic symptoms in tomato plants. To identify symptom determinants, targeted mutagenesis was performed in the coat protein (CP) open reading frame. Substitution mutations at CP position 236 or combined 6/155 substitutions converted the mild isolate into a severe variant, inducing strong mosaic symptoms and significantly higher viral accumulation (up to tenfold). These results demonstrated that specific CP residues act as key regulators of symptom severity in PepMV CH2 strains and provide defined severe mutants as useful tools for screening resistance in tomatoes. Although the mechanism underlying symptom modulation remains unclear, this work advanced our understanding of molecular differences between mild and severe strains and supported targeted strategies for managing this economically important virus.