Thanh Hai Nguyen

Paper-based microfluidic devices by plasma treatment.

Paper-based microfluidic patterns have been demonstrated in recent literature to have a significant potential in developing low-cost analytical devices for telemedicine and general health monitoring. This study reports a new method for making microfluidic patterns on a paper surface using plasma treatment. Paper was first hydrophobized and then treated using plasma in conjunction with a mask. This formed well defined hydrophilic channels on the paper. Paper-based microfluidic systems produced in this way retained the flexibility of paper and a variety of patterns could be formed. A major advantage of this system is that simple functional elements such as switches and filters can be built into the patterns. Examples of these elements are given in this study.

Drug distribution in wet granulation: foam versus spray

Foam granulation technology is a new wet granulation approach for pharmaceutical formulations. This study evaluates the performance of foam and spray granulation in achieving uniform drug distribution using a model formulation. To observe wetting and nuclei formation, single drop/foam penetration experiments were performed on a static powder bed comprised of varying compositions of hydrophilic/hydrophobic glass ballotini, and hydrophilic lactose/hydrophobic salicylic acid respectively. High shear granulation experiments were performed in a 5L mixer using varying compositions of hydrophilic lactose and hydrophobic salicylic acid. Four percent hydroxylpropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) solution was delivered at 90 g/min as either a foam (92% FQ) or an atomized spray whilst recording impeller power consumption. After drying, the granule size distribution was measured and the granule composition was estimated using gravimetric filtration in methanol. Foam penetration was less dependent on the powder hydrophobicity compared to drop penetration. For glass ballotini powder mixtures, foam induced nucleation created nuclei with relatively uniform structure and size regardless of the powder hydrophobicity. For salicylic acid and lactose mixtures, increasing the proportion of salicylic acid reduced the nuclei granule size for both foam and drop binder addition. The granule drug distribution was not significantly affected by the binder addition method. Processing conditions, including liquid binder amount, impeller speed, wet massing, and the wettability properties of the formulation were the dominant factors for delivering homogeneous granules. The study reveals that foam and spray granulation involve different nucleation mechanisms – spray tends to incur early liquid penetration whereas foam granulation operates well in mechanical dispersion.

The impact of knowledge management infrastructure on organisational competitiveness in a Confucian-socialist market economy

The critical role of knowledge management (KM) in achieving and sustaining a competitive advantage (CA) has been strongly emphasised in the extant literature. However, most previous studies were conceptually grounded and empirically examined in advanced, developed and newly industrialised countries and from a large company perspective. Meanwhile, little attempt has been made to address the relative importance of different factors constituting the organisational KM infrastructure capability in the context of Asian emerging, less developed countries such as Vietnam where a socialist market economy, a Confucian culture and a majority of small and medium sized enterprises currently exist. By adopting a resource-based theory of the firm with an extension of a knowledge-based perspective, this paper aims at developing and empirically validating a conceptual model of the relationships between KM infrastructure capability components and their impacts on a firmpsilas CA in Vietnam. The results of 148 surveyed respondents in the construction industry reconfirmed a general agreement found in the literature that a combined social and technological approach is ideal to take advantage of their significant positive correlations in improving organisational competitiveness. Moreover, in the Vietnamese-specific context, the study indicated that while culture is the most important issue affecting KM, integration with information technology may assist to overcome cultural barriers and provide a stronger contribution to a firmpsilas CA.

The impact of government policy and land accessibility to the development of SMEs: Do industrial cluster and network models work in Vietnam?

This study examines how the state can act an entrepreneurial role to influence the creation of a sustainable market factors and land infrastructure conditions to support SMEs. The findings suggest that transitional economies such as Vietnam need to take some specific measures to create conditions to encourage entrepreneurial activities and for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to find opportunities to grow in different sectors of the economy as well as forming industrial cluster to utilize resource efficiency. The findings indicate that in the absence of strong market forces in a Vietnamese transitional economy, the state has to play a decisive role to create those conditions. In addition, the study highlights that cultural factor has an impact on entrepreneurial activities, especially in forming of industrial cluster, linkages and networking for cooperation and utilizing resources. Failure to identify such critical factor will be a serious mistake to hinder the progress of supporting SMEs growth and forming of industrial clusters in Vietnam.

The evolving relationships between the state, quality of business support services, H/R training, technology, and SMEs’ development in Vietnam

This paper reports the findings of a study that examines the evolving relationships between the statepsilas entrepreneurial role and market factors such as business support services, business training and professional development, technological and information support services and SMEspsila development in Vietnam. This study uses an institutional approach to study how the entrepreneurial state influences the creation of market factors in Vietnam. The findings suggest that the state has taken some committed initiatives in attracting external support, building infrastructure both tangible and intangible, and enabling structural flexibility for the growth of SMEs. The statepsilas entrepreneurial role is of special importance since it can coordinate with existing market factors to provide policy support, external resources, and institutional infrastructure for the growth of SMEs in Vietnam. However, inconsistency in policy, slow pace of market reform in selected business areas, and inadequate resource allocation practices have hindered the development of SMEs.