pandemic is affecting the health of the public, and it is also impacting business and economy. The main objective of this paper is to investigate the impact of Covid-19 pandemic on listed firms' performance and the abnormal stock returns in Vietnam. To study the impact of Covid-19 on firms' performance, we collected data about announced earnings on Q1/2020 and Q4/2019 of 714 enterprises and made comparison. The results revealed the enormous impacts of Covid-19 pandemic on the business performance. However, the level of influence varies among sectors. To study the impact of Covid-19 on the abnormal stock returns, the study employed the event research method with 3 events related to Covid-19 pandemic in Vietnam. A sample of 364 companies listed on Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HOSE) was utilized. The findings revealed that the Covid-19 event affects the abnormal returns of stocks and the level of influence varied from each stage of Covid-19 prevention measure in Vietnam. The degrees of influence of the Covid-19 event on each stock were also different. The paper concluded that Covid-19 pandemic information can be used to predict stocks' prices.

Background: Assessing students’ learning readiness has become more important to establish on-target learning and teaching environments, particularly since blended learning and online learning are widely implemented in medical education. This study aims (1) to examine the reliability and validity of Online Learning Readiness Scale (OLRS) and (2) to identify the levels of online learning readiness for blended learning methods using virtual reality and its associations. Methods: A cross-sectional study with 102 fifthyear medical students was conducted. The data were analyzed through exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. Pearson correlation analysis was utilized to investigate the relationships among dimensions of OLRS. Results: The VN-version of the OLRS scale consists of 16 items in four dimensions, namely Self-directed learning - SDL, Motivation for learning - MFL, Computer & Internet self-efficacy - CIS, Online communication self-efficacy - OCS. Confirmatory factor analysis indicates the model fit of the OLRS scale in a blended learning course context. The composite reliability and construct validity of the scale was found to be within the acceptable range. Students showed high readiness for blended learning course, of which SDL was the dimension having the highest score of readiness, followed by MFL and CIS dimensions. There were positive correlations across all dimensions of OLRS (p<0.001). Statistically significant associations were found between gender, health professional orientation, computer self-efficacy and their experience of medical education environment and dimensions of OLRS. Conclusion: The results indicate that the OLRS is a reliable and valid measurement tool in the assessment of online learning readiness levels of blended learning course using virtual reality. It is recommended to develop a reliable scale to assess the perceptions and readiness of instructors undertaking the move to blended teaching. Key words: confirmatory factor analysis, blended learning, Online Learning Readiness Scale, virtual reality, medical education

No abstract

Speckle Tracking Echocardiography is a relatively new, non-invasive ultrasound technique that allows an objective and quantitative evaluation of global and regional myocardial function. There is a lot of evidence that global longitudinal strain is more sensitive than the left ventricular ejection fraction for the assessment of left ventricular dysfunction, is used to follow-up cancer therapeutic-related cardiac dysfunction, stratify risks, classify and determine treatment in the asymptomatic left ventricular dysfunction. Thus, this technique can help identify ventricular function and subclinical cardiac dysfunction, even when the ejection fraction is normal. Currently, speckle tracking echocardiography has been standardized and applied to evaluate left ventricular function, right ventricular function and left atrial function according to the consensus of American Society Echocardiography and European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging. Key words: Speckle Tracking Echocardiography, left ventricular ejection fraction, global longitudinal strain

Background: Blended learning offers opportunities for the complexity of learning in clinical education. Student peer assessment is widely used as a form of formative assessment in early clinical exposure programs, especially clinical communication skills training. This study aimed to describe clinical communication skills competencies of second-year students and to identify the relationships between peer and faculty assessment of communication skills in a blended learning program format. Methods: A total of 474 second-year general medical students and dental students participated in the study. Peer and lecturer assessment forms with a 5-point Likert scale according to the Calgary-Cambridge guide format were used to evaluate students’ performance of basic communication skills, relationship building, and history taking. Pearson’s correlation coefficients and paired t-test were applied. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Most of students were rated at distinction level (score at 7-8.4) in communication skills. Mean of the overall score by peer and faculty assessment were 7.46 ± 1.03 and 7.17 ± 0.68, respectively. Peers rarely provided negative ratings on subcategories of communication skills. Skills of understanding the patient’s perspectives and gathering information were the most reported skills needed to improve among students. Significant positive correlations were found between peer and faculty evaluations for building relationship, establishing initial rapport, and gathering information domains (p < 0.01). Students tended to grade their colleagues higher for building relationship (3.88 ± 0.62) and establishing initial rapport domains (3.72 ± 0.61) than other domains, meanwhile, teachers tended to grade building relationship (3.80 ± 0.55) and gathering information domains (3.64 ± 0.38) higher than other domains. Conclusion: The findings suggest that student peer evaluation can be valuable for clinical education. As part of a formative assessment, it can be also used for faculty to evaluate students’ clinical communication skills performance in innovative medical education programs. Key words: peer assessment, clinical communication skills, practice of medicine, early clinical practice, blended learning.