Managing Growth: The Role of Export, Inflation and Investment in three ASEAN Neighboring Countries

This study investigates the relationship between export, inflation, investment and economic growth for three ASEAN countries namely Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. In general, the results revealed that export has a positive impact on growth. As for, Malaysia and Thailand, inflation has a negative impact on growth; while for Indonesia it has a positive impact. The inflation rate for Indonesia is almost consistent for a several years, which have lead to a positive relationship between inflation and growth. However, there is also a modest increase in the rate of inflation for certain years. The results also shows that investment have a positive impact on growth for Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.Economic growth; export; inflation; investment; ASEAN

Ethanol Exposure and Dendritic Cell Function

The influence of ethanol (EtOH) on multiple dendritic cell (DC) subsets, either in steady state or following mobilization in vivo, has not been characterized. Herein, the generation of mouse bone marrow (BM)-derived DC in fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand was inhibited by physiologically-relevant concentrations of EtOH, with selective suppression of plasmacytoid (p)DC. EtOH reduced surface expression of costimulatory (CD40, CD80, CD86) but not coinhibitory CD274 (B7-H1) molecules on resting or CpG-stimulated DC subsets. IL-12p70 production by activated DC was impaired. Consistent with these findings, EtOH-exposed (E)BMDC exhibited reduced capacity to induce naïve allogeneic T cell proliferation and impaired ability to prime T cells in vivo. Further, T cells from animals primed with EBMDC produced elevated levels of IL-10 following ex vivo challenge with donor alloantigen. DC subsets freshly-isolated from EtOH-fed mice were also examined. Liver DC, inherently immature and resistant to maturation, exhibited little change in low surface cosignaling molecule expression, whereas splenic DC showed reduced expression of cosignaling molecules in response to CpG stimulation. These splenic DC elicited reduced naïve allogeneic T cell proliferation in vitro, while the stimulatory capacity of resting but not CpG-activated liver DC was reduced by EtOH administration. In vivo, hepatic EDC elicited increased capacity to prime T cells compared to control hepatic DC. Conversely, splenic EDC exhibited impaired ability to prime T cells in vivo. This differential capacity of hepatic versus splenic EDC compared to control DC to prime T cells in vivo is likely due to several factors including differential phenotype and migratory capacity. In fact, liver EDC migrate in greater numbers to secondary lymphoid tissue compared to control liver DC. Thus, EtOH impairs cytokine-driven differentiation and function of mDC and pDC in vitro. Hepatic DC from chronic EtOH-fed mice are differentially affected compared to splenic DC. Splenic DC exhibit impaired functional maturation following CpG stimulation while hepatic DC exhibit altered migration to secondary lymphoid tissue. In addition to examining the effects of chronic EtOH exposure on DC, we have evaluated cell-mediated and humoral responses in EtOH-fed mice. In total, these results indicate potential mechanisms by which alcohol consumption is associated with immunosuppression

Managing Growth: The Role of Export, Inflation and Investment in three ASEAN Neighboring Countries

This study investigates the relationship between export, inflation, investment and economic growth for three ASEAN countries namely Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. In general, the results revealed that export has a positive impact on growth. As for, Malaysia and Thailand, inflation has a negative impact on growth; while for Indonesia it has a positive impact. The inflation rate for Indonesia is almost consistent for a several years, which have lead to a positive relationship between inflation and growth. However, there is also a modest increase in the rate of inflation for certain years. The results also shows that investment have a positive impact on growth for Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand

Managing Growth: The Role of Export, Inflation and Investment in three ASEAN Neighboring Countries

This study investigates the relationship between export, inflation, investment and economic growth for three ASEAN countries namely Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. In general, the results revealed that export has a positive impact on growth. As for, Malaysia and Thailand, inflation has a negative impact on growth; while for Indonesia it has a positive impact. The inflation rate for Indonesia is almost consistent for a several years, which have lead to a positive relationship between inflation and growth. However, there is also a modest increase in the rate of inflation for certain years. The results also shows that investment have a positive impact on growth for Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand

Current Account And Financial Account: Push Or Finance?

The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the causality pattern between current account (CA) with the components in financial account (FA) for the four crisis-affected Asian countries of Indonesia, Korea, the Philippines and Thailand. The sample periods are divided into two non-overlapping sub-periods namely; pre-crisis (1987Q1 – 1996Q4) and post-crisis (1997Q1 –2006Q4). Empirical results clearly suggest that CA Granger causes FA in these countries for the two sampling periods. Observations imply that causality patterns differ for each of the FA components with CA

Modeling Malaysia Debt Threshold: Debt Composition (Domestic Debt; External Debt; Household Debt)

Malaysia as one of the fast growing economy in the Southeast Asia region experienced challenging tasks in managing the increasing level of debts. This study intends to investigate the implication of the debt (domestic debt, external debt and household debt) towards economic growth of Malaysia by adopting Threshold regression method for sample period from 1980 to 2015. Empirical findings indicate that the threshold level for domestic debt is approximately 47% of GDP, 17% of GDP for external debt and 81% of GDP for household debt where there is a negative impact on growth the debt is above the threshold level

Rapid Field Immunoassay for Detecting Antibody to Sin Nombre Virus in Deer Mice

We developed a 1-hour field enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for detecting antibody to Sin Nombre virus in deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus). The assay specificity and sensitivity were comparable to those of a standard EIA. This test will permit identification of rodents with antibody to this and perhaps other hantaviruses

Uracil DNA Glycosylase 2 negatively regulates HIV-1 LTR transcription

Numerous cellular factors belonging to the DNA repair machineries, including RAD18, RAD52, XPB and XPD, have been described to counteract human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication. Recently, Uracil DNA glycosylase 2 (UNG2), a major determinant of the uracil base excision repair pathway, was shown to undergo rapid proteasome-dependent degradation following HIV-1 infection. However, the specific role of intracellular UNG2 depletion during the course of HIV-1 infection is not clearly understood. Our study shows for the first time that overexpression of UNG2 inhibits HIV-1 replication. We demonstrate that this viral inhibition is correlated with a marked decrease in transcription efficiency as shown by monitoring HIV-1 LTR promoter activity and quantification of HIV-1 RNA levels. Interestingly, UNG2 inhibits LTR activity when stimulated by Tat transactivator or TNFα, while barely affected using Phorbol ester activation. Mutational analysis of UNG2 indicates that antiviral activity may require the integrity of the UNG2 catalytic domain. Altogether, our data indicate that UNG2 is likely to represent a new host defense factor specifically counteracted by HIV-1 Vpr. The molecular mechanisms involved in the UNG2 antiviral activity still remain elusive but may rely on the sequestration of specific cellular factor(s) critical for viral transcription

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London