Barriers to Trade in Health and Financial Services in ASEAN

The purpose of this paper is to give background information on current barriers to trade in four services sectors in the ASEAN region. The information was summarized in a companion paper (Dee 2009), which also laid out concrete proposals for achieving the liberalization targets for these sectors from the ASEAN Economic Blueprint. The four key services are medical services (medical, dental and paramedical services), health services (hospital, medical laboratory and ambulance services), banking services and insurance services. The medical and health sectors are priority sectors under the ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint. This paper describes the survey instruments that were used to collect information about current regulatory policy settings in these sectors in each of the ten ASEAN economies, gives a detailed presentation of results, and compares the results to other recent surveys of services trade barriers in these sectors. In the case of healthcare, there are few comparable cross-country studies, and none that have looked at the evolution of services trade barriers over time. In the case of banking and insurance, by contrast, there have been several previous studies, two of which have looked at how services trade barriers in these sectors have changed over time. In this paper, the most recent information on barriers to financial services trade in ASEAN is also made comparable to that in these other recent studies, so that the current situation in ASEAN can be compared with the recent situation in a number of other developed and developing countries. The findings of the other recent studies on the patterns of financial services liberalization over time are also summarized, as this can give insights into likely patterns of liberalization in ASEAN.Health services, Financial services, Trade barriers, ASEAN.

ON THE DYNAMIC OF THE DISCRETE POPULATION MODELS

Joint Research on Environmental Science and Technology for the Eart

Effect of Capital Structure on the Profitability of Plastic and Packaging Companies Listed in Vietnam

Purpose: The study aimed to analyse the impact of capital structure on the profitability of plastic and packaging companies listed on the Vietnam Stock Exchange - VNX (HNX, HoSE and Upcom).   Theoretical framework: The study inherits previous studies on the relationship between capital structure and profitability to determine the capital structure that affects profitability.   Design/methodology/approach: Using Qualitative Research (Synthetic Methods; Statistical methods, description; Inductive and interpretive methods) and quantitative research methods (linear regression methods).   Findings: The author has identified two independent variables that represent a capital structure that strongly affects the profitability of enterprises, including: (1) Short-term debt ratio (STD); (2) Long-term debt ratio (LTL).   Research, practical and social implications: Based on the research results, the author offers several discussions and assessments on the critical role of adjusting the optimal capital structure for plastic and packaging companies, in addition to financial solution recommendations aimed at improving profitability for companies.   Originality/value: Through a study of 30 plastic and packaging manufacturing companies, corresponding to 360 observations in the period of 2010 – 2021

Time-varying Predictability in Crude Oil Markets: The Case of GCC Countries

This paper uses a time-varying parameter model with generalized autoregressive conditional heteros-cedasticity effects to examine the dynamic behavior of crude-oil prices for the period 1997-2008. Using data from four countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, we find evidence of short-term pre-dictability in oil-price changes over time, except for several short sub-periods. However, the hypothe-sis of convergence towards weak-form informational efficiency is rejected for all markets. In addition, we explore the possibility of structural breaks in the time-paths of the estimated predictability indices and detect only one breakpoint, for the oil markets in Qatar and United Arab Emirates. Our empirical results therefore call for new empirical research to further gauge the predictability characteristics and the determinants of oil-price changes.

EXTINCTION, PERSISTENCE AND GLOBAL STABILITY IN MODELS OF POPULATION GOWTH

Joint Research on Environmental Science and Technology for the Eart

Vietnam’s Accession to the World Trade Organization: Economic Projections to 2020

This study presents a set of assessments of the long term economic effects of Vietnam’s accession to the WTO. Generally speaking, our results indicate that Vietnam would benefit from accelerating its participation in more open multilateralism. However, it is also clear from our analysis that these benefits will remain modest in the absence of comprehensive and complementary domestic economic reforms. Passive external liberalization, even when coupled with determined domestic reform, is inferior to WTO participation combined with negotiated market access and other activist multilateral agreements. Finally, our analysis shows that capital insufficiency is a very serious constraint on Vietnamese economic growth and diversification. Capital market reform can play an essential role in dynamic and sustained economic development for the country.Vietnam, WTO, Trade

SỰ KẾT HỢP GIỮA NGHIÊN CỨU THỰC NGHIỆM VÀ TÍNH TOÁN HOÁ LÝ THUYẾT TRONG VIỆC KHẢO SÁT TIỀM NĂNG CHỐNG OXI HOÁ CỦA GALLIC ACID

The antioxidant capacity of 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid (gallic acid) was investigated with spectroscopic methods, including 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH•), 2,2'-azinobis(3)-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS•+), and phosphomolybdenum and quantum chemical calculations at the theoretical level of w-B97XD/6-311++G(d,p). The results show that gallic acid had stronger DPPH• and ABTS•+ free radical scavenging ability than trolox with IC50DPPH and IC50ABTS values ​​of 2.23 ± 0.02 and 12.20 ± 0.03 μM. In the phosphomolybdenum method, Mo(VI) to Mo(V) reducing ability of gallic acid was equivalent to that of trolox. According to quantum research results, the reaction mechanism between gallic acid and HOO• is primarily the hydrogen atom transfer.Khả năng chống oxy hoá của 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid (gallic acid) đã được nghiên cứu bằng các phương pháp phổ, gồm 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH•), 2,2’-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS•+), phosphomolybdenum và các tính toán hoá lượng tử ở mức lý thuyết w-B97XD/6-311++G(d,p). Kết quả cho thấy gallic acid có khả năng bắt gốc tự do DPPH• và ABTS•+ mạnh hơn trolox với các giá trị IC50DPPH và IC50ABTS là 2,23 ± 0,02 và 12,20 ± 0,03 μM. Trong phương pháp phosphomolybdenum, gallic acid có khả năng khử Mo(VI) về Mo(V) tương đương với trolox. Cơ chế phản ứng giữa gallic acid và HOO• theo tính toán hoá lượng tử chủ yếu là chuyển nguyên tử hydro

On the dynamics of the discrete delay models of Glucose-Insulin systems

Joint Research on Environmental Science and Technology for the Eart

DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL HYDRODYNAMIC 3D MODEL FOR COMPUTATION AND FORECASTING OF OIL POLLUTIONS IN COASTAL MARINE ENVIRONMENT

Joint Research on Environmental Science and Technology for the Eart