Policy Uncertainty and Firm Cash Holdings

This research examines the relation between government economic policy uncertainty and firm cash holdings. We find evidence that policy uncertainty is positively related to firm cash holdings due to firms’ precautionary motives and, to a lesser extent, investment delays. The relation between policy uncertainty and cash holdings is more pronounced for firms dependent on government spending and extends beyond business cyclicality. Further analysis indicates that the effects of policy uncertainty on corporate cash holdings are distinct from those of political, market, or other macroeconomic uncertainty

The Comparison of Characteristics in Tin Doped Indium Oxide (ITO) Synthesized via Nonaqueous Sol-Gel and Solvothermal Process

Tin doped indium oxide nanoparticles were synthesized by nonaqueous sol-gel method and solvothermal process from indium acetylacetonate (In(acac)3) and tin bis(acetylacetonate)dichloride (Sn(acac)2Cl2) in oleyamine as the starting materials. The structure and morphology of ITO samples were analyzed by XRD and TEM. The electrical conductivy and specific surface area of both ITO samples were also determined and compared to each other. The ITO prepared via solvothermal method showed better results that prepared by nonaqueous sol-gel method

Salinity dynamics under different water management plans coupled with sea level rise scenarios in the Red River Delta, Vietnam

In recent years, saltwater intrusion in river estuaries has become more severe and frequent worldwide. The common reasons lie in increasing freshwater withdrawal, river flow regulation and sea level rise due to global warming. In particular, the Red River Delta in northern Vietnam is facing a strong population growth worsening the pressure on freshwater resources for drinking water and irrigation needs. During the dry season, increasing conflicts and constraints in freshwater availability have already been experienced. Adverse combinations of river flow regulations and high sea levels lead to severe upstream propagations of salinity. This study takes advantage of a statistical characterization of discharges released from Hoa Binh reservoir and observed at Son Tay station, the main river flow control upstream of the river delta, along with downscaled and updated sea level rise sce- narios to estimate the future extents of saltwater intrusion under different options of water release from reser- voirs in the dry season. To do so, a 1D hydraulic model of the river delta network was implemented using MIKE11 software. The hydraulic and the quality modules were calibrated and validated with respect to the present scenario by using water stages and salinity concentrations observed in estuary branches. Sea level rise projections for 2050 and 2100 referred to RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 AR5 emission scenarios were then considered. Results show that river flow regulation can provide an effective mitigation measure. A 20–30% increase in the discharge released from the Son Tay station would be beneficial to push downstream the saltwater intrusion in the main Red River branch during the dry season. For instance, in 2050 the 1‰ salt concentration front is ex- pected to be pushed back at least 6 km when the exceeding probability of the discharge released by Son Tay station decreases from 95% to 25%

Preparation and Foliar Application of Oligochitosan - Nanosilica on the Enhancement of Soybean Seed Yield

Oligochitosan with weight average molecu-lar weight (Mw) of 5000 g/mol was prepared by gamma Co-60 radiation degradation of 4% chitosan solution containing 0.5% H2O2 at 21 kGy. Nanosilica with size of 10 – 30 nm was synthesized by calcination of acid treated rice husk at 700o C for 2 h. The mixture of 2% oligo-chitosan-2% nanosilica was prepared by dispersion of nanosilica in oligochitosan solution. Oligochitosan, nanosilica and their mixture were characterized by gel permeation chromatography (GPC), transmission electr-on microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), and Furrier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Effect of foliar application of oli-gochitosan and oligochitosan-nanosilica on soybean seed yield was conducted in experimental field. Results indi-cated that soybean seed yield increased 10.5 and 17.0% for oligochitosan and oligochitosan-nanosilica, respect-tively for the control. Radiation degraded oligo-chitosan and its mixture with nanosilica can be potentially used for cultivation of soybean with enhanced seed yield

Regional and local emissions in red river delta, Northern Vietnam

Fine (PM2.2) and coarse (PM2.2–10) particles concurrently collected in urban (Hanoi) and rural (Lucnam) areas were analyzed for ionic and elemental compositions to provide input for PMF receptor modeling of emission sources in the Red River Delta (RRD), a key economic development region in Vietnam. Long-range transport (LRT) aerosol, coal fly ash from major coal-fired plants in RRD, and marine aerosols are regional sources, which explain the minor variability of the mass concentrations of fine particles across the region. Local sources include soil/resuspended road dust, local coal fly ash, and biomass burning. Soil/resuspended road dust is the largest source component of coarse particles at the two sites. It is more abundant in Hanoi than in Lucnam reflecting the urban–rural contrast in traffic and construction works. Receptor models reveal the incorporation of secondary sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium into the various primary particles, i.e., soot, minerals, soil organic matter, and sea salt. Soot particles from LRT carry the largest amounts of sulfate and ammonium mass concentrations measured at the two sites. Based on receptor models, the yields and possible chemical forms of secondary sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium in different types of primary particles can be inferred

Polarized Narrow-Line Emission from the Nucleus of NGC 4258

The detection of polarized continuum and line emission from the nucleus of NGC 4258 by Wilkes et al. (1995) provides an intriguing application of the unified model of Seyfert nuclei to a galaxy in which there is known to be an edge-on, rotating disk of molecular gas surrounding the nucleus. Unlike most Seyfert nuclei, however, NGC 4258 has strongly polarized narrow emission lines. To further investigate the origin of the polarized emission, we have obtained spectropolarimetric observations of the NGC 4258 nucleus at the Keck-II telescope. The narrow-line polarizations range from 1.0% for [S II] 6716 to 13.9% for the [O II] 7319,7331 blend, and the position angle of polarization is oriented nearly parallel to the projected plane of the masing disk. A correlation between critical density and degree of polarization is detected for the forbidden lines, indicating that the polarized emission arises from relatively dense (n_e > 10^4 cm^-3) gas. An archival Hubble Space Telescope narrow-band [O III] image shows that the narrow-line region has a compact, nearly unresolved core, implying a FWHM size of <2.5 pc. We discuss the possibility that the polarized emission might arise from the accretion disk itself and become polarized by scattering within the disk atmosphere. A more likely scenario is an obscuring torus or strongly warped disk surrounding the inner portion of a narrow-line region which is strongly stratified in density. The compact size of the narrow-line region implies that the obscuring structure must be smaller than ~2.5 pc in diameter.Comment: To appear in the Astronomical Journal. 13 pages, including 1 table and 4 figures. Uses emulateapj.st

Intensified Antituberculosis Therapy in Adults with Tuberculous Meningitis

BACKGROUND Tuberculous meningitis is often lethal. Early antituberculosis treatment and adjunctive treatment with glucocorticoids improve survival, but nearly one third of patients with the condition still die. We hypothesized that intensified antituberculosis treatment would enhance the killing of intracerebral Mycobacterium tuberculosis organisms and decrease the rate of death among patients. METHODS We performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected adults and HIV-uninfected adults with a clinical diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis who were admitted to one of two Vietnamese hospitals. We compared a standard, 9-month antituberculosis regimen (which included 10 mg of rifampin per kilogram of body weight per day) with an intensified regimen that included higher-dose rifampin (15 mg per kilogram per day) and levofloxacin (20 mg per kilogram per day) for the first 8 weeks of treatment. The primary outcome was death by 9 months after randomization. RESULTS A total of 817 patients (349 of whom were HIV-infected) were enrolled; 409 were randomly assigned to receive the standard regimen, and 408 were assigned to receive intensified treatment. During the 9 months of follow-up, 113 patients in the intensified-treatment group and 114 patients in the standard-treatment group died (hazard ratio, 0.94; 95% confidence interval, 0.73 to 1.22; P=0.66). There was no evidence of a significant differential effect of intensified treatment in the overall population or in any of the subgroups, with the possible exception of patients infected with isoniazid-resistant M. tuberculosis. There were also no significant differences in secondary outcomes between the treatment groups. The overall number of adverse events leading to treatment interruption did not differ significantly between the treatment groups (64 events in the standard-treatment group and 95 events in the intensified-treatment group, P=0.08). CONCLUSIONS Intensified antituberculosis treatment was not associated with a higher rate of survival among patients with tuberculous meningitis than standard treatment. (Funded by the Wellcome Trust and the Li Ka Shing Foundation; Current Controlled Trials number, ISRCTN61649292.)

CMB polarimetry with BICEP: instrument characterization, calibration, and performance

BICEP is a ground-based millimeter-wave bolometric array designed to target the primordial gravity wave signature on the polarization of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) at degree angular scales. Currently in its third year of operation at the South Pole, BICEP is measuring the CMB polarization with unprecedented sensitivity at 100 and 150 GHz in the cleanest available 2% of the sky, as well as deriving independent constraints on the diffuse polarized foregrounds with select observations on and off the Galactic plane. Instrument calibrations are discussed in the context of rigorous control of systematic errors, and the performance during the first two years of the experiment is reviewed.Comment: 12 pages, 15 figures, updated version of a paper accepted for Millimeter and Submillimeter Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy IV, Proceedings of SPIE, 7020, 200

Randomized controlled trial of artesunate or artemether in Vietnamese adults with severe falciparum malaria

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Both artemether and artesunate have been shown to be superior to quinine for the treatment of severe falciparum malaria in Southeast Asian adults, although the magnitude of the superiority has been greater for artesunate than artemether. These two artemisinin derivatives had not been compared in a randomized trial.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A randomized double blind trial in 370 adults with severe falciparum malaria; 186 received intramuscular artesunate (2.4 mg/kg immediately followed by 1.2 mg/kg at 12 hours then 24 hours then daily) and 184 received intramuscular artemether (3.6 mg per kilogram immediately followed by 1.8 mg per kilogram daily) was conducted in Viet Nam. Both drugs were given for a minimum of 72 hours.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There were 13 deaths in the artesunate group (7 percent) and 24 in the artemether group (13 percent); P = 0.052; relative risk of death in the patients given artesunate, 0.54; (95 percent confidence interval 0.28-1.02). Parasitaemia declined more rapidly in the artesunate group. Both drugs were very well tolerated.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Intramuscular artesunate may be superior to intramuscular artemether for the treatment of severe malaria in adults.</p

Impact of irrigation works systems on livelihoods of fishing community in Ca Mau Peninsula, Viet Nam

Ca Mau Peninsula (CMP) locates in Mekong Delta, Vietnam is a conflict area in the use of freshwater and brackish water due to existing of both types of ecosystems. The irrigation works systems (IWS) in CMP were planned and constructed to serve local communities’ economic development. The aims of this study are to investigate the impact of irrigation works on livelihoods of fishing community in Ca Mau Peninsula, Viet Nam. The study was conducted in six communes in five districts in the two provinces, Can Tho City (freshwater ecosystem) and Bac Lieu province (brackish water ecosystem). Six Rapid Rural Appraisal (PRA) meetings were held, four meetings located in the affected area of IWS (120 households) and two adjacent areas, which were not affected by IWS (120 households). Data on fish species compositions were collected three times a year. This paper argues that the highly construction inside IWS area caused lower fish species composition and lower fish production inside IWS area compared to outside IWS area in both freshwater and brackish water ecosystems. Limited households inside IWS area (9.3%) and outside IWS area (17.8%) involved in local associations fishing community in both ecosystems and they mostly had a very low annual accumulate income. Net, trap, mud chain, trawl and fishing rods were five main types of fishing gears of the professional fishing households. Survey result also shows that the majority of fishermen understood rules relating to activities of aquatic resources protection and management of the provinces though 25-30% of households still did not know anything about these regulations. Overall results revealed an impact of IWS on livelihoods of fishing community such as human resources, natural resources and physical capital. Therefore, there are urgent needs on training on the fishery regulations for fishermen in the regions focused on appropriate fishing gear, mesh size net, fishing ground and fishing seasons. In particular, investment in education and career training to improve opportunities to access employment for the community become necessary