Will the U.S. Velocity of Money Step up Again? New Evidence from the Random Walk Hypothesis

The recent decrease in U.S. money velocity raises debates about its unit root behavior. This paper revisited the random walk hypothesis (RWH) of the U.S. money velocity in 1960-2010 and two sub-periods 1960-85 and 1986-2010 by applying the Variance Ratio methodologies, including new nonparametric tests by Wright (2000) and Belaire-Franch and Contreras (2004). The results suggested that the velocity would likely increase, and the U.S. monetary policy will soon stimulate GDP and employment. Furthermore, past velocity is important to predict the future outcomes, and changes in financial structural could alter the empirical characteristics of the velocity series

BILINGUAL EDUCATION PROGRAM PROPOSED IN VIETNAM

Given that EFL is playing an important role in the national education system of Vietnam for its development and global integration, this paper proposes a bilingual education program with both Vietnamese and English subjects for primary schools. Descriptions and justifications for the proposed program are presented in details. Also, teaching methods and assessments are analyzed. As a pilot, this program is hoped to be widely implemented.   Article visualizations

Topological Lifshitz phase transition in effective model of QCD with chiral symmetry non-restoration

The topological Lifshitz phase transition is studied systematically within an effective model of QCD, in which the chiral symmetry, broken at zero temperature, is not restored at high temperature and/or baryon chemical potential. It is found that during phase transition the quark system undergoes a first-order transition from low density fully-gapped state to high density state with Fermi sphere which is protected by momentum-space topology. The Lifshitz phase diagram in the plane of temperature and baryon chemical potential is established. The critical behaviors of various equations of state are determined.Comment: 8 pages, 10 figure

THE REAL-WORLD-SEMANTICS INTERPRETABILITY OF LINGUISTIC RULE BASES AND THE APPROXIMATE REASONING METHOD OF FUZZY SYSTEMS

The real-world-semantics interpretability concept of fuzzy systems introduced in [1] is new for the both methodology and application and is necessary to meet the demand of establishing a mathematical basis to construct computational semantics of linguistic words so that a method developed based on handling the computational semantics of linguistic terms to simulate a human method immediately handling words can produce outputs similar to the one produced by the human method. As the real world of each application problem having its own structure which is described by certain linguistic expressions, this requirement can be ensured by imposing constraints on the interpretation assigning computational objects in the appropriate computational structure to the words so that the relationships between the computational semantics in the computational structure is the image of relationships between the real-world objects described by the word-expressions. This study will discuss more clearly the concept of real-world-semantics interpretability and point out that such requirement is a challenge to the study of the interpretability of fuzzy systems, especially for approaches within the fuzzy set framework. A methodological challenge is that it requires both the computational expression representing a given linguistic fuzzy rule base and an approximate reasoning method working on this computation expression must also preserve the real-world semantics of the application problem. Fortunately, the hedge algebra (HA) based approach demonstrates the expectation that the graphical representation of the rule of fuzzy systems and the interpolation reasoning method on them are able to preserve the real-world semantics of the real-world counterpart of the given application problem

Optimal control of switched capacitor banks in Vietnam distribution network using integer genetic algorithm

In distribution network, power and energy losses can be reduced by using switched capacitor banks. The capacitor banks can be switched on or off based on voltage profile or power factor or using timers. Due to variation of load, it is necessary to control the capacitor banks switching in function of load curve. This paper presents the application of an integer genetic algorithm to determine the optimal number of banks corresponding with hourly load to minimize total active power losses of distribution feeders. The problem constraints include voltage profile and heat conditions which are taken into account to the objective function by a penalty function. In this application, the structure of chromosomes is a set of numbers of the capacitor banks hourly connected to the grid. The proposed formulation is validated by a feeder. The result shows that in some cases, the active power losses at maximum compensation are greater than the ones of optimal control compensation, and the voltage reaches a higher level than the maximum voltage limit. The optimal control of switched capacitor banks can reduce power and energy losses as well as ensure maximum voltage profile within the limit

Effect of Almond-Raisin versus Commercial Sports Beverage on Antioxidant Status of Runners

Background: Whole foods are readily available antioxidant source and provide beneficial macromolecules and phytochemicals, which may contribute to optimal health. However, the approach to examining whole foods rich in antioxidants to play either an equivalent or better role in defending exercise-induced oxidant stress have not yet been taken. Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the effects of 2 isocaloric preexercise beverages: an almond-raisin beverage and a commercial sports beverage in male endurance runners on selected antioxidant status markers. Design: In a randomized crossover study, 10 male runners (ages 28+1.2 years) ran to exhaustion on a treadmill at 70% V02max, twice, separated by 2 weeks. Blood samples were drawn 60 minutes pre-exercise, at the start, and every 20 minutes thereafter. Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity (TEAC) represented antioxidant activity. Gallic Acid Equivalents (GAE) represented total serum polyphenols. Using high-pressure-liquidchromatography, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TEARS) reflected serum malondialdehyde levels. Statistical analyses were conducted using mixed linear models that included time and treatment as fixed factors, and subject as a random factor. Results: In the longitudinal analysis, there was a significant main treatment effect found when all time points were included for TEAC and GAE, with the almond-raisin beverage having a significantly greater level than the commercial sports beverage (p = 0.0002, p 0.0239, respectively); the TEARS showed no significant treatment effect (p = 0.08278). Conclusion: The almond-raisin beverage appears to provide a measure of antioxidant protection beyond that of the sports beverage and may be considered as an alternative to the commonly used beverages for endurance runners

Risk Perception and Motivations in Antibiotic Usage and Reduction in Farming Communities in the Mekong Delta Province, Vietnam

To understand both favourable and unfavourable conditions around the efforts to reduce ABU, this study aimed to identify farmers' perception on their health risks posed by the use of antibiotics (ABs) and their motivations for using or reducing antibiotic usage (ABU) on animal farms. A mixed-methods approach, in two phases, was employed to study a cohort of 100 smallholder farmers, who owned small or medium-sized animal farms, in southern Vietnam. Farmers had limited understanding of ABU and antibiotic resistance (ABR). Generally, they were unaware that ABs were used for treating bacterial infections (87, 87%), and that misusing ABs for food-animals could exacerbate ABR (77, 77%). Although farmers believed they used ABs in a “considered manner”, they self-prescribed (96%) and self-administered (77%) ABs for their animals. In practices, they accessed ABs over-the-counter to “supplement” ABs into medicated-commercial feed (49, 60.5%). They preferred their own experience (49, 60.5%) to consultations from local veterinarians (7, 8,6%) in making decisions about ABU due to own concerns about poor veterinary services. Attending local training events organized by vet-drug companies was identified as the risk factor for farmers to adopt ABU for non-therapeutic purposes [OR 4.1, 95% CI (1.2-14.4)]. Almost none of the farmers had any idea about ABR bacteria as a type of zoonoses. Instead, they were concerned that antibiotic residues would reduce food safety, which was also one of the non-economic considerations motivating the intentions and efforts to reduce ABU for animals among ‘Pioneer farmers’ (14, 17.3%). The latter was one of the three groups of farmers, whose willingness to reduce ABU was characterised to subgroup into ‘Pioneer’, ‘Hesitant’ and ‘Conventional’ farmer group. Overall, the results indicated farmers’ poor awareness of ABR and inappropriate ABU, poor law compliance towards ABU regulation, and the untrusted relationship of farmers to local veterinarians. These were the unfavourable conditions in the public health’s efforts to reduce ABU. However, the example of the intention and efforts of ‘pioneer farmers’ were important in engaging other farmers in the practice of ABU reduction. ‘Pioneer farmers’ can act as a bridge between external resources and internal community efforts to promote appropriate ABU

The Potential of Beauveria against Root Mealybugs Formiccoccus sp. (Homoptera: Pseudococidae) Black Pepper in Dak Lak Province of Vietnam

Root mealybugs Formicoccus sp.(Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) currently emerge as an economically important soil-borne insect pest in the production of black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) in Dak Lak province of Vietnam. Entomopathogenic fungi can be used in agricultural production as feasible safe biocontrol agents and plant growth promoters. This study aimed to isolate, select and identify the local Beauveria sp. strains from the black pepper fields, as well as evaluate the effects of the selected strains on the growth of black pepper. The results showed that the frequency of positive Beauveria sp. soil samples collected from organic black pepper fields was significantly higher than that from conventional black pepper fields. Twenty-one Beauveria sp. strains in black pepper organic fields and four Beauveria sp. strains in black pepper conventional fields were successfully isolated, among them, the Beauveria bassiana BB1 was examined and evaluated for its biocontrol potential against Formicoccus sp. and its ability to promote the growth of black pepper seedlings. In the laboratory experiments, the mortality of both adults and first instar nymph root mealybugs Formicoccus sp. caused by B. bassiana BB1 culminated 100% at 21 days after treatments. In the nethouse, at 6 months after treatment, the efficacy of B. bassiana BB1 against black pepper root mealybugs reached 99.18%. The levels of photosynthetic pigments in the leaves of the black pepper seedlings increased about 2 times compared to the control. Moreover, B. bassiana BB1 strain also remarkably promoted the growth of the black pepper seedlings under the nethouse conditions

Large displacements of FGSW beams in thermal environment using a finite element formulation

The large displacements of functionally graded sandwich (FGSW) beams in thermal environment  are studied using a finite element formulation. The beams are composed of three layers, a homogeneous core and two functionally graded face sheets with volume fraction of constituents following a power gradation law. The material properties of the beams are considered to be temperature-dependent.  Based on Antman beam model and the total Lagrange formulation, a two-node nonlinear beam element taking the effect of temperature rise into account  is formulated and employed in the study. The element with explicit expressions for the internal force vector and tangent stiffness matrix is derived using linear interpolations and reduced integration technique to avoid the shear locking. Newton-Raphson based iterative algorithm is employed in combination with the arc-length control method to compute the large displacement response of a cantilever FGSW beam subjected to end forces.  The accuracy of the formulated element is confirmed through a comparison study. The effects of the material inhomogeneity, temperature rise and layer thickness ratio on the large deflection response of the beam are examined and highlighted

Do Corporate Social Responsibilities Support Its Financial Performance? Evidence of the Listed Firms in Vietnam

In the latest decades, corporate social responsibilities (CSR) are incrementally noticed in emerging countries regarding to the surge of globalization and the advance of social concerns. However, there exist opposing arguments on how CSR practices influence a firm’s financial performance (CFP), either in theoretical or empirical perspectives, causing many managers’ hesitation in CSR engagement. This study, therefore, examines the impacts of CSR on CFP, considering the individual effect of each CSR endeavor by using the data from listed firms’ financial statements during the period 2015-2019 and panel regression analysis methods. The findings reveal inconstant effects of different CSR activities on CFP. Specifically, a firm’s fulfillment of shareholders’ and customers’ interests contributes to raise its profitability, while its engagement in the benefits of employees and creditors causes a reduction in financial returns. Interestingly, the correlations between firms’ responsibilies towards regulators and suppliers and CFP are statistically insignificant. Furthermore, we make pairwise marginal comparisons to identify the distinctions of CSR-CFP relations across industries. The results only indicate that listed firms in Utilities sector have the lower level of CSR intensity than those in Consumer Discretionary and Consumer Staples sectors. The implications and limitations are also discussed in this study