The Impact of Increased Import Competition from the People’s Republic of China on Income Inequality and Household Welfare in Viet Nam

This paper examines the surge of imports from the PRC to Viet Nam from 2000 to 2014 in order to evaluate the effects of increased exposure to trade with the PRC on income inequality and household welfare in Viet Nam. Using household level data from the Viet Nam Household Living Standard Survey and combining it with measures of trade exposure, we find that increased imports led to a fall in inequality at the provincial and district level. We distinguish between intermediate and final goods and find similar results. In order to better understand the relative gains and losses across income groups, we apply a quantile regression approach. Our results indicate that increased imports were more often positively correlated with household income for households located in the lower quantiles. In contrast, for households in the upper quantiles the correlation is either negative or less pronounced

A genetic analysis to elucidate the function of the Plasmodium falciparum parasitophorous vacuole protein, PfPV1

Malaria is one of the most lethal infectious diseases worldwide. Understanding the biology of the causative agent Plasmodium will lead to better control of the disease. The biogenesis and maintenance of the parasitophorous vacuole (PV) within the infected erythrocyte is an essential factor for parasite survival. The PV has been postulated to be involved in various pivotal functions, however little is known about the PV contents and their respective functions. Our group had previously provided the first PV’s proteome research and have continuously exposed more members of this important compartment. The protein PfPV1 was a newly discovered PV localisation protein, encoded by the PF11_0302 gene. In order to address the function of this protein a gene knock-out strategy was applied. A search for the interacting proteins of PfPV1 was also carried out using the GST pull-down assay. The first attempt to knock out the encoding gene was the double-crossover strategy in the presence of a negative selection. The knocked-out parasite was unable to obtain. However, the integration into the PfPV1 locus did occur, evidenced by the presence of both endogenous and knock-out band in the specific southern blot hybridisation. The PfPV1 gene was therefore assumed to be essential for in vitro growth, thus the targeting into the endogenous locus was accompanied by a duplication event for maintaining expression of the gene. The assumption was further validated by the second knock-out strategy, using the complementing experiment. The result had been expected to be able to disrupt the endogenous gene locus through the knock-out vector while concomitantly expressing a copy of PfPV1 under the control of a foreign promoter from an episomal plasmid, which should not recombine with the endogenous gene locus. However, the gene was still resistant to be disrupted. Various clones were isolated from the double transfected parasites. One of the clones has lost the episomal copy of the PfPV1 gene and showed the same southern blot result as the single transfected parasite, indicating that the parasite needs to maintain the expression of the endogenous gene. Other clones, if keeping the episomal copy of the PfPV1, did not show the specific integration. The result strongly suggests that the PfPV1 expression needs to be controlled by its endogenous promoter to be fully active. The data has also proved for the first time that in some cases of the negative selection strategy, upon the integration, the Plasmodium parasite might rearrange the thymidine kinase encoding sequence in order to inactivate its activity, therefore prevent the lethal effect from converting ganciclovir to toxic metabolite. In the GST pull-down assay, no interacting protein was obtained. However, the experiment was carried out with the cell extract from trophozoite-stage parasites, thus might not detect interactions at other stages. In conclusion, the data suggest that PfPV1 is a conserved, unique protein with unknown but essential function during the intraerythrocytic cycle

Air quality degradation in Alaska wilderness areas due to emission changes

The increasing trends in aerosol concentrations observed by the Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) network in the wilderness areas along the Gulf of Alaska during low insolation periods and in Denali National Park and Preserve (Denali NP) during high insolation periods have raised the concerns about air quality degradation and visibility impairment in these pristine areas. This dissertation aims to investigate the reason for those observed increases in aerosol concentrations in Alaska wilderness areas by performing a series of simulation sets with the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem). These simulation sets use the same meteorological conditions but change the emission scenarios. The model evaluation analysis showed that WRF-Chem performed well in simulating meteorological conditions over Alaska and the North Pacific under both low and high insolation conditions. Performance skill-scores of the WRF-Chem model in simulating aerosol concentrations for the coastal monitoring sites along the Gulf of Alaska were consistent with state-of-the-science air-quality model performance. During low insolation periods, domestic and international ship emissions were the most important contributors to aerosol concentrations in the coastal regions along the Gulf of Alaska. The increases/decreases in ship emissions led to subsequent increases/decreases in aerosol concentrations in the coastal areas along the Gulf of Alaska during low insolation periods. During high insolation periods, in Interior Alaska, the contributions of local wildfire emissions to aerosol concentrations were notable even during the weak Alaska fire activity scenario. Under the strong Alaska fire activity scenario, local wildfire emissions were the dominant source of aerosols in Interior Alaska. The increases in Alaskan wildfire emissions led to significant increases in aerosol concentrations in Interior Alaska. During both low and high insolation periods, Japanese anthropogenic and Siberian wildfire emissions were not important contributors to total aerosol concentrations in all regions of Alaska. Overall in the wilderness areas along the Gulf of Alaska, the increases in aerosol concentrations observed during low insolation periods stemmed from increases in domestic and international ship emissions in the North Pacific. In contrast, the increases in aerosol concentrations observed at Denali NP during high insolation periods stemmed from increases in Alaskan wildfire emissions.1. Introduction -- 2. Experimental design and methodology -- 3. Emission inventory -- 4. Impacts of emission changes on sulfate aerosols in Alaska -- 5. Potential impacts of an emission control area on air quality in Alaska coastal regions -- 6. Impacts of wildfire emissions and their changes on PM₂.₅ concentrations and speciation in Alaska -- 7. Conclusions

Chemical composition and toxicity of emissions from burning five vegetation types of Western Australia under experimental combustion conditions

This study investigated the emission factors (EFs) for inorganic gases (CO2, CO, SO2, NO and NO2), carbonyls (formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acetone, propionaldehyde, butyraldehyde and benzaldehyde), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) from laboratory-based fires of vegetation from five typical vegetation types of Western Australia. Species burnt were three grasslands (Spinifex represented by Triodia basedowii, Kimberley grass represented by Sehima nervosum and Heteropogon contortus, and an invasive grass represented by Ehrharta calycina (Veldt grass)), Banksia woodland and Jarrah forest under different combustion conditions. Chemical composition (water-soluble metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons – PAHs) and in vitro toxicity of PM2.5 were also measured. Vegetation samples were burnt in a ceramic chamber in varying combustion conditions altered by controlling the vegetation moisture content (\u3c10%, 12–16% and 20–25%) and the air flow rate (0, 1.25 and 2.94 m.s-1). Burns of woodland (Banksia) and forest (Jarrah) had significantly higher EFs for CO, SO2 and PM2.5 compared with those from grassland (Spinifex). Emissions of temperate grass (Veldt) fires were significantly different from those of the tropical grass (Spinifex and Kimberley grasses), with lower EFCO2 and higher EFs for CO, carbonyls and PM2.5. EFs for SO2, NO and NO2 were variable between different vegetation types, indicating variation in the nitrogen and sulphur content of the fuels. The EFs for most carbonyls were similar between most vegetation types, with the exception of Veldt grass. Functions which may be useful to predict emissions of infrequently measured carbonyls (acetaldehyde, acetone and propionaldehyde) from the EF for formaldehyde, a commonly measured and reported substance, were also proposed. Fifteen VOCs were identified in the smoke, but concentrations were too low to be quantified. Benzene, toluene, styrene and indene were the most frequently detected VOCs. Moisture content did not strongly influence the modified combustion efficiency (MCE) and EFs for gaseous pollutants, but significantly affected the EF for PM2.5 with higher emissions from burns of moister vegetation. Increasing the air flow rate significantly increased the emissions of most pollutants. However, combustion conditions did not strongly affect the PM2.5 chemical composition. The MCE, EFs for CO and CO2 results in this study were similar to values reported from field measurements for similar vegetation types in Australia, indicating the applicability of these laboratory-based results. Emission factors were different to the profiles generated from vegetation fires in other parts of the world. Toxicity of PM2.5 on human lung epithelial (A549) cells was assessed using cell viability and cytokine production measurements. Responses on cell viability were associated with K and Na concentrations in PM2.5, whilst the cytokine production of cells was more affected by the PM2.5-bound PAH, Al, Cu and Mn concentrations. Toxicity between vegetation types was different, which might be due to the differences in chemical composition of PM2.5. PM2.5 emitted from Jarrah burns appeared to have the highest toxicity on epithelial cells, followed by those from Banksia, Veldt grass and Spinifex. The findings of this study on toxicity of PM2.5 demonstrate the adverse impact on human health of particulate from bushfires and emphasise the importance of vegetation type on toxicological outcomes of bushfire-derived PM2.5. The EFs obtained in this study can be used in models to estimate the emissions from bushfires in Australia, particularly Western Australia. Results on toxicity of PM2.5 provide information for relevant government agencies to preliminarily evaluate the risk to human health, especially for firefighters and communities in close proximity to bushfire events

Syntheses And Photo-Reactivity Of Chromene Natural Products And Photo-degradation of Steroidal Hormones

AbstractOver the past twenty years natural products from Piper, a tropical genus of plant, have been extensively studied due to the number of biologically active natural products with unique structures. The genus Piper provides an excellent model system for exploring the relationship between natural product diversity and its impact on biotic interactions. Our group has isolated three prenylated benzoic acid derivatives, 36-38, from Piper kelleyi Tepe, a newly described species of Piper that grow in the Eastern Andes of Ecuador and Peru. These unique natural products have recently been found to significantly vary in their relative concentration and this variation was found to be a main driver of diversification of associated herbivores specifically feeding on P. kelleyi. Phytochemical variation was found to be associated with elevation, Chapters 3 of this dissertation describes our exploration of the unique photochemistry.Our biosynthetic hypothesis suggests that these three metabolites share a common pathway, where one is the precursor to the other. Recent studies unveiled that these metabolites varied significantly between individuals and that plants growing at higher elevation were chemically distinct, producing a higher concentration of all three metabolites. Given that the UV-B concentration is established to increase 15%/1,000m of elevation at the equator and the extreme phototoxicity of these metabolites to generalist herbivores, we proposed that a photochromic process involving the chromene metabolite could be driving both the phytochemical variation and the associated toxicity of the metabolites. Studies of this photochromism in the context of the natural products variation and toxicity were conducted and are the subject in chapter 2 & 3.The photochemistry of environmental contaminants, especially agricultural pharmaceuticals, has been largely understudied. While it is widely accepted that photochemical degradation of these contaminants is a primary mode of environmental clearing, reversible photochemical transformations that provide selective avenues could result in long-lived environmental contaminants and can also provide reactive pathways that produce contaminants with enhanced biological activity. Trenbolone acetate (TBA) is an anabolic steroid injected to beef cattle for muscle growth, and trace amounts of TBA leach from their manure into our aquatic systems. Risk from this contamination is eliminated as TBA rapidly photodegrades in the exposure of sunlight. Unfortunately, at night TBA regenerates causing potential risk to aquatic organisms. We have recently extended this study to understand the aquatic photochemistry of dienogest (DIE), a potent progestin analog that has structural similarities to TBA. My study demonstrates that DIE rapidly photodegrades under exposed light and reverts to dienogest when left in the dark. Additionally, we have found that continued irradiation of dienogest produces a major photoproduct that contains an aromatic A ring, like estrogen

Closing the Gap: Achieving Equitable Healthcare Outcomes for Kaiser Permanente Members

The University of San Francisco provides a comprehensive Master of Public Health curriculum to deliver a wide breadth of public health knowledge. The MPH program not only equipped me with the skills and knowledge necessary to be successful, it also allowed me to find my passion. The well-established coursework and knowledgeable professors have instilled within me a passion to achieve health equity for everyone, regardless of their social, economic, or environmental disadvantages. I incorporated this mission into my practicum experience and completed over 400 hours at Kaiser Permanente to focus on eliminating health disparities for the patients, families, and communities that Kaiser serves. Kaiser Permanente has been actively pursuing multiple possibilities in the organization to close the disparities gap and achieve equitable care for everyone. My work involved designing and launching a pilot program to provide cultural competency training for health professionals, creating a strategy to address health disparities at the very beginning of the program planning process, and to effectively foster collaborative relationships with multiple KP departments. This fieldwork report will provide an overview of the projects I focused on, the public health problem that my work addressed, the core competencies that I utilized, and my overall experience as a Kaiser Permanente intern

Immigration and Reverse Brain Drain in South East Asia

In recent years, governments around the world have shown increasing concerns about brain drain, the shift in human intelligence of many of their best educated citizens from developing countries to developed countries, as it causes negative effects on social and economic sectors of the source country. Nonetheless, Kuhn and McAusland (2006) argue that talent might often be wasted at home; migration to more supportive environments raises global innovation. Saxenian (2003) finds that gains may flow back to the developing country via returnees with enhanced skills, personal connections, and ideas for innovation. This thesis studies the causes of immigration. The study focuses on migrants from South East Asian countries to 50 states in United States excluding District of Columbia. Using a sample from the American Community Survey of people living in the United States, together with the source country data from World Development Indicator, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Labor Statistics, International Labor Organization, and Heritage Foundation, this thesis constructs a gravity model of immigration to analyze the factors affecting the immigration flow. The dependent variable of the model is the number of immigrants flowing into each of the 50 states from each of the 8 source countries. The result shows that for high-skilled immigrants, GDP per capita differentials between U.S. states and the source country, the political factor, population of both the U.S. and the source country, the distance between the destination and the origin, as well as the corruption freedom index have a positive influence on the immigration flow. On the other hand, income inequality in the U.S. has a negative effect on the immigration flow, suggesting that the immigration flow looks for a more socially balanced lifestyle. This thesis also suggests that the source country’s government implement changes to improve the gender inequality as well as the income inequality to mitigate the outflow of residents

Co-doping red-emitting Sr2Si5N8:Eu2+ into yellow-emitting phosphor-packaging for enhancing the optical properties of the 8500 K remote-phosphor packaging wleds

In the last decades, WLEDs attract more and more consideration in both academic and industrial purposes because of its advantages such as fast response time, environment friendliness, small size, long lifetime, and high efficiency. In this research, by doping the red-emitting Sr2Si5N8:Eu2+ phosphor particles into yellow-emitting YAG:Ce phosphor-packaging, a new recommendation for enhancing the optical properties (color uniformity, color rendering index, and lumen output) of the 8500 K remote-phosphor packaging WLEDs is presented, investigated, and demonstrated. By using Mat Lab and Light Tools software based on Mie Theory, the obtained results show that the optical properties of the 8500 K remote-phosphor packaging WLEDs significantly depended on Sr2Si5N8:Eu2+ concentration. The results have provided a potential practical recommendation for manufacturing remote-phosphor W-LEDs.Web of Science1341034102

The question of quality

Phuong-Thao T. Trinh, Thu-Hien T. Le, Thu-Trang Vuong, Phuong-Hanh Hoang (2019). Chapter 6. The question of quality. In Quan-Hoang Vuong, Trung Tran (Eds.), The Vietnamese Social Sciences at a Fork in the Road (pp. 121–142). Warsaw, Poland: De Gruyter. DOI:10.2478/9783110686081-011. Online ISBN: 9783110686081 © 2019 Sciendo / De Gruyte