Endogenous Fiscal Policies, Environmental Quality, and Status-Seeking Behavior.

This paper analyzes endogenous fiscal policy and public decision in an endogenous growth model where agents care about social status and environmental quality. The quest for a higher status is assimilated to a preference for capital wealth. The government uses income tax to finance infrastructure and environmental protection, and maximizes individual welfare. We find that accounting for preferences for social status and environmental quality may lead to an allocation of tax revenue in favor of cleanup effort to the detriment of infrastructure. It does not necessary have a negative impact on growth. Status seeking can however harm economic growth and environmental quality when its motive is important enough. Finally, we show that economic growth is consistent with environmental preservation but is not necessarily welfare-improving as in the case of absence of status-seeking behavior.Endogenous policy; endogenous growth; environmental quality; status-seeking; public expenditure; Wagner's law.

Income distribution dynamics across European regions

We use two datasets to study the convergence process across European regions. Relying on Quah (1966a,1997), we examine the dynamics of income distribution and find evidence of polarization whatever the time horizon considered. Regions whose incomes were close together at an initial period transit subsequently to widely different income levels.distribution dynamics

A new kinetic model for biogas production from co-digestion by batch mode

Coming out from the growth kinetics, the Gompertz model has been developed and considered as the best one for simulating the biogas production from anaerobic digestion. However, the model has failed to describe the starting point of the process, and no-sense of lag phase constant has been pointed out. Thus, the goal of this study is to develop a new kinetic model of biogas production with meaningful constants that can alternate the Gompertz model. The kinetic constants of the model were determined by applying the least squares fitting method for experimental data. The experimental data were taken from running seven batch reactors of co-digestion of vegetable, sludge and horse manure under 37oC, pH of 6.7, and total solids of 2.5%. The result of the high coefficient of determination (0.9611-0.9906) demonstrated that the new biogas production kinetic model was feasible to simulate the biogas generation process. This finding has opened a new choice that can deal with simulation of the biogas production. Moreover, co-digestion of vegetable, horse manure, and sludge was also evaluated under strong attention. The biogas potential was in the range of 183-648 Nml/g-VS with the best carbon-to-nitrogen ratio of 16. Vegetable waste played a major role in producing the biogas yield while horse manure and sludge contributed to balancing nutrient of the digestion process. Also, the strong correlation between carbon-to-nitrogen ratio and kinetic constants confirmed that the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio was the key factor that influenced biogas generation

Public services, environmental quality and subjective well-being in a European city: the case of Strasbourg metropolitan area

Purpose – This paper analyzes individual subjective well-being using a survey database from the Strasbourg metropolitan development council (France). The authors focus on the effects of externalities generated by public services (transport, culture and sport), environmental quality and feeling of security in the Strasbourg metropolitan area (Eurométropole de Strasbourg, EMS). Results show that EMS specificities (public facilities, environmental quality, safety and security) and individual features like opportunities to laugh or live with children significantly influence individual well-being. These findings are robust when using three subjective measures: feeling of well-being, environmental satisfaction and social life satisfaction. The authors also show that income may affect the perceived well-being of individuals belonging to a low-income group, while individuals belonging to a high-income group tend to be unsatisfied with environmental quality but satisfied with their social life. Besides, social comparison in terms of income does not matter for individual well-being in the Strasbourg metropolitan area. Design/methodology/approach – Theoretical and empirical paper —Utility theory in economics—Econometric modeling using an ordered probit model. Findings – Specificities of the Strasbourg metropolitan area-France (public services related to transport, culture and sport, environmental quality perceived as convenient for individual health, sense of security) significantly impact individual subjective well-being. Income does not substantially impact the individual subjective perception of happiness: income may matter for the feeling of well-being only for individuals belonging to a low-income group. Wealthy individuals tend to be unsatisfied with environmental quality but satisfied with their social life. Social comparison in terms of income does not matter for individual well-being in the Strasbourg metropolitan area. Research limitations/implications – Cross-sectional data, but it is the only available database from a survey conducted by EMS in 2017 to collect information on potential elements relative to individual well-being in the Strasbourg metropolitan area. Practical implications – Results shed light on the role of territorial policies in improving individual well-being and might provide some guidelines for policy-makers concerned about the population’s welfare. Policy-makers should give strong attention to public facilities (an essential element of local public action) and improve environmental quality. If they care about the population’s happiness, they have to reorient current policies in this direction. Of course, through the inquiry in 2017 giving this database, the Strasbourg agglomeration development council aimed to provide such evidence to the local administration. Nevertheless, the results were a bit upsetting for many people in the administrative and political circles, who generally prioritize economic and demographic development, while the citizens’ responses to the inquiry have revealed a strong focus on the quality of everyday life in their neighborhood. Originality/value – The present study contributes to the literature on subjective well-being, with a focus on the role of local characteristics and living environment. The authors’ starting point is related to the standard utility theory, indicating that environmental quality and public services are positive externalities. The authors investigate whether the local living environment and public facilities are crucial elements explaining individual well-being. To do this, we consider three subjective measures: feeling of well-being, environmental satisfaction and social life satisfaction, which are used as proxies of individual utility. The authors consider different explicative variables representing specificities of EMS in terms of public services (transport, culture and sport), environmental quality perceived as convenient for individual health, safety and security, etc. The authors also provide a test for relative standing by including the median monthly household income at the municipality level

Mapping impervious surface change from remote sensing and GIS data: A case study in Hochiminh city, Vietnam

Impervious surface is artificial surfaces that prevent water from entering the soil. The increase in impervious surface area has led to negative impacts on the urban environment, including an increase in the risk of flooding, a decrease in vegetation cover, and the formation of urban heat islands. This paper presents the results of building a predictive model of impervious surfaces in Hochiminh city from remote sensing and GIS data. Landsat and Sentinel 2 satellite images for the period 2002–2022 are used to classify impervious surfaces and extract input layers about vegetation cover, land surface temperature, combined with GIS data (elevation, slope, aspect, distance to road, distance to hydrology, population density) for modeling and predicting impervious surface changes in future. 03 machine learning algorithms, including Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random Forest (RF), Classification and Regression Trees (CART) and maximum likelihood method are used to classify impervious surfaces from Landsat satellite images, then select the method with the highest accuracy. To predict the future distribution of impervious surface, this study uses Cellular Automata (CA) model and 02 artificial intelligence algorithms (Artificial Neural Network - ANN, Logistic Regression - LR). The results obtained in the study can be effectively used for urban planning, minimizing the impact of the process of increasing the impervious surface on the urban environmen

Causal Relationships Among Factors Affecting the Buildability in Executing Construction Projects in Vietnam

This paper aims to identify causal relationships among factors affecting the buildability in executing construction projects in Vietnam. First, through a comprehensive literature review, the study identified a full set of attributes that affect the buildability of construction projects. Subsequently, through discussions and interviews with experts, the study determined main attributes affecting the buildability in the context of the construction industry in Vietnam. After that, a survey questionnaire was developed which was based on identified attributes. The data after collected, was analysed by Structural Equation Model (SEM) and the expected result from the SEM model is a structural model. This structural model includes four factors, namely: Design applies advanced machinery, materials and construction methods; Design uses available resources at local for saving costs; Design applies safe construction methods; and Design uses prefabricated and typical components. The key finding of the study is to provide insights into causal relationships among factors affecting the buildability in executing construction projects in Vietnam

"Cultural additivity" and how the values and norms of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism co-exist, interact, and influence Vietnamese society: A Bayesian analysis of long-standing folktales, using R and Stan

Every year, the Vietnamese people reportedly burned about 50,000 tons of joss papers, which took the form of not only bank notes, but iPhones, cars, clothes, even housekeepers, in hope of pleasing the dead. The practice was mistakenly attributed to traditional Buddhist teachings but originated in fact from China, which most Vietnamese were not aware of. In other aspects of life, there were many similar examples of Vietnamese so ready and comfortable with adding new norms, values, and beliefs, even contradictory ones, to their culture. This phenomenon, dubbed "cultural additivity", prompted us to study the co-existence, interaction, and influences among core values and norms of the Three Teachings--Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism--as shown through Vietnamese folktales. By applying Bayesian logistic regression, we evaluated the possibility of whether the key message of a story was dominated by a religion (dependent variables), as affected by the appearance of values and anti-values pertaining to the Three Teachings in the story (independent variables).Comment: 8 figures, 35 page

Automated pupillometry and optic nerve sheath diameter ultrasound to define tuberculous meningitis disease severity and prognosis

Background: Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) causes high mortality and morbidity, in part due to raised intracranial pressure (ICP). Automated pupillometry (NPi) and optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) are both low-cost, easy-to-use and non-invasive techniques that correlate with ICP and neurological status. However, it is uncertain how to apply these techniques in the management of TBM. Methods: We conducted a pilot study enrolling 20 adults with TBM in the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Our objective was to investigate the relationships between baseline and serial measurements of NPi and ONSD and disease severity and outcome. Serial NPi and ONSD were performed for 30 days, at discharge, and at 3-months, with measurements correlated with clinical progression and outcomes. Results: ONSD and NPi measurements had an inverse relationship. Higher ONSD and lower NPi values were associated with lower Glasgow coma score. Baseline NPi was a strong predictor 3-month outcome (median NPi 4.55, interquartile range 4.35–4.65 for good outcomes versus 2.60, IQR 0.65–3.95 for poor outcomes, p = 0.002). Pupil inequality (NPi ≥0.7) was also strongly associated with poor 3-month outcomes (p = 0.006). Individual participants' serial NPi and ONSD were variable during initial treatment and correlated with clinical condition and outcome. Conclusion: Pupillometry and ONSD may be used to predict clinical deterioration and outcome from TBM. Future, larger studies are need explore the optimal timing of measurements and to define how they might be used to optimise treatments and improve outcomes from TBM

Magnitude and patterns of severe Plasmodium vivax monoinfection in Vietnam: a 4-year single-center retrospective study

IntroductionInfection with Plasmodium vivax is a recognized cause of severe malaria including deaths. The exact burden and patterns of severe P. vivax monoinfections is however still not well quantified, especially in P. vivax endemic regions. We examined the magnitude and patterns of severe malaria caused by monoinfections of P. vivax and associated predictors among patients admitted to a tertiary care center for malaria in Vietnam.MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted based on the patients’ medical records at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases from January 2015 to December 2018. Extracted information included demographic, epidemiologic, clinical, laboratory and treatment characteristics.ResultsMonoinfections with P. vivax were found in 153 (34.5, 95% CI 30.3–39.1%) patients of whom, uncomplicated and severe malaria were documented in 89.5% (137/153, 95% CI 83.7–93.5%) and 10.5% (16/153, 95% CI 6.5–16.3%), respectively. Patterns of severe malaria included jaundice (8 cases), hypoglycemia (3 cases), shock (2 cases), anemia (2 cases), and cerebral malaria (1 case). Among 153 patients, 73 (47.7%) had classic malaria paroxysm, 57 (37.3%) had >7 days of illness at the time of admission, and 40 (26.1%) were referred from other hospitals. A misdiagnosis as having other diseases from malaria cases coming from other hospitals was up to 32.5% (13/40). Being admitted to hospital after day 7th of illness (AOR = 6.33, 95% CI 1.14–35.30, p = 0.035) was a predictor of severe malaria. Severe malaria was statistically associated with longer hospital length of stay (p = 0.035). Early and late treatment failures and recrudescence were not recorded. All patients recovered completely.DiscussionThis study confirms the emergence of severe vivax malaria in Vietnam which is associated with delayed hospital admission and increased hospital length of stay. Clinical manifestations of P. vivax infection can be misdiagnosed which results in delayed treatment. To meet the goal of malaria elimination by 2030, it is crucial that the non-tertiary hospitals have the capacity to quickly and correctly diagnose malaria and then provide treatment for malaria including P. vivax infections. More robust studies need to be conducted to fully elucidate the magnitude of severe P. vivax in Vietnam