140 research outputs found
Accounting-based variables as an early warning indicator of financial distress in crisis and non-crisis periods
Financial integration in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region is a key focus of the ASEAN Economic Community. Whereas many studies focus on modelling corporate default, this paper identifies early warning indicators of financial distress before a default, using multiple discriminant analysis (MDA) models with a sample of listed and delisted companies in the ASEAN region. The analysis examines 720 companies in 10 different industries across six ASEAN countries from 1997 to 2016. The study constructs individual models for each country as well as an overall model for the entire region, using both in-sample and out-of-sample approaches. This overall model could be useful for an integrated banking system. To ensure robustness, the study also separately examines the predictive performance of the MDA models across different economic crises: the Asian financial crisis (AFC) from 1997 to 2000, the global financial crisis (GFC) from 2007 to 2009 and their pre- and post-crisis periods. We find that profitability ratios are the best indicators of financial distress in the ASEAN region, followed by liquidity and leverage ratios. In addition, our findings reveal common indicators that can be used to predict financial distress across ASEAN countries. The single model performs reasonably well in predicting financial distress 1 year ahead. In addition, the model is extended to incorporate a market-based indicator into the MDA models, the distance to default. However, the inclusion of this indicator does not significantly improve the accuracy of the models in predicting financial distress at listed firms in the ASEAN region
DEWATS dissemination in Vietnam: achievements and lessons learnt
The speedy economic development and rapid growth of population and urbanization in Vietnam have created great pressure on the environment by its manufacturing process and human activities. Thus, it is necessary to protect the environment through policies and appropriate technology for the sustainable development of the country. The DEcentralized WAstewater Treatment Solutions (DEWATS) dissemination in Vietnam is one of the measures contributing to address this issue
Validation of Mesocyclops (Copepoda) and community participation as an effective combination for Dengue control in Northern Vietnam
The “Programme Meso-Vietnam” was implemented in Vietnam from October 2007 to December 2010 to reduce dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever incidence and to improve the quality of life in the four project communes. This dengue control project was based on biological control using Mesocyclops, a larvivorous micro-crustacean, as well as on the establishment of a strong community involvement to educate the population on dengue transmission and to reduce Aedes breeding by removal of containers. During three years, a network of collaborators was responsible for introducing Mesocyclops in all the containers defined as key breeding-sites, and regular activities such as community training workshops, school programmes, clean-up campaigns and health promotion through IEC programmess were performed. To make this programme sustainable, local leadership has been strengthened as well. The use of these larvivorous micro-crustaceans as a biological control strategy against dengue over the medium and long term, when combined with community participation and effective health promotion, demonstrated a significant reduction in dengue vector populations and dengue cases.  In Vietnam, this study reconfirms that there is an ecological alternative to systematic use of insecticides to control dengue vector population. (Abstract word count: 186)Le " Programme Meso-Vietnam " a Ă©tĂ© mis en Ĺ“uvre au Vietnam entre octobre 2007 et dĂ©cembre 2010. Ce programme vise Ă rĂ©duire l'incidence de la dengue et de la fièvre hĂ©morragique de la dengue et Ă amĂ©liorer la qualitĂ© de vie dans les quatre communes sĂ©lectionnĂ©es pour le projet. Ce projet de lutte contre la dengue Ă©tait basĂ© sur un contrĂ´le biologique assurĂ© par des MĂ©socyclopes, micro-crustacĂ©s larvivores, et sur l'Ă©tablissement d'une forte implication de la communautĂ© pour Ă©duquer la population sur la transmission de la dengue et pour rĂ©duire la reproduction des moustiques Aedes par Ă©limination des conteneurs leur servant de site de ponte. Pendant trois ans, un rĂ©seau de collaborateurs a Ă©tĂ© chargĂ© d'introduire des MĂ©socyclopes dans tous les conteneurs dĂ©finis comme des sites de reproduction clĂ©s, et des activitĂ©s rĂ©gulières telles que des ateliers de formation communautaires, des programmes scolaires, des campagnes de nettoyage et des activitĂ©s de promotion de la santĂ© via les programmes IEC ont Ă©tĂ© mises en place. En outre, pour assurer la pĂ©rennitĂ© de ce programme, le leadership local a Ă©tĂ© renforcĂ©. L'utilisation de ces micro-crustacĂ©s larvivores comme stratĂ©gie de contrĂ´le biologique de la dengue Ă moyen et long terme, associĂ©e Ă une participation communautaire et Ă une promotion efficace de la santĂ©, a permis d'aboutir Ă une rĂ©duction significative des populations vecteurs de la dengue et des cas de dengue. Au Vietnam, cette Ă©tude confirme une fois de plus qu'il existe une alternative Ă©cologique Ă l'utilisation systĂ©matique d'insecticides pour lutter contre les vecteurs de la dengue.El “Programa Meso-Vietnam” se implementĂł en Vietnam desde octubre de 2007 hasta diciembre de 2010 para reducir la incidencia del dengue y la fiebre hemorrágica del dengue y para mejorar la calidad de vida en los cuatro municipios del proyecto. Este proyecto de control del dengue se basaba en el control biolĂłgico usando Mesocyclops, un microcrustáceo larvĂvoro, asĂ como en el establecimiento de una fuerte implicaciĂłn comunitaria para educar a la poblaciĂłn sobre la transmisiĂłn del dengue y para reducir la crĂa de Aedes mediante la eliminaciĂłn de recipientes. Durante tres años, una red de colaboradores fue responsable de la introducciĂłn de Mesocyclops en todos los recipientes definidos como sitios clave para la crĂa, y se realizaron actividades regulares tales como talleres de formaciĂłn comunitaria, programas escolares, campañas de limpieza y promociĂłn de la salud a travĂ©s de programas de IEC. Para hacer sostenible este programa, tambiĂ©n se reforzĂł el liderazgo local. El uso de estos microcrustáceos larvĂvoros como estrategia de control biolĂłgico contra el dengue a medio y largo plazo demostrĂł una reducciĂłn significativa de las poblaciones de vectores del dengue y los casos de dengue cuando se combinaba con la participaciĂłn comunitaria y la promociĂłn eficaz de la salud. En Vietnam, este estudio vuelve a confirmar que existe una alternativa ecolĂłgica al uso sistemático de insecticidas para controlar la poblaciĂłn de vectores del dengue
Case Report: Successful Treatment of a Child With COVID-19 Reinfection-Induced Fulminant Myocarditis by Cytokine-Adsorbing oXiris® Hemofilter Continuous Veno-Venous Hemofiltration and Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation
BACKGROUND: Indirect cardiomyocyte damage-related hyperinflammatory response is one of the key mechanisms in COVID-19-induced fulminant myocarditis. In addition to the clinical benefit of using cytokines absorption hemofiltration, the effectiveness of instituting veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) support for cardiac compromise has been reported. However, current literature enunciates a paucity of available data on the effectiveness of these novel modalities.
CASE PRESENTATION: We reported a 9-year-old boy with recurrent COVID-19 infection-causing fulminant myocarditis, who was treated successfully by using novel modalities of
CONCLUSION: We conclude that the novel highly-absorptive hemofilter CVVH and VA-ECMO may be effective treatment modalities in managing SARS-CoV-2-induced fulminant myocarditis. Our report highlights the need for further well-designed investigations to confirm this extrapolation
Synthesis, Biological Evaluation, and Molecular Modeling Studies of 1-Aryl-1H-pyrazole-Fused Curcumin Analogues as Anticancer Agents
Addressing the growing burden of cancer and the shortcomings of chemotherapy in cancer treatment are the current research goals. Research to overcome the limitations of curcumin and to improve its anticancer activity via its heterocycle-fused monocarbonyl analogues (MACs) has immense potential. In this study, 32 asymmetric MACs fused with 1-aryl-
Extreme temperature impairs growth and productivity in a common tropical marine copepod
Abstract Shallow, tropical marine ecosystems provide essential ecosystem goods and services, but it is unknown how these ecosystems will respond to the increased exposure to the temperature extremes that are likely to become more common as climate change progresses. To address this issue, we tracked the fitness and productivity of a key zooplankton species, the copepod Pseudodiaptomus annandalei, acclimated at two temperatures (30 and 34 °C) over three generations. 30 °C is the mean temperature in the shallow water of the coastal regions in Southeast Asia, while 34 °C simulated a temperature extreme that occurs frequently during the summer period. For each generation, we measured the size at maturity and reproductive success of individuals. In all three generations, we found strong negative effects of warming on all measured fitness-related parameters, including prolonged development time, reduced size at maturity, smaller clutch sizes, lower hatching success, and reduced naupliar production. Our results suggest that P. annandalei are already exposed to temperatures that exceed their upper thermal optimum. Increased exposure to extreme temperatures may reduce the abundance of these tropical marine copepods, and thus reduce the availability of resources to higher trophic levels
Energy-loss Function for Lead
We study the energy-loss function for lead in the framework of the time-dependent density functional theory, using the full-potential linearized augmented plane-wave plus local orbitals method. The ab initio calculations are performed in the adiabatic local density approximation. The comparison between the obtained energy-loss function for zero momentum transfer with those from reflection electron energy loss spectroscopy measurements and from first-principles calculations shows good agreement
The clinical features of osteogenesis imperfecta in Vietnam
Purpose
Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) has not been studied in a Vietnamese population before. The aim of this study was to systematically collect epidemiological information, investigate clinical features and create a clinical database of OI patients in Vietnam for future research and treatment strategy development.
Method
Participants underwent clinical and physical examinations; also medical records were reviewed. Genealogical information was collected and family members’ phenotypical manifestations recorded. Cases were classified according to the Sillence classification.
Results
In total, 146 OI patients from 120 families were studied: 46 with OI Type I, 46 with Type III and 54 with Type IV. Almost patients had skeletal deformations. One hundred and forty-two had a history of fractures, 117 blue sclera, 89 dentinogenesis imperfecta and 26 hearing loss. The total number of fractures was 1,932. Thirty-four patients had intra-uterine fractures and nine had perinatal fractures. Surgery was performed 163 times in 58 patients; 100 osteosyntheses and 63 osteotomies. Bisphosphonate treatment was used in 37 patients. The number of affected individuals and predominance of severe forms of OI indicate that the disease is under diagnosed in Vietnam, especially in cases without a family history or with mild form of OI. Deformities appeared in all patients with different severity and localisation, affecting mostly the lower limbs. OI medical and surgical treatment rates are low and in most cases surgery was performed due to fractures.
Conclusions
Compared to previous studies, our results indicate a lower OI prevalence and greater severity of symptoms in the Vietnamese population when compared with other areas. Further investigation, improved diagnosis and treatment are needed to increase the patients’ quality of life
High efficient electrical stimulation of hippocampal slices with vertically aligned carbon nanofiber microbrush array
Long-term neuroprostheses for functional electrical stimulation must efficiently stimulate tissue without electrolyzing water and raising the extracellular pH to toxic levels. Comparison of the stimulation efficiency of tungsten wire electrodes (W wires), platinum microelectrode arrays (PtMEA), as-grown vertically aligned carbon nanofiber microbrush arrays (VACNF MBAs), and polypyrrole coated (PPy-coated) VACNF MBAs in eliciting field potentials in the hippocampus slice indicates that, at low stimulating voltages that preclude the electrolysis of water, only the PPy-coated VACNF MBA is able to stimulate the CA3 to CA1 pathway. Unlike the W wires, PtMEA, as-grown VACNF MBA, and the PPy-coated VACNF MBA elicit only excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs). Furthermore, the PPy-coated VACNF MBA evokes somatic action potentials in addition to EPSPs. These results highlight the PPy-coated VACNF’s advantages in lower electrode impedance, ability to stimulate tissue through a biocompatible chloride flux, and stable vertical alignment in liquid that enables access to spatially confined regions of neuronal cells
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