Innovation has long been considered an important factor for creating and maintaining the competitiveness of nations and firms. Common knowledge holds that innovation causes an increase in exports. However, contradicting empirical evidence is reported in the literature on the links between innovation and export. In this paper we examine whether innovation by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) enhances their likelihood of exporting in the context of the developing country of Vietnam. Using a uniquely rich Vietnamese SMEs database, we find that innovation as measured directly by 'new products', 'new production process' and 'improvement of existing products' are important determinants of exports by Vietnamese SMEs. We add to the current literature by examining the modification of existing products as an innovation activity. We also find evidence of endogeneity of innovation that may lead to biased estimate of innovation in previous studies, which failed to take this problem into account. L'innovation a longtemps ete consideree comme un element important dans la creation et le maintien de la competitivite des pays et des entreprises. Il est souvent convenu que l'innovation est a la base de l'augmentation des exportations. Cependant, il existe des resultats empiriques contradictoires sur la causalite entre l'innovation et l'exportation dans la litterature. Dans cet article, nous etudions si l'innovation menee par de petites et moyennes entreprises (PME) augmente leur probabilite d'exportation dans le contexte d'un pays en voie de developpement, le Vietnam. A partir d'une base de donnees fournie sur les PMEs vietnamiennes, nous constatons que l'innovation en 'nouveaux produits', 'nouveaux processus de production' et 'amelioration des produits existants' est un facteur important pour les exportations des PMEs vietnamiennes. Nous contribuons a la litterature actuelle en etudiant la modification des produits existants comme activite d'innovation. Nous trouvons egalement une preuve de l'endogeneite de l'innovation qui a pu mener a une evaluation de l'innovation biaisee dans les etudes precedentes, qui n'ont pas tenu compte de ce probleme.innovation, exports, Vietnam, SME, instrumental variable, bivariate probit,

To date, most of the oil and gas production in Cuu Long Basin (CLB) is contributed from structural traps, making them more and more depleted after years of exploitation. Exploration activities in CLB, therefore, are shifting towards other traps, including stratigraphic and/or combination ones. The results of exploration and appraisal activities in recent years have increasingly discovered more hydrocarbons in the Oligocene section; some of them were discovered in combination/ stratigraphic traps. Many studies on Oligocene targets in Southeast CLB have been carried out but only a few mention nonstructural traps. This leads to uncertainty about the forming mechanisms and distribution, as well as unevaluated hydrocarbon potential of these traps. An integrated approach- utilizing methods of seismic sequence stratigraphy, seismic attribute interpretation, and petrophysical/ petrographical analysis- was applied in this research to identify the forming mechanisms of Oligocene combination/ stratigraphic traps in southeast area of CLB and to evaluate their reservoir quality. The research results show that the key forming factor for stratigraphic traps of sand body is lithology change and the one for pinch-out stratigraphic traps is tapering off of sand layers landward or toward the horsts. The reservoir quality of these traps ranges from moderate to good. By integratedly applying the methods, the forming mechanisms and reservoir quality of Oligocene stratigraphic traps could be delineated. In order to optimize the next-stage exploration strategy in CLB, detailed studies on petroleum system, especially top and bottom seals, and the hydrocarbon potential of these stratigraphic traps, need to be carried out.

Astaxanthin (AX) is a natural compound that regulates lipid metabolism in the liver, specifically in reducing hepatosteatosis. To the increment in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Diseases (NAFLD) ratio and its burdens, prevention/treatment should address the world health problem. This study aimed to evaluate the ability of AX and its prolonged effects on the physiology of mice fed a high-fat diet. Mice fed with a high-fat diet (HFD) (n=12) were orally given AX at a dosage of 30 mg/kg body weight/day for 16 weeks, followed by eight weeks of AX termination, along with other CTL (normal chow diet) and HFD only group. At four time points of 8, 12, 16, and 24 weeks of the trial, three mice from each group were randomly dissected to collect blood, liver, and adipose tissue samples. AX given through oral gavage showed an excellent factor for maintaining total cholesterol, triglyceride, glucose, and Low-density Lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c). Moreover, AX did have impacts on preventing dyslipidemia in mice fed with HFD. Unexpectedly, AX supplied group caused excess weight gain in mice, shown in higher average body weight than HFD fed group. However, all the AX effects wore off after 8 weeks of termination. AX was a good player for liver and plasma lipid homeostasis, but not for weight control. Taken together, AX was a potential compound for preventing hepatosteatosis and hyperlipidemia, but not for controlling weight in mice fed with a HFD.

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