change, persistence and path dependence in U. S. and EU preferential trade agreements

1\. Introduction 5 2\. Colliding Templates: Change and Persistence 6 2.1 Templates and Diffusion 6 2.2 Templates and Global Trends 8 2.3 The World Trade Organization 11 3\. Data and Method 13 4\. Horizontal Templates: A Tale of Two Regions 17 5\. Vertical Templates: Environment, Anti-Corruption and Social Cooperation 22 6\. Conclusion 29 Bibliography 32 Appendix: Agreements 34Over the last two decades, Preferential Trade Agreements (PTAs) proliferated through the international trading system. PTAs created a web of rules paralleling and extending the system of the World Trade Organization (WTO). PTAs are an increasingly dominant feature of the international trading system, adding to a steadily increasing complexity. Their content is rarely studied systematically across agreements, and the mechanisms leading to their genesis are little understood. It is typically assumed that actors like the European Union (EU) and the United States (U. S.) work off a template when negotiating PTAs. Some argue that this allows them, amongst others, to impose a regulatory regime. This working paper attempts to put this claim to the test. Using diffusion theory as framework, it analyzes PTAs signed by the EU, the U. S. and their regional trading partners. Understanding the use of templates will help negotiating parties to assess the margin of maneuver when negotiating PTAs with the EU and the U. S. as well as the rigidity of their mandate. The analysis is conducted on a regional and a domestic level using aggregated data on PTA content and a qualitative assessment of selected PTA provisions (anti- corruption, environment and cultural cooperation). The study finds that the flexibility of these mandates is considerable and that templates, if used at all, can change substantially over time

Templates for trade: change, persistence and path dependence in U.S. and EU preferential trade agreements

Over the last two decades, Preferential Trade Agreements (PTAs) proliferated through the international trading system. PTAs created a web of rules paralleling and extending the system of the World Trade Organization (WTO). PTAs are an increasingly dominant feature of the international trading system, adding to a steadily increasing complexity. Their content is rarely studied systematically across agreements, and the mechanisms leading to their genesis are little understood. It is typically assumed that actors like the European Union (EU) and the United States (U. S.) work off a template when negotiating PTAs. Some argue that this allows them, amongst others, to impose a regulatory regime. This working paper attempts to put this claim to the test. Using diffusion theory as framework, it analyzes PTAs signed by the EU, the U. S. and their regional trading partners. Understanding the use of templates will help negotiating parties to assess the margin of maneuver when negotiating PTAs with the EU and the U. S. as well as the rigidity of their mandate. The analysis is conducted on a regional and a domestic level using aggregated data on PTA content and a qualitative assessment of selected PTA provisions (anti-corruption, environment and cultural cooperation). The study finds that the flexibility of these mandates is considerable and that templates, if used at all, can change substantially over time

IoT-based wireless body area networks for disaster cases

Wireless networks have many advantages for emergency situations especially disaster cases. A disaster might happen because of various reasons such as earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes. In these emergency situations, wireless communication technologies are very important for the rescue of human life. Wireless technologies, especially body area networks, might monitor, collect, and send data about human in trouble to rescue unit. In this paper, Internet of things-based wireless body area network is proposed for disaster cases. The proposed architecture guarantees lifesavings by using wireless technologies for location determination, vital signs transmission, and SOS calls. Also, a gateway selection algorithm based on fuzzy logic is developed for selecting more appropriate wireless technology.WOS:0005590882000032-s2.0-8505774330

Incidence Rate and Epidemiological and Clinical Aspects of Kawasaki Disease in Children of Maghrebi Origin in the Province of Quebec, Canada, Compared to the Country of Origin

The incidence of Kawasaki disease in Maghreb countries is apparently low, unlike those living in the province of Quebec, Canada. This retrospective study compared Maghrebi children living in Quebec to the countries of origin, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. The annualized incidence rate in Quebec (18.49/year/100 000 children under 5 years of age) was 4 to 12 times higher than in Tunisia, Morocco, and Algeria (0.95, 4.52, and 3.15, respectively). The prevalence of incomplete diagnostic criteria was higher in Quebec at 39%, Morocco 43%, and Tunisia 39% compared to Algeria at 8%, with minimal delayed diagnosis (7%) only in Quebec compared to 30%, 35%, and 62%, respectively ( P < .001). The rate of coronary aneurysms was comparable however (11% in Quebec vs 4%, 10%, and 25%, in Tunisia, Morocco, and Algeria, respectively; P = .31). The higher incidence of Kawasaki disease in the Maghreb community in Quebec versus the countries of origin seems due to underdiagnosis, which represents a public health concern in those countries

The effect of socio-environmental mechanisms on deteriorating respiratory health across urban communities during childhood

Spatial modelling techniques incorporating the social and physical structures of urban environments, previously establish a ‘triple jeopardy’ of social, respiratory health and environmental inequalities as operating within the multicultural UK City of Leicester (Jephcote & Chen, 2012). Expanding upon our initial findings, we aim to explore whether spatial relationships exist between relatively minor and severe respiratory conditions, and if so, then to what extent socio-environmental mechanisms play in the decline of children's respiratory health. Pearson's Correlation tests identified a high global level of correlation between children's acute upper and lower respiratory tract infections (URTI, LRTI), with Local Moran's I spatial autocorrelation tests identifying elevated hospitalisation rates across inner-city locales (p <0.05). Optimally weighted Geographically Weighted Regression models exploring the spatial distribution of children's URTI and LRTI respiratory hospitalisation incidents, expressed the extent to which individual socio-environmental mechanisms impeded health. Bivariate correlation statistics identified significant spatial trends between modelled URTI and LRTI admissions, with deprivation and TPM10 emissions detrimentally influencing respiratory health across inner-city communities (p <0.05). In contrast, lifestyle choices such as those seen by Indian residents, appeared to mitigate the onset of such conditions. Our findings suggest that exposure to detrimental socio-environmental factors may initiate URTI episodes, with prolonging recovery times likely occurring from sustained exposures. If a sufficient level of recovery is not reached in time for the cold season, then the child may become host to a viral infection exacerbating previous respiratory complaints. The findings of this investigation appear to confirm the existence of a link between certain socio-environmental influences and cases of ‘Catarrhal Child Syndrome’