Understanding the economics of inclusion: a perspective on Nepal

Missing infrastructure is inhibiting the connection between rural homes and businesses and urban customers and suppliers in Nepal. Ashutosh Mani Dixit suggests that a policy rethink is needed to ensure economic inclusion for rural populations

Rising to the SDGs: how can Nepal make meaningful progress by 2030?

Nepal has committed to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals but this will be no easy task. Ashutosh M Dixit outlines how collaborative approaches which acknowledge the interlinkages between the SDGs and good monitoring and evaluation will be essential to achieving meaningful outcomes within the next decade and a half

Study of coherence and mixedness in meson and neutrino systems

We study the interplay between coherence and mixedness in meson and neutrino systems. The dynamics of the meson system is treated using the open quantum system approach taking into account the decaying nature of the system. Neutrino dynamics is studied in the context of three flavor oscillations within the framework of a decoherence model recently used in the context of LSND (Liquid Scintillator Neutrino Detector) experiment. For meson systems, the decoherence effect is negligible in the limit of zero CP violation. Interestingly, the average mixedness increases with time for about one lifetime of these particles. For neutrino system, in the context of the model considered, the decoherence effect is maximum for neutrino energy around 30 MeV. Further, the effect of CP violating phase is found to decrease (increase) the coherence in the upper $0< \delta < \pi$ (lower $\pi < \delta < 2\pi$) half plane.Comment: 7 Pages, 3 Figure

Defining Place Image

The image of a place is important as it has implications for investments made in cities, workforce locations, and tourism. Place image incorporates concepts including brand, visual image, reputation, the sense of place, and the identity of the place - all of which create an overall image of a place and can lead to investment or abandonment. Place image has ramifications for decisions made about the place, including where businesses locate, where workers live, and where tourists visit (Smith, 2006). Place image has serious ramifications for decisions made about the place as people choose to stay, work, visit, and invest. This research outlines the inconsistencies in the literature, clarifies the terminology, and begins to set research standards for how place image is described through a conceptual model

Quantum correlations and the neutrino mass degeneracy problem

Many facets of nonclassicality are probed in neutrino system in the context of three flavour neutrino oscillations. The analysis is carried out for parameters relevant to two ongoing experiments NO$\nu$A and T2K, and also for the upcoming experiment DUNE. The various quantum correlations turn out to be sensitive to the mass-hierarchy problem in neutrinos. This sensitivity is found to be more prominent in DUNE experiment as compared to NO$\nu$A and T2K experiments. This can be attributed to the large baseline and high energy of the DUNE experiment. Further, we find that to probe these correlations, the neutrino (antineutrino) beam should be preferred if the sign of mass square difference $\Delta_{31}$ turns out to be positive (negative).Comment: 8 pages, 3 figure

Strengthening infrastructure governance in Nepal

The development narrative in Nepal often focusses almost exclusively on how to raise funds for Nepal’s considerable infrastructure needs. Ashutosh Mani Dixit and Bishal K Chalise supplement this with robust framework to ensure resources are used efficiently

Application of Customer Lifetime Value Model in Make-to-Order Manufacturing

PURPOSE: The applicability of the customer life time value (CLV) concept goes beyond consumer markets. Specifically, the purpose of this paper is to show how a make-to-order manufacturing company in a supply chain can set customer-focus manufacturing strategies using CLV. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: Data from an integrated steel plant is used to calculate the life time value of customers based on the past value, the potential value, and their loyalty. The past value of a customer is based on the historical data and the future value of a customer is then forecasted. The loyalty index of a customer is determined by survey results. FINDINGS: In general, it was found that the CLV for the most valuable customers increases exponentially and the top 28 percent of customers constitute 80 percent of the total value of all customers. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS: This study focuses on make-to-order manufacturing organizations and the three strategies suggested for business process improvement need to be re-evaluated for make-to-stock or mass production. PRACTICAL IMPLCATIONS: Based on these results, the authors suggest three strategies for business process improvement and revenue growth for the plant. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: This study constitutes an initial effort to develop a CLV model for make-to-order manufacturing organizations for improving plant performance. The model links customers with not only the front office functions but also with ERP systems. Organizations that are part of value chains can benefit significantly from CLV applications