Heterogeneous effect of ethnic networks on international trade of Thailand: The role of family ties and ethnic diversity

Ethnic networks have been found to have a pro-trade effect in previous research. However, the heterogeneous effect of different ethnicities is under-studied. Drawing on the literature on social structure, this paper attempts to untangle the heterogeneous effect of ethnic networks on international trade using trade data of Thailand. We found that ethnic networks have a positive impact overall on trade, confirming the results of previous studies. However, the magnitude of the positive effect varies across different ethnicities along two dimensions. First, the strength of family ties in the culture of origin accelerates the pro-trade effect of its ethnic networks, suggesting ethnicities with stronger family ties have a cultural preference for trading within their own ethnic community. In comparison, ethnic diversity weakens the positive effect of ethnic networks on trade, suggesting an informational value of diverse ethnic structure in promoting trade between different ethnicities. Our study contributes new evidence of the enduring influence of social and cultural attributes on economic activities

SIMULATION AND MATHEMATICAL MODELING TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY-WIDE EVACUATION DECISIONS FOR MULTIPLE POPULATION GROUPS

Evacuating a large population from an at-risk area has been the subject of extensive research over the past few decades. In order to measure trip completion and total evacuation times accurately, most researchers have implemented some combination of simulation and optimization methods to provide vehicular flow and congestion data. While the general at-risk population comprises the majority of travelers on the road network, there are often specific groups to consider when assessing the ability to evacuate an entire population. In particular, healthcare facilities (e.g., hospitals) may require evacuation, and the trip times may become an important health issue for patients being evacuated. Emergency vehicles from these facilities will share the same roadways and exit paths that are used by the local community, and it becomes increasingly important to minimize long travel times when patient care must be provided during transport. As the size of the area to model grows larger, predicting individual vehicle performance becomes more difficult. Standard transportation-specific micro-simulation, which models vehicle interactions and driver behaviors in detail, may perform very well on road networks that are smaller in size. In this research, a novel modeling approach, based on cell transmission and a speed-flow relationship, is proposed that combines the \u27micro\u27 and \u27meso\u27 approaches of simulation modeling. The model is developed using a general purpose simulation software package. This allows for an analysis at each vehicle level in the travel network. In addition, using these method and approaches, we can carry out dynamic trip planning where evacuees decide their route according to current road and traffic conditions. By translating this concept to an actual implementation, a traffic management center could identify current best travel routes between several origins and destinations, while continuing to update this list periodically. The model could suggest routings that favor either a user-optimal or system-optimal objective. This research also extended the concept of dynamic traffic assignment while modeling evacuation traffic. This extension includes the utilization of Wardrop\u27s System Optimum theory, where flow throughout the network is controlled in order to lower the risk of traffic congestion. Within this framework traffic flow is optimized to provide a route assignment under dynamic traffic conditions. This dissertation provides a practical and effective solution for a comprehensive evacuation analysis of a large, metropolitan area and the evacuation routes extending over 100 miles. Using the methodologies in this dissertation, we were able to create evacuation input data for general as well as special needs populations. These data were fed into the tailored simulation model to determine critical evacuation start times and evacuation windows for both the community-wide evacuation. Moreover, our analysis suggested that a hospital evacuation would need to precede a community-wide evacuation if the community-wide evacuation does not begin more than 24 hours before a hurricane landfall. To provide a more proactive approach, we further suggested a routing strategy, through a dynamic traffic assignment framework, for supporting an optimal flow of traffic during an evacuation. The dynamic traffic assignment approach also provides a mechanism for recommending specific time intervals when traffic should be diverted in order to reduce traffic congestion

The Integrative relationship between insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1 induced cardiovascular responses and sympathetic nervous responses

Insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-l) share some structure homologies and exert similar metabolic as well as cardiovascular actions. Insulin and IGF-l have been demonstrated to decrease cardiovascular tone and increase blood flows in skeletal muscle. Insulin has also been showed to increase sympathetic nerve activity that may play a role in the regulation of cardiovascular dynamics. This study investigated the effects of insulin and IGF-l on cardiovascular parameters and sympathetic nerve activity and the correlation between them. We also evaluated the role of baroreflex, plasma glucose level and regional sympathectomy in those insulin and IGF-l induced responses. Normal wistar rats were anesthetized with chloralose/urethane. The femoral artery and vein were cannulated to monitor mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) or for infusion or blood sampling. The lumbar sympathetic nerve or renal sympathetic nerve was isolated and placed on electrodes for nerve activity recording. Electromagnetic flow probes were placed around the iliac arteries for blood flow measurement. The systemic administration of insulin and IGF-l resulted in significant decrease in MAP. Insulin increased lumbar sympathetic nerve activity (LSNA) independent of the prevailing glucose concentration and baroreflex. It increased renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) only under hypoglycemia condition. IGF-l decreased both LSNA and SNA, but this effect was modulated by glycemic status. Lumbar sympathectomy caused greater increase in skeletal muscle blood flow in response to both insulin and IGF-l when hypoglycemia occurred. But when hypoglycemia was prevented, GF-l induced increase in blood flow was suppressed in sympathetic denervated iliac artery. We concluded that insulin and IGF-l have both similar and distinct effects on cardiovascular system and sympathetic nervous system. They both may act directly on asculature to elicit vasodilation thus decrease MAP. Insulin can selectively increase sympathetic nerve activity, while IGF-l decreases sympathetic nerve activity. These processes are modulated by glycemic status. Baroreflex may be involved but is not responsible for them

Putative inorganic carbon transport and accumulation systems associated with the CO2 concentrating mechanism in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

The CO 2 -concentrating mechanism (CCM) of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and other microalgal species is essential for photosynthetic growth in most natural settings. A great deal has been learned regarding the CCM in cyanobacteria, including identification of inorganic carbon transporters, while specific knowledge of analogous transporters has remained elusive in eukaryotic microalgae such as C. reinhardtii . Here, we have investigated whether the limiting-CO2 -inducible, putative ABC-type transporter, HLA3 might function as a HCO3 - transporter by evaluating the effect of pH on growth, photosynthetic Ci affinity and [14C]-Ci uptake in very low CO2 conditions following RNA interference (RNAi) knockdown of HLA3 mRNA levels in wild-type and mutant cells. The data provide compelling evidence that HLA3 is directly or indirectly involved in HCO3 - transport and provide additional evidence supporting a role for LCIA in chloroplast envelope HCO3 - transport and for LCIB in chloroplast Ci accumulation. To further elucidate the function of LCIB, we identified two ad1 suppressors that can grow in low- CO2 but die in very low- CO2. Molecular analyses revealed that both suppressors have mutations in the CAH3 gene, which encodes a thylakoid lumen localized carbonic anhydrase. Photosynthetic rates of low- CO2 acclimated suppressors under acclimation CO2 concentrations were more than two fold higher than ad1, apparently resulting from a more than 20 fold increase in the intracellular concentration of Ci as measured by direct Ci uptake. We conclude that LCIB functions downstream of CAH3 in the CCM and probably plays a role in trapping CO2 released by CAH3 dehydration of accumulated Ci. Apparently dehydration by the chloroplast stromal carbonic anhydrase CAH6 of the very high internal Ci caused by the defect in CAH3 provides Rubisco sufficient CO2 to support growth in low- CO2 acclimated cells, but not in very low- CO2 acclimated cells, even in the absence of LCIB

Modeling, Analysis and Numerical Simulations in Mathematical Biology of Traveling Waves, Turing Instability and Tumor Dynamics

The dissertation includes three topics in mathematical biology. They are traveling wave solutions in a chain of periodically forced coupled nonlinear oscillators, Turing instability in a HCV model and tumor dynamics. Motivated by earlier studies of artificial perceptions of light called phosphenes, we analyze traveling wave solutions in a chain of periodically forced coupled nonlinear oscillators modeling this phenomenon. We examine the discrete model problem in its co-traveling frame and systematically obtain the corresponding traveling waves in one spatial dimension. Direct numerical simulations as well as linear stability analysis are employed to reveal the parameter regions where the traveling waves are stable, and these waves are, in turn, connected to the standing waves analyzed in earlier work. We also consider a two-dimensional extension of the model and demonstrate the robust evolution and stability of planar fronts and annihilation of radial ones. Finally, we show that solutions that initially feature two symmetric fronts with bulged centers evolve in qualitative agreement with experimental observations of phosphenes. For hepatitis C virus (HCV) model, using the Routh-Hurwitz conditions, we prove in most parameter regimes that there can be no Turing instability. The simulations support this in all parameter regions of the model. We introduce a modified model where Turing instability is observed. For tumor dynamics model, we present the Fisher Kolomogorov equation (PDE) and the effective particle methods (ODE) for single front solution and localized solution with and without radiation. The predicted lifetimes of the patients from the PDE and ODE are compared and show good quantitative agreement

State-owned MNCs and host country expropriation risk: the role of home state soft power and economic gunboat diplomacy

This is the author accepted manuscriptExpropriation risk has a binding effect on foreign direct investment (FDI). However, state-owned multinational corporation (MNCs) may counter the monopoly power of the host state by leveraging the political influence of their home government. The magnitude of this counter force, we argue, may vary, depending on the strength of political relations between the home and host state, and the level of economic dependence of the host country on the home market. We find supporting evidence of our hypotheses using Chinese firm level FDI information between 2003 and 2010

A race to lower standards? Labor standards and location choice of outward FDI from the BRIC countries

This is the author accepted manuscriptScholars argue that multinational corporations tend to locate their investment in countries with lower labor standards, but empirical results are highly inconsistent. In this paper, we investigate the effect of differential labor standards on the location choice of outward greenfield foreign direct investment (FDI) from Brazil, Russia, India and China (i.e., the BRIC countries). We find robust evidence that while there is a tendency towards the attraction of FDI by lower labor standards in developed countries, such a “race” is absent in FDI directed to developing countries. Location choice is highly path dependent upon previous trading relations between the home and the host country, which hampers the MNCs’ ability to arbitrage. Conversely, capital mobility at the industry level is found to intensify the race to lower standards

BIOMECHANICAL ANALYSIS OF RIGHT SIDEDSTRIDE IN JAVELIN DELIVERY

The purpose of this study was to analyze the technique of javelin delivery using a rightsided stride. This study provided important data for more accurate analysis of the technique of javelin throwing with the right-sided delivery stride. The performance of 10 Chinese elite javelin throwers were filmed and then, some relevant parameters were analyzed. Based on these measurements, it was found that the right foot turns outward when contacting the ground, while the right knee is slightly flexed in the delivery stride. However the strength of the right leg depends on extension of right hip rather than that of right knee