Free Trade Areas and Rules of Origin: Economics and Politics

We incorporate intermediate inputs into a small-union general- equilibrium model and develop the welfare economics of preferential trading under the rules of origin. Combining this analysis with the Grossman-Helpman political-economy model, we demonstrate that the rules of origin can improve the political viability of FTAs. Two interesting outcomes are derived. First, an FTA that lowered joint welfare of the union and was voted down in the absence of the rules of origin may become feasible in the presence of these rules. Second, an FTA that increased joint welfare of the union but was voted down in the absence of the rules of origin may become acceptable in the presence of these rules but it may also turn welfare inferior to status quo.

Did the Multi-fiber Agreement Make the NAFTA Politically More Acceptable? A Theoretical Analysis.

The central question addressed in this paper is whether the presence of the MFA made the NAFTA politically more acceptable. Assuming that the government maximizes a weighted sum of welfare and producer profits, we derive four key results. First, taking the initial level of trade restriction as exogenously given, it is possible for an FTA to be endorsed by both parties under the MFA-like quota in one country though it is unambiguously rejected under a tariff that provides equal protection. Second, if the initial MFA quota is itself chosen endogenously, as long as all quota rents accrue to exporting countries, the quota is set so as to yield either autarky or free trade. Third, an intermediate outcome can obtain if quota rents are shared between the trading partners as is true, for example, under a tariff quota. Depending on the degree of the government’s bias in favor of producers, this outcome may be more or less restrictive than that obtained under a tariff. Finally, assuming parameter values that give rise to the intermediate outcome initially, it remains possible for an FTA to be endorsed under the MFA-type quota when it is turned down by one of the potential partners under a tariff. But it is now also possible for the opposite to happen: an FTA that is endorsed under a tariff may be turned down under the MFA-type quota.

Focal ventromedial prefrontal cortex damage impairs convergence in discourse

Conversational partners tend to converge (become more similar) on various speech and discourse characteristics, enhancing social affiliation. We examined convergence in the discourse of eight participants with bilateral ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPC) damage and eight healthy comparison participants (NC) each interacting with a clinician. Changes in total words, words/turn, and backchannels were assessed across the interaction by comparing the first ¼ and last ¼ of the session. Preliminary results suggest that convergence was displayed in NC interactions as conversational partners become more similar to one another across variables. In striking contrast, VMPC interactions did not display convergence across any variables

Cardiovascular disease in pregnancy

Background: Maternal cardiac disease is a major cause of non-obstetric maternal morbidity and mortality. The care of pregnant women with cardiac disease requires a multidisciplinary approach, involving obstetricians, cardiologists and anesthesiologist.Methods: A prospective analytical study of maternal heart disease and its fetomaternal outcome is carried out in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at tertiary hospital and teaching institute. The study was carried out on 50 cases belonging to age group 18-50 years with various cardiac diseases during their pregnancy and peripartum period.Results: In this study, 78% of the cases were registered with our hospital. The present study shows about 32% of the women having cardiac disease were in the age group of 20-25 years. 34% belonged to NYHA class II and had a relatively uneventful peripartum period. Among all forms of heart disease, RHD was common constituting 26% of cases. Most common condition associated with cardiac disease in pregnancy was preeclampsia (36%) in our study, with anemia being other one (10%). The common complications were congestive cardiac failure (12%) and pulmonary edema (8%). Combination of diuretics and beta blockers was used most commonly (22%). 56% of women delivered with caesarean section. 42 patients delivered after age of viability with 29 (69%) term deliveries and 13 (30%) preterm deliveries with 8 requiring NICU care.Conclusions: Valvular heart disease of rheumatic origin is the most common cardiac disease associated with pregnancy.The availability of adequate systems of early diagnosis of cardiac lesion, reference to tertiary care center & close monitoring of patient and delivery with multidisciplinary approach include specialized cardiologic care, high risk obstetric support and neonatology expertise that can minimize the serious consequences and helps to improve fetomaternal outcome. Pre-conceptional counseling and surgical correction of certain conditions improves maternal as well as fetal outcome. Awareness needs to be created about heart diseases during pregnancy and the importance of regular antenatal check-ups

Distributed impact of cognitive-communication impairment: Disruptions in the use of definite references when speaking to individuals with amnesia

Definite references signal the belief that listeners can uniquely identify referents. Our previous research found participants with amnesia used fewer definite references, as directors in a barrier task, than comparison participants. If this is an interactional consequence of managing memory impairments (as opposed to a language deficit), we should expect a decrease in definite referencing by their communication partners. This paper presents a follow-up study in which the communication partners became directors. In addition to documenting the communicative and linguistic consequences of amnesia in interaction, this analysis may have implications for basic models of common ground

Auditing of prescriptions in relation to diarrhea in children below 5 years of age: a multicenter study

Background: This study was planned to determine the prescribing pattern of drugs in children below 5 years of age suffering from diarrhea by different categories of doctors in the city of Jaipur (Rajasthan).Methods: This observational retrospective study was conducted in the Pediatric Outpatient Department of SMS Medical College and other hospitals in Jaipur (Rajasthan). In this study, 300 prescription (10% of total prescription) of the children aged below 5 years, suffering from acute diarrhea, were randomly selected.Results: As alone, norfloxacin was noted in 49.2% prescriptions followed by ofloxacin in 24.6% out of 61 prescriptions. In combination, the most common antimicrobial (77.78%) prescribed was norfloxacin with either metronidazole or tinidazole.Conclusions: Antimicrobials should be prescribed rationally for pediatric patients suffering from diarrhea to avoid potential adverse events and increased cost of the treatment . Regular prescription audits in hospitals should be undertaken to promote rational use of drugs

Comparison of clinical outcomes in clomiphene citrate resistant infertile polycystic ovarian syndrome women after treatment with laparoscopic ovarian drilling (LOD) versus gonadotropins

Background: Infertility is the inability of a sexually active, non-contracepting couple to achieve pregnancy in one year. Objective of present study was to compare the clinical outcome of laparoscopic ovarian drilling with gonadotropin ovulation induction in patients with clomiphene resistant Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.Methods: Present study was a comparative interventional study conducted at the Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi for a period of one and a half year. We enrolled 40 clomiphene citrate resistant infertile PCOS women who were undergoing treatment for infertility, after taking written informed consent. The women were randomly divided into two equal groups: one for LOD (laparoscopic ovarian drilling) (group A) and other for gonadotropins (group B).Results: Out of 20, 16 women (80%) in group A ovulated with clomiphene citrate and 18 women (90%) ovulated in group B. Pregnancy was the second major outcome and 4 women (20%) in group A with clomiphene citrate got pregnant and 9 women (45%) got pregnant in group B.Conclusions: Out of 20, 16 women (80%) in group A ovulated with clomiphene citrate and 18 women (90%) ovulated in group B. Pregnancy was the second major outcome and 4 women (20%) in group A with clomiphene citrate got pregnant and 9 women (45%) got pregnant in group B. The treatment option can be selected and tailored according to the individual needs and desires of the patient

Effects of Gibberellic acid (GA3) on shelf life and physiochemical properties of mango (Mangifera indica L. var Bombay green)

The present study investigated the effect of GA3 on the physicochemical properties and shelf life of mango (Mangifera indica L. var. Bombay green) from 31st May 2022 to 8th June 2022 at the Central Laboratory of GPCAR collage Gothgaun, Morang, Nepal. The study's goal was to find the right gibberellic acid concentration to use in mangoes that were collected at a mature stage to delay fruit ripening, preserve quality, and lengthen shelf life. The experiment was laid out in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with five treatments and four replications. Mature freshly harvested mango fruits of uniform size were dipped into an aqueous solution of gibberellic acid at 0 ppm (T1), 100 ppm (T2), 200 ppm (T3), 300 ppm (T4) and 400 ppm (T5) for 10 minutes. Data on physicochemical parameters (mango pulp pH, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, physiological weight loss, and shelf life) were statistically analyzed through biochemical analyses. Further, fruits treated with 400 ppm of GA3; resulted in the lowest physiological loss in weight (22.08%), the minimum pulp pH (5.02), and the minimum titratable acidity (0.14%) on the 8th day after storage. The highest total soluble solid (19.85°B) was recorded with GA3 @400ppm, while the lowest soluble solids (16.90°B) were recorded with control ppm on the 8th day after storage. Fruits treated with GA3 at 400 ppm had the longest shelf life (7.17 days), while fruits treated with GA at 300 ppm had the shortest shelf life (7.19 days). Therefore, the best results were obtained when gibberellic acid was applied at 400 ppm, which extended the shelf life and physiochemical traits of mango fruits

Proficiency Testfor Proximate Analysis of Coal: Determination of Moisture, Ash, Volatile Matter and Total Sulfur

Proficiency test (PT) is an important way of meeting the requirements of NABL accreditation (ISO/IEC 17025) in the areas of chemical testing. It provides laboratories with an objective means of assessing and demonstrating the reliability of data they produce. In this study, 18 laboratories interested in the ultimate analysis of coal participated in a proficiency test conducted by CSIR-National Metallurgical Laboratory, Jamshedpur in collaboration with CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi in 2011-12. The participating Iaboratories used classical and instrumental methods of analysis to determine moisture, ash, volatile matter and total sulfur in a homogenized coal sample. This paper reports the analytical results and statistical evaluation of the results using z-score

Reducing AIDS-related stigma and discrimination in Indian hospitals

People living with HIV/AIDS in India, as elsewhere, face stigma and discrimination in a variety of contexts. Research in India has shown that stigma and discrimination against HIV-positive people and those perceived to be infected are common in hospitals and act as barriers to seeking and receiving critical treatment and care services. Recognizing the need to move beyond documentation of the problem, three New Delhi hospitals; SHARAN, an Indian NGO; and the Horizons program, with support from the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), carried out an operations research project to develop and test responses to hospital-based stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS. This report presents the findings which noted that despite variation among the hospitals in their action plan accomplishments, overall the intervention process was associated with improvements among healthcare workers in HIV knowledge, attitudes toward people living with HIV/AIDS, and certain practices with respect to HIV counseling and testing and confidentiality