Growth Prospects in China and India Compared

This paper compares the growth prospects of China and India through a growth accounting analysis. Consistent time series for capital stock and employment are constructed using available survey data, and recent revisions to the national accounts for both countries are incorporated. The results allow for a discussion of the sources of growth in both countries, and a consideration of each country's rate of potential growth in light of the outlook for national savings, as demographic shifts occur in each country.Growth accounting; potential growth; capital measurement; demographics; China; India

Growth Prospects in China and India Compared

This paper compares the growth prospects of China and India through a growth accounting analysis. Consistent time series for capital stock and employment are constructed using available survey data, and recent revisions to the national accounts for both countries are incorporated. The results allow for a discussion of the sources of growth in both countries, and a consideration of each country’s rate of potential growth in light of the outlook for national savings, as demographic shifts occur in each countr

Product Market Regulation and Competition in China

The extent of competition in product markets is an important determinant of economic growth in both developed and developing countries. This paper uses the 2008 vintage of the OECD indicators of product market regulation to assess the extent to which China’s regulatory environment is supportive of competition in markets for goods and services. The results indicate that, although competition is increasingly robust across most markets, the overall level of product market regulation is still restrictive in international comparison. These impediments to competition are likely to constrain economic growth as the Chinese economy continues to develop and becomes more sophisticated. The paper goes on to review various aspects of China’s regulatory framework and suggests a number of policy initiatives that would improve the extent to which competitive market forces are able to operate. Breaking the traditional links between state-owned enterprises and government agencies is an ongoing challenge. Reducing administrative burdens, increasing private sector involvement in network sectors and lowering barriers to foreign direct investment in services would also increase competition and enhance productivity growth going forward. Some of the reforms introduced by the Chinese government over the past two years go in this direction and should therefore help foster growth.

Caught in the act: Implications for the increasing abundance of mafic enclaves during the eruption of the Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat

An exceptional opportunity to sample several large blocks sourced from the same region of the growing Soufrière Hills lava dome has documented a significant increase in the presence of mafic enclaves in the host andesite during the course of a long-lived eruptive episode with several phases. In 1997 (Phase I) mafic inclusions comprised ~1 volume percent of erupted material; in 2007 (Phase III) deposits their volumetric abundance increased to 5–7 percent. A broader range of geochemically distinctive types occurs amongst the 2007 enclaves. Crystal-poor enclaves generally have the least evolved (basaltic) compositions; porphyritic enclaves represent compositions intermediate between basaltic and andesitic compositions. The absence of porphyritic enclaves prior to Phase III magmatism at Soufrière Hills Volcano suggests that a mixing event occurred during the course of the current eruptive episode, providing direct evidence consistent with geophysical observations that the system is continuously re-invigorated from depth

Boron-Bearing Kornerupine from Fiskenaesset, West Greenland: A Reexamination of Specimens from the Type Locality

In 1884, Lorenzen proposed the formula MgAI2SiO6 for his new mineral kornerupine from Fiskenæsset and did not suspect it to contain boron. Lacroix and de Gramont (1919) reported boron in Fiskenæsset kornerupine, while Herd (1973) found none. New analyses (ion microprobe mass analyser and spectrophotometric) of kornerupine in three specimens from the type locality, including the specimens analysed by Lorenzen and Herd, indicate the presence of boron in all three, in amounts ranging from 0.50 to 1.44 wt.% B203, e.g. (Li0.04 Na0.01 Ca0.01) (Mg3.49 Mn0.01 Fe0.17 Ti0.01 Al5.64)Σ9.30 (Si3.67 Al1.02 B0.31)Σ5 O21 (OH0.99 F0.01) for Lorenzen\u27s specimen. Textures and chemical compositions suggest that kornerupine crystallized in equilibrium in the following assemblages, all with anorthite (An 92-95) and phlogopite (XFe = atomic Fe/(Fe + Mg) = 0.028-0.035): (1) kornerupine (0.045)-gedrite (0.067); (2) kornerupine (0.038-0.050)-sapphirine (0.032-0.035); and (3) kornerupine (0.050)-hornblende. Fluorine contents of kornerupine range from 0.01 to 0.06%, of phlogopite, from 0.09 to 0.10%. In the first assemblage, sapphirine (0.040) and corundum are enclosed in radiating bundles of kornerupine; additionally sapphirine, corundum, and/or gedrite occur with chlorite and pinite (cordierite?) as breakdown products of kornerupine. Kornerupine may have formed by reactions such as: gedrite + sapphirine + corundum + B203 (in solution) + H20 = kornerupine + anorthite + Na-phlogopite under conditions of the granulite facies. Boron for kornerupine formation was most likely remobilized by hydrous fluids from metasedimentary rocks occurring along the upper contact of the Fiskenæsset gabbro-anorthosite complex with amphibolite

Making the most of the Mogi model: Size matters

Magma movements are almost universally associated with volcanic deformation. The Mogi (1958) and McTigue (1987) models link observed surface displacements to behaviour within inaccessible magmatic plumbing systems. Mogi and McTigue models are well-used due to their computational simplicity and ease of application, but both models are limited by their assumptions about the deformation source and its embedding domain. Domain assumptions, including elasticity, homogeneity, and flat topography, have been previously described and corrected for. Whilst recognising the limits of these models, their frequent use in the literature requires an objective assessment of their utility against more sophisticated Finite Element (FE) models, their operational limits (radius-to-depth ratio, ε) and their relative merits in the light of limited field data. Here, we relax the source assumption of a small ε. We simulate volcanic deformation using Mogi, McTigue and FE models - the latter unrestricted by ε - to validate the maximum ε for which the analytical models can be applied, and to compare analytical and FE interpretations of deformation data from Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai'i. We find that analytical and FE models correspond for deformation sources with a range of ε that is wider than previously suggested limits. The differences between simulated surface displacements (forward modelling) and estimated deformation source parameters (inverse modelling) are less than 5% when ε < 0.37 (Mogi) or ε < 0.59 (McTigue). Misfits between analytical and FE models depend on whether radial or vertical displacements are considered simultaneously or independently, and on the values of source radius and depth - not only their ratio, as was assumed previously. There is little or no difference between best-fitting source parameters inferred using Mogi, McTigue and FE models at Kīlauea Volcano, despite the high ε of the system geometry, but sometimes poor correspondences between model results and GNSS observations. Our results demonstrate that Mogi and McTigue models can be applied to volcanoes with a wider range of magma reservoir radii and depths than was hitherto supposed, but previously-established corrections for domain simplifications are necessary to accurately interpret volcanic deformation

Бокс как вид спорта, дающий студентам преимущества в будущей профессии.

Geodetic surveying is a core volcano monitoring technique. Measurements of how the crust deforms can give valuable insight into the mechanisms and processes that drive an eruption, and the way in which they change. Various geodetic observables, including ground deformation and gravity changes, have been recorded on Montserrat throughout the eruption. Instrumentation and surveying networks used to make such measurements have evolved significantly since 1995, providing increasingly accurate and robust observations. The detailed research that has been facilitated by these rich geodetic datasets has illuminated many aspects of the Soufrière Hills Volcano (SHV) and demonstrated eruptive mechanisms that are relevant to the study of other volcanoes. We have compiled a history of the geodetic study of the eruption on Montserrat, detailing the development of surveying techniques, network design and data processing since 1995. We then underline some of the key geodetic observations and review some of the most significant research that has contributed to our understanding of this volcanic system. Finally, we apply a series of typical deformation inversion models to deformation observations, and discuss the parameter sensitivity of such modelling approaches and how confidently they can be applied to identify the characteristics of the mechanisms feeding the eruption

Development and fabrication of a Bi-2223 racetrack coil for generator applications

The development and fabrication of a layer-wound, epoxy-impregnated Bi-2223 high-temperature superconducting (HTS) racetrack coil which generates 40,000 ampere-turns of magnetomotive force (MMF) at 25 K is described. The coil was wound using Ag-sheathed Bi-2223 tape conductor laminated with copper foils for strength enhancement and insulated using a paper-wrap method. After epoxy impregnation, the coil was tested over a range of 16--25 K in a vacuum dewar using a closed-cycle helium refrigeration system. Descriptions of the tape lamination and insulation processing, the coil winding and impregnation, and the experimental test setup are given

Construction and physiochemical characterisation of a multi-composite, potential oral vaccine delivery system (VDS)

An increasing human population requires a secure food supply and a cost effective, oral vaccine delivery system for livestock would help facilitate this end. Recombinant antigen adsorbed onto silica beads and coated with myristic acid, was released (∼15% (w/v)) over 24 h at pH 8.8. At pH 2, the myristic acid acted as an enteric coating, protecting the antigen from a variety of proteases. The antigen adsorbed onto silica particles, coated in myristic acid had a conserved secondary structure (measured by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy) following its pH-triggered release. Small angle neutron scattering (SANS) was used to measure the thickness of the adsorbed antigen, finding that its adsorbed conformation was slightly greater than its solution radius of gyration, i.e. 120–160 Å. The addition of myristic acid led to a further increase in particle size, with scattering data consistent with an acid thickness slightly greater than a monolayer of fully extended alkyl chains and a degree of hydration of around 50%. Whilst adsorbed onto the silica and coated in myristic acid, the protein was stable over 14 days at 42 °C, indicating a reduced need for cold chain storage. These data indicate that further investigation is warranted into the development of this technology

The use of cessation assistance among smokers from China: Findings from the ITC China Survey

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Stop smoking medications significantly increase the likelihood of smoking cessation. However, there are no population-based studies of stop-smoking medication use in China, the largest tobacco market in the world. This study examined stop-smoking medication use and its association with quitting behavior among a population-based sample of Chinese smokers.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 4,627 smokers from six cities in the ITC China cohort survey. Longitudinal analyses were conducted using Wave 1 (April to August, 2006) and Wave 2 (November 2007 to January 2008).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Approximately 26% of smokers had attempted to quit between Waves 1 and 2, and 6% were abstinent at 18-month follow-up. Only 5.8% of those attempting to quit reported NRT use and NRT was associated with lower odds of abstinence at Wave 2 (OR = 0.11; 95%CI = 0.03-0.46). Visiting a doctor/health professional was associated with greater attempts to quit smoking (OR = 1.60 and 2.78; 95%CI = 1.22-2.10 and 2.21-3.49 respectively) and being abstinent (OR = 1.77 and 1.85; 95%CI = 1.18-2.66 and 1.13-3.04 respectively) at 18-month follow-up relative to the smokers who did not visit doctor/health professional.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The use of formal help for smoking cessation is low in China. There is an urgent need to explore the use and effectiveness of stop-smoking medications in China and in other non-Western markets.</p