Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) and Its Role in U.S. Trade Policy

[Excerpt] When Congress passed the Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act (RTAA) of 1934, it reflected an important transition in “national trade policy” away from “protectionism” toward greater “trade liberalization.” This shift continues to be the dominant, but hardly uncontested, trade policy of the United States. The substantial national gains from trade have long been recognized, yet trade liberalizing legislation often faces strong political opposition because related costs, although much smaller, affect a vocal and concentrated constituency. Congress first addressed this inherent tension with legislation that allowed for the reimposition of tariffs and other trade barriers when domestic industries were threatened or hurt by imports. In 1962, however, Congress adopted an additional approach by providing trade adjustment assistance (TAA) directly to trade-affected firms and workers. It remains a controversial pillar of U.S. trade policy today. This report discusses the role of TAA in U.S. trade policy, from its inception as a legislative option in the early 1950s, to its core role as an alternative to import relief that many argue has served to promote the long-term U.S. trade liberalization agenda. It will also consider the extent to which TAA has been linked to both renewal of trade agreements authority, and passage of trade agreement implementing legislation. TAA has become an integral part of an increasingly complex U.S. trade policy. Understanding the origins of TAA, the historical congressional debate, and legislative options considered by Congress over the past 50 years may help inform the current discussion of TAA reauthorization

A política de habitação rural e o desenvolvimento da agricultura familiar.

Este artigo analisa a contribuição do Programa Nacional de Habitação Rural (PNHR) para o desenvolvimento de territórios predominantemente rurais. A partir do estudo de sua implementação na região Oeste Catarinense, ponder sobre os avanços e as restrições desta política social. Para as análises realizadas procedeu-se a uma revisão de literatura, à busca de documentação sobre a política e sua implementação na região estudada, bem como a entrevistas com lideranças e agricultores demandantes e beneficiados por uma casa nova ou reforma. Verificou-se que o PNHR cria uma oportunidade para as famílias rurais descapitalizadas construírem ou reformarem sua casa, apesar de ser ainda restrita a sua abrangência para o conjunto dessas famílias. A reformulação do programa, reduzindo exigências financeiras e para operação dos créditos, pode oportunizar que maior número de famílias dele se beneficie, com impacto social positivo no desenvolvimento regional

Generalizable semi-supervised learning method to estimate mass from sparsely annotated images

Mass flow estimation is of great importance to several industries, and it can be quite challenging to obtain accurate estimates due to limitation in expense or general infeasibility. In the context of agricultural applications, yield monitoring is a key component to precision agriculture and mass flow is the critical factor to measure. Measuring mass flow allows for field productivity analysis, cost minimization, and adjustments to machine efficiency. Methods such as volume or force-impact have been used to measure mass flow; however, these methods are limited in application and accuracy. In this work, we use deep learning to develop and test a vision system that can accurately estimate the mass of sugarcane while running in real-time on a sugarcane harvester during operation. The deep learning algorithm that is used to estimate mass flow is trained using very sparsely annotated images (semi-supervised) using only final load weights (aggregated weights over a certain period of time). The deep neural network (DNN) succeeds in capturing the mass of sugarcane accurately and surpasses older volumetric-based methods, despite highly varying lighting and material colors in the images. The deep neural network is initially trained to predict mass on laboratory data (bamboo) and then transfer learning is utilized to apply the same methods to estimate mass of sugarcane. Using a vision system with a relatively lightweight deep neural network we are able to estimate mass of bamboo with an average error of 4.5% and 5.9% for a select season of sugarcane.Comment: 22 pages, 21 figures, Computers and Electronics in Agriculture. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1908.0438

MCMC Exploration of Supermassive Black Hole Binary Inspirals

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna will be able to detect the inspiral and merger of Super Massive Black Hole Binaries (SMBHBs) anywhere in the Universe. Standard matched filtering techniques can be used to detect and characterize these systems. Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods are ideally suited to this and other LISA data analysis problems as they are able to efficiently handle models with large dimensions. Here we compare the posterior parameter distributions derived by an MCMC algorithm with the distributions predicted by the Fisher information matrix. We find excellent agreement for the extrinsic parameters, while the Fisher matrix slightly overestimates errors in the intrinsic parameters.Comment: Submitted to CQG as a GWDAW-10 Conference Proceedings, 9 pages, 5 figures, Published Versio

Volumetric based mass flow estimation on sugarcane harvesters

Yield monitors on harvesters are a key component of precision agriculture. Mass flow estimation is the critical factor to measure, and having this allows for field productivity analysis, adjustments to machine efficiency, and cost minimization by ensuring trucks are filled maximally without exceeding weight limits. Several common technologies used on grain harvesters, including impact plate sensors, are accurate enough on combines to be valuable but suffer from issues such as drift. Sugarcane is composed of a mixture of billets and trash, which is a very dispersed material with much less consistency than grains. In this study, a 3d point cloud approach is used to estimate volume, from which a calibration factor is derived [density] to translate to mass. The system was proved in concept in a controlled environment using bamboo, achieving an R2 of 97.4% when fitting average volume flow per test against average mass flow after correcting for bulk density changes with volume. The system was also tested on field data, which was collected from nearly 1700 wagon loads from the southern U.S. and Brazil over the course of 3 seasons in both green and burnt cane. Results indicated that the concept is very robust with good accuracy, having seasonal CVs for density values ranging from 6.9% to 16.2%. The camera concept proves relatively robust to environmental conditions. The same approach could be used in sugar beets, potatoes or other sparse/non-flowing crops with highly varying material properties, where traditional mass flow sensors do not work.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figures, computers and electronics in agriculture journa

Development of a rubber-modified fractionated bio-oil for use as noncrude petroleum binder in flexible pavements

The increasing demand for petroleum-derived products coupled with decreasing world crude reserves has led to substantial increases in asphalt pricing. Society’s additional interest in energy independence and use of renewable sources of energy is also a motivation for developing and using more sustainable materials such as binders derived from noncrude petroleum sources for use in highway applications. Iowa State University has been developing noncrude petroleum binders derived from the production of bio-oil via fast pyrolysis of non-food source biorenewable residues. Currently, research has demonstrated that bioasphalt can be used as a modifier, extender, or even as an antioxidant when added to petroleum asphalt. Previous research illustrated concerns with low-temperature cracking and the ability to produce typical binder grades used in the United States. This work aims to develop a biobinder that can replace 100% of the petroleum derived asphalt used in constructing flexible pavements utilizing bio-oil and crumb rubber. Both ambient and cryogenic crumb rubber were used in the research. The outcomes of the processes and formulations illustrates that noncrude petroleum binders can be developed effectively to replace typical paving grades of asphalt such as a PG 64-22 binder

Needle-free pharmacological sedation techniques in paediatric patients for imaging procedures:a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Sedation techniques and drugs are increasingly used in children undergoing imaging procedures. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we present an overview of literature concerning sedation of children aged 0–8 yr for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) procedures using needle-free pharmacological techniques. Methods: Embase, MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases were systematically searched for studies on the use of needle-free pharmacological sedation techniques for MRI procedures in children aged 0–8 yr. Studies using i.v. or i.m. medication or advanced airway devices were excluded. We performed a meta-analysis on sedation success rate. Secondary outcomes were onset time, duration, recovery, and adverse events. Results: Sixty-seven studies were included, with 22 380 participants. The pooled success rate for oral chloral hydrate was 94% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.91–0.96); for oral chloral hydrate and intranasal dexmedetomidine 95% (95% CI: 0.92–0.97); for rectal, oral, or intranasal midazolam 36% (95% CI: 0.14–0.65); for oral pentobarbital 99% (95% CI: 0.90–1.00); for rectal thiopental 92% (95% CI: 0.85–0.96); for oral melatonin 75% (95% CI: 0.54–0.89); for intranasal dexmedetomidine 62% (95% CI: 0.38–0.82); for intranasal dexmedetomidine and midazolam 94% (95% CI: 0.78–0.99); and for inhaled sevoflurane 98% (95% CI: 0.97–0.99). Conclusions: We found a large variation in medication, dosage, and route of administration for needle-free sedation. Success rates for sedation techniques varied between 36% and 98%.</p

On neural correlates of individual differences in novel grammar learning: An fMRI study

FSW - Self-regulation models for health behavior and psychopathology - ou

Whole-brain functional connectivity during acquisition of novel grammar: Distinct functional networks depend on language learning abilities

In an effort to advance the understanding of brain function and organisation accompanying second language learning, we investigate the neural substrates of novel grammar learning in a group of healthy adults, consisting of participants with high and average language analytical abilities (LAA). By means of an Independent Components Analysis, a data-driven approach to functional connectivity of the brain, the fMRI data collected during a grammar-learning task were decomposed into maps representing separate cognitive processes. These included the default mode, task-positive, working memory, visual, cerebellar and emotional networks. We further tested for differences within the components, representing individual differences between the High and Average LAA learners. We found high analytical abilities to be coupled with stronger contributions to the task-positive network from areas adjacent to bilateral Broca’s region, stronger connectivity within the working memory network and within the emotional network. Average LAA participants displayed stronger engagement within the task-positive network from areas adjacent to the right-hemisphere homologue of Broca's region and typical to lower level processing (visual word recognition), and increased connectivity within the default mode network. The significance of each of the identified networks for the grammar learning process is presented next to a discussion on the established markers of inter-individual learners’ differences. We conclude that in terms of functional connectivity, the engagement of brain’s networks during grammar acquisition is coupled with one’s language learning abilities.Theoretical and Experimental Linguistic

Connectivity of the hippocampus and Broca's area during acquisition of a novel grammar

Perioperative Medicine: Efficacy, Safety and Outcom