Labour use and its adjustment in Indian manufacturing industries

This study provides an empirical investigation of the adjustment process of labour in Indian manufacturing industries, which evolved through structural transformation in the era of globalization. The analysis is based on a dynamic model applied to a panel of 22 two-digit manufacturing industries for a time period of 22 years covering 1980/81 to 2001/02. We assume that as competition increases industries adjust their employment to a desired level which is both industry and time specific. The results indicate that manufacturing sector has shown considerable dynamism in adjusting its workforce. The long run labour demand responds greatest to the output, followed by capital and least by wages. It is observed that Indian manufacturing is not inefficient in labour use as modest speed of adjustment has led employment size at near the optimal level.Labor and Human Capital,

Measurement of globalization and its variations among countries, regions and over time

The process of globalization is an international economic order which has led to the progressive integration of the world economy through the pulling the barrier of trade and greater mobility of factors of production. In addition the technological innovation also provides impetus to the progressive integration of the nations. The elements of globalization include free movement of goods and services, flow of capital, movement of labor and the transfer of technology. Many transition and developing countries through liberalization and increased openness to trade have benefited from the process. Apart from the economic benefits, globalization also indicates the flow of ideas, norms, information and peoples. There is a large heterogeneity in the degree of globalization over time and across countries and regions of the World, as well as within countries. The present study is an attempt to measure globalization by using both parametric and non-parametric approaches. The data cover a wide range of industrialized, transition and developing countries on the basis of their international integration. We identify the factors influencing globalization among the countries in the form of economic integration, personal contact, technology and political engagement. We isolate the contribution of the factors by quantifying the individual factor contribution to the overall integration. Finally, we investigate the links between globalization and labor market in India manufacturing industry

Wage inequality and job insecurity among permanent and contract workers in India: evidence from organized manufacturing industries

Since the early 1990s, the employment structure of organised manufacturing industries in India has undergone substantial changes with the steep rise in the use of contract workers in place of permanent workers. This process has led to increased wage inequality, discrimination as well as the concern of job insecurity in the labour market. We focus on the wage inequality between permanent and contract workers, since contract workers earn substantially lower wages than their counterpart. The study uses data at the individual level from a recent labour survey of organised manufacturing industries in India. The lower wage earned by contract worker is largely due to cost cutting, rather than differences in labour productivity. The issue of job insecurity has been modeled in form of a binary logistic model. The factors affecting job security are divided as productivity related attributes like level of education, skill etc. and institutional attributes such as labour market rules and regulations, union membership etc. Contrary to the general expectation the study finds that permanent workers are more concern of job insecurity than contract workers

Estimation of productivity in Korean electric power plants : a semiparametric smooth coefficient model

This paper analyzes the impact of load factor, facility and generator types on the productivity of Korean electric power plants. In order to capture important differences in the effect of load policy on power output, we use a semiparametric smooth coefficient (SPSC) model that allows us to model heterogeneous performances across power plants and over time by allowing underlying technologies to be heterogeneous. The SPSC model accommodates both continuous and discrete covariates. Various specification tests are conducted to assess the performance of the SPSC model. Using a unique generator level panel dataset spanning the period 1995–2006, we find that the impact of load factor, generator and facility types on power generation varies substantially in terms of magnitude and significance across different plant characteristics. The results have strong implications for generation policy in Korea as outlined in this study

Detecting three-qubit bound MUB diagonal entangled states via Nonlinear optimal entanglement witnesses

One of the important approaches to detect quantum entanglement is using linear entanglement witnesses EWs. In this paper, by determining the envelope of the boundary hyper-planes defined by a family of linear EWs, a set of powerful nonlinear optimal EWs is manipulated. These EWs enable us to detect some three qubits bound MUB (mutually unbiased bases) diagonal entangled states, i.e., the PPT (positive partial transpose) entangled states. Also, in some particular cases, the introduced nonlinear optimal EWs are powerful enough to separate the bound entangled regions from the separable ones. Finally, we present numerical examples to demonstrate the practical accessibility of this approach. Keywords :nonlinear optimal entanglement witnesses, mutually unbiased bases, MUB diagonal statesComment: 34 pages 11 figure

Mutagenic effects of nanosilverconsumer products: A new approach to physicochemical properties

Serious concerns have been expressed about potential health risks of Nano silver containing consumer products (AgNPs) therefore regulatory health risk assessment on such nanoparticles has become mandatory for the safe use of AgNPsinbiomedicalproducts with special concerns to the mutagenic potentials. In this study, we examined the inhibitory and mutagenicity effects of AgNPs in three different sizes of three colloidal AgNPs by Minimal Inhibitory concentration (MIC), Minimal Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) and Bacterial Reverse Mutation Assay (Ames test).All samples were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS). DLS analysis showed lack of large agglomeration of the AgNPs and TEM results showed the spherical AgNPswith the average sizes of 15, 19.6, 21.8 nms. Furthermore the XRD analysis showed the crystalline samples with a face centered cubic structure of pure silver.AmestestresultsonColloidal silver nanoparticles showed lack of any mutation in TA100, TA98, YG1029S. typhymuriumstrains. In addition colloidal silver nanoparticles reduced the mutation ratesin all three strains in a concentration dependent manner.This finding creates a new issue in the possible antimutagenic effects of colloidal AgNPsas a new pharmaceutical productwhich should be consideredinfuture studiesby focusing onthephysicochemical properties of AgNPs. © 2015 by School of Pharmacy Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences and Health Services

Investigating a Class of 2⊗2⊗d2\otimes2\otimes d Chessboard Density Matrices via Linear and Non-linear Entanglement Witnesses Constructed by Exact Convex Optimization

Here we consider a class of $2\otimes2\otimes d$ chessboard density matrices starting with three-qubit ones which have positive partial transposes with respect to all subsystems. To investigate the entanglement of these density matrices, we use the entanglement witness approach. For constructing entanglement witnesses (EWs) detecting these density matrices, we attempt to convert the problem to an exact convex optimization problem. To this aim, we map the convex set of separable states into a convex region, named feasible region, and consider cases that the exact geometrical shape of feasible region can be obtained. In this way, various linear and non-linear EWs are constructed. The optimality and decomposability of some of introduced EWs are also considered. Furthermore, the detection of the density matrices by introduced EWs are discussed analytically and numerically. {\bf Keywords: chessboard density matrices, optimal non-linear entanglement witnesses, convex optimization} {\bf PACs Index: 03.65.Ud}Comment: 35 pages, 1 figure

Production of recombinant CAMP – Sialidase protein and preparation of chitosan nanoparticles carrying this protein to be used as a candidate for vaccines targeting Propionibacterium acnes

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Acne vulgaris is one of the most common skin diseases that imposes too much mental pressure and high costs on patients. The existing treatments have low efficacy and include antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs, which have many complications due to the chronic nature of the disease, especially at young age, including antibiotic resistance and allergic reactions. For this reason, one of the new therapeutic approaches is the use of a vaccine with the help of the bacterium or its components. The aim of this study is to produce nanoparticles carrying the recombinant CAMP – Sialidase protein as a new chimeric antigen to be used in acne vaccine. METHODS:To express the recombinant CAMP – Sialidase protein, E. coli BL21 DE3 was used as the host. Purification of protein was done through combined urea/imidazole method and using a nickel-nitroacetic acid column. The recombinant protein was confirmed using Western Blotting by Anti – Histidine Antibody. Then, the loaded nanoparticles were prepared by recombinant protein using ionic gelation technique and tripolyphosphate. Finally, the size and zeta potential of the nanoparticles were determined by the DLS device. FINDINGS: The recombinant CAMP – Sialidase protein was confirmed after expression and purification. The size and zeta potential of nanoparticles containing recombinant CAMP – Sialidase protein at a concentration of 0.6 mg / ml were determined to be 80 nm and +27 mV, respectively, using the DLS device. The loading rate of the protein in the nanoparticles was found to be 88%. CONCLUSION: The results show that the recombinant protein is expressed completely and is successfully encapsulated in the chitosan nanoparticles