Monetary policy and inflation targeting in a small open-economy

This paper investigates the transmission mechanism of monetary policy and inflation targeting in a small open-economy by using backward-looking of aggregate supply (AS) and aggregate demand (AD) framework. Since September 1998 until July 2005, Malaysia has implemented a currency pegged to the U.S dollar in responding to the Asian financial crisis. However, since the 21st of July 2005 until at present, the Central Bank of Malaysia (CBM) has eliminated pegging with the U.S dollar and moved to the floating exchange rate with basket currencies framework. This new regime has an essential role to be a primary objective of policy in stabilizing exchange rate against its major trading partners, particularly the regional countries. Nevertheless, maintaining the soundness of interest rate is also important to perceive inflation targeting in increasing economic growth. Therefore, by using a quarterly data from 1991:1 to 2006:1, this study has adopted a traditional structural econometrics model (SEM) to examine the role of inflation targeting in monetary policy transmission in a small-open economy, i.e. Malaysia. The findings indicated that output gap is an important variable in forecasting a domestic inflation rate and interest-rates policy is statistically significant in influencing the output gap. Therefore, the choosing of interest-rates as a policy target is vital in controlling the domestic inflation rate.monetary policy transmission; inflation targeting; interest rate; exchange rate; fiscal policy

Social, Economic and Political Implications of Nuclear Power Plant in Bangladesh

Whether a global nuclear renaissance will usher or sustain, the affair hinges on a myriad of the socio-political and economic factors. In one hand, the consistent rise in the prices of oil, coal, fossil fuels and on the other, the lack of natural gas reserves has indicated the struggle of Bangladesh for energy demand, which is eventually going to persist in future. Consequently, due to the scarcity of oil and natural gas resource, nuclear energy surfaces as a palatable strategic option for Bangladesh’s future development agenda. However, a successful nuclear power program entails an extensive infrastructure. The control of nuclear energy is one of the prime concerns of science, industry, and politics. Henceforth, emancipating these issues, the paper will analyse the social and political implications regarding the incorporation of nuclear power plant in Bangladesh. The study of this paper is based on secondary sources where a qualitative research is conducted to analyse the socio, political and economic issues relating to the nuclear energy generation in Bangladesh. The study combines doctrinal and comparative socio-legal analysis. Consequently, one of the prime researches of the paper will skirt around the topic related to the public awareness and embroilment of such nuclear energy development in Bangladesh. The paper recommends Bangladesh to adopt a comprehensive energy law that should be realigned to consider noteworthy emphasis on sustainability, developing technical, financial and institutional constraints, and promoting public awareness and involvement associated with the generation of nuclear energy. Keywords: Reactor safety, Nuclear waste treatment, Nuclear Regulation

QUANTITATIVE MODELING OF SCALING OF PATTERNS AND RECEPTOR SIGNALING IN MORPHOGENESIS

Organs and tissue development often experience perturbations, but developmental processes seem to replicate a common body template to maintain appropriate proportions and positions. The key signaling factors that guide a number of those processes are known as morphogens. Developing cells sense their respective positional information from a graded morphogen profile, and differentiate into patterns. Remarkably, patterns are highly robust and reproducible among species, and the underlying mechanisms associated with such high degrees of precision are still enigmatic. In addition, details of the signal, such as the Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) signal, that transmit patterning information to a group of homogenous cells to differentiate is not well understood. Determining how developmental processes ensure robust patterning in the presence of perturbations, and what regulatory mechanisms act to ensure robust and reproducible patterning are two longstanding questions that need unraveling. Moreover, determining the mechanisms by which BMP heterodimers dominate signaling in developing zebrafish embryos and other contexts is a key factor in understanding developmental regulation for a classic morphogen patterning system. To answer these questions, this work has developed a set of mathematical models to evaluate and interrogate potential signaling networks and regulatory motifs. These models identify scaling mechanisms, test hypotheses on heterodimer dominance during signal transduction, and show how patterning systems function. For the scaling problem, this research proposes a Two Component System (TCS) mechanism, where a morphogen (m) and a modulator (M) interact to alter the transport and reaction properties of each other spatially. An exhaustive parametric and network motif screen is conducted for several TCS variants under the reaction-diffusion-advection paradigm with spatially varying coefficients. Our analysis revealed a number of candidate networks and minimal regulatory motifs that achieve the precision needed for a developing species to ensure perfect development. Computational models of patterning signal, namely the Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) mediated signal, were developed to analyze the receptor oligomerization that forms heterotetrameric receptor associations in BMP signaling. The oligomerization model disproves previous kinetic based hypotheses of heterodimer dominance, and identifies other theoretical conditions to acquire heterodimer dominance. Finally, the model predicts that heterodimer dominance provides a larger dynamic range and a higher concentration of morphogen activity, making it a robust sensor responding wide ranges of morphogen concentrations fundamental to a morphogen gradient system. Moreover, stochastic analysis of oligomerization steps reveal that recruitment of type II receptors during the receptor oligomerization by itself does not tend to lower noise in receptor signaling. This outcome can be applied to develop a complete probabilistic model of receptor oligomerization events. The computational arrangements and frameworks developed in this research have wider applications - for instance, illustration of a large-scale screen of a reaction-diffusion-advection systems with spatially varying coefficients is an efficient strategy to perform a large-scale screen of such system and could have wider applications in other areas. Additionally, our mathematical framework on the dynamics of a tetrameric complex formation and oligomerization steps could be applicable to other signaling pathways that require trimeric/tetrameric complex formation on the cell surface to elicit signaling

Expression, Purification, and Characterization of an Intrinsically Disordered Late Embryogenesis Abundant (LEA) Protein from Artemia franciscana Utilizing Escherichia coli and Nicotiana tabacum

Anhydrobiosis is an astounding strategy that allows certain species (both animals and plants) to survive severe environmental conditions such as desiccation, extreme cold, or heat in the habitat. Despite the occurrence of several different molecular strategies, expression of highly hydrophilic polypeptides termed LEA proteins has been most conclusive identified as a requirement for the survival of plants and animals during periods of water stress such as freezing and drying. Several classification schemes for LEA proteins have been proposed and the brine shrimp, Artemia franciscana, is the only known animal that naturally expresses LEA proteins from three different classification groups (groups 1, 3, and 6). LEA proteins occur in different subcellular compartments including the cytosol and mitochondria. To understand the biochemical properties of LEA proteins, it is important to characterize their structure. LEA proteins are intrinsically disordered in aqueous solution and the exact structure and function of these proteins in the dry and/or hydrated states is still poorly defined and understood. We found, that a purified group 1 LEA protein from A. franciscana (AfrLEA 1.1) helped to retain enzyme activity after desiccation of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) for land 7 days in the presence or absence of BSA or trehalose or other purified LEA protein. Increased concentration of purified AfrLEA 1.1, increased the percentage of LDH activity retained after desiccation. To further characterize AfrLEA 1.1, we cloned, expressed, and purified the protein in E. coli. We purified untagged AfrLEA 1.1 protein by affinity chromatography via Intein Mediated Purification with an Affinity Chitin-binding Tag system; a novel protein purification system which utilizes the inducible self-cleavage activity of protein splicing elements (termed inteins) to separate the target protein from the affinity tag. Furthermore, AfrLEA1.1 was expressed in Nicotiana tabacum to investigate if the protein increases drought tolerance of this model plant. Tobacco plants with confirmed transgenic AfrLEA1.1 were subjected to water stress in the presence of polyethylene glycol (PEG; 10,000 MW) at increasing percentages to investigate the impact of osmotic stress on plant survival. PEG-stressed transgenic LEA plants showed significantly faster growth of roots compared to non-transgenic GUS control plants under the same conditions both if measured as an increase in fresh weight (P=0.033, P\u3c0.05) or dry weight (P=0.028, P\u3c0.05). This result clearly indicates a better capability to cope with water stress in presence of AfrLEA1.1 and points to a function of this protein not only during desiccation but also under less severe osmotic stress conditions. Transgenic LEA plants also showed a significantly increased level of total growth compared to controls, measured as an increase in total fresh weight (P=0.0461, P\u3c0.05) and total dry weight (P=0.0342, P\u3c0.05) under standard growth conditions. Along with the better growth of roots under osmotic stress condition and better overall somatic growth under control condition, they also showed a significantly higher amount of chlorophyll content after freezing condition compares to room temperature

Solutions to the Problems Concerning Descartes’ Interactionism

Philosophy of mind in its essence philosophizes about the mind. And among many questions that it raises, the question regarding the relation between the body and the mind is of paramount importance. Among various theories considering the relation between the body and the mind, interactionism shines brightly. Advocated by the philosopher Rene Descartes it is one of the oldest and the most talked about theories. The aim of this paper is to propose some solutions to the problems concerning Rene Descartes’ interactionism. In order to do that at first interactionism is going to be discussed. Then the main points concerning Descartes’ interactionism along with the initial problems will be discussed. And finally, the solution to these problems will be proposed