Is There Any Potential in Service Trade of South Asia?

: Like many developing economies, services have emerged as crucial economic activities in South Asia, yet this cannot increase the rapid growth in the intra-trade in the region. To find out the service trade potential in the region, this paper uses revealed comparative advantage indices to assess the comparative advantage and the indicative trade potential of different South Asian countries in various services sub-sectors. The study reveals that there stands complementarities in the trade of services as Pakistan and Sri Lanka have a competitive advantage in Transport Services, while India has a competitive advantage in Computer and Information Services and Other Business Services. In travel services, Maldives and Nepal possess competitiveness while Bangladesh in Government Services. The study reveals that competitive services have not explored the potential yet. India being the most robust economy of the region must provide a pivotal role in making negotiations and commitments under SAARC Agreement on Trade in Services (SATIS) particularly in competitive services

Humanitarian aid as an integral part of the European Union's external action: the challenge of reconciling coherence and independence

The article focuses on the European Union's (EU) humanitarian aid policy. It addresses the challenge for the EU to deliver independent humanitarian aid while simultaneously seeking to establish more coherence between its external policies. The article examines how the EU tries to reconcile these potentially conflicting policy goals, both de jure and in practice. Empirically, it explores the interaction between EU humanitarian aid and development cooperation, the Common Foreign and Security Policy, and trade policy. While the independence of the humanitarian aid delivery is, for the most part, not being undermined, it remains difficult to establish positive synergies with other external policies because of institutional hurdles and legal constraints, as well as political obstacles and operational incompatibilities

The membrane-embedded segment of cytochrome b5 as studied by cross-linking with photoactivatable phospholipids

Vesicles were prepared from a 9:1 (mole/mol) mixture of dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine and the radioactively labeled phospholipids, 1-palmitoyl-2-ω -(m-diazirinophenoxy)undecanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (PC-I) or 1-palmitoyl-2-ω -(2-diazo-3,3,3-trifluropropionyloxy)lauroyl-sn- glycero-3-phosphocholine (PC-II). Rabbit liver cytochrome b5 was inserted into these vesicles spontaneously and the resulting vesicles containing the cytochrome b5 in the transferable form were photolyzed. Cytochrome b5 containing covalently cross-linked phospholipids was isolated by Sephadex LH-60 column chromatography using ethanol/formic acid as the solvent. Of the total radioactivity, 4.6% (PC-I) or 11.3% (PC-II) was linked to the protein; of the former, up to 51% was base-labile, while in the latter, 22% was base-labile. The sites of cross-linking of PC-I to the protein were investigated by fragmentation with trypsin, Staphylococcus aureas V8 protease, CNBr, and o-iodosobenzoic acid followed by Sephadex LH-60 chromatography and Edman sequencing (solid phase) of the appropriate fragments. The distribution of cross-linking was broad (Ser-104 to Met-130), showing a bell-shaped pattern with a significant peak at Ser-118. The labeling pattern is consistent with the previously proposed loop-back model for the membranous segment in the transferable form of cytochrome b5

A bacteriorhodopsin analog reconstituted with a nonisomerizable 13-trans retinal derivative displays light insensitivity

With the aim of preparing a light-insensitive bacteriorhodopsin-like pigment, bacterio-opsin expressed in Escherichia coli was treated in phospholipid-detergent micelles with the retinal analog II, in which the C13-C14 trans-double bond cannot isomerize due to inclusion in a cyclopentene ring. The formation of a complex with a fine structure (λmax, 439 nm) was first observed. This partially converted over a period of 12 days to a bacteriorhodopsin-like chromophore (ebR-II) with λmax, 555 nm. An identical behavior has been observed previously upon reconstitution of bleached purple membrane with the analog II. Purification by gel filtration gave pure ebR-II with λmax, 558 nm, similar to that of light-adapted bacterio-opsin reconstituted with all-trans retinal (ebR-I). Spectrophotometric titration of ebR-II as a function of pH showed that the purple to blue transition of bacteriorhodopsin at acidic pH was altered, and the apparent pKa of Schiff base deprotonation at alkaline pH was lowered by 2.4 units, relative to that of ebR-I. ebR-II showed no light-dark adaptation, no proton pumping, and no intermediates characteristic of the bacteriorhodopsin photocycle. In addition, the rates of reaction with hydroxylamine in the dark and in the light were similar. These results show, as expected, that isomerization of the C13-C14 double bond is required for bacteriorhodopsin function and that prevention of this isomerization confers light insensitivity

The site of attachment of retinal in bacteriorhodopsin. The epsilon-amino group in Lys-41 is not required for proton translocation

Chymotryptic fragments C-1 (amino acids 72-248) and C-2 (amino acids 1-71) of bacteriorhodopsin have been shown previously to reassociate so as to regenerate the native bacteriorhodopsin chromophore in lipid/detergent mixtures and to form functional proton-translocating vesicles. The fragment C-2 has now been selectively methylated with formaldehyde and sodium cyanoborohydride to give the epsilon-dimethylamino derivatives of Lys-30, 40, and 41 in 96-99% average yield. The methylated and unmethylated C-2 fragments were identical in their ability to reassociate with fragment C-1 and retinal to regenerate the bacteriorhodopsin chromophore and to form functional proton-translocating vesicles. In contrast, dimethylation of the lysine residues of the C-1 fragment gave a derivative which did not form an active complex with unmethylated C-2. We conclude that the epsilon-amino group in Lys-41 is not required for Schiff's base formation with retinal at any step in the light-driven proton-translocation cycle

Navigating LDC graduation: modelling the impact of RCEP and CPTPP on Bangladesh

Bangladesh will graduate from the LDC list by 2026. Currently, Bangladesh's exports of readymade garments (RMG) benefit from international support measures which allow preferential trade in major export destinations, such as the EU. After graduation, Bangladesh's exports, particularly RMG, will face competition from mega trading blocs, such as RCEP and CPTPP. This article employs the GTAP model to estimate the impact of Bangladesh's graduation from the LDC category and how mega FTAs are likely to affect Bangladesh's exports and potential welfare. The model also considers the scenarios of either United States or the UK or both joining the CPTPP. The model results show that Bangladesh's graduation will lead to a fall in GDP and RMG exports by 1.53% and 11.8%, respectively. The negative impact is magnified when we factor in the mega-trading blocs. Further negative impacts are observed when either United States or the UK or both join the CPTPP

Modelling Effects of Tariff Liberalisation on India’s Key Export Sectors: Analysis of the EU–India Free Trade Agreement

Trade agreements are increasingly being negotiated between developed and emerging economy partners. An example is the EU–India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) for which negotiations began in 2007. There has been a debate on the potential effects of the proposed FTA and how this can impact on India’s key export sectors. Our study addresses this aspect from a global computable general equilibrium (CGE) modelling perspective. Using the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) framework, we analyse trade and welfare impacts of the proposed FTA between the EU and India. Two scenarios are modelled: first, complete and immediate elimination of tariff on all goods traded and second, selective tariff elimination on textiles, wearing apparel and leather goods—products in which India has a comparative advantage. Results under both scenarios show that India enjoys positive welfare effects though there is a possibility of trade diversion. Under scenario 1, India loses due to a negative terms of trade (ToT) effect. Under scenario 2, with selective sectoral liberalisation, gains are mainly concentrated in the textiles, wearing apparel and leather sectors. There is a positive output effect from change in demand for factors of production, suggesting that the proposed FTA could lead to relocation of labour-intensive production to India