Challenge of the World Trading System : Regional Preferential Trade Agreements

Only abstract. Paper copies of master’s theses are listed in the Helka database (http://www.helsinki.fi/helka). Electronic copies of master’s theses are either available as open access or only on thesis terminals in the Helsinki University Library.Vain tiivistelmä. Sidottujen gradujen saatavuuden voit tarkistaa Helka-tietokannasta (http://www.helsinki.fi/helka). Digitaaliset gradut voivat olla luettavissa avoimesti verkossa tai rajoitetusti kirjaston opinnäytekioskeilla.Endast sammandrag. Inbundna avhandlingar kan sökas i Helka-databasen (http://www.helsinki.fi/helka). Elektroniska kopior av avhandlingar finns antingen öppet på nätet eller endast tillgängliga i bibliotekets avhandlingsterminaler.The recently continuing proliferation of regional Preferential Trade Agreements (PTAs) and the glowing trend of emerging tri-bloc (Europe, America, Asia) raise the concern that the regional trade arrangements may challenge the world trading system embodied in the General Agreement on Tariff and Trade (GATT) and World Trade Organisation (WTO). In response to this background, this thesis reviews both the old and new key theoretical contributions on PTAs. The emphasis is put on the new one, which addresses the direct effect of regional arrangement on multilateral process. Basic international trade theory and policy, terminology and background are provided at the beginning to facilitate reading. While the paper does not attempt to put normative judgement on PTAs, it does call for more effort on multilateral process in the conclusion. Among the old literature, this paper reviews the classical work of Viner. Viner had a doubt on the welfare improvement Customs Union by raising the concept of trade diversion and trade creation. His model implies that unambiguous gain can only be obtained when the partner countries are the sole source of import even in the initial equilibrium. Among the recent literature, this paper reviews the analyses from the viewpoint of 'new political economy' which view trade policy as being determined by lobbying of the concentrated interest groups. Two models, Grossman-Helpman's and Krishna's, are introduced. Grossman-Helpman's small union model, which takes a specific factor model with n+1 goods in a political economy framework, addresses the incentive for the government to conclude a Free Trade Area, and reaches conclusion that free trade agreement could more likely be reached when it affords enhanced protection. Krishna's Cournot oligopoly model uses a similar framework of Grossman and Helpman's, however examines further the direction relation between the regional arrangement and multilateral process besides the incentive, and concludes the trade-diversion incentive and harmful effect of regional trade agreement on multilateral trade liberalisation

A New Control Strategy for the Unified Power Flow Controller

The unified power flow controller (UPFC) is the most versatile among a variety of flexible AC transmission system (FACTS) devices, which can be used for power flow control, enhancement of transient stability, damping system oscillations and voltage regulation. In this paper, we propose a new PI based approach for the dynamic control of UPFC. With the new control strategy, not only the active and reactive power flow control but also the system oscillations damping can be achieved. The digital simulation results developed in MATLAB and PSCAD/EMTDC environments are presented to verify the efficiency of the proposed control algorithm

A Reconfigurable FACTS System for University Laboratories

To fully understand the dynamic performance of the multiple flexible ac transmission systems (FACTS) devices, a hardware setup is needed to complement software simulation for university research laboratories. This paper presents the schematic and basic controls of a reconfigurable FACTS system that can be used to realize the major voltage-sourced-converter FACTS topologies: the StatCom, the static synchronous series compensator (SSSC), and the unified power-flow controller (UPFC). Furthermore, the state models and control algorithms for the FACTS devices are proposed. The digital signal processor (DSP)-based control system enables new control methods to be rapidly implemented. The comparison of the experimental and simulation results is also provided to verify the proposed controls. The paper culminates in a list of suggested experiments appropriate for an elective/graduate course in electric power systems

Selection of Reference Genes for RT-qPCR Analysis in \u3cem\u3eCoccinella septempunctata\u3c/em\u3e\u3c to Assess Un-intended Effects of RNAi Transgenic Plants

The development of genetically engineered plants that employ RNA interference (RNAi) to suppress invertebrate pests opens up new avenues for insect control. While this biotechnology shows tremendous promise, the potential for both non-target and off-target impacts, which likely manifest via altered mRNA expression in the exposed organisms, remains a major concern. One powerful tool for the analysis of these un-intended effects is reverse transcriptase-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, a technique for quantifying gene expression using a suite of reference genes for normalization. The seven-spotted ladybeetle Coccinella septempunctata, a commonly used predator in both classical and augmentative biological controls, is a model surrogate species used in the environmental risk assessment (ERA) of plant incorporated protectants (PIPs). Here, we assessed the suitability of eight reference gene candidates for the normalization and analysis of C. septempunctata v-ATPase A gene expression under both biotic and abiotic conditions. Five computational tools with distinct algorisms, geNorm, Normfinder, BestKeeper, the ΔCtmethod, and RefFinder, were used to evaluate the stability of these candidates. As a result, unique sets of reference genes were recommended, respectively, for experiments involving different developmental stages, tissues, and ingested dsRNAs. By providing a foundation for standardized RT-qPCR analysis in C. septempunctata, our work improves the accuracy and replicability of the ERA of PIPs involving RNAi transgenic plants

Selection of Reference Genes for RT-qPCR Analysis in Coccinella septempunctata to Assess Un-intended Effects of RNAi Transgenic Plants

The development of genetically engineered plants that employ RNA interference (RNAi) to suppress invertebrate pests opens up new avenues for insect control. While this biotechnology shows tremendous promise, the potential for both non-target and off-target impacts, which likely manifest via altered mRNA expression in the exposed organisms, remains a major concern. One powerful tool for the analysis of these un-intended effects is reverse transcriptase-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, a technique for quantifying gene expression using a suite of reference genes for normalization. The seven-spotted ladybeetle Coccinella septempunctata, a commonly used predator in both classical and augmentative biological controls, is a model surrogate species used in the environmental risk assessment (ERA) of plant incorporated protectants (PIPs). Here, we assessed the suitability of eight reference gene candidates for the normalization and analysis of C. septempunctata v-ATPase A gene expression under both biotic and abiotic conditions. Five computational tools with distinct algorisms, geNorm, Normfinder, BestKeeper, the ΔCt method, and RefFinder, were used to evaluate the stability of these candidates. As a result, unique sets of reference genes were recommended, respectively, for experiments involving different developmental stages, tissues, and ingested dsRNAs. By providing a foundation for standardized RT-qPCR analysis in C. septempunctata, our work improves the accuracy and replicability of the ERA of PIPs involving RNAi transgenic plants

Prevalence and influencing factors of work-related knee pain among workers in shoemaking industry

BackgroundShoemaking industry workers are prone to work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) due to long-term awkward postures during the work process. There is little research on the prevalence and influencing factors of WMSDs in the knee region of this industry, and it should be taken seriously. ObjectiveTo estimate the prevalence of work-related knee pain among shoemaking workers and analyze the related influencing factors. MethodsA total of 6982 shoemaking workers were selected from 26 shoemaking factories in Guangdong, Hubei, Fujian, Chongqing, Shandong, Zhejiang, and Jingxi by convenience sampling. Prevalence of work-related knee pain in past year, demographic characteristics, occupational related factors, and work posture were collected by a cross-sectional survey using the electronic version of Musculoskeletal Disorder Questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the influencing factors that may lead to work-related knee pain.ResultsThis survey collected 6982 valid questionnaires with a recovery rate of 98.3%. The prevalence of work-related knee pain of shoemaking workers in the past 12 months was 13.0% (908/6982). According to the results of logistic regression analysis, compared with workers with less than 5 years of service, workers with 5-10 years of service (OR=1.21, 95%CI: 1.02, 1.45) and more than 10 years (1.53, 95%CI: 1.27, 1.83) showed a higher risk of knee WMSDs; sometimes, often and very frequent (reference : rarely or never) long-term standing (OR=1.33, 95%CI: 1.08, 1.64; OR=2.67, 95%CI: 2.10, 3.39; OR=2.75, 95%CI: 2.08, 3.63) and sometimes, often and very frequent (reference: rarely or never) long-term squatting or kneeling (OR=1.80, 95%CI: 1.47, 2.21; OR=2.43, 95%CI: 1.58, 3.75; OR=3.22, 95%CI: 1.66, 6.24) increased the risk of knee pain: long-term bending (OR=1.59, 95%CI: 1.34, 1.89) and often repeated movement of lower limbs and ankles (OR=1.48, 95%CI: 1.25, 1.75) were also risk factors for knee WMSDs among shoemaking industry workers (P<0.05). Adequate rest time (OR=0.58, 95%CI: 0.49, 0.68) and able to stretch or change leg posture (OR=0.75, 95%CI: 0.64, 0.88) reduced the risk of knee WMSDs (P<0.05). ConclusionIn the shoemaking industry, length of service and awkward postures are risk factors for knee pain. The shoemaking enterprises should ensure that workers have sufficient rest time, reduce long-term standing, squatting, kneeling, and bending postures, as well as lower limbs repetition in order to reduce the occurrence of knee WMSDs of workers

A genome-wide association study of Chinese and English language phenotypes in Hong Kong Chinese children

Funding: This study was partially supported by a Theme-based Research Scheme (T44-410/21-N) and a Collaborative Research Fund (CRF) (C4054-17W) from the Research Grants Council. HCS was partially supported by the KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research of Common Diseases, and the Hong Kong Branch of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, as well as the Lo Kwee Seong Biomedical Research Fund.Dyslexia and developmental language disorders are important learning difficulties. However, their genetic basis remains poorly understood, and most genetic studies were performed on Europeans. There is a lack of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on literacy phenotypes of Chinese as a native language and English as a second language (ESL) in a Chinese population. In this study, we conducted GWAS on 34 reading/language-related phenotypes in Hong Kong Chinese bilingual children (including both twins and singletons; total N = 1046). We performed association tests at the single-variant, gene, and pathway levels. In addition, we tested genetic overlap of these phenotypes with other neuropsychiatric disorders, as well as cognitive performance (CP) and educational attainment (EA) using polygenic risk score (PRS) analysis. Totally 5 independent loci (LD-clumped at r2 = 0.01; MAF > 0.05) reached genome-wide significance (p 0.3 and having at least 2 correlated SNPs (r2 > 0.5) with p < 1e-3). The loci were associated with a range of language/literacy traits such as Chinese vocabulary, character and word reading, and rapid digit naming, as well as English lexical decision. Several SNPs from these loci mapped to genes that were reported to be associated with EA and other neuropsychiatric phenotypes, such as MANEA and PLXNC1. In PRS analysis, EA and CP showed the most consistent and significant polygenic overlap with a variety of language traits, especially English literacy skills. To summarize, this study revealed the genetic basis of Chinese and English abilities in a group of Chinese bilingual children. Further studies are warranted to replicate the findings.Peer reviewe

Strength degradation mechanism of iron coke prepared by mixed coal and Fe2O3

Iron coke, as a new type of blast furnace burden is helpful for energy saving, emission reduction and green production of iron making. This study aims to investigate the strength degradation mechanism of iron coke prepared by mixed coal and Fe2O3 to provide a theoretical direction to improve its strength. Coking and pyrolysis experiments of mixed coal and Fe2O3 were carried out between 400 and 500 ℃ temperature. Gieseler plastometer and derivative thermogravimetric (DTG) showed that added Fe2O3 inhibited the thermoplasticity and pyrolysis process of mixed coal during coking. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) results showed that added Fe2O3 decreased the aromaticity and average stacking height, but increased the interlayer spacing of crystallite, aliphatic chain length and hydrocarbon-generating potential of mixed coal during coking. Further, gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GCsingle bondMS) analysis suggested that the added Fe2O3 inhibited the cleavage of Calsingle bondO, Calsingle bondS, Calsingle bondN, Calsingle bondCar and Calsingle bondCal bonds, reduced the generation of ethylbenzene, o-xylene and unbranched alkanes with carbon atoms in 24–26, thus decreased the amount of fluid phase generated in coking and ultimately degraded the strength of iron coke

Design, Fabrication, and Testing of a Novel 3D 3-Fingered Electrothermal Microgripper with Multiple Degrees of Freedom

This paper presents the design, fabrication, and testing of a novel three-dimensional (3D) three-fingered electrothermal microgripper with multiple degrees of freedom (multi DOFs). Each finger of the microgripper is composed of a V-shaped electrothermal actuator providing one DOF, and a 3D U-shaped electrothermal actuator offering two DOFs in the plane perpendicular to the movement of the V-shaped actuator. As a result, each finger possesses 3D mobilities with three DOFs. Each beam of the actuators is heated externally with the polyimide film. The durability of the polyimide film is tested under different voltages. The static and dynamic properties of the finger are also tested. Experiments show that not only can the microgripper pick and place microobjects, such as micro balls and even highly deformable zebrafish embryos, but can also rotate them in 3D space

Theoretical Thermal-Mechanical Modelling and Experimental Validation of a Three-Dimensional (3D) Electrothermal Microgripper with Three Fingers

This paper presents the theoretical thermal-mechanical modeling and parameter analyses of a novel three-dimensional (3D) electrothermal microgripper with three fingers. Each finger of the microgripper is composed of a bi-directional Z-shaped electrothermal actuator and a 3D U-shaped electrothermal actuator. The bi-directional Z-shaped electrothermal actuator provides the rectilinear motion in two directions. The novel 3D U-shaped electrothermal actuator offers motion with two degrees of freedom (DOFs) in the plane perpendicular to the movement of the Z-shaped actuator. As a result, each finger possesses 3D mobilities with three DOFs. Each beam of the actuators is heated externally with polyimide films. In this work, the static theoretical thermal-mechanical model of the 3D U-shaped electrothermal actuator is established. Finite-element analyses and experimental tests are conducted to verify and validate the model. With this model, parameter analyses are carried out to provide insight and guidance on further improving the 3D U-shaped actuator. Furthermore, a group of micro-manipulation experiments are conducted to demonstrate the flexibility and versality of the 3D microgripper on manipulate different types of small/micro-objects