Government Policy Initiatives for Developing Sustainable Medical Tourism Industry

Medical tourism is a conscious decision to travel abroad for seeking affordable quality of medical treatment and surgery, with no waiting period. India and Singapore are not only popular destinations for tourism but also for medical tourism in Asia and the world. Australia is also an emerging destination for niche areas of specialised medical treatments. Key aim of this paper is to critically examine the government policy initiatives in India, Singapore and Australia, to support the sustainable development and growth of medical tourism as an export of healthcare medical services to the world. The introductory section of the paper provides a background to the medical tourism industry. Section two puts forward a brief literature review on medical tourism and identifies and develops a list of nine (9) different types/categories of wellness and medical tourist. Section three highlights and critically examines the government policy initiatives to support the sustainable development and growth of medical tourism industry in the three countries. Section four provides discussion and policy implications and lessons for India and Australia. Conclusion section includes recommendation and future research directions

Tunable Hybridization Between Electronic States of Graphene and Physisorbed Hexacene

Non-covalent functionalization via physisorption of organic molecules provides a scalable approach for modifying the electronic structure of graphene while preserving its excellent carrier mobilities. Here we investigated the physisorption of long-chain acenes, namely, hexacene and its fluorinated derivative perfluorohexacene, on bilayer graphene for tunable graphene devices using first principles methods. We find that the adsorption of these molecules leads to the formation of localized states in the electronic structure of graphene close to its Fermi level, which could be readily tuned by an external electric field. The electric field not only creates a variable band gap as large as 250 meV in bilayer graphene, but also strongly influences the charge redistribution within the molecule-graphene system. This charge redistribution is found to be weak enough not to induce strong surface doping, but strong enough to help preserve the electronic states near the Dirac point of graphene.Comment: 17 pages, 7 figures, supporting informatio

Energetics and kinetics of Li intercalation in irradiated graphene scaffolds

In the present study we investigate the irradiation-defects hybridized graphene scaffold as one potential building material for the anode of Li-ion batteries. Designating the Wigner V22 defect as a representative, we illustrate the interplay of Li atoms with the irradiation-defects in graphene scaffolds. We examine the adsorption energetics and diffusion kinetics of Li in the vicinity of a Wigner V22 defect using density functional theory calculations. The equilibrium Li adsorption sites at the defect are identified and shown to be energetically preferable to the adsorption sites on pristine (bilayer) graphene. Meanwhile the minimum energy paths and corresponding energy barriers for Li migration at the defect are determined and computed. We find that while the defect is shown to exhibit certain trapping effects on Li motions on the graphene surface, it appears to facilitate the interlayer Li diffusion and enhance the charge capacity within its vicinity because of the reduced interlayer spacing and characteristic symmetry associated with the defect. Our results provide critical assessment for the application of irradiated graphene scaffolds in Li-ion batteries.Comment: 23 pages, 5 figure

From Half-metal to Semiconductor: Electron-correlation Effects in Zigzag SiC Nanoribbons From First Principles

We performed electronic structure calculations based on the first-principles many-body theory approach in order to study quasiparticle band gaps, and optical absorption spectra of hydrogen-passivated zigzag SiC nanoribbons. Self-energy corrections are included using the GW approximation, and excitonic effects are included using the Bethe-Salpeter equation. We have systematically studied nanoribbons that have widths between 0.6 $\text{nm}$ and 2.2 $\text{nm}$. Quasiparticle corrections widened the Kohn-Sham band gaps because of enhanced interaction effects, caused by reduced dimensionality. Zigzag SiC nanoribbons with widths larger than 1 nm, exhibit half-metallicity at the mean-field level. The self-energy corrections increased band gaps substantially, thereby transforming the half-metallic zigzag SiC nanoribbons, to narrow gap spin-polarized semiconductors. Optical absorption spectra of these nanoribbons get dramatically modified upon inclusion of electron-hole interactions, and the narrowest ribbon exhibits strongly bound excitons, with binding energy of 2.1 eV. Thus, the narrowest zigzag SiC nanoribbon has the potential to be used in optoelectronic devices operating in the IR region of the spectrum, while the broader ones, exhibiting spin polarization, can be utilized in spintronic applications.Comment: 22 pages, 6 figures (included

Selective Control of Surface Spin Current in Topological Materials based on Pyrite-type OsX2 (X = Se, Te) Crystals

Topological materials host robust surface states, which could form the basis for future electronic devices. As such states have spins that are locked to the momentum, they are of particular interest for spintronic applications. Understanding spin textures of the surface states of topologically nontrivial materials, and being able to manipulate their polarization, is therefore essential if they are to be utilized in future technologies. Here we use first-principles calculations to show that pyrite-type crystals OsX2 (X= Se, Te) are a class of topological material that can host surface states with spin polarization that can be either in-plane or out-of-plane. We show that the formation of low-energy states with symmetry-protected energy- and direction-dependent spin textures on the (001) surface of these materials is a consequence of a transformation from a topologically trivial to nontrivial state, induced by spin orbit interactions. The unconventional spin textures of these surface states feature an in-plane to out-of-plane spin polarization transition in the momentum space protected by local symmetries. Moreover, the surface spin direction and magnitude can be selectively filtered in specific energy ranges. Our demonstration of a new class of topological material with controllable spin textures provide a platform for experimentalists to detect and exploit unconventional surface spin textures in future spin-based nanoelectronic devices

The Intersectional Oppressions of South Asian Immigrant Women and Vulnerability in Relation to Domestic Violence: A Case Study

South Asians ― persons who can trace their origins to India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh ― are the largest racialized minority group in Canada. The National Household Survey (2011) revealed that 1,567,400 persons reported being of South Asian origin, making up 4% of the total Canadian population (Statistics Canada, 2013). The substantial presence and rapid growth of this minority group make it an important population to understand in terms of their settlement and integration-related experiences. The authors of this paper bring together their unique disciplinary lenses- social work and law - to discuss various factors that contribute to the multiple oppressions experienced by South Asian immigrant women in Canada. The paper also focuses on the particular vulnerability newcomer immigrant women can face in situations of domestic violence. This paper is divided into four sections. The first section reviews the literature on the multiple oppressions experienced by newcomer South Asian women and their vulnerability in relation to domestic violence. In the second section the authors present the case of Tejinder, an immigrant woman whom the first author interviewed during data collection for her doctoral dissertation. In the third section the authors discuss how language, gender, race, class and immigration policy intersect to increase the vulnerability of Tejinder in relation to domestic violence. The paper concludes with recommendations for social work practice and for policy