Non-agricultural Market Access: A South Asian Perspective

A key element of the Doha Round of trade negotiations is liberalisation of trade in industrial products, commonly known as non-agricultural market access (NAMA). These negotiations are important for developing countries as these will determine the market access opportunities through which they can improve their growth prospects. This paper examines the key issues of NAMA from the South Asian perspective, outlines a negotiating strategy for increased market access, and spells out some policy implications.

Handwritten Signature Verification using Deep Learning

Every person has his/her own unique signature that is used mainly for the purposes of personal identification and verification of important documents or legal transactions. There are two kinds of signature verification: static and dynamic. Static(off-line) verification is the process of verifying an electronic or document signature after it has been made, while dynamic(on-line) verification takes place as a person creates his/her signature on a digital tablet or a similar device. Offline signature verification is not efficient and slow for a large number of documents. To overcome the drawbacks of offline signature verification, we have seen a growth in online biometric personal verification such as fingerprints, eye scan etc. In this paper we created CNN model using python for offline signature and after training and validating, the accuracy of testing was 99.70%

Loss of AP-3 function affects spontaneous and evoked release at hippocampal mossy fiber synapses

Synaptic vesicle (SV) exocytosis mediating neurotransmitter release occurs spontaneously at low intraterminal calcium concentrations and is stimulated by a rise in intracellular calcium. Exocytosis is compensated for by the reformation of vesicles at plasma membrane and endosomes. Although the adaptor complex AP-3 was proposed to be involved in the formation of SVs from endosomes, whether its function has an indirect effect on exocytosis remains unknown. Using mocha mice, which are deficient in functional AP-3, we identify an AP-3-dependent tetanus neurotoxin-resistant asynchronous release that can be evoked at hippocampal mossy fiber (MF) synapses. Presynaptic targeting of the tetanus neurotoxin-resistant vesicle soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) tetanus neurotoxin-insensitive vesicle-associated membrane protein (TI-VAMP) is lost in mocha hippocampal MF terminals, whereas the localization of synaptobrevin 2 is unaffected. In addition, quantal release in mocha cultures is more frequent and more sensitive to sucrose. We conclude that lack of AP-3 results in more constitutive secretion and loss of an asynchronous evoked release component, suggesting an important function of AP-3 in regulating SV exocytosis at MF terminals

The Five Purposes of Creation and the Authentic Essence of Tarbiya (Education): A study in light of the Holy Qur’an

أهداف البحث: يهدف البحث بالأساس إلى دراسة مقاصد الخَلق الخمسة: العبادة، والاستخلاف في الأرض، وعمارتها، والابتلاء، والاختلاف بين الناس، وتحليل العلاقات فيما بينها، وعلاقاتها بجوهر التربية الأصيل، ألا وهو الترقي السامي في معارج الكمال، بناءً على تحليل الباحث لمفهوم التربية الأصيل في دراسة دلالية تأصيلية سابقة، فهذا البحث متمم لتلك الدراسة ويستجيب لتوصيتها. منهج الدراسة: أُنجز البحث باتباع منهجية تحليلية تأصيلية في ضوء القرآن الحكيم، وذلك باستقراء الآيات التي كشفت عن مقاصد الخلق بصِيَغِ تعليلٍ ظاهرةٍ، ودراستها دراسةً دلاليةً مقارنة في ضوء سياقاتها، وتحليل العلاقة بين دلالة كل مَقصد ودلالة جوهر التربية الأصيل، ثم استخلاص أهم النتائج وآفاقها. النتائج: أهم ما كشف عنه البحث هو أنه بمقدار تمثل الإنسان لمقتضيات مقاصد خلقه الخمسة -التي تشير إليها دلالاتها حسب تحليلها في ضوء القرآن - فإنه يحقق إنسانيته ويرتقي في معارج الكمال البشري ارتقاءً شاملًا وساميًا، يقربه إلى ربه ذي المثل الأعلى للكمال، وذلك الارتقاء هو جوهر التربية الأصيل. أصالة البحث: تكمن أصالة البحث في كونه يكشف عن دلالات مقاصد الخلق الخمسة، والعلاقات فيما بينها جميعًا، وعلاقاتها بجوهر التربية الأصيل، وارتباطها بفكرة التقرب إلى الله ذي الكمال المطلق، كشفًا تأصيليًا جديدًا يعمق تصورنا عن مفهوم التربية وجوهرها الأصيل، الذي من شأنه تحقيق ارتقاء إنساني تجديدي شامل نحو الكمال.Purpose: This research mainly studies the five purposes of creation: worship “ʿibāda”, viceroyship “khilāfa” on earth, developing “ʿimār” on earth, testing “ibtilāʾ”, and human differences “ikhtilāf”. It also analyzes their interrelationships as well as their relationships with the authentic essence of tarbiya (education), i.e., the eminent progression along the stairway to perfection, based on the researcher’s analysis of the authentic concept of tarbiya in a previous semantically authenticating study. Thus, this research is complementary to the previous study and was conducted in response to the latter’s recommendations. Methodology: The research follows a semantically analytical authenticating methodology in light of the Qur’an. It examines the Qur’anic verses that clearly convey the purposes of creation, studies them semantically, compares and contrasts them in light of their respective contexts, analyzes the relationship between each purpose and the connotations of the authentic essence of tarbiya, and then derives the key findings and their contributions. Findings: The key findings of the research reveal that, in as much as human beings commit to the requirements of the five purposes of their creation – to which their connotations point to, according to their analysis in light of the Qur’an - they fulfill their humanity and ascend comprehensively and nobly towards human perfection, which places them closer to their Lord, whose perfection is the loftiest. This ascension embodies the authentic essence of tarbiya. Originality: The originality of the research lies in the fact that it newly and authentically reveals the connotations of the five purposes of creation and their interrelationship, their relevance to the authentic essence of tarbiya, and the linkage between them and the notion of becoming closer to Allah, who has the ultimate perfection. This disclosure deepens our perception of the concept of tarbiya and its essence that can potentially fulfill a comprehensive and renewed human progression towards perfection

Towards Reviving the Authentic Concept of “Tarbiyah”

أهداف البحث: يسعى البحث إلى تحرير مفهوم التربية تحريراً تأصيلياً متحرراً مما شُحن به من دلالات مستوردة من نسق فكري مغاير إجمالاً للنسق الفكري الأصيل للأمة، مما أدى إلى ضياع أو ضمور الدلالات الأصيلة، كما أدى إلى كثير من الإشكالات في التناول السائد للمفهوم. منهج الدراسة: يتبع البحث المنهجية التحليلية الدلالية التأصيلية في ضوء المعاجم العربية الأصيلة – باعتبارها المراجع الأساسية لمعرفة جذور الألفاظ العربية واشتقاقاتها ودلالاتها الأصيلة - والقرآن باعتباره المرجعية العليا للتأصيل وتأسيس منظومة المفاهيم الخاصة بالأمة الإسلامية. النتائج: التحليل الدلالي لجذور لفظ التربية والاشتقاقات المرتبطة بها كشف مدى ثراء المخزون الدلالي الأصيل للتربية. وبتوظيف نتائج هذا التحليل حُرر مفهوم التربية في البحث تحريراً جامعاً مؤصلاً على النحو التالي: "التربية عملية تنشئة متواصلة ورعاية دائمة وترقية متدرجة للمربوب إلى حد الكمال". وبالتأمل والتدقيق في هذا التعريف تبين أن جوهر التربية الأصيل إنما هو الترقي في معارج الكمال. وبتحليل دلالات هذا الجوهر في ضوء القرآن تبين أن هناك علاقة وثيقة بين جوهر التربية وكون الكمال المطلق لله وحده، إذ هو المثل الأعلى للكمال. وبالتعمق في هذه العلاقة وتحليل دلالاتها في ضوء القرآن كشف البحث عن الأبعاد السامية للتربية. أصالة البحث: تكمن أصالة البحث في تحريره لمفهوم التربية الأصيل وتأصيله وتحليل دلالاته وأبعادها بمنهجية تجاوزت الإشكالات المنهجية السائدة في تناول المفهوم.Purpose: The study seeks to clarify the concept of tarbiya (education) in an authentic manner that is free from the foreign connotations of an intellectual pattern that is significantly different from the genuine intellectual pattern of the Umma (Islamic nation). This has led to the fainting or loss of the genuine connotations, as well as to many problems in the mainstream approach of dealing with  the concept. Methodology:  The study follows the authenticating analytical semantic method in the light of authentic Arabic dictionaries - as the basic references to the knowledge of the roots of Arabic words and their derivations and their authentic connotations. This is in addition to the Qur'an as the supreme reference for authenticity and establishing the system of concepts of the Umma. Findings: Semantic analysis of the roots of the term tarbiya and the derivations associated with it reveal the richness of the inherent semantic connotations of the term . Using the results of this analysis, the concept of tarbiya in the study is comprehensively and originally defined as follows: "tarbiya is a process of continuous upbringing, constant care and a step-by-step promotion of the educated to perfection". Reflecting on and scrutinizing this definition, it is clear that the essence of tarbiya is the promotion to the ranks of perfection. By analysing the connotations of this essence in the light of the Qur'an, it is shown that there is a close relationship between the essence of tarbiya and that absolute perfection belongs to Allah alone, as He is the ideal of perfection. By delving deeper into this relationship and analysing its connotations in the light of the Qur'an, the research reveals the sublime dimensions of tarbiya. Originality: This lies in its explanation of the genuine concept of tarbiya and its authenticity and analysis of its connotations and dimensions with a methodology that goes beyond the methodological problems prevailing in dealing with the concept

Non-agricultural Market Access: A South Asian Perspective

Despite the fact that the WTO has helped to reduce the overall level of tariffs with increased transparency, a majority of the developing countries with the capacity to increase exports of labour intensive manufactures continue to face significant barriers in accessing foreign markets. Tariff rates applied by the developed countries for textile and clothing and leather for instance are much higher than those on other manufacturing products such as electronics, computers and telecom equipment, thus indicating a clear discrimination against exports of the developing countries. Moreover, tariff peaks, tariff escalation, tariff rate quotas and other non-tariff measures including antidumping duties, countervailing duties, and safeguard measures to protect against serious injury from import surges, allowed under the WTO, have become major impediments to market access for developing countries exports

Experimental study and performance evaluation of the renewable energy conversion systems under realistic grid conditions using RTDS

This paper presents a new approach to analyze the steady-state and transient behavior of grid connected renewable energy sources. For this case, a permanent magnet generator based variable speed wind turbine interfaced to the grid through back to back fully rated converters is considered. The salient feature of this paper is the introduction of the realistic grid into real time digital simulation such that practical effects can be examined prior to the experimental test stage. The effect of power quality phenomena present on the supply voltage waveforms on the performance of the variable speed wind turbine system is examined. It is noted that tuning the grid side converter voltage loop for successful low voltage transient operation might not be sufficient for operation under the non-ideal voltage waveforms of actual grids. Simulation and hardware implementation have been carried out by RTDS/RSCAD

Landau theory of free standing and epitaxial ferroelectric film

Landau-Ginzburg-Devonshire’s (LGD) theory and Landau Khalatnikov’s dynamic equation are used to study the polarization reversal of second order ferroelectric (FE) systems. Teori Landau-Ginzburg-Devonshire (LGD) dan persamaan dinamik Landau- Khalatnikov telah digunakan untuk mengkaji penyongsangan pengkutuban bagi sistem-sistem feroelektrik (FE) tertib kedua

The effects of the California Teacher Performance Assessment (CalTPA) on new teacher effectiveness

This study was conducted to determine the perceptions and opinions of first-year teachers regarding the contributions of the California Teacher Performance Assessment (CalTPA) to their teaching effectiveness. An online survey consisting of 10 statements was distributed to 30 first-year secondary teachers. All surveys were returned and analyzed using a Chi Square Goodness of Fit along with descriptive techniques. The analysis showed a statistically significant difference in the distribution of responses to six of the survey statements which include collaborating; applying instructional strategies; understanding social and emotional factors; employing practices and providing activities; supporting equity, diversity, and access; and differentiating instruction. A descriptive analysis indicated that seven of the 10 statements showed that the first-year teachers believe that the CalTPA did not contribute to their teaching effectiveness. Two of the 10 statements showed that the first-year teachers believed that the CalTPA did contribute to their teaching effectiveness. One of the 10 statements showed the first-year teachers evenly divided