Global Imbalances, Current Account Rebalancing and Exchange Rate Adjustments

We analyze the global imbalances and the required adjustments for rebalancing in current accounts and real exchange rates. We set up a two-country two-sector model for the US- China with two asymmetries. First, we assume that the size of China initially is one third of the US but its size becomes half of the US in the next ten years consistent with the fast growth expectations in China. Secondly, we assume that China initially runs a net export surplus against the US. Then we quantitatively study two adjustment scenarios. First scenario,called Slow Adjustment, assumes that in the process of growth, Chinese demand composition moves more towards domestic non-tradable sector. In this case, Chinese real exchange rate appreciates gradually and net export surplus also decreases slowly. Second scenario, called Quick Adjustment, assumes that in addition to the higher non-tradable share in output, net export surplus against US goes to zero quickly in fi�ve years. In this case, net export adjustment happens quickly and real exchange rates in China also appreciate faster and at a higher rate than Slow Adjustment case. Even though, global imbalances are eliminated faste in the Quick Adjustment case, high real appreciation in China hurts importers in the US. A comparison in terms of output shows that Slow Adjustments is preferred for both countries.Global imbalances, Current accounts, Exchange rate adjustments

Future Community-Based Ecotourism (CBET) development

Ecotourism is an alternative form of tourism and is usually confused with natural and cultural tourism.CBET is fast becoming a popular biodiversity conservation tool that develops and benefits the local community. Based on the context of conservation theory and practice, Community-Based Ecotourism (CBET) is a form of community-based natural resource management. However, a sustainable CBET development through Community Capacity Building (CCB)programs is not something that it easily achievable. Local community’s capacity varies from one culture to another. It takes a high level of community participation, in order for it to come to a level where the community members themselves are motivated to participate and contribute to the development of the program. This fully qualitative research involved 15 respondents from the community of Kg. Selai, Bekok in Johor, Malaysia. The result show there are five factors that sustained the ecotourism development based for Orang Asli Community in Kg. Selai, namely, existing CBET development, past CBET development, local community participation in planning stage of tourism, local participation in implementation stage of tourism and participation in nature conservation

COVID-19 Crowd Detection

Object detection was introduced by researchers for face detection. Researchers explain how the detected face is divided into minor frames to be recognized by the algorithm. Due to COVID-19 and government regulations, many people face problems going to shopping centers and shop safely. It has been very hard for both the government and the people to manage social distancing. In our study, we developed a system using Raspberry Pi-4 that will detect the distance between people along with counting the number of distance and mask violations. An error message will appear on the screen in red, showing the total number of distance and mask violations, which could later be used by the customer as statistical evidence for better safety precautions

New Gene Combinations Conferring Resistance to the Bacterial Blight Disease of Cotton

F2 plants comprising different gene combinations were evaluated for cotton bacterial blight resistance in the field of the Gezira Research Station and the greenhouse of the Plant Pathology Centre of the University of Gezira, Neshashiba, Wad Medani, during the autumn of 2002. Results generally showed significant differences between different gene combinations in resistance to the new race of the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pv. malvacearum. Leaf disease grades ranged from 4 to 6. Most of the plants fell into grade 5. Genotype 12, with expected gene combination of (B2B3B6B7B9B12), expressed the highest level of resistance with a mean disease grade of 4, while genotypes 7, 11 and 15 showed the lowest level of resistance with a mean disease grade of 6. The results indicated the importance of the genetic background B2B3B7 in improving resistance to both the old and the new races when one of the following major genes B4, B6, B9, and B12 is incorporated. In such background, resistance level improves as the number of genes increases. Therefore, the commercial resistant cultivars having B2B6 genetic background to the old race of the bacterium can be replaced by the genetic background involving B2B3B7 in addition to one of the four major genes mentioned above in order to protect the cotton crop. Genotypes 5, 6, 12, and 19 were recommended for further improvement as they expressed relatively high level of resistance to the pathogen. &nbsp

Bio-ethanol production from cassava (manihot esculenta) waste peels using acid hydrolysis and fermentation process

In this research study, cassava peel waste was used as a sole carbon source for ethanol production using the process of fermentation and co-culture techniques. Production of Bio-ethanol from cassava peels was examined using co-culture of Aspergillus niger and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Sulfuric acid solution with concentration of 2 %, 6 % and 10 %, was used to hydrolyze the substrates. Aspergillus niger and Saccharomyces cerevisiae were further used to ferment the substrates at 28 oC for 4 days. The fermented liquid was distilled at 78 oC and quantity of ethanol produced was determined. These findings proved that 10 % H2SO4 concentrated acid pretreated sample resulted into maximum ethanol yield (37.35 g/ml), pH 4.55, sugar content (15.5 %) and alcohol content (8.5 %) after 4 days. This study further revealed that bio-ethanol can be produced from cassava peels with maximum yield obtained using 10 % H2S04 acid for hydrolysis and Aspergillus niger and Saccharomyces cerevisiae for fermentation

Molecular phylogeny based on its sequences of nrDNA of some species belonging to dodder (Cuscuta L.) genus from various ecological sites of Turkey

Nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) sequence data of the Cuscuta genus, which have been considered as one of the most popular sequences for phylogenetic inference in plants, have been studied from a phylogenetic perspective in agricultural and non-agricultural lands of Turkey. The samples of Cuscuta spp. were collected from different geographical regions of Turkey between the years of 2013-2015. Some other species, not available locally, were taken from the herbarium samples of some research units. In order to study the phylogenetic relations of collected species, DNA isolations were made from body tissue samples. Conserved regions on ribosomal DNA (rDNA) were amplified by universal primers via PCR method and cloned into a proper cloning vector. The cloned DNA fragments were sequenced and analysed by web-based and computer programs. DNA sequences of certain species were recorded to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database. Based on the morphological examination and molecular analyses of fresh and the herbarium specimen, 8 species were identified. The identified species were C. hyalina (Gene bank accession no. KY020420), C. monogyna (KY020421), C. europaea (KY020422), C. palaestina (KY020423), C. approximata (KY020424), C. kurdica (KY020427), C. kotschyana (KY020430) and C. babylonica (KY020431). The ITS (Internal Transcribed Spacer) region contains several indels in identified Cuscuta species with the length varying from 668 to 730 bp. Sequence divergence ranges from 1.00% to 8.00% within Cuscuta spp. Based on our findings, the ITS sequences provided phylogenetically informative results in combination with the secondary structures

3-Dimensional advanced solution for lunar descent and landing

A 3-dimensional advanced guidance scheme is necessary to perform a successful precise lunar landing mission. This paper outlines a 3-dimensional comparison of different methods of solution of motion control equations for guidance scheme of lunar descent. It also proposes a 3-dimensional advanced solution that allows a full depiction for a descent vehicle motion from orbital states down to the final landing event. In the conventional 2-dimensional methods of solution, some inadequate assumptions exist that limit the validity of the solutions. The proposed research solves those problems and eventually allows a complete representation of the descent module motion for successful pinpoint lunar landing

High-resolution biostratigraphic zonation across the Cretaceous/Paleogene (K/Pg) boundary from the Sulaymaniyah area, Kurdistan Region, Northeastern Iraq

The present study interprets the high resolution of the biostratigraphy across the Cretaceous/Paleogene (K/Pg) boundary from Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan Region, and north-east Iraq, based on planktic foraminifera. The Dartw section was selected for this study, within the High Folded Zone. The biozone contact consists of lithostratigraphic resemblance and is represented by the upper part of the Tanjero Formation (late Maastrichtian) with the overlying Kolosh Formation (Danian). Four late Maastrichtian planktic foraminiferal biozones have been recorded from the Tanjero Formation: Racemiguembelina fructicosa Interval Zone (CF4), Pseudoguembelina hariaensis Concurrent Range Zone (CF3),Pseudoguembelina palpebra Partial Range Zone (CF2), and Plummerita hantkeninoides Total Range Zone (CF1), while three Danian planktic foraminiferal biozones and two subzones have been recorded from the Kolosh Formation: (Guembelitria cretacea (P0) Interval Zone, Parvularugoglobigerina eugubina (Pα) Total Range Zone, and Parasubbotina pseudobulloides (P1) Partial-Range Zone (Globoanomalina archaeocompressa (P1a) Partial Range Subzone, and Subbotina triloculinoides (P1b) Interval Subzone). High biostratigraphic resolution indicates a complete K/Pg transition with no hiatus at the studied section in the Sulaymaniyah area. The ranges of the species recognized in this study are given. Correlations with other sections in Iraq and other parts of the world, including the typeMaastrichtian and Danian areas, are discussed and represented in correlation charts, together with the ranges of the important Upper Maastrichtian and Paleocene species