Exchange rate policy and export performance in a landlocked developing country: the case of Nepal

This paper examines the implications of Nepal’s exchange rate policy for its export performance over the period 1980–2010. We first document Nepal’s long-standing currency peg against the Indian rupee and that Nepal’s real exchange rate appreciated substantially from the late 1990s. We then employ a gravity modeling approach to confirm that this real exchange rate appreciation has adversely affected Nepal’s exports, especially to third-country markets. Nepal’s exchange rate-related export competitiveness trap provides a motivation to reconsider the current peg

Arp 65 interaction debris: massive HI displacement and star formation

Context: Pre-merger interactions between galaxies can induce significant changes in the morphologies and kinematics of the stellar and ISM components. Large amounts of gas and stars are often found to be disturbed or displaced as tidal debris. This debris then evolves, sometimes forming stars and occasionally tidal dwarf galaxies. Here we present results from our HI study of Arp 65, an interacting pair hosting extended HI tidal debris. Aims: In an effort to understand the evolution of tidal debris produced by interacting pairs of galaxies, including in situ star and tidal dwarf galaxy formation, we are mapping HI in a sample of interacting galaxy pairs. The Arp 65 pair is one of them. Methods: Our resolved HI 21 cm line survey is being carried out using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT). We used our HI survey data as well as available SDSS optical, Spitzer infra-red and GALEX UV data to study the evolution of the tidal debris and the correlation of HI with the star-forming regions within it. Results: In Arp 65 we see a high impact pre-merger interaction involving a pair of massive galaxies (NGC 90 and NGC 93) that have a stellar mass ratio of ~ 1:3. The interaction, which probably occurred ~ 1.0 -- 2.5 $\times$ 10$^8$ yr ago, appears to have displaced a large fraction of the HI in NGC 90 (including the highest column density HI) beyond its optical disk. We also find extended ongoing star formation in the outer disk of NGC 90. In the major star-forming regions, we find the HI column densities to be ~ 4.7 $\times$ 10$^{20}$ cm$^{-2}$ or lower. But no signature of star formation was found in the highest column density HI debris, SE of NGC 90. This indicates conditions within the highest column density HI debris remain hostile to star formation and it reaffirms that high HI column densities may be a necessary but not sufficient criterion for star formation.Comment: Accepted in A&

Medical abortion in Nepal: a qualitative study on women's experiences at safe abortion services and pharmacies.

BACKGROUND: Although Nepal legalised abortion in 2002, a significant number of women continue to access unsafe abortions. An estimated 60% of all abortions performed in 2014 were unsafe, with unsafe abortion continuing to be a leading contributor to maternal mortality. Despite medical abortion access being solely permitted through government accredited safe abortion services, medical abortion pills are readily available for illegal purchase at pharmacies throughout the country. METHODS: Utilising an Assets Focused Rapid Participatory Appraisal (AFRPA) research methodology, underpinned by a health information pyramid conceptual framework, this qualitative exploratory study collected data from in-depth, open-ended interviews. The study explored the medical abortion and sexual and reproductive health experiences of ten women who accessed medical abortion through an accredited safe abortion service, and ten women who accessed unsafe medical abortion through pharmacies. RESULTS: Thematic content analysis revealed emerging themes relating to decision-making processes in accessing safe or unsafe medical abortion; knowledge of safe abortion services; and SRH information access and post-abortion contraceptive counselling. Findings emphasised the interconnectivity of sexual and reproductive health and rights; reproductive coercion; education; poverty; spousal separation; and women's personal, social and economic empowerment. CONCLUSIONS: While barriers to safe abortion services persist, so will the continued demand for medical abortion provision through pharmacies. Innovated and effective harm reduction implementations combined with access and information expansion strategies offer the potential to increase access to safe medical abortion while decreasing adverse health outcomes for women

AN ANALYSIS OF WILLINGNESS TO PARTICIPATE IN WILDERNESS OR OTHER PRIMITIVE AREAS

A logit model was used to determine the major factors explaining willingness to participate of an individual in the wilderness or other primitive area visits. The results of the study showed that education and environmental awareness were in wilderness participation decision. Demographic variables like age, race, and sex also were statistically significant and emerged as important policy variables in defining wilderness participation behavior. Characteristics of wilderness areas like crowdness, pollution, and poor management failed to produce any significant impacts in the decision making process of wilderness area visit.wilderness or other primitive area visits, policy variables, demographic characteristics, participation behavior, Consumer/Household Economics,

Long-range electronic reconstruction to a dxz,yzd_{xz,yz}-dominated Fermi surface below the LaAlO3_3/SrTiO3_3 interface

Low dimensionality, broken symmetry and easily-modulated carrier concentrations provoke novel electronic phase emergence at oxide interfaces. However, the spatial extent of such reconstructions - i.e. the interfacial "depth" - remains unclear. Examining LaAlO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ heterostructures at previously unexplored carrier densities $n_{2D}\geq6.9\times10^{14}$ cm$^{-2}$, we observe a Shubnikov-de Haas effect for small in-plane fields, characteristic of an anisotropic 3D Fermi surface with preferential $d_{xz,yz}$ orbital occupancy extending over at least 100~nm perpendicular to the interface. Quantum oscillations from the 3D Fermi surface of bulk doped SrTiO$_3$ emerge simultaneously at higher $n_{2D}$. We distinguish three areas in doped perovskite heterostructures: narrow ($<20$ nm) 2D interfaces housing superconductivity and/or other emergent phases, electronically isotropic regions far ($>120$ nm) from the interface and new intermediate zones where interfacial proximity renormalises the electronic structure relative to the bulk.Comment: Supplementary material available at Scientific Reports websit

Exports Performance of Nepal: What Can Be Done?

What can be done to improve the export performance of Nepal? is an important question as the Nepal’s progress on export is not satisfactory. Yes, the performance has not met the expectation of the stakeholders and even of the policymakers. In addition to the detailed descriptive analysis, I use a standard gravity modelling technique to answer this question using SITC, 5 digits data for the period 2005-2018. The econometric estimation results suggest that, Nepal could not gain meaningfully from its earlier steps in the liberalization and reform procedures rather its loosing export position. To come out from this situation, the estimated results suggest that Nepal’s should focus on some products that have high-value to weight targeting to reduce the transportation costs meaningfully. Nepal should adopt specific strategies, such as, build trade and manufacturing-focused infrastructure, initiate for bilateral trade agreements, improve the quality of the governance side by side of the reform process and second generation reform programs, tie up the education with national production system, and adjust the exchange rate system making more export friendly