Fighting Irrelevance: The Role of Regional Trade Agreements in International Production Networks in Asia

This chapter contains the sectoral case study on the automotive industry in China. The objective of this chapter is to consider the role, if any, of RTAs in the growth of IPNs in automobile sector in China. Without a doubt, IPNs preceded RTAs. However, with the uncertainly associated with the prolonged negotiations under the WTO Doha Round, additional regional agreements can be expected, while existing ones might expand in depth and scope. Thus, the objective here is to consider these factors that are important to these RTAs and which could therefore encourage greater use of IPNs in China. This is done by considering the automotive sector in China.trade liberalization, international production networks, regional trade agreements, value chain, Asia, automotive, East Asia, China

Determinants of Women's Participation in Self-Help Group (SHG)-Led Microfinance Programme in Tamil Nadu

Factors determining participation of women in microfinance programme in Tamil Nadu have been identified following the multi-stage purposive and random sampling technique and selecting Coimbatore and Ramanathapuram districts for the study. It has been observed that socially backward, landless and marginal farm households participate more in this programme. Possession of livestock and consumer goods by the member households has been found to deter the joining of group. However, the number of households having informal borrowings, especially from moneylenders has been recorded to be higher among the members before joining the group. Analysis of determinants of women’s participation in microfinance programme using probit model has revealed that the age of women and value of productive assets other than land have a significant negative influence on their participation. However, social backwardness, indebtedness and presence of other microcredit programmes in the same or nearby villages have a significant positive influence on women’s participation in this programme.Agricultural Finance,

Talking about end-of-life care: the perspectives of older South Asians living in East London Journal of Research in Nursing

The National End-of-life Care Strategy for England identifies that a lack of open discussion about death and dying can be a barrier to achieving good quality end-of-life care. South Asians constitute the single largest ethnic minority group in the United Kingdom, yet little is known about their attitudes and expectations towards the discussion of death and dying. In this study, set in East London, five focus groups and 29 in-depth, semistructured interviews were conducted with total of 55 older adults aged between 52 and 78 years. Participants from six South Asian ethnic groups were recruited from 11 local community organisations. Constructive grounded theory was used as data analysis approach. Findings revealed two key themes which capture the perspectives older South Asian study participants had towards end-of-life care discussions. The theme ‘avoidance as a cultural norm’ relates to the relative absence of discussions around death and dying experienced participants. Participants neither expected to have discussions about their own death and dying within their family, nor to assume any involvement in related issues of decision making. The second theme ‘avoidance as protection’ relates to beliefs and experiences about the delegation of decision making to family members. Future research should explore the perspectives of second-generation adult children towards end-of-life care discussions

Book Review: Krishna and Christ

A review of Dr. Ishanana\u27s Krishna and Christ

Thermal and solutal stratification on MHD nanofluid flow over a porous vertical plate

Nanoparticles have the highest credibility to develop the thermal properties compared to conventional particle fluid suspension. Thermal and solutal stratification on heat and mass transfer induced due to a nanofluid over a porous vertical plate is analyzed. The transport equations engaged in the study include the effect of Brownian motion and thermophoresis particle deposition. The nonlinear governing equations and their related boundary conditions are initially looked into dimensionless forms by similarity variables. The resulting equations are solved numerically utilizing the fourth-fifth order Runge–Kutta–Fehlberg method with shooting technique (MAPLE 18). It is investigated that the temperature of the nanofluid and the concentration fraction decelerate with increase in thermal and solutal stratificatio

Recruitment of postlarval penaeid prawns in the Vellar estuary, South India

Abstract only.The northern bank of Vellar estuary (Parangipettai, India) is ideal for postlarval penaeid prawn recruitment. The annual recruitment, distribution and the substratum preference of postlarval immigrants at three different stations in the estuary were studied in detail. Among the postlarvae of Penaeus, P. (Fenneropenaeus) indicus was dominant followed by P. (Penaeus) monodon, P. (P.) semisulcatus, P. (F.) merguiensis and P. (Melicertus) latisulcatus. In Metapenaeus, postlarvae of M. monoceros were abundant followed by M. dobsoni, M. affinis, M. bre-vicornis and M. lysianassa. Two peaks were observed in the postlarval penaeid prawn population. In P (F.) indicus and P. (P.) monodon, the primary peak occurred from January to April and the secondary peak from July to September. In M. monoceros and M. dobsoni, the primary peak was from March to May and the secondary peak from August to September. The postlarvae of P. (F.) indicus, P. (P.) monodon, M. monoceros and M. dobsoni were available throughout the year while the others were seasonal. The distribution of postlarvae in the estuary is related to the type of substratum, salinity and temperature. The postlarval population declined during the northeast monsoon (November-December) and in peak summer (May-June). Their abundance decreased in the lower salinity areas of the upper reaches of the estuary

Electronic Structure of Magnetic Semiconductor CdCr_2Te_4: A Possible Spin-Dependent Symmetry Filter

We present a theoretical investigation of the electronic and magnetic structure of spinel CdCr_2Te_4 using density functional theory, its extensions via onsite Hubbard U interactions, and a screened-hybrid-functional exchange potential. We find that the ground state is semiconducting within the latter approach, and within this magnetic-semiconducting system we compute the complex band structure, finding a slowly decaying evanescent $\tilde{\Delta}_1$ state possibly suitable for realizing a spin-dependent symmetry filter effect.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figure