Impact of ASEAN-India FTA on India’s Plantation Commodities : A Simulation Analysis

The present study attempts a quantitative assessment of the impact of recently signed ASEAN-India FTA (AIFTA) for selected plantation commodities (coffee, tea and pepper) in India. We use partial equilibrium modeling approach (SMART model and gravity model) to simulate the likely import increase of the plantation commodities under the proposed tariff reduction schedule of the AIFTA. Overall, the results suggest that the AIFTA will cause significant increase in Indias import of plantation commodities. The increase in imports is mostly driven by trade creation rather than trade diversion. From the economic efficiency point of view, trade creation improves welfare as the new imports replace the high-cost domestic production. The analysis shows that the proposed tariff reduction may lead to significant tariff revenue loss to the government. However, the gain in consumer surplus (due to the fall in domestic price and the consequent reduction in dead-weight loss) outweighs the loss in tariff revenue leading to net welfare gain. By and large, the simulations based on the SMART and gravity models provide similar results on the magnitude of total increase in imports. The surge of new imports may have adverse impact for the livelihood of the Indian farmers engaged in the production of these commodities. Farmers will have to realign the structure of production according to the changing price signals and hence it is critical to provide adjustment assistance to the affected farmers.SMART Model, Gravity Model, Simulation Analysis

Mars Dust: Characterization of Particle Size and Electrostatic Charge Distribution

Some of the latest pictures of Mars surface sent by NASA's Spirit rover in early January, 2004, show very cohesive, "mud-like" dust layers. Significant amounts of dust clouds are present in the atmosphere of Mars [1-4]. NASA spacecraft missions to Mars confirmed hypotheses from telescopic work that changes observed in the planet's surface markings are caused by wind-driven redistribution of dust. In these dust storms, particles with a wide range of diameters (less than 1 micrometer to 50 micrometers) are a serious problem to solar cells, spacecraft, and spacesuits. Dust storms may cover the entire planet for an extended period of time [5]. It is highly probable that the particles are charged electrostatically by triboelectrification and by UV irradiation

Global Medical Device Nomenclature: The Concept for Reducing Device-Related Medical Errors

In the medical device field, there are a number of players, having quite different responsibilities and levels of understanding of the processes, but all with one common interest, that of ensuring the availability of sound medical devices to the general public. To assist in this very important process, there is a need for a common method for describing and identifying these medical devices in an unambiguous manner. The Global Medical Device Nomenclature (GMDN) now provides, for the first time, an international tool for identifying all medical devices, at the generic level, in a meaningful manner that can be understood by all users. Prior to the GMDN, many nomenclature systems existed, all built upon different structures, and used locally or nationally for special purposes, with unusual approaches. These diverse systems, although often workable in their own right, have had no impact on improving the overall situation of providing a common platform, whereby, medical devices could be correctly identified and the related data safely exchanged between the involved parties. Work by standard organizations such as, CEN (European Committee for Standardization) and ISO (International Organization for Standardization), from 1993 to 1996, resulted in a standard that specified a structure for a new nomenclature, for medical devices. In this article we are trying to explain GMDN as the prime method to reduce medical device errors, and to understand the concept of GMDN, to regulate the medical device throughout the globe. Here we also make an attempt to explain various aspects of the GMDN system, such as, the process of development of the GMDN-CEN report, purpose, benefits, and their structural considerations. In addition, there will be an explanation of the coding system, role of the GMDN agency, and their utilization in the unique device identification (UDI) System. Finally, the current area of focus and vision for the future are also mentioned

COMMUNICATION ACROSS ACCESS TECHNOLOGIES WITH APPLICATION-SPECIFIC POP SELECTION IN SOFTWARE-DEFINED ENTERPRISE FABRIC

Techniques are presented herein that add to the existing 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) fifth generation (5G), private 5G, and secure access service edge (SASE) connectivity options for remote hosts when such hosts are located in an enterprise software-defined access (SDA) network. The techniques aid in connecting remote terrain, Industry 4.0, Internet of things (IoT), and private 5G devices through enterprise SDA/SDN networks (or any other intermediary overlay networks) and provide inter-access technology communication between 5G and existing access technology endpoints in an enterprise SDA fabric. The techniques also bring point of presence (PoP) service-level agreement (SLA) information (such as latency measures, performance details, etc.) to an edge or access element of a network to facilitate 5G application-specific PoP selection and a redirection of traffic to the correct PoP. That information may be used to select an application-specific PoP exit which meet applicable SLA requirements and/or select a service using a particular border, and then select a specific PoP, thus meeting the SLA requirements. The techniques also augment a security solution when a physical firewall is not directly connected to the service border but, rather, is available as a 5G application, such as under a firewall as a service paradigm in a SASE environment

Direct Visualization of Laser-Driven Focusing Shock Waves

Cylindrically or spherically focusing shock waves have been of keen interest for the past several decades. In addition to fundamental study of materials under extreme conditions, cavitation, and sonoluminescence, focusing shock waves enable myriad applications including hypervelocity launchers, synthesis of new materials, production of high-temperature and high-density plasma fields, and a variety of medical therapies. Applications in controlled thermonuclear fusion and in the study of the conditions reached in laser fusion are also of current interest. Here we report on a method for direct real-time visualization and measurement of laser-driven shock generation, propagation, and 2D focusing in a sample. The 2D focusing of the shock front is the consequence of spatial shaping of the laser shock generation pulse into a ring pattern. A substantial increase of the pressure at the convergence of the acoustic shock front is observed experimentally and simulated numerically. Single-shot acquisitions using a streak camera reveal that at the convergence of the shock wave in liquid water the supersonic speed reaches Mach 6, corresponding to the multiple gigapascal pressure range 30 GPa

Bond stretching phonon softening and angle-resolved photoemission kinks in optimally doped Bi2Sr1.6La0.4Cu2O6 superconductors

We report the first measurement of the optical phonon dispersion in optimally doped single layer Bi2Sr1.6La0.4Cu2O6+delta using inelastic x-ray scattering. We found a strong softening of the Cu-O bond stretching phonon at about q=(0.25,0,0) from 76 to 60 meV, similar to the one reported in other cuprates. A direct comparison with angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements taken on the same sample, revealed an excellent agreement in terms of energy and momentum between the ARPES nodal kink and the soft part of the bond stretching phonon. Indeed, we find that the momentum space where a 63 meV kink is observed can be connected with a vector q=(xi,0,0) with xi~0.22, which corresponds exactly to the soft part of the bond stretching phonon mode. This result supports an interpretation of the ARPES kink in terms of electron-phonon coupling.Comment: submited to PR

Electronic structure of Pr0.67_{0.67}Ca0.33_{0.33}MnO3_3 near the Fermi level studied by ultraviolet photoelectron and x-ray absorption spectroscopy

We have investigated the temperature-dependent changes in the near-$E$$_F$ occupied and unoccupied states of Pr$_{0.67}$Ca$_{0.33}$MnO$_3$ which shows the presence of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic phases. The temperature-dependent changes in the charge and orbital degrees of freedom and associated changes in the Mn 3$d$ - O 2$p$ hybridization result in varied O 2$p$ contributions to the valence band. A quantitative estimate of the charge transfer energy ($E$$_{CT}$) shows a larger value compared to the earlier reported estimates. The charge localization causing the large $E$$_{CT}$ is discussed in terms of different models including the electronic phase separation.Comment: 19 pages, 7 figures, To be published in Phy. Rev.

Effect of Charge on the Deposition of Electrostatically Charged Inhalable Aerosol in Lung Model

Inhalable drugs are widely used for treating lung diseases such as asthma, emphysema, and cystic fibrosis. The aerosol particles in these inhalable drugs may be charged electrostatically. The deposition of these inhaled therapeutic aerosol particles in the different regions of the lung depends on the particle aerodynamic diameter, electrostatic charge distribution, particulate number density, breathing rate, aerodynamics of the lung, ambient temperature, and relative humidity (RH). The primary mechanisms for lung deposition of inhaled particles are impaction, gravitational settling, diffusion, interception, and electrostatic attraction. To simulate lung deposition, electrostatically charged aerosol particles are introduced through a throat section into a glass bead lung model. The E-SPART analyzer was used to measure aerosol deposition as a function of the particle charge and size. Experiments were carried out to determine the increase in deposition efficiency as a function of the net charge-to-mass ratio (Q/M) of aerosol particles. Using a fairly monodisperse aerosol of 5.0 um count median aerodynamic diameter, it was found that the total deposition efficiency increased from 54% to 91% when Q/M increased from 0.5 to 9.67 |muC/g. The data show that enhanced delivery of the therapeutic aerosol in the lung can be achieved by controlling the electrostatic charge on the inhaled aerosol particles

Identifying suicide and self-harm research priorities in North West England: a Delphi study

Background: Understanding and effectively managing self-harm and suicide requires collaborative research between stakeholders focused on shared priorities. Aims: To develop a consensus about suicide and self-harm research priorities in the North-West of England using the Delphi method. Method: Items for the Delphi survey were generated through group discussions at a workshop with 88 stakeholders and subsequent thematic analysis of key themes. Forty-four participants who were experts-by-experience, researchers, and clinicians based within health services including third sector organisations completed the Delphi survey. Results: A three-round survey reached consensus on 55 research priority items identifying key priorities in each of the following groups: offenders, children and young people, self-harm in community settings, and crisis care in the community. Limitation: The pool of delegates at the workshop and subsequent self-selection into the Delphi may have introduced bias into the study. Conclusion: The current paper highlights specific actionable priorities were identified in four areas that can be used to inform research efforts and future policy and practice, based on shared areas of perceived importance and concern. Future work is needed to confirm the significance of these priority areas, including the use of evidence synthesis approaches to ascertain the extent to which these priorities have already been investigated and where gaps in understanding remain