Inefficiency and institutional issues in the provision of merit goods: A case study of public water supply in rural Kerala

This paper discusses the issues of inefficiency in the provision of merit goods, taking the case of public water supply in rural Kerala. The analysis has identified two source of inefficiency in the provision of merit good. First, is due to the fact that the state and its agencies autonomously decide the nature and characteristics of the merit good. If the nature of good provided is not preferred by the people, or its consumption require effort on the part of citizens, these may lead to the non-consumption of the good by a large number of people. Thus, the definition of safe water as pipe water (from a centralised system) in the case of Kerala, lead to its effective non-use by a significant part of rural population. The second source of inefficiency in the provision of merit good, is in the selection of the institutional framework. The acquisition and free distribution of water by the state agency, is the prevailing institutional framework in Kerala, and this is inappropriate in efficiently solving the drinking water problem of different localities, taking their specific characteristics into account. The paper outlines a logical framework, which can be used to identify the necessary mechanism of government intervention in water supply in different localities.merit good; rural water supply; institutional choice and inefficiency; new institutional economics; Kerala

Born to Be Wild: A Case for Targeting Ectopic Adult Born Granule Cells for Seizure Control.

[Box: see text]

A six-factor asset pricing model

The present study introduce the human capital component to the Fama and French five-factor model proposing an equilibrium six-factor asset pricing model. The study employs an aggregate of four sets of portfolios mimicking size and industry with varying dimensions. The first set consists of three set of six portfolios each sorted on size to B/M, size to investment, and size to momentum. The second set comprises of five index portfolios, third, a four-set of twenty-five portfolios each sorted on size to B/M, size to investment, size to profitability, and size to momentum, and the final set constitute thirty industry portfolios. To estimate the parameters of six-factor asset pricing model for the four sets of variant portfolios, we use OLS and Generalized method of moments based robust instrumental variables technique (IVGMM). The results obtained from the relevance, endogeneity, overidentifying restrictions, and the Hausman's specification, tests indicate that the parameter estimates of the six-factor model using IVGMM are robust and performs better than the OLS approach. The human capital component shares equally the predictive power alongside the factors in the framework in explaining the variations in return on portfolios. Furthermore, we assess the t-ratio of the human capital component of each IVGMM estimates of the six-factor asset pricing model for the four sets of variant portfolios. The t-ratio of the human capital of the eighty-three IVGMM estimates are more than 3.00 with reference to the standard proposed by Harvey et al. (2016). This indicates the empirical success of the six-factor asset-pricing model in explaining the variation in asset returns

Preprocessing of Prithvi Post Flight data for Parameter Identification

This document presents the methods of preprocessing flight data . The data acquired during flight test contain data spikes and- noise, due to various reasons and requires processing . of data to remove spikes and noise before they are used for any analysis. For this purpose a finite difference method for editing the flight data 'to remove the spikes and Fast Fourier Transfort (FFT) method for filtering the flight data to remove the noise have been used . A software package "PREVRD' incorporating these methods has been developed . The spectral analysis via FFT to select cut-off frequency for filtering has also been incorporated in the PREPRO . The package is validated . using test example and is used successfully for processing PRITHVI post flight data

Dentate total molecular layer interneurons mediate cannabinoid-sensitive inhibition.

Activity of the dentate gyrus, which gates information flow to the hippocampus, is under tight inhibitory regulation by interneurons with distinctive axonal projections, intrinsic and synaptic characteristics and neurochemical identities. Total molecular layer cells (TML-Cs), a class of morphologically distinct GABAergic neurons with axonal projections across the molecular layer, are among the most frequent interneuronal type in the dentate subgranular region. However, little is known about their synaptic and neurochemical properties. We demonstrate that synapses from morphologically identified TML-Cs to dentate interneurons are characterized by low release probability, facilitating short-term dynamics and asynchronous release. TML-Cs consistently show somatic and axonal labeling for the cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1 R) yet fail to express cholecystokinin (CCK) indicating their distinctive neurochemical identity. In paired recordings, the release probability at synapses between TML-Cs was increased by the CB1 R antagonist AM251, demonstrating baseline endocannabinoid regulation of TML-C synapses. Apart from defining the synaptic and neurochemical features of TML-Cs, our findings reveal the morphological identity of a class of dentate CB1 R-positive neurons that do not express CCK. Our findings indicate that TML-Cs can mediate cannabinoid sensitive feed-forward and feedback inhibition of dentate perforant path inputs

NATURE VS MAN: A THEMATIC STUDY OF HERMAN MELVILLE’S MOBY DICK. -

Nature always wears the colors of spirit and joy. Humans are the creations of nature and nothing without it. Nature gives us life in all means and humans are not loyal to protect it in return. Human’s act against nature is the major cause for the degradation happening throughout the world. Many authors warned the readers through their writings about the ill happening against nature and its outcome. Among all Herman Melville’s portrayal of human act against nature through the character Captain Ahab, who made his move against nature to catch the smart sea Whale Moby Dick. The setting created by Melville for this novel is the places in and around the ocean near Massachusetts. The novel not only exposed the value of culture and humanity but also shows the injustice done my mankind against nature and as a result everyone was punished on their own way