Corruption, Default and Optimal Credit in Welfare Programs

In this paper we present a dynamic model of subsidized credit provision to examine how asymmetric information exacerbates ineciency caused by corruption. Though designed to empower the underprivileged, the fate of such credit programs largely depends on the eciency of the credit delivery system. Corruption often erodes this eciency. Nevertheless, when a corrupt loan ocial and a borrower interact with symmetric information, credit terms can be so designed that corruption will aect only the size of the surplus, but not repayment. With private information on the borrower's productivity this result changes. The corrupt loan ocial may induce the low productivity borrower to default, mainly because of high revelation costs. The government can improve the repayment rate, but will have to under-provide the rst period loan. On the other hand it can permit default by the low productivity borrower, and maintain a higher credit level. The second option may sometimes be preferred. This inecient outcome is caused by two factors - informational ratchet eects and countervailing incentives, which are commonly present in many agency relationships.corruption, Information rent, Countervailing incentives

Traumatic hyphaema following successive vacuum and forceps-assisted delivery

Hyphaema can cause corneal staining and is a potential risk for glaucoma. We report a case of a neonate with isolated traumatic hyphaema following a prolonged delivery with the consecutive use of vacuum and forceps. A review the literature discusses reports of ophthalmic injuries associated with assisted vaginal deliveries.peer-reviewe

Feature Tracking in Two Dimensional Time Varying Datasets

This study investigates methods that can be used for tracking features in computationalluid-dynamics datasets. The two approaches of overlap based feature tracking and attribute-based feature tracking are studied. Overlap based techniques use the actual degree of overlap between sucessive time steps to conclude a match. Attribute-based techniques use characteristics native to the feature being studied, like size, orientation, speed etc, to conclude a match between candidate features. Due to limitations on the number of time steps that can be held in a computer\u27s memory, it may be possible to load only a time-subsampled data set. This might result in a decrease in the overlap obtained, and hence a subsequent decrease in the confidence of the match. This study looks into using specific attributes of features, like rotational velocity, linear velocity to predict the presence of that feature in a future time step. The use of predictive techniques is tested on swirling features, i.e., vortices. An ellipse-like representation is assumed to be a good approximation of any such feature. The location of a feature in previous time-steps are used to predict its position in a future time-step. The ellipse-like representation of the feature is translated over to the predicted location and aligned in the predicted orientation. An overlap test is then done. Use of predictive techniques will help increase the overlap, and subsequently the confidence in the match obtained. The techniques were tested on an artificial data set for linear velocity and rotation and on a real data set of simulation of flow past a cylinder. Regions of swirling flow, detected by computing the swirl parameter, were taken as features for study. The degree of overlap obtained by a basic overlap and by the use of predictive methods were tabulated. The results show that the use of predictive techniques improved the overlap

Control of tetrahedral coordination and superconductivity in FeSe0.5Te0.5 thin films

We demonstrate a close relationship between superconductivity and the dimensions of the Fe-Se(Te) tetrahedron in FeSe0.5Te0.5. This is done by exploiting thin film epitaxy, which provides controlled biaxial stress, both compressive and tensile, to distort the tetrahedron. The Se/Te height within the tetrahedron is found to be of crucial importance to superconductivity, in agreement with the theoretical proposal that (pi,pi) spin fluctuations promote superconductivity in Fe superconductors

Nawal El Saadawi: Attaining Catharsis through Trauma Narration in Woman at Point Zero

Nawal El Saadawi is a prolific writer who has received both praise and criticism for her focus on women\u27s victimization and exploitation in patriarchal Muslim cultures. Her works are living testaments to her crusade against repression, inequality, and injustice meted out by the patriarchy. Amidst her efforts to bring about change in the status of women in Egypt she faced a lot of criticism, particularly during Anwar Sadat\u27s rule when she established The Arab Women\u27s Solidarity Association which was later banned in 1991. Feminism is a controversial and challenging subject to address in the Islamic world partly owing to it being a concept of the Western world imposed upon the Middle East and North Africa by imperialism. El Saadawi faced strong backlash from Egyptian society for the publication of her feminist work Women and Sex (1972) due to rising religious fundamentalism within the state. The paper attempts to study the various efforts for women’s empowerment in Egypt set forth by the Egyptian writer and feminist Nawal El Saadawi through analyzing her work of creative non-fiction Woman at Point Zero (1973) particularly when it comes to trauma narration and scriptotherapy . The protagonist, Firdaus, attains catharsis by reiterating the horrific incidents in her life to Saadawi before walking to the gallows for her execution. This paper argues that writing about Firdaus was a form of scriptotherapy for El Saadawi who fought openly and courageously against patriarchy. I advance the argument that the retelling of the tale of Firdaus offers the possibility of healing both to the author and her audience in the face of patriarchy and the forms of injustices perpetrated by the Egyptian Islamic community. I place special emphasis on scriptotherapy arguing that after the onslaught of criticism El Saadawi received in the aftermath of the publication of Woman at Point Zero she increased her productivity, indicating the importance of writing as a weapon against the injustices meted out to voiceless women and men of Egypt

Customer driven marketing strategy of LIC international in Bahrain: a product specific study

Abstract Marketing of service product requires a slightly different strategy owing to the idiosyncratic nature of service items. The present study explores the customer oriented marketing strategy of LIC International in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The approach of the study was exploratory and personal interview was conducted to contribute major input source to the research. The company has been following a different marketing strategy in the study area different from the conventional approach in the home country. The customer focused marketing strategy was reviewed in seven Ps frame work.Service marketing, LIC international, insurance marketing, Seven Ps

Do Natural and Technological approaches have any impact on Agri-farms?

Agriculture’s considerable role in the existence of mankind has been offset by its significant contribution to the deterioration of the natural ecology due to factors such as, the expanded use of the land surface and the use of technologies to enhance food production. Accordingly, there is a perceived need to examine how sustainability in this domain can be enhanced and promoted. Relatedly, the domain is advancing in the use of digitalization such as, Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools and techniques. This research paper theorised that the implementation of natural and technological approaches can affect economic and sustainability outcomes in agriculture. Research related to different agricultural practices revealed that permaculture and digital solutions can facilitate achieving sustainability and economic goals in agriculture. Furthermore, an empirical investigation using the case of a Bangalore-based company (Hosachiguru), which provides managed farm plots, indicated that natural and technological practices, in combination, supported economic and sustainable outcomes

Ecological genetics aspects of anthropogenic host-shifts in soapberry bugs (Rhopalidae)

Host range expansion, or adaptation of insects to new hosts, is a worldwide phenomenon that has been observed repeatedly and extensively; still, the genetic mechanisms behind host-shifts are not well known. In this thesis I focus on the morphological and genetic variation associated with two recent anthropogenic host shifts in two species of soapberry bug, Leptocoris tagalicus and Jadera haematoloma.. First, I investigated the host-associated genetic differentiation in Australian Leptocoris soapberry bugs, as determined by genome-wide variation patterns. My results show that specimens feeding on two naturalized Neotropical balloon vines, (Cardiospermum halicacabum and C. grandiflorum) have longer “beaks” that those living on the native trees Atalaya hemiglauca and Alectryon tomentosus. Genetic analyses of mitochondrial haplotypes and amplified fragment length polymorphic (AFLP) markers indicate that the lineage of bugs on the annual vine C. halicacabum, is intermediate between two subspecies of L. tagalicus found on the native hosts. Moreover, where this annual vine and whitewood tree (A. hemiglauca) co-occur, the morphology and genomic composition of the bugs are similar to those occurring in allopatry. These results show that hybridization provided the genetic elements underlying the strongly differentiated ‘halicacabum bugs’. In contrast, the bugs feeding on the recently introduced perennial balloon vine (C. grandiflorum) showed no evidence of admixture, and are genetically indistinguishable from the nearby populations on a native host. Second I used a candidate gene approach to investigate the molecular genetic basis of host-adaptation in Floridian populations of the red-shouldered soapberry bug, J. haematoloma. While in Southern Florida soapberry bugs have long beaks to penetrate the large fruits of the native balloon vine (C. corindum), in northern and central Florida, bugs have evolved to feed on an introduced, flat-podded host, the Taiwanese Golden rain tree (Koelreuteria elegans). Specifically I focused on five genes because of their potential role in host preference (orco), “beak” length (Dll, dac, hth) and the adaptation to the toxic compounds of host-plants (Na+/K+-ATPase). My results suggest these genes are highly conserved in this system, and that genetic variation at these loci is not associated with the different host-plants

IDENTIFYING ACCESS POINTS ON THE PHYSICAL PERIPHERY OF A DEPLOYMENT

Techniques are provided for eliminating noisy alerts and bringing more relevant actionable alerts to the attention of a wireless network operator in an intent based system. This may be accomplished by differentiating and determining Access Points (APs) on the network periphery and down-weighting certain classes of problems

The Ripple Effect of Terror: Escalating the Rules of Patriarchal Conformity upon the Psyche of Women in The Oleander Girl

Women continue to be deprived of their right to live independently and within acceptable boundaries. Indian women frequently take up the responsibilities of preservers of culture and tradition. They are constrained by an excessive number of laws and regulations, most of which are justified in the name of customs and religion. The patriarchal power that is inherent in Indian society shapes how they experience the Indian value system. In the case of the lives of women in the diaspora, due to their struggles with the financial and psychological uncertainties of exile, the responsibilities of family and career, and the claims of both the old and new patriarchies, they find themselves doubly disadvantaged. Additionally, these women must fight against pervasive racial prejudice in nearly every sphere of their lives. The works of Indian American author, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, touch on a variety of diasporic topics as well as the experiences of female immigrants in their adoptive homes. The Oleander Girl by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni portrays the double impact of war and the ripple effect of terror on women that transcends national boundaries. The terror attack of 9/11 impacted the lives of both citizens and the diaspora communities in the USA. Terror creates an environment of unease that further constrains the liberties of individuals, particularly women. Women were expected to be peaceful, comply with their gender-specific roles, and dissociate themselves from violence. The novel shows the struggles of Bengali-American Karobi, who travels to a post-9/11 America, with a burning desire to uncover her family’s secrets. Though a life of freedom is present at her fingertips, she ultimately chooses to return to her homeland as she has promises to keep and duties to fulfill. This sacrifice of her individual choice in favour of family expectations reveals the encompassing power of love that she feels towards her grandparents, a love that diminishes the negative effects of war-induced terror on a family. The objective of the paper is to analyse the power imbalances caused by war-induced terror on a family that causes Indian women to be relegated to a confining set of stereotypical roles