Modified digital space vector pulse width modulation realization on low-cost FPGA platform with optimization for 3-phase voltage source inverter

The realization of power electronic applications on hardware is a challenging task. The digital control circuit strategies are used to overcome the analog control strategies by providing great flexibility with simple equipment and higher switching frequencies. In this manuscript, an area optimized, modified digital space vector (DSV) pulse width modulation is designed and realized on low-cost FPGA. The modified digital space vector pulse width modulation (DSVPWM) uses a phase-locked loop (PLL) to generate clocks using the digital clock manager (DCM). These DCM clocks are used in the DSVPWM module to synchronize the other sub-modules. The voltage generation unit generates the three-phase (3-Ф) voltages and is used in the alpha-beta generation and sector determination unit. The reference active vectors are made by the reference generation unit and used in switching time calculation. The PWM pulses are generated using switching time generation, and lastly, the dead time occurrence unit generates the final SVPWM gate pulses. The modified DSVPWM is synthesized and implemented on Spartan-3E FPGA. The modified DSVPWM utilizes 17% slices, works at 102.45 MHz, and consumes 0.070 W total power. The simulation results and the resource utilization of modified DSVPWM are represented in detail. The modified DSVPWM is compared with existing PWM approaches on different Spartan-series FPGAs with better chip area improvemen

Foreign competition for shares and the pricing of information asymmetry: evidence from equity market liberalization

Using the equity market liberalization of 23 emerging market countries between 1996 and 2006, we examine how the degree of competition for a firm's shares affects the price of information asymmetry. We find evidence of a significant decline in the pricing of information asymmetry as countries remove regulatory restrictions on foreign ownership. Our study provides novel evidence on the link between the degree of competitiveness of equity markets and the price of information asymmetry. The work also furthers our understanding of the economic consequences of foreign stock ownership

Antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of bacterial isolates in patients of chronic suppurative otitis media in a tertiary care hospital in India

Background: Chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) is a massive public health problem in developing countries like India, especially among low socio-economic class because of malnutrition, overcrowding, poor hygiene, inadequate health care and recurrent upper respiratory tract infections. CSOM cases unless managed effectively may land into various complications such as persistent otorrhoea, hearing impairment, mastoiditis, labyrinthitis, facial nerve paralysis to more serious intracranial abscesses.Methods: The study was carried out in a tertiary care hospital from January 2017 to December 2017 with an aim to determine the microbiological profile of ear discharge in patients suffering from CSOM and their antimicrobial susceptibility pattern using Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method.Results: Out of 630 samples processed, 407 (64.6%) samples were culture positive. Most common organism isolated was Pseudomonas spp. (43.2%) followed by S. aureus (39.1%). Most of isolates recovered were multidrug resistant.Conclusions: Management of CSOM consists mainly of eradicating infection and closure of tympanic membrane. Periodic monitoring of bacterial isolates and their antibiotic susceptibility pattern is necessary for administering appropriate antibiotics as empirical treatment and also helps in reducing the potentially disabling and fatal complications of CSOM

Women\u27s Schooling, Home Teaching, and Economic Growth

The hypothesis that increases in the schooling of women enhance the human capital of the next generation and thus make a unique contribution to economic growth is assessed on the basis of data describing green revolution India. Estimates are obtained that indicate that a component of the significant and positive relationship between maternal literacy and child schooling in the Indian setting reflects the productivity effect of home teaching and that the existence of this effect, combined with the increase in returns to schooling for men, importantly underlies the expansion of female literacy following the onset of the green revolution

Women\u27s Schooling, Home Teaching, and Economic Growth

The hypothesis that increases in the schooling of women enhance the human capital of the next generation and thus make a unique contribution to economic growth is assessed on the basis of data describing green revolution India. Estimates are obtained that indicate that a component of the significant and positive relationship between maternal literacy and child schooling in the Indian setting reflects the productivity effect of home teaching and that the existence of this effect, combined with the increase in returns to schooling for men, importantly underlies the expansion of female literacy following the onset of the green revolution

Amplification of Fluctuations in Unstable Systems with Disorder

We study the early-stage kinetics of thermodynamically unstable systems with quenched disorder. We show analytically that the growth of initial fluctuations is amplified by the presence of disorder. This is confirmed by numerical simulations of morphological phase separation (MPS) in thin liquid films and spinodal decomposition (SD) in binary mixtures. We also discuss the experimental implications of our results.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figure

Frequent Financial Reporting and Managerial Myopia

Using the transition of US firms from annual reporting to semi-annual reporting and then to quarterly reporting over the period 1950-1970, we provide evidence on the effects of increased reporting frequency on firms’ investment decisions. Estimates from difference-in-differences specifications indicate that increased reporting frequency is associated with an economically large decline in investments. Additional analyses reveal that the decline in investments is most consistent with frequent financial reporting inducing myopic management behavior. Our evidence informs the recent controversial debate about eliminating quarterly reporting for US corporations

Declining drinking among adolescents: are we seeing a denormalisation of drinking and a normalisation of non-drinking?

Background In the early 2000s, alcohol use among young people began to decline in many western countries, especially among adolescents (aged between 12-17 years old). These declines have continued steadily over the past two decades, against the backdrop of much smaller declines among the general population. Argument Hypotheses examining individual factors fail adequately to provide the necessary ‘big picture’ thinking needed to understand declines in adolescent drinking. We use the normalisation thesis to argue that there is strong international evidence for both processes of denormalisation of drinking and normalisation of non-drinking occurring for adolescents in many western countries. Conclusions Research on declining adolescent drinking provides evidence of both denormalisation of alcohol consumption and normalisation of non-drinking. This has implications for enabling policy environments more amenable to regulation and increasing the acceptability of non-drinking in social contexts. Normalisation theory (and its various interpretations) provides a useful multi-dimensional tool for understanding declines in adolescent drinking

Response to commentaries: (de)normalization of drinking and its implications for young people, sociality, culture and epidemiology

Commentar

Examining trends in the representation of young people and alcohol in Australian newspapers over twenty years (2000-2019)

Background: The news media can reflect and influence public opinion, as well as affect individual practice. In the context of significant changes in alcohol consumption among young people over the past twenty years, we examined Australian newspaper reporting of young people (under 18 years) and alcohol to assess whether there have been changes over time in the content and slant of articles that reflect or elucidate these trends. Methods: Factiva was used to search newspaper articles from major Australian newspapers over a twenty year period (2000-2019). After screening, two researchers coded 2,415 newspaper articles across four key domains: article type, article theme, sources cited and topic slant (e.g. approving, disapproving tone). Change over time across the study period was assessed using joinpoint Poisson regression analyses. Results: There was a significant increase in articles on young people and alcohol between 2000 and 2008, before a corresponding decrease to 2019. Policy or prevention strategies were the most common theme of articles (35.8%), followed by articles reporting on risks or harms associated with alcohol use for young people (18.1%). Researchers were the most common source reported (25.1%), followed by politicians (19.0%). Three quarters of articles (75.9%) had a socially disapproving topic slant, which increased significantly up until 2011, with a corresponding decrease thereafter. Conclusion: Attention to, and problematisation of, young people and alcohol increased in the first decade of this millennium which may have acted to sustain or accelerate declining drinking trends. However, this dissipated back to baseline levels in the second decade, which may indicate a lag time in recognition of young people’s drinking becoming less of a public health ‘problem’