Restrictiveness Index Research Articles

Operational Bottleneck Identification Based Energy Storage Investment Requirement Analysis for Renewable Energy Integration

Operational bottlenecks are commonly observed in power systems and lead to severe system security issues, which may be caused by the fluctuating and uncertain nature of renewable energy. This paper presents an approach to define, identify and eliminate such bottlenecks in the scope of system balance for renewable energy integrated bulk power systems, so as to quantify the requirement of energy storage. A mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) formulation for system operational bottleneck identification is proposed given renewable generation profile, in order to obtain operational restriction indices to assess the adequacy of power adjustment margin and power ramp rate. Cosine similarity based density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN) method is used to cluster a large number of scenarios by operational restriction indices, then scenarios with bottlenecks are attributed to corresponding clusters. Finally, various bottleneck elimination options, including energy storage with different technologies, are compared for each cluster. Case studies of an eight-bus test system and a practical Chinese power system are presented to verify the proposed approach, the numerical results indicate energy storage is the most effective option to eliminate bottlenecks identified in power downward adjustment margin and ramp rate dominated clusters aforementioned.

Measuring well-being dispersion on discrete rating scales

Average levels of well-being across countries and time periods have been reported widely over the years as one of the measures that go beyond the Gross Domestic Product. It is relevant for policy makers to also have information on well-being dispersion to identify groups that lag behind with respect to their ability to pursue happiness. In addition, there is an inherent moral appeal to not only maximize wellbeing but also equalize well-being among people. In this paper, we try to answer the following research question: which measure(s) should be used to gain insight into wellbeing dispersion? We review sixteen measures and their properties, study their behavior in over 92 thousand simulated distributions, and apply them to 4 years of the Dutch Social Cohesion and Well-Being Survey, using bootstrapping to quantify their precision. Our inventory shows that when applied to a discrete ordinal rating scale, common measures such as the standard deviation and Gini coefficient do not show any advantage over the less restrictive index of ordinal variation (IOV). Only the generalized entropy and Atkinson index adhere to additional principles, most notably of diminishing transfers, at the expense of full scale invariance. The simulation study illustrates that dispersion measures are positively correlated but do not rank distributions the same. The field study shows that only the Atkinson index with high inequality aversion provides additional insight. We recommend using the index of ordinal variation, supplemented if needed with the Atkinson index using a high value for the inequality aversion parameter.

Biological index based on epiphytic diatom assemblages is more restrictive than the physicochemical index in water assessment on an Amazon floodplain, Brazil

Canadian Water Quality Index (CWQI) provides protection for freshwater life promoting healthy ecosystems and safeguarding human health. Biological Diatom Index (BDI) was developed to indicate the ecological status and water quality of freshwater systems. This paper evaluates the relations between the two different indices. During rising and falling, water samples were taken in the Curuai Floodplain, Brazil. CWQI was calculated using 14 physicochemical parameters and 1 microbiological parameter. The limits were established according to freshwater quality conditions and standards based on water use classes 1 and 2 determined in CONAMA 357 legislation and British Columbia. Canadian Water Quality Index categorization ranged from "marginal" to "excellent," most sampling units were "good" (71%), followed by "fair" (12%) and "excellent" (12%) water quality. Total phosphorus (38 times), chlorophyll a (20), dissolved oxygen (10), and total organic carbon (10) were the parameters that presented the most non-compliance values. Encyonema silesiacum (14%), Gomphonema parvulum (13%), and Navicula cryptotenella (12%) were the main taxa in the rising period, while G. lagenula, E. silesiacum, and Fragilaria capucina were the main taxa during the falling period. BDI ranges from I to V water quality classes. We observed "poor" to "very good" ecological status, with most sampling units "moderate" (52%) and "good" (29%). Water quality for class 2 was better than water quality for class 1, as the limits of the parameters evaluated were more restrictive in class 1 than in class 2 and the predominant uses of water require a higher degree of water purity. The biological index based on diatoms was the most restrictive index whose water classes and categorizations have shown an ecological status that could threaten the protection of aquatic communities on the Curuai floodplain. We suggest the combined use of both indices-physicochemical and biological for water quality assessment in this type of environment.

Quantifying Barriers to Movement of Service Suppliers and Examining Their Effects

The importance of services trade and “servicification” of economic activity has grown in countries overtime. However, regulatory and administrative barriers to the movement of service suppliers have meant that “Mode 4” accounted for only 2.1% of total services trade in 2005 and 2.9% in 2017. While trade costs for services have been computed in the literature, barriers specific to Mode 4 services trade have not yet been quantified. We contribute by constructing an index to quantify regulatory barriers to the movement of service suppliers, using qualitative information embedded in OECD data on services trade restrictions, and estimate its effects on the four “modes” of services supply. Results show that the Mode 4 restrictiveness index is negatively correlated with services imports in three of the four modes of services delivery that require proximity between buyers and sellers. These findings underline the need for countries to refrain from imposing prohibitive restrictions on service suppliers in the wake of Covid-19.

Weighted and Restricted Deegan-Packel Power Indices

In the paper we introduce weighted and restricted versions of the Deegan-Packel power index. We show that the classical Deegan-Packel index, which was proposed as an alternative to the Shapley-Shubik index, in fact coincides with the Shapley value of some specific game determined by the set of minimal winning coalitions, and therefore, it has close affinities with the Shapley-Shubik index. We investigate monotonicity properties of the weighted Deegan-Packel index and introduce easy to check conditions under which it is monotonic with respect to the players' weights. An axiomatic characterization of the weighted Deegan-Packel index is provided. The computations done for three real-life examples from realm of politics demonstrate clearly the coincidence of our theoretical predictions with the reality.

Laws and Policies Related to the Health of US Immigrants: A Policy Scan.

We conducted a policy scan of state and local laws and policies across the United States related to social determinants of health among immigrants. We collected all state and municipal laws and policies in 10 domains that had potential to affect immigrant health from all 50 U.S. states and the 30 most populous U.S. metropolitan statistical areas. We coded these laws and policies and created an index of restrictiveness and supportiveness of immigrants. We identified 539 state and 322 municipal laws and policies. The most common restrictive state laws and policies were in the domains of identification requirements and driver's license access. The most common supportive state laws and policies were in the domains of health services and higher education access. The most common restrictive municipal laws and policies were in the domains of identification requirements and immigration policy enforcement. The most common supportive municipal laws and policies were in the domains of immigration policy enforcement and health services access. Most states had index scores reflecting policy environments that were primarily restrictive of immigrants, indicating potential negative impacts on social determinants of health. Further research examining the impact of these on health behaviors is warranted.

The nordic saga of citizenship

The modern concept of citizenship is undergoing a gradual transformation under the influence of significant geopolitical changes, permanent civilizational, globalization, and migration challenges. No longer is citizenship an exclusive legal sign indicating that an individual is a part (subject) of a particular State because a meaningful and understandable paradigm is changing. An individual as a citizen becomes increasingly essential, valuable for every democratic State. The country of his/her birth might not be the same as the country of origin or country of citizenship.He/she can claim rights or privileges inside and outside the country (extra-territorial) in a reciprocal way. As the primary motivation of this article is to explore the peculiarities of citizenship in Nordic countries after the global migration crisis in Europe during 2015–2016. All of them are shortlisted in few important indexes globally in 2017 (World Happiness Index, Visa Restriction Index, etc.). All of them have a very high GDP nominal per capita, which demonstrates a practical application of homo-centric concept, guaranteeing human rights, prosperity, and stability. The article highlights the achievements of those scholars (R. Bellamy, G.-R. De Groot, Ch. Joppke, W. Kymlicka, L. Orgad, P. Spiro, P. Shuck, P. Veil and others) who earlier explored the value paradigm of citizenship and the legal identity of an individual in the context of globalization, migration, and human rights. Relevant analytical and statistical expert reports and forecasts provide clear guidance for further modernization of intelligent segmentation of citizenship models and elements. The trajectory of a traditional vision of citizenship in Nordic countries (Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Norway, and Sweden) changed from 'undeserved right' to 'earned privilege'. This transformation can be viewed in gender-biased nationality laws, dual nationality clauses, specific features of filiation, preconditions of naturalization, requirements of citizenship termination, etc.

Role of Colour Doppler Ultrasound in the Diagnosis and Grading of Liver Cirrhosis Compared with Transient Elastograpgy (Fibroscan)

The purpose of this study was to determine the morphological changes in hepatic vasculature and the flow hemodynamics in portal vein, hepatic veins and hepatic artery using various Doppler parameters in cirrhotic patients and to evaluate the variation in Doppler flow hemodynamics within cirrhotic livers as compared to liver stiffness measured by transient elastography. Study sample of 100 eligible patients with compensated liver cirrhosis were enrolled. All were examined with a pulsed Doppler flowmeter with a 3.75 MHz convex and sector probe. Liver texture, splenic size, portal and splenic vein diameters, portal vein velocity, hepatic artery resistive index and waveform of the hepatic vein were evaluated in all subjects comparing results with liver stiffness measured by transient elastography. All the data were collected, tabulated and statistically analyzed using an IBM personal computer with Statistical Package of Social Science version 22. The mean age of the patients was found to be 51.8 ± 10.2 years. The mean value of liver stiffness was 39.7 ± 18.0 kPa. The echotexture of liver was coarse with irregular margin in 69 patients (69.0%), coarse with smooth margin in 24 patients (24.0 %) and normal in 7 patients (7.0 %). The size of spleen was enlarged in 92.0 % of patients. Portal vein diameter was enlarged in 66.0 % of patients. Portal vein velocity shows abnormality in 65.0 % of patients. Hepatic vein waveform in 7.0% of patients was triphasic and non-triphasic in 93.0%. Hepatic artery restrictive index increased above normal range in 69.0 % of patients. Splenic vein diameter was enlarged in 92.0 %. There were statistically highly significant relations (P value < 0.001) between liver stiffness measured by transient elastography and liver texture, hepatic vein waves in colour Doppler US. A highly significant negative correlation (P value < 0.001) was found between Fibroscan results and portal vein velocity in our included cirrhotic patients. Fibroscan results had highly significant positive correlations (P value < 0.001) with splenic size, portal vein diameter, HARI and splenic vein diameter. Colour Doppler US play an important role in the diagnosis of the morphological changes in hepatic vasculature and the flow hemodynamics in portal vein, hepatic veins and hepatic artery. Fibroscan could predict changes in intrahepatic vascular resistance and it improves the accuracy of Doppler US in the detection of cirrhosis.

Inequality and Trade Policy: The Pro‐Poor Bias of Contemporary Trade Restrictions

This paper studies the pro‐poor bias of trade policy in India by estimating the household welfare effects of removing the current protection structure. The elimination of a pro‐poor trade policy is expected to have a negative differential welfare effect at the low end of the distribution. The paper first constructs trade restrictiveness indexes for household consumption items and industries using both tariffs and non‐tariff barriers. The results indicate that Indian trade policy is regressive through the expenditure channel as it disproportionately raises the cost of consumption for poorer households, while it is progressive through the earnings channel. Based on the net welfare effects, the elimination of the current trade protection structure is estimated to reduce inequality. These results indicate that a trade policy that is progressive through the earnings channel may induce a price effect that is regressive through the expenditure channel.

Trade Restrictiveness Index of Non-Tariff Barriers Under the CES Preference

The literature has suggested formulas for trade restrictiveness index of tariffs based on second-order approximation. This paper shows that in a special case of the constant-elasticity-of-substitution (CES) preference the trade restrictiveness index of non-tariff barriers can be derived explicitly without using approximation and is simply the weighted th-power average of non-tariff barriers, where σ is the elasticity of substitution and the weights are the observed expenditure shares of imported goods. Numerical simulations show that the proposed index accurately measures the aggregate of non-tariff barriers while other indices have persistent measurement errors.

Agriculture trade restrictiveness in Canada: How important are the cross effects?

AbstractA trade restrictiveness index (TRI) aggregates an entire protection structure into a single uniform measure that is consistent with trade theory and reflects the extent of policy interventions on trade or welfare. Although there are several variants of a TRI, all approaches aggregate protective measures using weights that depend on import demand and export supply elasticities; some studies ignore cross‐price effects while others account for them. This study measures the degree of bias introduced by ignoring cross effects. It provides a practical approach to account for demand‐ and supply‐side cross‐price effects in a multi‐commodity TRI setting. This approach is illustrated with a case study of distortions in the Canadian crop and livestock sector. Domestic demand and supply cross effects are approximated using a “constant differences of elasticities of substitution” functional form. On average, over the period 1996–2016, we find that cross‐price effects do make a difference, and that including them makes the TRI 27% higher than an approach which ignores them. Furthermore, both TRI approaches produce indices that are higher and more variable than the OECD's percentage Producer Support Estimate (PSE) that measures policy transfers as a share of gross farm receipts. The fundamental differences between a TRI and PSE% is driven by market price support for milk.

Does a restricted energy low glycemic index diet have a different effect on overweight women with or without polycystic ovary syndrome?

BackgroundObese women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) may face additional barriers in achieving weight loss. We aimed to compare the effects of the hypocaloric low glycemic index (LGI) diet on anthropometric variables and insulin resistance in women with and without PCOS and investigate the effect of this diet on the clinical and hormonal features of PCOS women.MethodsThis interventional study was carried out at the Reproductive Endocrinology Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Of 108 women invited for the purpose of the present study, 62 participants (PCOS = 28, non-PCOS = 34) followed a 24-week energy restricted LGI diet. Anthropometric, biochemical, hormonal and clinical measurements were documented at baseline, 12 weeks and 24 weeks with intervention.ResultsThe percentages of weight loss achieved by both the PCOS and non-PCOS groups did not differ significantly (PCOS: -8.04% vs. non-PCOS: -8.09%). No significant difference in decrease of homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was observed between the two groups (PCOS = − 0.83 ± 0.33, non PCOS = − 0.79 ± 0.28, P = 0.83). In PCOS women, significant reduction in total testosterone (− 0.91 ± 0.33 nmol/L, P = 0.006), FAI (− 4.47 ± 1.1, P < 0.001) and increase in SHBG (38.98 ± 11.02 nmol/L, P < 0.001) were observed. Menstrual irregularity was improved in 80% of women with PCOS and a significant decrease (32.1%) in occurrence of acne was reported.ConclusionsThis diet has equally beneficial effects on anthropometric and metabolic characteristics of overweight women with and without PCOS.Trial registrationThis study is registered in the Iranian Randomized Clinical Trials Registry (IRCT, code: IRCT2016092129909N1).

The Effect of Binding Commitments on Services Trade

AbstractIt has long been established in theory that uncertainty impacts on firm behaviour. However, the empirical basis for quantifying the uncertainty-reducing effects of trade agreements has not been firmly established. In this paper, we develop estimates of the effect of reducing uncertainty regarding regulation of foreign services markets by making commitments that are bound under a trade agreement. Specifically, we identify the effect on services trade of services trade restrictions, as measured by the OECD's Services Trade Restrictiveness Index (STRI), and the separate effect of ‘water’ in binding commitments, as assessed by the difference between countries’ commitments under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) or free trade agreements (FTAs) and applied levels of market access, as captured by STRI scores. Using a gravity model, we find that services trade responds positively but inelastically to reductions in services trade barriers, as measured by the STRI and, in our preferred regression, the response to actual restrictions is more than twice – specifically 2.4 times – as strong as the response to comparable reductions in uncertainty, as measured by water. Moving from GATS commitments to FTA commitments leads to a 4.7% increase in services trade because of the reduction in uncertainty.

Service Trade Liberalization in Oman: International Commitments and Trade Performance

Abstract The service sector constitutes an important and a growing sector of the global economy as well as in the Arab region. In Oman, the service sector accounts for the highest share in the sectoral composition of the GDP and constitutes a crucial component of the overall policy of economic diversification. The objective of this paper is to investigate the extent of service trade liberalization in Oman as reflected in its international trade commitments, and analyze its trade performance using an adapted version of the gravity model within the context of the wider Arab region. The analysis shows that Oman has the third most extensive GATS commitments in the Arab region, which have been consolidated and improved upon under USA–Oman FTA. Results from the gravity analysis indicate that WTO membership has a significant effect in enhancing service exports, while the variable US-FTA has a correct sign but a non-significant effect. Trade potential calculation shows that comparatively Oman has a quite significant export potential among the Arab countries indicating that it could potentially increase its exports more than what is actually traded. A trade liberalization scenario, in which countries reduce their trade restrictiveness index to the most liberal country in the region indicates that the GCC countries like Kuwait, Qatar and Oman would benefit the most from service liberalization with an increase in export values of, respectively, 89 %, 87 % and 75 % compared d to the base year.

Measuring the Trade Restrictiveness of Domestic Support using the EU Common Agricultural Policy as an Example

AbstractWe develop an index that measures the overall trade effects of domestic support payments. Our index is based on the Mercantilist Trade Restrictiveness Index (MTRI) and is capable of analysing the development of the trade restrictiveness of domestic support payments over time and across countries. It facilitates the evaluation of agricultural policy reforms introducing changes in the composition of domestic support payments. We conduct this analysis with a computable general equilibrium model that is extended to depict detailed agricultural policies using the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union (EU) as an example. For the representation of agricultural policies, we updated the underlying database by incorporating detailed EU domestic support payments taken from the OECD Producer Support Estimate (PSE) tables and reconcile PSE data with the WTO classification scheme. Our index confirms a decrease in trade distortion stemming from the implementation of decoupled support in the EU. In addition, the trade‐equivalent protection rate shows that the trade restrictiveness of domestic support payments depends on the assumptions made with regard to the degree of decoupling of those payments.

A new dawn for MENA firms: service trade liberalization for more competitive exports

ABSTRACTWhile micro-level empirical evidence has emerged to highlight the positive effect of services deregulation on the productivity and exports of manufacturing firms in developing countries, the MENA region has been neglected in the literature. The current paper fills the gap by exploring the effect of service protection on the extensive and intensive trade margins of manufacturing and services firms in selected MENA countries for 2013. The service protection variable is constructed using two different measures: the service trade restrictiveness index and the tariff equivalent of services, weighted by the input-output technical coefficient of service sectors. Our results show that service protection is a fixed export cost, exerting a negative and significant effect on the extensive margin, without having a significant effect on the intensive margin of the firm. We also find that the burden of service barriers falls on small firms that struggle to enter international markets, and on firms operating in high value-added sectors such as ‘motor vehicles’.

Perinatal outcomes after intrauterine growth restriction and umbilical artery Doppler pulsatility index of less than the fifth percentile

Objective: To analyze perinatal morbidity and stillbirth after intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) with an umbilical artery Doppler pulsatility index (UA PI) less than the fifth centile.Study design: This retrospective cohort study included nonanomalous singleton, IUGR pregnancies receiving UA PI testing at a tertiary-care prenatal diagnostic center. Women with persistently elevated UA PI, absent or reversed end-diastolic flow on UA PI, or who had only one UA PI result were excluded. Low UA PI was defined as having ≥1 UA PI <5%. Women with low UA PI were matched by gestational age at IUGR diagnosis in a random 1 case: 4 control computer-generated algorithm to those with normal UA PI (≤95% and ≥5%). The primary outcome was composite neonatal morbidity and mortality (stillbirth, mechanical ventilation, sepsis, intraventricular hemorrhage, and necrotizing enterocolitis). Secondary outcomes included 5-minute Apgar, umbilical artery pH, delivery type, and interval from IUGR diagnosis to delivery. We compared outcomes after low UA PI to those after normal UA PI with multivariable logistic regression, adjusting for gestational age at delivery, betamethasone use, infant gender, and maternal factors.Results: Of the 1893 IUGR pregnancies, 25 (1.3%) had low UA PI <5% and were randomly matched via computer algorithm to 100 controls. There were no stillbirths in either group; the odds of composite neonatal morbidity was similar among IUGR pregnancies with UA PI <5% versus normal (adjusted odds ratio 0.89 (95% confidence interval 0.27–2.75)). There was no difference in 5-minute Apgars, umbilical artery pH, rate of cesarean delivery for fetal distress, or interval from IUGR diagnosis to delivery between the two groups.Conclusion: Among IUGR pregnancies, UA PI <5% is uncommon and not associated with improved neonatal outcomes compared to normal UA PI. These findings suggest low UA PI can continue to be managed as normal UA PI.

The Dubious Relationship Between Make in India and Foreign Direct Investment: The Story So Far and the Road Ahead

Campaigns like ‘Make in India’ (MII) rely on inviting foreign direct investment (FDI) into India to garner the benefits of spillover effects, although the pieces of evidence so far confirm the opposite due to the weak targeting of the factors determining FDI transfers. Thus, the current study explores the key components that shall be sufficiently pursued in order to assign relevance to such governmental campaigns and foreign capital movement for the future capacity building. In order to determine the same, the present study addresses it descriptively by a non-econometric study based on correlation and linkage with key components like manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index, employment creation, Index of Industrial Production and FDI restrictiveness index and empirically by applying the Granger causality tests (post unit root stationarity conversion) between the key factors of FDI and FDI inflows in India from 2000 to 2016 (from the eclectic paradigm of OLI [Ownership, Location and Internalization] factors) in the light of the MII campaign. The result indicates that the ease of doing business, gross domestic product growth rate and exchange rate volatility are the prime factors contributing to the inflow of FDI in India. Therefore, the think-tanks will need to draft such a policy framework that enables the required boosting of these key elements to make campaigns like MII really promising in the Indian context. The same could be harnessed through the promotion of greenfield investments, adequate infrastructure, improved governance, tax reforms, rationalizing land and labour reforms, etc.

The labour market effects of applied service regimes and service sector reforms

AbstractThis article offers novel insights into the modal and sectoral characteristics of trade in services that may exert an influence on the redistributive properties of liberalization in service trade and investment. It uses descriptive statistics, and econometric analysis to examine the labour market effects of unilateral service regimes, drawing on data from the OECD's Services Trade Restrictiveness Index for a sample of 44 OECD and non‐OECD countries and 22 sectors over the period 2014–16. Whereas the findings suggest that the unilateral liberalization of services is not associated with net labour displacement effects, the authors call for empirical evidence, based on improved data sources, for a fuller understanding of this issue.

O uso das tecnologias digitais para o ensino de Astronomia: uma revisão sistemática de literatura

As Tecnologias Digitais da Informação e Comunicação constituem instrumentos que podem auxiliar nos processos de ensino e de aprendizagem de diversos conteúdos, como no caso dos conceitos astronômicos. Assim, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo apresentar, por meio de uma Revisão Sistemática de Literatura (RSL), de que modo as tecnologias digitais estão sendo utilizadas no ensino de Astronomia e quais são os principais conteúdos astronômicos ensinados a partir das mesmas. A RSL foi o encaminhamento metodológico adotado para este estudo exploratório, que teve como intervalo de busca os anos de 2000 a 2017, nos seguintes bancos de dados: o Banco de Teses e Dissertações da Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, a Biblioteca Digital Brasileira de Teses e Dissertações, os anais do Simpósio Nacional de Educação em Astronomia, os anais do Encontro Nacional de Pesquisa em Educação em Ciências e revistas listadas no índice restrito da área de Ensino na Plataforma Sucupira. Como resultado, dos 19.053 trabalhos levantados, somente 33 abordavam a temática, dos quais a maioria utilizou os Softwares como instrumento tecnológico para se ensinar conteúdos astronômicos. Além disso, os resultados mostraram que o conteúdo “Sistema Solar” é o mais frequente nas pesquisas que também utilizam tecnologias digitais nas escolas.