Field Bio-efficacy and Residue Dynamics of the Fungicide Polyoxin D Zinc Salt 5% SC in Grape (Vitis vinifera)

The field experiments were carried out to evaluate the bio-efficacy and residue dynamics of Polyoxin D Zinc salt 5% SC in grape during 2014–2015 and 2015–2016 at ICAR-National Research Centre for Grapes, Pune. Polyoxin D Zinc salt 5% SC @ 600 ml ha-1 gave the best control of the disease, both in the leaves and bunches with a percent disease control of 56.4 and 75.7 respectively, as compared to untreated control. The percent disease control of the test fungicide Polyoxin D Zinc salt 5% SC @ 600 ml ha-1 was superior to all the triazoles viz. Flusilazole 40 EC, Hexaconazole 5 EC and Myclobutanil 10 WP, used in the study. The yield data reflected a similar trend wherein the maximum percent increase in yield was observed in case of Polyoxin D Zinc salt 5% SC @ 600 ml ha-1 i.e. 57.47 as compared to untreated control. However, all the triazoles manifested a higher percent increase in yield as compared to the lowest dose of the test fungicide i.e. 200 ml ha-1. For the detection and quantification of polyoxin D residue in grape, we have developed an efficient and effective analytical method, using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), in field treated samples. The residue data had excellent fit to 1st+1st order models giving r2 value of >0.99 with a half-life (t1/2) 8.0 days for recommended dose and 14.5 days for double dose. These findings are useful for effective disease management in grape crop amalgamated with food safety and consumer satisfaction.

CHANGES IN LEVELS OF MAIZE PRODUCTIVITY IN HIMACHAL PRADESH: 1990-91 TO 2014-15

The chief objective of the present study is to reveal spatial patterns of maize productivity and Changes in Himachal Pradesh during 1990-91 to 2014-15. For achieving this purpose, the study is divided into three parts. First part deals with spatial patterns of maize productivity. It is found that the index value of maize productivity varied from minimum of 47.55 percent in Spiti tehsil to 155.90 percent in Churah tehsil in 1990-91. While in 2002-03, it varied from 47.45 percent in Lahaul tehsil to 143.14 percent in Churah tehsil. Whereas in 2014-15, it is lowest of 47.97 percent in Spiti tehsil and highest of 141.51 percent in Churah tehsil. It is also observed that in all time periods, magnitude of maize productivity starts declining from west to east. In second part, it is found that in Himachal Pradesh, the highest index value of maize productivity has declined from 150.90 percent to 141.15 percent during 1990-91 to 2014-15 and registered overall negative change of 8.39 percent index value. Whereas the lowest index value of maize productivity has increased from 47.55 percent in 1990-91 to 47.97 percent in 2014-15 and experience 0.42 percent increase in lowest index value of maize productivity during study period, thus the gap between high and low magnitude of maize productivity has minimized which shows that sign of healthy maize cultivation. In third part, major problems are identified and suggestions are made to solve these problems for increasing the maize productivity in the state. The present study is empirical in nature and based on secondary sources of data. Three time periods are taken and averages are derived for each time period, because 1990-91 is the year of liberalization era and 2002-03 and 2014-15 are post liberalization period. Singh (1976), technique is used for deriving the results and choropleth method is applied for mapping the results.

Informational aspects at model of power consumption by main drainage facilities of iron-ore mining enterprises

The work investigates into variable informational approaches to modeling power consumption by main drainage facilities of ore mining enterprises with underground mining method. Methodological recommendations for using the models are also designed. The research deals with general methodological approaches to model formation with both power consumption indices for drainage facilities and corresponding costs. Logistics of model formation is substantiated, namely, combination of classic multifactor regression modeling with modern digital modeling methods – automated control systems used for drainage facilities. Principles of building fuzzy logic controllers and algorithms of their functioning under multichannel control are determined in detail. The improved fuzzy logic-based variant is proposed and combined, with correlation analysis, to provide the basis for developing algorithms of the automated control systems of electric power consumption. There is an example of developing a “road map” for implementing a generalized algorithm for automated control systems power flows for two current cases – a selective tariff with limited daily contract-based power consumption and that with a variable tariff. It is established that application of the two-rate hourly tariff with its conditional distribution (Night/Peak) instead of the three-rate tariff (Night/Half-Peak/Peak) on a single-use basis leads to a thirteen percent increase of daily power costs with a single-channel control of the ore flow and a seven percent increase with two-channel control (ore flow and drainage simultaneously). The use of fuzzy logic controllers enables minimizing these losses.

Vaccination is reasonably effective in limiting the spread of COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths with COVID-19

This paper uses large cross-country data for 110 countries to examine the effectiveness of COVID vaccination coverage. Our results confirm that vaccines are reasonably effective in both limiting the spread of infections and containing more severe disease progression in symptomatic patients. First, the results show that full vaccination rate is consistently negatively correlated with the number of new COVID cases, whereby a 10 percent increase in vaccination rate is associated with a 1.3 to 1.7 percent decrease in new COVID cases. Second, the magnitude of vaccination is shown to contribute significantly to moderating severe disease progression. On average, a 10 percent increase in the rate of vaccination leads to a reduction of about 5 percent in the number of new hospitalizations, 12 percent decrease in the number of new intensive care patients and 2 percent reduction in the number of new deaths. Finally, by comparing the data for the same period between 2020 and 2021, we also check how good is vaccination as a substitute for lockdowns or other stringent government protection measures. Results suggest that vaccination does not appear to be an effective substitute for more stringent government safety measures to contain the spread of COVID infections until a high vaccination coverage threshold (more than 70 percent) has been achieved. On the other hand, vaccination is shown to be quite effective in limiting the more severe course of the disease in symptomatic patients already at moderate vaccination coverage (between 40 and 70 percent). This suggests that vaccination can also help to reduce pressure on the health system and thus benefit the overall public health of society.

The impact of cigarette prices on smoking participation and tobacco expenditure in Vietnam

Vietnam is one of countries with the highest number of smokers in the world and the high smoking prevalence among men in the region. Although the real cigarette prices increased by around 4% during the 2010–2015 period, the prevalence of daily cigarette smoking among men decreased slightly from 31.3% to 30.7% during this period. This raises the question of whether cigarette consumption is sensitive to price. In this study, we estimated the effect of cigarette prices on smoking participation and tobacco expenditure in Vietnam. We found that a one-percent increase in the real cigarette price reduced the probability of cigarette smoking among males by 0.08 percentage points (95% CI from -0.06 to -0.10), equivalent to the price elasticity of the smoking prevalence at -0.26 (95% CI from -0.16% to -0.33%). Using this estimate, we predict that if the cigarette price is increased by 10%, the daily cigarette smoking prevalence among men would decrease from 30.7% to 29.9% and the number of male smokers would decline by around 270 thousand. Higher cigarette prices also reduced per capita tobacco expenditure of households. A one-percent increase in the cigarette price decreased per capita expenditure on tobacco consumption expenditure of households by 0.43 percent (the 95% CI from -0.029 to 0.822). This finding suggests that raising tobacco taxes and prices can be an effective measure to reduce tobacco use.

Vaccination is reasonably effective in limiting the spread of COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths with COVID-19

This paper uses large cross-country data for 110 countries to examine the effectiveness of COVID vaccination coverage. Our results confirm that vaccines are reasonably effective in both limiting the spread of infections and containing more severe disease progression in symptomatic patients. First, the results show that full vaccination rate is consistently negatively correlated with the number of new COVID cases, whereby a 10 percent increase in vaccination rate is associated with a 1.3 to 1.7 percent decrease in new COVID cases. Second, the magnitude of vaccination is shown to contribute significantly to moderating severe disease progression. On average, a 10 percent increase in the rate of vaccination leads to a reduction of about 5 percent in the number of new hospitalizations, 12 percent decrease in the number of new intensive care patients and 2 percent reduction in the number of new deaths. Finally, by comparing the data for the same period between 2020 and 2021, we also check how good is vaccination as a substitute for lockdowns or other stringent government protection measures. Results suggest that vaccination does not appear to be an effective substitute for more stringent government safety measures to contain the spread of COVID infections until a high vaccination coverage threshold (more than 70 percent) has been achieved. On the other hand, vaccination is shown to be quite effective in limiting the more severe course of the disease in symptomatic patients already at moderate vaccination coverage (between 40 and 70 percent). This suggests that vaccination can also help to reduce pressure on the health system and thus benefit the overall public health of society.

The hip radiographic magnification correlates with patient’s BMI

Objective. Obese patients have a higher prevalence of total hip arthroplasty (THA) and they are likely to experience a higher rate of pre-operative and post-operative complications. Pre-operative templating is a standard method of THA planning aiming to minimize the risk of complications. The accuracy of pre-operative templating depends on the knowledge of radiographic magnification factor. Whether and to what extent obesity affects radiographic magnification is not well described in literature. The purpose of this study was to determine whether obesity type affects hip radiographic magnification and quantify the relationship between the obesity measured and change in radiographic magnification. Materials and Methods. Digital radiographs of 303 patients who underwent THA were taken from clinical archives. The size of implanted femoral head was taken as an internal calibration marker to estimate hip radiographic magnification. Patients were stratified into obesity categories by body mass index (BMI). Patients’ mass, BMI, and body surface area (BSA) were studied as predictors of hip magnification. Results. There is a significant effect of obesity type on hip radiographic magnification (one-way ANOVA, p<0.001). The radiographic magnification correlates with patients’ mass (r=0.443, p<0.001), BMI (r=0.450, p<0.001) and BSA (r=0.443, p<0.001). For every 17 kg increase in patients’ mass, 5 kg/m2 increase in the BMI and for every 0.27 m2 in the BSA there is a 1 percent increase in the hip radiographic magnification. The increase in hip radiographic magnification with mass, BMI, and BSA is higher in females than in males. Conclusion. BMI could be used to estimate the increase in hip radiographic magnification due to obesity by adding 1% of magnification on average for each subsequent BMI category.

Work Hours Instability and Child Poverty: Response of the Safety-Net Programs

This paper uses data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation to investigate how intra-year caregiver work-hours volatility is related to child poverty, measured through both the official poverty measure (OPM) and the supplemental poverty measure (SPM). I further assess varying degrees of buffering effects of cash benefits, in-kind benefits, and tax transfers on income in the context of work-hours volatility. Results indicate that Black and Hispanic children, as well as those living with unpartnered single mothers, faced substantially higher variability in household market hours worked. Hispanic children experienced not only greater volatility in their caregivers’ work hours, but also higher poverty levels, even after taking government programs into account. I find that a 10 percent increase in intra-year hours volatility is linked to roughly a 2 percent and 1.6 percent increase in OPM and SPM child poverty, respectively. In-kind benefits are more effective in buffering household income declines resulting from unstable caregiver work hours, followed by tax transfers and cash benefits, which each offer somewhat less of a buffering effect. The effectiveness of near-cash benefits is particularly salient among Black children and children of unpartnered single mothers. Hispanic children also benefited from these transfers’ compensating effects, but to a lesser degree. These results provide new evidence to inform public policy discussions surrounding the best ways to help socioeconomically disadvantaged families to retain benefits and smooth their income in the face of frequent variation in work hours and, thus, earnings.

Prep School for Poor Kids: The Long-Run Impacts of Head Start on Human Capital and Economic Self-Sufficiency

This paper evaluates the long-run effects of Head Start using large-scale, restricted administrative data. Using the county roll-out of Head Start between 1965 and 1980 and age-eligibility cutoffs for school entry, we find that Head Start generated large increases in adult human capital and economic self-sufficiency, including a 0. 65-year increase in schooling, a 2.7 percent increase in high school completion, an 8.5 percent increase in college enrollment, and a 39 percent increase in college completion. These estimates imply sizable, long-term returns to investments in means-tested, public preschool programs. (JEL I21, I26, I28, I38, J24)

Green urbanization

Large cities are more productive and generate more output per person. Using data from the UK on energy demand and waste generation, we show that they are also more energy-efficient. Large cities are therefore greener than small towns. The amount of energy demanded and waste generated per person is decreasing in total output produced, that is, energy demand and waste generation scale sublinearly with output. Our research provides the first direct evidence of green urbanization by calculating the rate at which per capita electricity use and waste decrease with city population. The energy demand elasticity with respect to city output is 83%: as the total output of a city increases by one percent, energy demand increases less than one percent, and the Urban Energy Premium is therefore 17%. The energy premium by source of energy demand is from households (13%), transport (20%), and industry (16%). Similarly, we find that the elasticity of waste generation with respect to city output is 90%. For one percent increase in total city output, there is a less than one percent increase in waste, with an Urban Waste Premium of 10%. Because large cities are energy-efficient ways of generating output, energy efficiency can be improved by encouraging urbanization and thus green living. We perform a counterfactual analysis in a spatial equilibrium model that makes income taxes contingent on city population, which attracts more people to big cities. We find that this pro-urbanization counterfactual not only increases economic output but also lowers energy consumption and waste production in the aggregate.