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1
Datta, Anusua, and Mikhail Kouliavtsev. "The end of the Multi Fiber Arrangement and the pattern of US apparel trade." Journal of Economic Studies 47, no. 3 (March 31, 2020): 695–710. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/jes-05-2018-0179.
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PurposeThis paper analyzes the effects of the expiration of the Multi Fiber Arrangement (MFA), which ended quota restrictions on US textile and apparel imports in 2005, on the sourcing of US apparel. We test if the realignment in trade following the phase out of quotas can be explained by comparative advantage and market size.Design/methodology/approachWe use a gravity framework to investigate the role of comparative advantage (labor costs) and other factors such as exporter size, PTAs and tariff reductions on the pattern of US apparel imports. Detailed data on quotas by country-product pair are used for the purpose.FindingsOur empirical results show a significant increase in imports from large quota constrained countries once the MFA ended. Moreover, the pattern of trade seems to favor low wage countries that have a comparative advantage in producing apparel, which is highly labor intensive.Originality/valueThe end of quotas removed a major distorting factor in US apparel trade. This study examines the role of trade theory in the changing pattern of apparel imports that followed the end of the MFA. We use a gravity framework to test the theory of comparative advantage and the role of exporter size. Previous studies on the end of the MFA and its effects, do not examine the causal factors behind the realignment of US apparel trade.
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Liaqat, Zara. "The End of Multi-Fibre Arrangement and Firm Performance in the Textile Industry: New Evidence." Pakistan Development Review 52, no. 2 (June 1, 2013): 97–126. http://dx.doi.org/10.30541/v52i2pp.97-126.
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Using a sample of 321 textile and clothing companies for the years 1992 to 2010, this paper analyses the effect of quota phase-outs on firm-level efficiency in Pakistan following the end of the Multi-Fibre Arrangement (MFA). It highlights sectoral heterogeneity within the manufacturing industry as a result of MFA expiration. The empirical methodology uses the structural techniques proposed by Olley and Pakes (1996), and Levinsohn and Petrin (2003) in order to take care of endogeneity in the estimation of production functions. The results differ for the two industries: MFA expiration lead to an increase in the average productivity of textile producing firms but a significant reduction in the mean productivity of clothing producers. We offer a number of explanations for this outcome, such as a change in the input and product mix, entry by non-exporters in the clothing sector, and sectoral differences in quality ladders. A number of crucial policy lessons can be drawn from the findings of this study. JEL Classification:F13; F14; D24; C14; O19 Keywords: Multi-Fibre Arrangement, Trade Liberalisation, Productivity, Firm Heterogeneity, Simultaneity and Production Functions, Endogeneity of Protection
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Shihab, Muchsin, and Sudhir K. Jain. "The Preparedness of the Indonesian Garment Exporters in the Post-MFA Scenario: An Analysis from the Survey." Gadjah Mada International Journal of Business 6, no. 3 (September 12, 2004): 383. http://dx.doi.org/10.22146/gamaijb.5555.
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The clothing or garments industry has developed rapidly during the past some decades and has contributed to the economic growth of many nations, both developed and developing countries. This industry has been very much regulated by many bilateral agreements such as Multi Fiber Arrangement (MFA), a quota arrangement made by the importing countries. As MFA (quota regime) comes to an end by 2005 and integrates into the WTO regime, it will bring opportunities to highly competitive and proactive garment exporting countries whereas the challenges will be faced more by the less competitive countries. Issues related to environment and social compliance, technology requirements etc. have been brought into surface by the importing countries, which may worsen the condition. Under the above scenario, it is imperative that certain proactive measures be taken. Thus, the broad objective of this study is to analyze the response of the garment exporters from Indonesia towards the emerging issues related to environmental and social compliance, technology requirements etc. The present study is a questionnaire-based study. The samples have been selected from the Directories of largest exporters in the country. With reminders and persuasion, the final number of useable responses has been 115 Indonesian garment exporters. Seven factors of the emerging issues were identified by using factor analysis. In addition, factors of competitiveness, and the strategies adopted by the exporters have also been analyzed. The findings show that the overall perceptions of the Indonesia garment exporters indicate that Indonesia is less competitive as compared to other competing countries.
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Singh, Raghbir, and Lalit Mohan Kathuria. "Problems of Indian Garment Exporters in the Light of Multi-fibre Arrangement (MFA) Phase-out." Global Business Review 7, no. 1 (February 2006): 103–18. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/097215090500700107.
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Kathuria, Lalit Mohan. "Impact of the Multi-Fibre Arrangement (MFA) Phase-Out on the Garment Workers of the World." Management and Labour Studies 28, no. 1 (February 2003): 65–74. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0258042x0302800108.
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“The Multi-Fibre arrangement (MFA) dealing with international trade in clothing and textiles, is being phased out to be in line with WTO rules. This phase out is being seen as favouring developing countries and only criticism focuses on the European countries and USA who are holding up the process. However, if we look at from the point of view of workers rather than countries, a different picture emerges. For workers East and West, North and South this means constant insecurity and deteriorating conditions of work. The Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC) could thus become another mechanism through which companies are able to use the agenda of trade at the cost of workers.”
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Munir, Kamal, Muhammad Ayaz, David L. Levy, and Hugh Willmott. "The role of intermediaries in governance of global production networks: Restructuring work relations in Pakistan’s apparel industry." Human Relations 71, no. 4 (October 6, 2017): 560–83. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0018726717722395.
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This article locates the reorganization of work relations in the apparel sector in Pakistan, after the end of the Multi-Fibre Arrangement (MFA) quota regime, within the context of a global production network (GPN). We examine the role of a network of corporate, state, multilateral and civil society actors who serve as intermediaries in GPN governance. These intermediaries transmit and translate competitive pressures and invoke varied, sometimes contradictory, imaginaries in their efforts to realign and stabilize the GPN. We analyse the post-MFA restructuring of Pakistan’s apparel sector, which dramatically increased price competition and precipitated a contested adjustment process among Pakistani and global actors with divergent priorities and resources. These intermediaries converged on a ‘solution’ that combined and enacted imaginaries of modernization, competitiveness, professional management and female empowerment, while also emphasizing low costs and female docility. We highlight the intersection of economic, political and cultural dynamics of GPNs, and reveal the gendered dimensions of GPN restructuring. We theorize the role of these actors as a transnational managerial elite in GPN governance, who led a restructuring process that preserved the hegemonic stability of the GPN and protected the interests of western branded apparel companies and consumers, but did not necessarily serve the interests of workers.
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Khalid, Umer. "Opportunities and Challenges for Pakistan in an Era of Globalisation." LAHORE JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS 8, no. 1 (January 1, 2003): 45–63. http://dx.doi.org/10.35536/lje.2003.v8.i1.a3.
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The study analyses the degree of integration of Pakistan’s economy in global trade and financial flows. Pakistan’s integration into the global economy gained momentum in the late 1980s and early 1990s when it adopted more open and liberal policies as part of stabilisation and structural adjustment programmes negotiated with the IMF and World Bank. The paper presents an overview of Pakistan’s economy in the before and after period, it will specifically examine the trade performance from the 1980s onwards to see the progress made towards the integration of the Pakistani economy into the world economy. It will look into the opportunities that Pakistan is likely to gain in a more globalised world, with special focus on the textile and clothing sector and the potential growth in this sector after the abolition of the Multi Fibre Arrangement (MFA) in 2005. New challenges that may emerge in a more open trading environment will also be discussed.
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Wadud, I. K. M. Mokhtarul, and Wahida Yasmeen. "Dynamic comparative advantage and industry characteristics as basis for trade in textiles and clothing." Corporate Ownership and Control 7, no. 1 (2009): 477–92. http://dx.doi.org/10.22495/cocv7i1c4p5.
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This paper examines dynamic comparative advantage in textiles and clothing trade and the country specific factors that explain variations of comparative advantage among the trading nations. Comparative advantages are estimated constructing indices of revealed comparative advantage (RCA) using export shares of textiles and clothing industries over 1981-2005. The estimated RCA indices of absolute and relative change show that while comparative advantage in both textiles and clothing is tilted towards the developing economies, a number of developed high income economies possess comparative advantage over extended periods. In the second stage, RCA indices are regressed against some country specific industry characteristics such as capital/labour ratio, wage rate and industry sizes. The estimated models show significant relationship between comparative advantage and the country characteristics. Results of this study provide evidence of changes in the pattern of comparative advantage in textiles and clothing over the decades when multi fibre arrangement (MFA) type trade restrictions were in place. These evidences have implications for the trading nations in the ongoing liberalised trade regimes.
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Kathuria, Lalit Mohan, and Raghbir Singh. "A Study of Export Marketing and Other Business Practices of Select Garment Exporters." Foreign Trade Review 40, no. 2 (July 2005): 69–88. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0015732515050205.
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The Apparel industry is one of the largest sources of foreign exchange in the country. India exported garments worth US$6.46 billion in 2003. With the Multi-Fibre Arrangement (MFA) phase-out coming to an end in December 2004, India could be the big winner after China. India has the potential to increase its share from US$6 billion to US$20 billion by 2010. The dismantling of the quota regime presents both an opportunity as well as threat. Export markets will no longer be restricted for want of quotas whereas there looms a threat also, because markets will no longer be guaranteed by quotas. There is a need to devise new strategies, thus moving from cost-based competition to time-based and value-based competition. This paper examines the export marketing and other business practices of apparel exporters situated in Delhi and Ludhiana region. It also highlights the areas which required immediate attention of the owners of the studied units. In addition, the paper identifies the strategies for garment exporters that will help them in increasing their export share.
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Kim, Misu. "Export Competitiveness of India’s Textiles and Clothing Sector in the United States." Economies 7, no. 2 (May 17, 2019): 47. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/economies7020047.
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We analyzed India’s export competitiveness in the textiles and clothing (T&C) sector in the United States. The T&C industry is traditionally important for the Indian economy due to its significant contribution to export, employment, and industrial production. However, the competition in the global T&C market intensified after the Multi-Fiber Arrangement phase-out in 2005. Therefore, it is necessary to examine the export competitiveness of India’s T&C sector in the U.S., India’s largest export destination and one of the world’s largest consumers of T&C. In this study, we calculated the comparative advantage of India’s T&C based on Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA), Market Comparative Advantage (MCA), and Comparative Advantage by Countries (CAC). Our analysis shows that India had a comparative advantage in the T&C sector in the U.S. from 1991 to 2017, despite intensified competition in the global market.
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ERKAN, Birol, and Elif Tuğçe BOZDUMAN. "How did the multi-fiber agreement affect the level of specialization in the textile sector of the countries?" Tekstil ve Mühendis 27, no. 120 (December 30, 2020): 283–91. http://dx.doi.org/10.7216/1300759920202712008.
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This paper aims to reveal the effects of the Multi-Fibre Agreement (MFA), which determines the course of the textile trade and the global competition on countries' levels of specialization. In this perspective, we analyze the levels of specialization (competition) of the 10 countries whose exports were the highest in the sector before and after the complete abolition of quotas in a comparatively. In the analyses, we use the Index of Contribution to Trade Balance (ICBT), the Export-Import Ratio Index (EIRI) and the Michaely Index (MI) to measure the progress of countries' level of specialization in the sector by years. All of these indices indicate that the highest levels of specialization in the sector were Pakistan, India and Turkey before the end of the MFA. After 2005, when quotas were completely eliminated, China and Hong Kong increased their level of expertise in the sector and separated positively from other countries. In this context, China achieved a global competitive advantage in the sector, especially with high level of specialization.
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Nakai, Takahisa, and Hiroyuki Yamamoto. "Properties of piezoelectric voltage considering the microscopic structure of wood cell walls." Holzforschung 61, no. 1 (January 1, 2007): 95–100. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/hf.2007.015.
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Abstract The combined effects of the grain-angle (θ) and the microfibril angle (MFA) on the piezoelectric voltage (P) are discussed for a wood specimen subjected to unidirectional stress. The fiber axis of the specimen investigated was not parallel to the loading direction. A theoretical discussion is provided concerning fundamental elastic equations that predict the elastic strain field in the crystalline cellulose microfibril (CMF). It was assumed that an ideal wood specimen could be represented by a multi-tracheid model consisting mainly of the middle layer of the secondary wall. Experimental results revealed that plots of the piezoelectric voltage (P) versus the grain angle (θ) show concave curves with a maximum at θ=45°, regardless of MFA in the specimen. A similar tendency was obtained for the relationship predicted between the average shear strain along the CMF and θ. The results indicate that generation of a shear strain in the CMF positively contributes to the piezoelectric effect in wood.
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XU, PENG. "EFFECT OF MULTI-FIBER ARRANGEMENT TRADE RESTRICTIONS ON TEXTILE INDUSTRY PROFIT MARGINS." Contemporary Economic Policy 15, no. 3 (July 1997): 93–102. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1465-7287.1997.tb00481.x.
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Mirus, Rolf, Barry Scholnick, and Dean Spinanger. "Front-Loading protection: canada's approach to phasing out the multi-fiber arrangement." International Trade Journal 11, no. 4 (December 1997): 433–51. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08853909708523889.
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Ibarra-Escamilla, B., M. V. Hernández-arriaga, M. Durán-Sánchez, H. Santiago-Hernández, M. Bello-Jiménez, E. Rivera Pérez, L. A. Rodríguez-Morales, and E. A. Kuzin. "Abrupt-tapered fiber filter arrangement for a switchable multi-wavelength and tunable Tm-doped fiber laser." Optics Express 26, no. 12 (May 29, 2018): 14894. http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/oe.26.014894.
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Kang, Ji Woong, and Oh Heon Kwon. "An Elastic-Plastic Fracture Behavior of the Interface Using the Property Gradient in MMC." Key Engineering Materials 297-300 (November 2005): 148–53. http://dx.doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/kem.297-300.148.
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The strong continuous fiber reinforced metal matrix composites (MMCs) are recently used in aerospace and transportation applications as an advanced material due to its high strength and light weight. However, MMC is significantly affected by the interface under the transverse loading. Furthermore, the crack at the interface induces weakness of the characteristics of the overall mechanical response and strength of the MMCs. In order to be able to utilize these MMCs effectively and with safety, it must be determined their elastic plastic fracture behaviors at the interface. The influence of different regular fiber arrangement as like square and hexagonal arrangement on the strength of transversely loaded fiber reinforced matrix is analyzed. And the interface of fiber and matrix is modeled as thin multi layers with properties linearly gradient to distinguish the interface from the fiber and matrix. Different fiber arrangement of square and hexagon type is studied. And fiber volume fraction is changed for several kinds (5%-60%).
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Vixathep, Souksavanh, and Nobuaki Matsunaga. "Firm Efficiency in Cambodia's Garment Industry on the Eve of the Multi-Fiber Arrangement Termination." Asian Economic Journal 26, no. 4 (December 2012): 359–80. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8381.2012.02090.x.
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YUPAPIN, PREECHA P., WANCHAI KHUNNAM, and SUEBTARKUL SUCHAT. "THE ENTANGLED PHOTONS GENERATION SYSTEM USING WEAK LIGHT IN FIBER OPTIC AND TIMING-WALK OFF COMPENSATION." International Journal of Quantum Information 05, no. 06 (December 2007): 805–14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1142/s0219749907003249.
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We propose a new system for multi-entangled photons generation using an all fiber optic arrangement. The generation of the entangled states of two, four and eight entangled photons using an all fiber optic scheme is analyzed. The timing-walk off on the entangled state of two and four entangled photons suffering from the polarization in fiber optic is characterized. The compensation of such effects and the optimal entangled states of the entangled photons in fiber optic are analyzed and discussed.
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Buetehorn, Steffen, Dirk Volmering, Klaus Vossenkaul, Thomas Wintgens, Matthias Wessling, and Thomas Melin. "CFD simulation of single- and multi-phase flows through submerged membrane units with irregular fiber arrangement." Journal of Membrane Science 384, no. 1-2 (November 2011): 184–97. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2011.09.022.
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Lam, Tu-Ngoc, Chen-Hsien Wu, Sheng-Hsiu Huang, Wen-Ching Ko, Yu-Lih Huang, Chia-Yin Ma, Chun-Chieh Wang, and E.-Wen Huang. "Multi-Scale Microstructure Investigation for a PM2.5 Air-Filter Efficiency Study of Non-Woven Polypropylene." Quantum Beam Science 3, no. 4 (October 28, 2019): 20. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/qubs3040020.
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A N95 face-piece respirator and a 3M air filter composed of non-woven polypropylene filter material were investigated for their multi-scale microstructure and resulting filtration performance. Filtration mechanisms of each system are found and quantified. Both media showed a gradually decrease of the most penetrating particle size with respect to an increase in face velocity or surface charge density. Increasing the face velocity and porosity dramatically degraded the collection efficiency in the 3M filter rather than in the N95 system. We exploited three-dimensional X-ray tomography to characterize the morphological and geometrical properties of the fiber arrangement and deposition of aerosol on the fiber surface. Tuning the most predominant material parameters to achieve a precedence in lower pressure drop or higher collection efficiency in a specifically captured particle size range is of great requisite to a peculiar application of the filter media.
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Duque Estrada, Rebeca, Fabian Kannenberg, Hans Jakob Wagner, Maria Yablonina, and Achim Menges. "Spatial winding: cooperative heterogeneous multi-robot system for fibrous structures." Construction Robotics 4, no. 3-4 (September 21, 2020): 205–15. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s41693-020-00036-7.
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AbstractThis research presents a cooperative heterogeneous multi-robot fabrication system for the spatial winding of filament materials. The system is based on the cooperation of a six-axis robotic arm and a customized 2 + 2 axis CNC gantry system. Heterogeneous multi-robot cooperation allows to deploy the strategy of Spatial Winding: a new method of sequential spatial fiber arrangement, based on directly interlocking filament-filament connections, achieved through wrapping one filament around another. This strategy allows to create lightweight non-regular fibrous space frame structures. The new material system was explored through physical models and digital simulations prior to deployment with the proposed robotic fabrication process. An adaptable frame setup was developed which allows the fabrication of a variety of geometries within the same frame. By introducing a multi-step curing process that integrates with the adaptable frame, the iterative production of continuous large-scale spatial frame structures is possible. This makes the structure’s scale agnostic of robotic reach and reduces the necessary formwork to the bare minimum. Through leveraging the capacities of two cooperating machines, the system allows to counteract some of their limitations. A flexible, dynamic and collaborative fabrication system is presented as a strategy to tailor the fiber in space and expand the design possibilities of lightweight fiber structures. The artifact of the proposed fabrication process is a direct expression of the material tectonics and the robotic fabrication system.
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Katsarou, Alexia, Nikolaos Trasanidis, Jaime Alvarez-Benayas, Foteini Papaleonidopoulou, Keren Keren, Ioannis V. Kostopoulos, Kanagaraju Ponnusamy, et al. "Oncogenic MAF in Co-Operation with IRF4 Confers Extensive Chromatin Re-Arrangement in Plasma Cells and Generates 'Neo-Enhancers' That Regulate Genes Critical for Myeloma Biology." Blood 134, Supplement_1 (November 13, 2019): 3783. http://dx.doi.org/10.1182/blood-2019-122371.
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Overexpression of the transcription factor MAF, as a result of its juxtaposition to the IgH enhancer [MAF-translocated t(14;16)], is a myeloma-initiating event in 3-5% of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and confers a poor prognosis. MAF is also overexpressed in another 40% of cases, often in co-operation with the oncogene MMSET. The mechanisms by which MAF overexpression impacts on the regulatory genome to generate the MAF-driven oncogenic transcriptome and its direct targets are not known. To address this, we employed a multi-layer -omics approach using primary myeloma plasma cells (PC) as well as myeloma cell lines (MMCL). First, we determined the chromatin accessibility and transcriptome profiles of MAF-translocated myeloma by performing ATAC-seq and RNA-seq, respectively, in purified bone marrow CD138+ PC from two patients with t(14;16) and three healthy donors. We identified 6,640 differentially accessible regions, 87% of which displayed enhanced chromatin accessibility in MAF samples compared to normal PC. Secondary analysis comparing this with ATAC-seq data from a set of 28 other MM samples, including hyperdiploid, MMSET and CCND1-translocated MM, revealed 33% of those regions to be MAF subgroup specific (1,949 regions), with the rest shared between MAF and other cytogenetic groups. Gene annotation and pathway enrichment analysis using GREAT confirmed overrepresentation of the MF myeloma patient signature, as previously identified in microarray datasets. RNA-seq detected significant upregulation of approximately 900 genes in MAF samples compared to normal counterparts, including MAF itself (top 4th hit) as well as its presumed targets (CCND2, ITGB7 and NUAK1). Next, we obtained the MAF cistrome using ChIP-seq in the MAF-translocated MMCL MM1.S and integrated it with the primary PC ATAC-seq data. This revealed that 31% (618/1,949) of the differentially accessible regions in MAF-translocated MM PC are also MAF-bound. Additional overlay with ENCODE ChromHMM epigenome map showed that 47% of MAF binding sites are on active enhancers and 42% on active promoters signifying potential direct regulation of the corresponding genes. Next, we superimposed the accessible and MAF-bound loci on the epigenomic landscapes of normal PC and other B-cell types using their corresponding ChromHMM maps (Blueprint consortium data). Interestingly, 56% (345/618) of the MAF-specific regions were not active in any stage of B cell development. This suggests that aberrant MAF overexpression and chromatin binding in PC is associated with de novo activation of these chromatin regions, over half of which (200/345; 58%) are enhancers; we termed these 'neo-enhancers'. Upon de novo motif analysis of MAF ChIP-seq in MAF-translocated JJN3 and MM1.S MMCL, we confirmed MAF as the first and, interestingly, IRF4 as the second top hit, suggesting a possible MAF-IRF4 functional interaction in myelomagenesis. Indeed, overlay of the accessible MAF-bound loci with IRF4 ChIP-seq data in MM1.S revealed 63% co-occupancy (including 62% of "neo-enhancers"), proposing a novel and extensive co-operative chromatin-based network between the two transcription factors. Final integration of the accessible MAF-bound regions with the paired transcriptomes of primary myeloma PC revealed a set 206 candidate enhancer-gene pairs. Strikingly, we identified two IRF4-cobound "neo-enhancers" linked to overexpression of TLR4 and CCR1, two genes known for their roles in myeloma cell proliferation and migration. We confirmed significant downregulation of both genes upon shRNA-mediated knockdown of MAF in the two MAF-translocated MMCL, MM1.S and JJN3, as well as the lethality of MAF depletion. Further, MAF overexpression in MAF-negative myeloma backgrounds led to transcriptional upregulation of these genes, further validating them as MAF targets. While CRISPR/Cas9i experiments targeting TLR4 are ongoing, preliminary results validated the functional role of the "neo-enhancer" in CCR1 gene expression. In conclusion, we demonstrate for the first time an extensive re-organisation of the PC chromatin conferred by oncogenic MAF in MM; we reveal its extensive co-operation with IRF4 in this process; we validate the directly MAF-regulated genes and functionally characterise neo-enhancers of key MAF-dependent genes that in addition to MAF itself are also critical for myeloma biology. Disclosures Hatjiharissi: Janssen: Honoraria. Caputo:GSK: Research Funding. Karadimitris:GSK: Research Funding.
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KWON, OH-HEON, and JI-WOONG KANG. "THE STRESS ANALYSIS AND THE CRACK BEHAVIOR ACCORDING TO THE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE INTERFACIAL REGION IN FIBER REINFORCED MMC." International Journal of Modern Physics B 20, no. 25n27 (October 30, 2006): 4457–62. http://dx.doi.org/10.1142/s0217979206041513.
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High performance composite reinforced with unidirectional continuous fibers are used in applications requiring high stiffness, high strength and light weight. Because of the high stiffness of the reinforced continuous fiber, the longitudinal performance of such unidirectional composites is greatly enhanced, but their transverse performance is so weak. The nature of the fiber/matrix interface is one of the important factors which determine the unique properties of the fiber reinforced metal matrix composites (MMCs). So, the current study is focused on the fracture behavior of the interface. Both stress state of the interface and crack parameters of the perpendicular crack to the interface for unidirectional fiber reinforced metal matrix composites under the transverse loading are investigated by using elastic-plastic finite element analysis. Different fiber volume fractions (5~60%) and arrangement (square and hexagon) of fibers were studied numerically. The fiber/matrix interface was treated as multi thin layer with different material properties. The fiber is assumed as linear elastic SiC and the matrix is assumed as elastic-plastic Ti -15-3 Titanium alloy. The results show that the stress distributions of the multi thin layer model have much less changes compared with a single interface case. And the properties of the interfacial zone affect the stress distribution, crack behavior and mechanical behavior of the fiber reinforced metal matrix composite.
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Li, Lin, Huang, and Li. "A Radio over Fiber System with Simultaneous Wireless Multi-Mode Operation Based on a Multi-Wavelength Optical Comb and Pulse-Shaped 4QAM-OFDM." Electronics 8, no. 10 (September 20, 2019): 1064. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/electronics8101064.
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In this paper, we propose a radio over fiber transmission system with simultaneous wireless multi-mode operation based on multi-wavelength optical comb and pulse shaping. This study is an initial attempt to accomplish simultaneous wireless multi-mode operation on a single optical carrier. A multi-wavelength optical comb with 13 flat optical wavelengths and space of 10 GHz is achieved by utilizing radio frequency (RF)-optics modulation and parameter configuration. The central station contains four adjacent optical wavelengths separated from the multi-wavelength optical comb by a wavelength division multiplexer, that one is modulated by 4QAM-OFDM signals with an up-converted carrier frequency of 5 GHz. The signals modulated with a single-sideband can be obtained by employing pulse shaping. The single-sideband optical signals are combined with the other three optical wavelengths and then transmitted over a standard single-mode fiber with a length of 50 km. In this arrangement, we can obtain several wireless carriers with frequencies of 5 GHz, 25 GHz, 45 GHz, and 65 GHz by direct detection. These wireless carriers are used for wireless transmission between the RF remote units and the mobile terminals. Additionally, in the radio frequency (RF) remote unit, we have three pure optical sources that can be utilized for the uplink transmission. With single channel and direct optoelectronic modulation, the optical and wireless communication with 10 Gbps can be accomplished in the whole process of system network transmission.
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Zhou, Ao, Huinan Wei, Tiejun Liu, Dujian Zou, Ye Li, and Renyuan Qin. "Interfacial technology for enhancement in steel fiber reinforced cementitious composite from nano to macroscale." Nanotechnology Reviews 10, no. 1 (January 1, 2021): 636–52. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/ntrev-2021-0037.
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Abstract The rapid construction of innovative structures and megastructures is pushing the development of steel fiber reinforced cementitious composite (SFRCC). The interfacial enhancement technology from nano to macroscale for improving global properties of SFRCC is summarized here, including nanomaterials reinforcement of cementitious matrix, physical arrangement and nanomaterials modification of steel fiber. The interfacial bonding strength of SFRCC can be enhanced more than 150% via these approaches. To evaluate the effect of local interfacial technology on global mechanical properties of SFRCC, the structural performance of SFRCC with interfacial modification is reviewed. The energy absorption capacity of SFRCC can be improved over 20% through interfacial enhancement technology. The multi-scale mechanisms behind these approaches are illustrated through macroscale characterizations and molecular dynamics modeling. Furthermore, the key challenges and future prospects of enhancement approaches are also discussed from the perspectives of bottom-up system, nanoscale reinforcement, and durability properties in SFRCC, which are expected to inspire further improvement in interfacial performance and promote the application of SFRCC in practical engineering.
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Herbuś, Krzysztof, and Piotr Ociepka. "A study of an influence of a fiber arrangement of a laminate ply on the distribution and values of stresses in the multi-layered composite material." MATEC Web of Conferences 112 (2017): 04022. http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/201711204022.
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Militello, Gaia Maria, Andrea Bloise, Laura Gaggero, Gabriele Lanzafame, and Rosalda Punturo. "Multi-Analytical Approach for Asbestos Minerals and Their Non-Asbestiform Analogues: Inferences from Host Rock Textural Constraints." Fibers 7, no. 5 (May 10, 2019): 42. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/fib7050042.
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Asbestos is a hazardous mineral, as well as a common and well-known issue worldwide. However, amphiboles equal in composition but not in morphology, as well as the fibrous antigorite and lizardite, are not classified as asbestos even if more common than other forms of the mineral. Still, their potential hazardous properties requires further exploration. The proposed multi-instrumental approach focuses on the influence of textural constraints on the subsequent origin of asbestiform products in massive rock. This aspect has a significant effect on diagnostic policies addressing environmental monitoring and the clinical perspective. Concerning minerals that are chemically and geometrically (length > 5 μm, width < 3 μm and length:diameter > 3:1) but not morphologically analogous to regulated asbestos, the debate about their potential hazardous properties is open and ongoing. Therefore, a selection of various lithotypes featuring the challenging identification of fibrous phases with critical counting dimensions was investigated; this selection consisted of two serpentinites, one metabasalt and one pyroxenite. The analytical protocol included optical microscopy (OM), scanning and transmission electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM/EDS; TEM/EDS), micro-Raman spectroscopy and synchrotron radiation X-ray microtomography (SR X-ray μCT). The latter is an original non-destructive approach that allows the observation of the fiber arrangement in a three-dimensional space, avoiding morphological influence as a result of comminution.
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Troch, Christophe, Luther Terblanche, Marius Rossouw, Zanele Ntantala, and Gerrit du Plessis. "LONG-WAVE MITIGATION STUDY FOR THE PORT OF NGQURA." Coastal Engineering Proceedings, no. 36v (December 31, 2020): 28. http://dx.doi.org/10.9753/icce.v36v.papers.28.
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Solutions to the long-wave induced moored ship motion problems at the Port of Ngqura were investigated in this study. Long-wave mitigation options were modelled with various layout modifications to the present model of the port, which has been validated with measured data. The numerical model simulations were used to derive long-term data sets inside the Port. Several moored ship motion simulations, using alternative conventional and dynamic mooring options, were performed for an extreme wave and wind condition for each berth at the port. Preferred port layout options and optimal mooring solutions were then determined for each berth. A complete framework of wave and ship motion simulations were performed for the preferred mitigation options. The ship motions and mooring line forces were determined for the relevant vessels at selected berths. This allowed for berth operability and downtime statistics to be determined, taking the limiting wave height and allowable mooring line criteria into account. Since several port layout options and different mooring arrangements were assessed, a Multi-Criteria-Analysis (MCA) was followed to determine the best possible solution.Recorded Presentation from the vICCE (YouTube Link): https://youtu.be/y79b158riGE
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Huang, Ren-Huai, Ying Wang, Robyn Roth, Xiong Yu, Angie R. Purvis, John E. Heuser, Edward H. Egelman, and J. Evan Sadler. "Reversible Self-Assembly of Weibel-Palade Body-Like Tubules from Recombinant N-Terminal Domains of von Willebrand Factor." Blood 110, no. 11 (November 16, 2007): 291. http://dx.doi.org/10.1182/blood.v110.11.291.291.
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Abstract Weibel-Palade bodies (WPBs) are elongated secretory granules of endothelial cells that are packed with tubules composed of von Willebrand factor (VWF), a multimeric protein required for hemostasis. Disruption of tubular packing prevents the orderly secretion of VWF multimers and blocks the subsequent binding of platelets. The cigar-like shape and tubular cross section of WPBs are conserved in all vertebrates, but little is known about how VWF specifies this packing arrangement. Starting from recombinant 82 kDa VWF propeptide (domains D1D2) and 114 kDa disulfide-bonded D’D3 dimer, we now have assembled tubules reversibly in vitro with the same dimensions as VWF tubules in WPBs. Assembly was induced at pH 6.2, reversed at pH 7.4, and required Ca2+. Recombinant D’D3 dimers did not self-associate at pH 7.4 or pH 6.2, with or without Ca2+. Without Ca2+, VWF propeptide did not bind to D’D3 dimers. At pH 7.4, with Ca2+, VWF propeptide formed noncovalent 160 kDa dimers and, when mixed with D’D3 dimers, assembled a 280 kDa complex of two propeptides and one D’D3 dimer as shown by gel filtration chromatography and multi-angle light scattering. Lowering the pH to 6.2 caused the formation of >3 MDa aggregates with the same stoichiometry, which dissociated upon adding EDTA or raising the pH to 7.4. Quick-freeze deep-etch EM showed that the large aggregates are hollow right-handed tubular helices. The iterative helical real space reconstruction method was used to make 3D reconstructions of the tubules at 22 Å resolution from negative stain EM images (Figure, left). Tubules consist of a right-handed helix with axial rise of 26.2 Å and twist of 85.6 degrees per subunit, or 4.2 subunits per 11 nm turn. The dimensions (outside diameter 25 nm, inside diameter 12 nm) are similar to those of tubules in WPBs in thin sections of endothelial cells by transmission EM (Figure, right and its insert). Each subunit contains one D’D3 dimer flanked by two D1D2 propeptides (Figure, center). Each D’D3 dimer makes a total of six contacts with D1D2 domains. Each D1D2 propeptide makes three contacts with D’D3 and just one end-to-end homotypic contact. The spatial arrangement of these building blocks and inter-domain contacts in tubules suggest a model by which decreasing pH along the secretory pathway coordinates the formation of intersubunit disulfide bonds with the tubular packaging of VWF multimers. Within the WPB, Ca2+-dependent and pH-dependent binding of D1D2 to D’D3 domains stabilizes the packing of VWF multimers into tubules, which behave as constrained springs. Upon secretion, the increased pH weakens these constraints and permits the helical tubules to unfurl into flowing blood without tangling. Figure Figure
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De Jorge-Moreno, Justo, and Oscar Rojas Carrasco. "Technical efficiency and its determinants factors in Spanish textiles industry (2002-2009)." Journal of Economic Studies 42, no. 3 (August 10, 2015): 346–57. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/jes-06-2013-0085.
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Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide new evidence about the technical efficiency and its determinants in Spanish textile sector during the period 2002-2009. The empirical results suggest that the effects of trade liberalization have led to higher levels of inefficiency in the Spanish sector, due to the lack of flexibility of firms to adjust to the environment, and perhaps to aggressive competition with fuzzy rules of the game. Controlling for specific factor like age, intensity of capital, salary by worker, regions and market share, the authors have obtained that the interaction between market share and size indicates that as firms have more size are also more inefficient. Design/methodology/approach – In this paper, the stochastic frontier production function is considered, specifically, a panel data version of Battese and Coelli (1995), in which the technical inefficiency is estimated from the stochastic frontier and simultaneously explained by a set of variables. This approach avoids the inconsistency problems of the two-stage approach used in other empirical works when analyzing the inefficiency determinants. Findings – This work provides new evidence about the technical efficiency and its determinants can be due to environmental or firm-specific factors in Spanish textile sector during the period 2002-2009. The authors have estimated the Cobb-Douglass stochastic production frontier following Battese and Coelli (1995) model to analyze an unbalanced panel. Originality/value – The empirical results suggest that the trend of the inefficiency shows a curvilinear behavior in the form of U (turning point third-quarter of 2004). This result is related to the efficiency analysis through Kernel distributions (in static and dynamic form) confirmed a clear process of divergence. In the period 2002-2005 the efficiency of the firms analyzed maintained higher levels than the 2005-2009 period where there is deterioration. This may be related to the increased competition due to the end of the Multi-Fiber Arrangement in January 2005 and the entry of Chinese products in 2004.
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Magder, Dan. "Egypt after the Multi-Fiber Arrangement: Global Apparel and Textile Supply Chains as a Route for Industrial Upgrading." SSRN Electronic Journal, 2005. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.794805.
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Li, Zeyang, Zhao Liu, Yongbo Xue, and Ping Zhu. "A novel algorithm for significantly increasing the fiber volume fraction in the reconstruction model with large fiber aspect ratio." Journal of Industrial Textiles, July 12, 2021, 152808372110320. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/15280837211032078.
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Geometric reconstruction is an important precondition for the computational micromechanics analysis of chopped fiber reinforced composites. When fiber aspect ratio increases, the maximum fiber volume fraction in reconstruction model reduces rapidly because of jamming limit, which greatly limits the application of reconstruction methods. A novel algorithm is proposed to significantly increase the fiber volume fraction in the reconstruction model of the chopped fiber reinforced composites with large fiber aspect ratio. The algorithm is made up of two stages. At the first stage, fibers are packed into the sublayers of initial filling space to preliminarily design fiber orientation distribution. The unidirectional arrangement of fibers is adopted to achieve high fiber volume fraction. At the second stage, a new multi-step fiber shaking strategy is used to introduce randomness into reconstruction model. The high fiber volume fraction over 30% is achieved within the wide range of fiber aspect ratio from 50 to 200 while the results of the existing methods are not more than 10%, showing the remarkable increase of the fiber volume fraction under large fiber aspect ratio. The proposed algorithm is verified by the statistical results of the four representative microstructural characteristics from reconstruction model and realistic material.
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El-Zanati, Elham M., Eman Farg, Esraa Taha, Ayman El-Guindi, and Heba Abdallah. "Preparation and characterization of different geometrical shapes of multi-bore hollow fiber membranes and application in vacuum membrane distillation." Journal of Analytical Science and Technology 11, no. 1 (October 23, 2020). http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40543-020-00244-4.
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Abstract Multi-bore hollow fiber membranes were prepared through phase inversion spinning process using new locally designed spinnerets of various geometrical shapes. The spun cylindrical-like, rectangular or ribbon-like, and triangular-like are prepared, dried, and characterized by scanning electronic microscope. Fibers of circular (seven, five, and four bores) shape, rectangular of five bores, and triangular of three bores were chosen to study the effect of both geometrical configuration and the number of bores on the amorphous structure and the mechanical properties of the membranes. Membrane geometry, surface amorphous, and bore arrangements are very sensitive to the operating conditions, especially the extrusion and drawing rates. Three polymeric blends of different compositions are used to prepare multi-bore hollow fiber membranes. This study revealed that the blend composition of PES 16%, PVP 2%, PEG 2%, diethylene glycol 2%, and NMP 78% gives excellent mechanical properties. Optimization of the preparation conditions also developed, where the dope flow rate, the bore flow rate, and the air gap were 1.14 cm3 s−1, 1.1 cm3 s−1, and 0 cm, respectively. Furthermore, this study proved that the circular arrangement has high mechanical strength. The prepared seven-MBHF membranes were applied in the membrane distillation process, a solution of 35 g/l NaCl was used to test the membrane performance, and the achieved flux and rejection were 28.32 L/m2 h and 98.9%, respectively. This performance demonstrated that the prepared membrane in this way is suitable to compete with conventional reverse osmosis technology that uses single track hollow fibers.
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Wright, Gavin. "Voting Rights, Deindustrialization, and Republican Ascendancy in the South." Institute for New Economic Thinking Working Paper Series, September 1, 2020, 1–61. http://dx.doi.org/10.36687/inetwp135.
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The Voting Rights Act of 1965 revolutionized politics in the American South. These changes also had economic consequences, generating gains for white as well as Black southerners. Contrary to the widespread belief that the region turned Republican in direct response to the Civil Rights Revolution, expanded voting rights led to twenty-five years of competitive two-party politics, featuring strong biracial coalitions in the Democratic Party. These coalitions remained competitive in most states until the Republican Revolution of the 1990s. This abrupt rightward shift had many causes, but critical for southern voters were the trade liberalization measures of 1994, specifically NAFTA and the phase-out of the Multi-Fiber Arrangement which had protected the textiles and apparel industries for decades. The consequences of Republican state regimes have been severe, including intensified racial polarization, loss of support for public schools and higher education, and harsh policies toward low-income populations.
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Livani, M. A., E. Bosco, and A. S. J. Suiker. "Influence of morphology on the effective hygro-elastic properties of softwood (spruce) and hardwood (balsa)." Archive of Applied Mechanics, June 9, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00419-021-01994-2.
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AbstractWood materials are characterized by complex, hierarchical material structures spanning across various length scales. The present work aims at establishing a relation between the hygro-elastic properties at the mesoscopic cellular level and the effective material response at the macroscopic level, both for softwood (spruce) and hardwood (balsa). The particular aim is to explore the influence on the effective hygro-elastic properties under variations in the meso-scale morphology. The multi-scale framework applied for this purpose uses the method of asymptotic homogenization, which allows to accurately and efficiently obtain the effective response of heterogeneous materials characterized by complex meso-structural geometries. The meso-structural model considered for softwood is based on a periodic, two-dimensional statistically representative volume element that is generated by a spatial repetition of tracheid cells. The tracheid cells are modeled as hexagonal elements characterized by a certain geometrical irregularity. The hardwood meso-structure consists of a region composed of hexagonal cellular fibers with large vessels embedded, which is connected to a ray region that is constructed of ray cells. The hardwood fibers are modeled as hexagonal cellular elements, similar to softwood tracheids. The rays are represented by quadrilateral cells oriented along the radial direction, whereby different arrangements are considered, i.e., the ray cells are either regularly stacked or organized as a staggered configuration. The interface between the fiber and ray regions may also be characterized by a regular or a staggered arrangement. The meso-structural models for softwood and hardwood are discretized by means of plane-strain, finite element models, which describe the hygro-elastic response of the wood material in the radial–tangential plane. For softwood, the sensitivity of the effective elastic and hygro-expansive properties is explored as a function of the geometrical irregularity of the tracheids. For hardwood, the effective properties are studied under a variation of the ray cell arrangement, the type of interface between ray and fiber regions, and the vessel volume fraction. The modeling results agree well with results obtained from other numerical homogenization studies and show to be in reasonable agreement with experimental data taken from the literature.
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Ouni, E., K. T. Haas, A. Peaucelle, O. Va. Kerk1, M. M. Dolmans, T. Tuuri, M. Otala, and C. Andrad. Amorim. "P–699 Multi-scale study of the architecture, topography and mechanics of the human ovary from prepuberty to menopause: a blueprint for next-generation bioengineering and diagnosis." Human Reproduction 36, Supplement_1 (July 1, 2021). http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/humrep/deab130.698.
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Abstract Study question Does the ovarian ECM have a precise and unique biophysical phenotype, specific to each age, from prepuberty to menopause? Summary answer Differences between healthy prepubertal, reproductive-age, and menopausal ovarian tissue, unravel and elucidate a unique biophysical phenotype of reproductive-age tissue, bridging biophysics and female fertility. What is known already Ovarian engineering has recently emerged to respond to patient needs and offer reliable models for basic research. It has relied on synthetic and natural biomaterials and microfluidics. However, these techniques were designed based on knowledge acquired from 2D cell culture and animal models. Our lack of information on the human ovary hampers our ability to mimic the main features of this organ, for clinical applications. The complex composition and hierarchical structure of its ECM complicates the design of truly biomimetic constructs, notably: fiber morphology, interstitial and perifollicular fiber orientation, porosity, topography, and viscoelasticity, which all play a role in mechanotransduction. Study design, size, duration Ovarian biopsies were taken from prepubertal (mean age [±SD]=7±3 years, n = 21), reproductive age (mean age [±SD]=27±5, n = 26 ) and menopausal (mean age [±SD]=61±6 years, n = 29) patients after obtaining their informed consent. All participating adult subjects were undergoing laparoscopic surgery for benign gynecological diseases not affecting the ovaries. Prepubertal tissue was derived from young cancer patients scheduled for ovarian cortex cryopreservation as a fertility preservation strategy, before being subjected to acute gonadotoxic cancer treatments. Participants/materials, setting, methods All samples were cryopreserved by slow freezing and kept frozen until the day of their analysis. Tissues provided from the same patients (n = 5 per age group) were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) (fiber, pore and topography analyses) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). A larger number of paraffin-fixed biopsies (prepubertal, n = 16, reproductive-age, n = 21, and menopausal, n = 24) obtained from the biobank of St-Luc’s Hospital were used to conduct computed fiber orientation analysis. Main results and the role of chance Our results revealed a unique ECM architecture at reproductive age, where fibers of intermediate diameter are assembled into thickest bundles compared to prepubertal and menopausal tissues(p < 0.0001). Indeed, during prepuberty the bundles assemble into a tight network with high number of small pores while reproductive-age ovary gain more porosity(p < 0.0001). However, at menopause tissue pore number and area change significantly(p < 0.001). These pore geometry and distribution changes contribute to diffusion and access of key molecules to/from cells, which can be translated into changes in permeability and molecule selectivity with age. Fiber directionality around follicle borders at preantral stages revealed that before and after puberty, secondary follicles appear to modify their microenvironment arrangement locally compared to follicles at earlier stages of development (p < 0.01), by reorienting the majority of collagen fibers below 50°.This could indicate that follicles at this stage require higher fiber contact and adhesion signaling to complete their development and maturation towards ovulation. AFM evidenced a relatively rigid ovarian tissue at prepuberty, softening significantly at reproductive age, then stiffening considerably upon menopause. These differences(p < 0.01) are not only structure-dependent, but also related to biochemical differences in ECM composition, as previously demonstrated in our follow-up of variations in elastic matrisome components from prepuberty to menopause. Limitations, reasons for caution The samples represent single time points from each age group which could present limitations, since following ovary dynamics from prepuberty to menopause in the same patient is not feasible. Wider implications of the findings: Our study provides the first conclusive proof of a link between ECM biophysics and fertility by comparing different stages of ovarian transformation related to a woman’s reproductive life, which will oriente new strategies for infertility prognoses based on ECM biophysics and may become a blueprint for designing functional engineered ovaries. Trial registration number Not applicable