Asymmetric dynamics in correlations of treasury and swap markets: Evidence from the US market

Using the asymmetric dynamic conditional correlation (A-DCC) model developed by Cappiello et al. (2006), this paper empirically analyzes the conditional correlation between treasury and swap markets from February 9, 2006 to May 31, 2011, and makes two key contributions. First, the dynamics of the conditional correlation of only the 2-year maturity differs from those of other maturities. These patterns might be explained by the fact that a 2-year maturity is easily affected by market forecasts of monetary policy changes by the Federal Reserve Board. Second, the financial crisis dummies (ξ₁) are all negative in particular with significance at the 5% level for 7 year, 10 year, and 30 year maturities. This result indicates that arbitrage transactions between treasuries and swaps have not taken place on a sufficient scale during the financial crisis period. As Ito (2010) points out, market participants have been uncertain about the direction of the monetary policies of these financial institutions.     

The size distribution of ‘cities’ delineated with a network theory‐based method and mobile phone GPS data

We delineate “cities” independent of administrative boundaries in Japan by using a network theory‐based method and GPS‐based human mobility data. We divide the country into approximately 1 × 1 km² cells and detect the partition of cells that is optimal from the perspective of information theory. The resulting groups of cells are specified as cities. We find that the combination of two lognormal distributions better fits the city‐size distribution than a distribution with a Pareto upper tail. Moreover, we show that a jump diffusion process is the stochastic process of the city population underlying such a distribution.     

Nash equilibrium and party polarization in an electoral model with mixed motivations

We study the existence problem of Nash equilibrium as well as the patterns of equilibrium policy outcomes in an electoral competition model with mixed motivations. Each party maximizes a sum of party members’ expected utility and office rent. The inclusion of office rent renders the payoff of each party discontinuous. This makes it difficult to apply usually fixed point arguments to prove the existence of Nash equilibria. By using a recently developed concept, multiple restrictional security (MR‐security) we provide conditions under which a pure‐strategy Nash equilibrium exists within fairly general settings, and further the analysis by presenting conditions under which various patterns of policy choices, including polarization, arise in equilibrium.     

On the trade,growth, and welfare effects of intellectual property rights protection

To examine how intellectual property rights protection affects trade, growth, and welfare, I develop a two-country R&D-based growth model in which final goods firms in both countries determine the range of imported varieties in the overall use of intermediate inputs. I show that strengthening patent protection in either country increases the range of imported varieties of intermediate goods and stimulates economic growth in the country that strengthened patent protection. Moreover, I also show that the Nash equilibrium level of patent protection is stronger than the globally optimal level of patent protection.     

Impact of training on the intensification of rice farming: evidence from rainfed areas in Tanzania

Agricultural development is indispensable for poverty reduction and food security in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA). This study investigates the impact of rice production training in a modified version of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) on the performance of small‐scale rice farmers in a rainfed area of Tanzania. Utilizing the plot level variation, we employ propensity score matching (PSM) to assess the impact of training on technology adoption, productivity, and profitability. We also estimate a difference‐in‐differences model with plot fixed effects using recall panel data covering the periods before and after training. We found that trainees achieved an average paddy yield of 4.7 tons per hectare and rice profit of 191.5 USD per hectare on the plots where new technologies were adopted, which is higher by about 1.3–1.8 tons and 119–137 USD per hectare than on the other plots. Our study suggests the high potential of transforming favorable rainfed rice growing areas in SSA so as to achieve a rice Green Revolution through training in modern input use and improved agronomic practices.     

The trickle-down effect of trust in business-to-business relationships: How can a supplier ensure cooperation from multiple customers?

Abstract

Although several interfirm cooperation studies have expanded the unit of analysis from dyads to triads (networks), there is scant literature focusing on whether and how a supplier’s relationship with a customer influences its relationships with other customers. Individual relationship dyads are not isolated but interact with one another. Particularly, mutual trust in a supplier–customer relationship dyad may influence other customers’ cooperative behavior. This cross-dyadic influence is called the “trickle-down effect of trust.” A hypothesis for the mechanism by which this effect occurs was generated, focusing on the customers’ demand information offerings as a cooperative behavior. The results of an empirical analysis indicate that (1) a supplier’s mutual trust with its primary customer encourages nonprimary customers to offer their demand information to the supplier and (2) the quality of information from customers helps the supplier to make their new product more meaningful.     

Evaluation of a dairy agri-environmental programme for restoring woody green infrastructure

Pastoral landscape woody vegetation provides ecosystem services, but potentially competes for space, light and nutrients that could provide additional farm production. A questionnaire determined the values and behaviours of New Zealand dairy farmers to evaluate voluntary agri-environmental programmes for restoring woody vegetation. Findings indicate the area is increasing, while the composition and configuration of networks are changing and redistributing. Farms with little are losing more, and those with more are gaining. Farmers are planting new areas to increase their public ecosystem services, but may not provide these services through planting and management. Barriers include insufficient private woody vegetation ecosystem services, and low rates of growth of native plants. Government incentive programmes are ineffective in overcoming barriers. Farmers may be motivated by stronger evidence of valued ecosystem services, information about their benefits and drawbacks and how to support services through planting and management. However, a targeted environmental stewardship scheme is required to overcome barriers to planting, with government and the dairy industry working together to develop and maintain a landscape-scaled woody vegetation network on private and public land. Such networks would build sustainability and resilience into dairy farming, leading to an equitably sharing of benefits and costs of their public ecosystem services.     

Global liquidity trap

How should monetary policy respond to a “global liquidity trap,” where the two countries may fall into a liquidity trap simultaneously? Using a two-country New Open Economy Macroeconomics model, we first characterize optimal monetary policy, and show that the optimal rate of inflation in one country is affected by whether or not the other country is in a liquidity trap. We next examine how well the optimal monetary policy is approximated by relatively simple monetary policy rules. The interest-rate rule targeting the producer price index performs well in this respect.     

Optimization in Allocating Goods to Shop Shelves Utilizing Genetic Algorithm for Yogurt Sales Data

How to allocate goods to shop shelves makes great influence to sales amount. Searching the best fit allocation of goods to the shelves is a kind of combinatorial problem. This becomes a problem of integer programming and utilizing genetic algorithm （GA） being an effective method. Reviewing past researches, there are few researches made on this. Formerly, the paper concerning optimization in allocating goods to shop shelves utilizing the GA was presented by us. In those papers, the problem that goods were allowed to allocate in multiple shelves was pursued. In this paper, the problem that does not allow goods to be allocated in multiple shelves is examined and the concept of sales profits and sales probabilities is introduced. Optimization in allocating goods to shop shelves is investigated. An application to the shop shelves for yogurt is executed. Utilizing GA, the optimum solution is pursued and verified by a numerical example. Various patterns of problems must be examined hereafter.