An experimental examination of target based conservation auctions

Conservation auctions are increasingly employed to increase the provision of Ecological Goods and Services (EG&S) for achieving environmental goals. Most applications of conservation auctions concern the efficient allocation of a fixed conservation budget. However an important and under-explored application of conservation auctions is in meeting environmental targets, either as part of regulatory compliance by industry or by governments in meeting specified policy objectives. This paper examines the ability of a conservation auction to meet an environmental target. We use experimental economics methods benchmarked to a wetlands restoration case study to examine bidder behavior and efficiency in both budget constrained and target constrained auctions when landowners with increasing marginal costs can offer increasing sized bundles of wetland acres. The target constrained auction is characterized by an all or nothing rule, where there is no payout if the target is not met. We find that rent seeking and average cost in the target constrained auction is less than in a budget constrained auction, but that efficiency eroded in repeated rounds suggesting learning effects as participants realize there is no budget cap. Even with learning effects the target based auction out-performs the budget based auction. Adding a reserve price to the target based auction significantly reduced rent seeking but also increased the probability that the target was not met. The results have important implications for auction design in real world settings.     

从接受美学理论看目的语文本与源语文本的关系

接受美学理论认为,文本只有在读者积极参与下才能成为文学作品.翻译过程中,源语文本在译者积极动态的介入下,将未定性和开放性的文本形成并不完全对等的目的语文本,两者之间同中有异,互补互足.     

政府管控一般目标、总量结构和管控基本范畴

政府宏观经济管控目标具有多重性,包括保持社会总供给与总需求的平衡,促进经济再生产各环节及各产业、地区间的协调,不断提高人民生活水平调节社会分配,保护生态环境和自然资源,实现经济长期发展的良性循环和社会进步等,还包括经济目标"效率"和社会目标"均等"。宏观经济管理、调控和干预是三个既有联系又有区别的概念,而管控应当说包涵了三方面内容。管控的基本内容和手段实际也是市场机制调节功能的有机组成,客观上要求宏观经济调节机制必须通过市场机制起作用。     

Target costing as a strategic cost management tool for success of balanced scorecard system

The precondition of gaining and sustaining competitive advantage for companies that operate today＇s competitive markets is the effective cost management. Since price is determined by the market, the ways of increasing profits are productivity and cost reduction. Balanced scorecard system is accepted by academicians and practitioners as an effective strategic management tool for applying the strategy successfully. In the financial perspective of the balanced scorecard system, cost reduction is a strategic objective. It is necessary that company＇s cost reduction strategy should not only be a reaction to the market, but also a continual strategy. The approach which aims to the reduction of costs that reveal along product life cycle and preset this aim at the design stage is target costing （TC）. TC can be used as an effective tool in BSC＇s financial perspective for the objective of cost reduction. In this study, the authors aim to display how to integrate the TC to BSC.     

Why persistent high inflation impedes growth? An empirical assessment of threshold level of inflation for India

In the policy debate on growth–inflation trade-off and the role of monetary policy in managing the trade-off in the short-run, theoretical and empirical research suggests the presence of a country specific threshold level of inflation. Empirical findings of this paper suggest that for India the threshold level of inflation could be around 6%. The inflation target for monetary policy may have to be somewhat lower than the growth maximizing threshold, since any positive inflation could be a risk to inclusive and sustainable growth objective.     

任务型教学法和传统3P教学在阅读课中的对比

任务型教学法在提高学生独立思考，应用语言表达自己思想和全面看问题方面的确有3P教学所不能及的效果。高职英语阅读教学更需要引入任务型范式来提高其英语应用能力。     

Nonparametric learning rules from bandit experiments: The eyes have it!

How do people learn? We assess, in a model-free manner, subjectsʼ belief dynamics in a two-armed bandit learning experiment. A novel feature of our approach is to supplement the choice and reward data with subjectsʼ eye movements during the experiment to pin down estimates of subjectsʼ beliefs. Estimates show that subjects are more reluctant to “update down” following unsuccessful choices, than “update up” following successful choices. The profits from following the estimated learning and decision rules are smaller (by about 25% of average earnings by subjects in this experiment) than what would be obtained from a fully-rational Bayesian learning model, but comparable to the profits from alternative non-Bayesian learning models, including reinforcement learning and a simple “win-stay” choice heuristic.     

The effect of human image in B2C website design: an eye-tracking study

On B2C shopping websites, effective visual designs can bring about consumers’ positive emotional experience. From this perspective, this article developed a research model to explore the impact of human image as a visual element on consumers’ online shopping emotions and subsequent attitudes towards websites. This study conducted an eye-tracking experiment to collect both eye movement data and questionnaire data to test the research model. Questionnaire data analysis showed that product pictures combined with human image induced positive emotions among participants, thus promoting their attitudes towards online shopping websites. Specifically, product pictures with human image first produced higher levels of image appeal and perceived social presence, thus stimulating higher levels of enjoyment and subsequent positive attitudes towards the websites. Moreover, a moderating effect of product type was demonstrated on the relationship between the presence of human image and the level of image appeal. Specifically, human image significantly increased the level of image appeal when integrated in entertainment product pictures while this relationship was not significant in terms of utilitarian products. Eye-tracking data analysis further supported these results and provided plausible explanations. The presence of human image significantly increased the pupil size of participants regardless of product types. For entertainment products, participants paid more attention to product pictures integrated with human image whereas for utilitarian products more attention was paid to functional information of products than to product pictures no matter whether or not integrated with human image.     

译前编辑与译后编辑分别使用机器翻译的对比——以英国诺里奇市城堡博物馆的荷兰画作简介的翻译为例

以英国诺里奇市城堡博物馆网站的荷兰画作简介为例,使用当下网民最常用的网络在线翻译工具之一＂Google翻译＂来对博物馆的精品画作馆藏介绍进行翻译。主要通过译前编辑使用＂Google翻译＂与译后编辑使用＂Google翻译＂,对两种不同的翻译方式所产生的译文效果、翻译过程中所产生的问题,以及完成翻译所需要耗费的时长进行对比与分析,寻找尽可能高效及优质的方法翻译源语文本;同时,发现并提出在线翻译工具需要改进的方面。     

企业财务管理的重要性研究

随着我国经济体制改革的不断深入,企业管理以财务管理为核心,已成为企业家和经济界人士的共识。因为它是通过价值形态对企业资金运动的一项综合性的管理,渗透和贯穿于企业一切经济活动之中。因此,加强财务管理是企业可持续发展的一个关键。