Measuring firm performance: Differentiating between uncontrollable and controllable bad outputs

This paper introduces a new model that differentiates between controllable and uncontrollable bad outputs in the measurement of firm performance; the airline industry is used as the empirical example. The model allows us to measure technical inefficiency, as well as the inefficiency in the production of bad outputs, and the inefficiency in the investments allocated to the reduction of uncontrollable bad outputs. Moreover, we provide a direct measure of the total cost of controllable bad outputs. As the model involves a number of latent (unobservable) variables that cannot be easily integrated out of the likelihood function without producing complicated expressions, we resort to Bayesian techniques. We find notable differences in inefficiency across airlines. More importantly though, we find that the production of bad or undesirable outputs impose significant costs on airlines. However, these cost issues could be reduced if airlines invest more in maintenance and service training.     

Equitable preference relations on infinite utility streams

We propose generalized versions of strong equity and Pigou–Dalton transfer principle. We study the existence and the real-valued representation of social welfare relations satisfying these two generalized equity principles. Our results characterize the restrictions on one period utility domains for the equitable social welfare relations (i) to exist; and (ii) to admit real-valued representations.     

Computing the Gerber–Shiu function by frame duality projection

Inspired by some works of Kirkby, J. L. [2015. Efficient option pricing by frame duality with the fast Fourier transform. SIAM Journal on Financial Mathematics 6(1), 713–747; 2016. An efficient transform method for Asian option pricing. SIAM Journal on Financial Mathematics 7(1), 845–892], we present a systematic study on effectively computing the Gerber–Shiu function in the Lévy risk model, where the frame duality projection is used for approximation. By introducing an auxiliary function, we provide a smooth extension of the Gerber–Shiu function, which has closed-form Fourier transform and is differentiable over the whole real line under some conditions. The objective function is approximated by its frame duality projection onto a Riesz basis, and the projection coefficients are readily computed by the fast Fourier transform algorithm. Error analysis is made and the effectiveness of our results will be further illustrated in the numerical experiments.     

中国农村宅基地闲置程度及其成因研究

研究目的：基于全国典型村庄调研，分析不同地区农村宅基地闲置程度和成因，为农村宅基地集约利用和乡村振兴提供建议。研究方法：实地调研法、对比分析法。研究结果：（1）调研村庄宅基地闲置现象普遍，2018年闲置程度平均为10.7%。（2）各地村庄宅基地闲置程度差异明显。分区域看，东部村庄宅基地闲置程度最高，中部村庄最低；分城乡区位看，村庄离城市距离越远，宅基地闲置程度越高；分地形看，平原村庄宅基地闲置程度最高；分是否为贫困村庄看，村庄宅基地闲置程度随村庄贫困程度的加深而升高。（3）宅基地闲置是乡村人口结构变化与宅基地利用失衡的结果。长期外出务工、城镇有住房、“一户多宅”、宅基地损毁引起宅基地闲置的成因占比依次下降。（4）农村宅基地闲置受乡村地域内外宏微观因素综合影响，经济增长和城镇化引起的就业非农化、人口市民化是宅基地闲置的直接动因，现行城乡二元制度和宅基地管理制度是宅基地闲置的根本原因。研究结论：盘活利用农村闲置宅基地，需要因地制宜推动闲置宅基地整治利用、健全宅基地有偿使用和退出机制、创新城乡制度加快农业转移人口市民化。     

江西省农村土地利用变化及生态系统服务价值研究

[目的]土地利用变化及生态系统服务价值研究一直是土地资源评价与管理方面的热点研究问题,通过对江西省土地利用变化和生态系统价值进行研究,为江西省土地规划和资源的可持续利用提供理论依据。[方法]文章基于文献查阅的方法,利用多样性指数模型、土地利用动态度和生态系统服务价值模型,结合2009~2016年江西省农村土地利用的现状及变化,分析了其生态系统服务价值及相应变化。[结果]近年来,江西省农村土地利用程度高、多样性指数中等且呈先下降后上升的趋势。土地利用类型的面积与该土地利用类型的生态系统服务价值呈同向变化的关系。通过对土地利用类型的ESV值进行分析,发现农村土地利用的生态系统服务功能价值总体在减少;对单项生态系统价值分析,水源涵养在江西省农村土地生态系统服务中占有最重要的地位。[结论]2009~2016年江西省农村土地利用结构都发生了变化,生态系统服务总价值出现了降低趋势,各单项生态系统服务功能价值也在减少,土地利用结构对生态系统功能价值具有决定作用。因此,政府应该合理利用土地,保护生态系统,协调好环境与经济发展的关系。     

黄河黑山峡大柳树水利枢纽工程功能分析

为了抢抓国家当前高度重视生态文明建设,加强中西部地区重大调水工程建设的历史机遇,加快黄河黑山峡河段开发,梳理分析了黄河黑山峡大柳树水利枢纽工程在黄河调水调沙、水资源配置、区域建设发展等方面的功能作用,分析了相关省区的发展作用并提出损益处理建议,以求多方共赢,共同呼吁国家加快黄河大柳树水利枢纽工程立项建设。     

Optimal insurance under rank‐dependent utility and incentive compatibility

Bernard, He, Yan, and Zhou (Mathematical Finance, 25(1), 154–186) studied an optimal insurance design problem where an individual's preference is of the rank‐dependent utility (RDU) type, and show that in general an optimal contract covers both large and small losses. However, their results suffer from the unrealistic assumption that the random loss has no atom, as well as a problem of moral hazard that provides incentives for the insured to falsely report the actual loss. This paper addresses these setbacks by removing the nonatomic assumption, and by exogenously imposing the “incentive compatibility” constraint that both indemnity function and insured's retention function are increasing with respect to the loss. We characterize the optimal solutions via calculus of variations, and then apply the result to obtain explicitly expressed contracts for problems with Yaari's dual criterion and general RDU. Finally, we use numerical examples to compare the results between ours and Bernard et al.     

On the role of the utility function in the estimation of preference parameters

Modern economic theory summarizes the main characteristics of individual preferences through a definite set of parameters: risk aversion, prudence, and the elasticity of intertemporal substitution. Despite their importance, the results of the literature devoted to the parameters’ estimation are controversial. This paper highlights the neglected role that may have been played by the constraints that the quantitative definition of the parameters and the utility functions employed impose on the estimation. A number of simulation exercises are presented, which show that the same saving behaviour can be associated with quite different values of the parameters depending on the utility function adopted.     

传统白族民居如何适应现代功能需求——以沙溪白族民居为个案

沙溪的传统白族民居保存较好,数量庞大,既有大理白族民居的特点又有沙溪的地方特征。民居建筑材料为土、木、石。沙溪地区太阳辐射剧烈,冬季严寒,为提升室内舒适度,需要一些现代建筑技术手段来解决这些问题。随着社会的发展,为了适应现代化的生产方式,民居的功能空间发生了改变,并且伴着旅游开发,商业也作为一个不可缺少的因素融入到了沙溪民居中。