A Cost Function Approach to Dynamic Duality: An Application to the US Cigarette Manufacturing Industry

The dynamic duality econometric approach with the case of multiple outputs is applied to the US cigarette manufacturing industry to test for the presence of adjustment costs and quasifixed inputs with regard to stocks of capital and tobacco. Capital and tobacco stocks are found to be quasi-fixed inputs and the empirical results indicate that there are significant adjustment costs associated with adjusting these inputs. Short- and long-run own- and cross-price elasticities of factor demands are estimated for domestic and imported tobaccoes, materials, tobacco stocks, and capital. Output demand elasticities are also estimated. The two outputs, cigarettes produced for export and for the US market, are examined for equality of marginal costs. No evidence of differences in marginal costs was found. There is evidence that government restrictions on advertising have negative effects on output demand.     

Demographic collapse

If nothing else kills it first, the human species could become extinct in a thousand years, simply for failure to reproduce at a sufficient rate to offset the natural deaths of individuals. Already, the death rate exceeds the birth rate in many nations of the European Union. All EU nations have fertility rates too low to sustain the population forever, and cultural globalization could spread this infertility to all humanity. Classical demographic transition theory assumed that modern societies would have birth rates just high enough to balance low death rates. However, their rates are too low, with the notable exception of the United States where high fertility among immigrants and unwed mothers contributes significantly. After documenting the situation, this article considers social responses to this problem, both moderate and radical, finding them less than satisfactory. Perhaps the only way the human species can survive is to transcend the current human condition by evolving into something that is no longer human.     

The Cyclic Behavior of the U.S. Lodging Industry

A recently constructed data series suggests that the hotel industry has experienced two rather large building booms from 1969 to 1994. By contrast, hotel demand seems to move closely with the United States economy, at a much higher cyclic frequency. Occupancy and room rental rates follow the slower movements in supply. A structural model is estimated over this series which displays long lags between occupancy and room rental rate changes, as well as between room rental rates and new supply. These lags create a system of difference equations that is close to being dynamically unstable. Forecasting forward with smooth economic growth, yields a new and even larger future building boom.     

Restructuring FDI policy in emerging economies: The republic of Korea case

This article presents several frameworks for examining the effect of a national financial crisis as a stimulus for economic reform and applies them to the Korean case 1997–2001. The author lists significant dimensions of reform and restructuring, presents a schema showing macro reform measures and some possible micro ramifications regarding a country's policies toward incoming foreign direct investment, and extends the schema to the concept of a trade‐off between macro and micro determinants of a country's attractiveness to foreign direct investment. There is also a chart highlighting the extent of government allowance of foreign equity participation. The author uses all these concepts to analyze the Republic of Korea's response to the financial crisis of 1997–1999. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Taiwan aboriginal ecotourism: Tanayiku Natural Ecology Park

This paper discusses research into an ethno/ecotourism site developed by the Tsou nation of southern Taiwan. The Tanayiku Natural Ecology Park receives approximately 450,000 tourists annually. This paper assesses, from a poststructuralist perspective, the theoretical implications of what is termed an “ecocultural renaissance”. It shows that the park functions in two contradictory ways. First, it is a site of geopolitical resistance to colonization for the Tsou. Second, it is as a site of topological consumption—which is, effectively, continued colonization—by tourists. Paradox notwithstanding, the paper discusses why Tanayiku represents a rare example of a successful community-based ecotourism operation owned and operated exclusively by an aboriginal group.     

Rotterdam model versus almost ideal demand system: will the best specification please stand up?

The Rotterdam model and the Almost Ideal Demand System (AIDS) are often applied in consumer demand systems modeling. Using Monte Carlo techniques, we determine which model performs best in recovering the true elasticities of demand. The AIDS model is usually used in linearized form. Since the Rotterdam model is also linear in a very similar form, comparison of the Rotterdam model and the AIDS model has been the subject of much speculation in the literature. We not only compare the linearized AIDS model with the Rotterdam model, but also with the full nonlinear AIDS. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mental health of UK university business students: Relationship with shame,motivation and self-compassion

There is growing awareness of mental health problems among UK business students, which appears to be exacerbated by students’ attitudes of shame toward mental health. This study recruited 138 UK business students and examined the relationship between mental health and shame, and mental health and potential protective factors such as self-compassion and motivation. A significant correlation between each of the constructs was observed and self-compassion was identified as an explanatory variable for mental health. Shame moderated the relationship between self-compassion and mental health. Integrating self-compassion training into business study programs may help to improve the mental health of this student group.     

Authenticating a heritage hotel: co-creating a new identity

This study attempts to broaden understandings of co-creation by examining stakeholders who authenticate the meaning of a heritage hotel. It proposes that a heritage hotel is not only defined in terms of the provenance of material and non-material aspects of a culture, but also by subjective criteria as applied by various stakeholders. Using the case study of the Hotel Estoril, the first Western-style casino hotel built in the former Portuguese colony of Macau, it shows that government, community organizations, and residents endeavor to co-create a new identity for adaptive reuse. Under the circumstances, a heritage hotel is characterized by a polyvocality of interpretations, reflective of the array of stakeholders involved.     

Real-world evidence of improved healthcare utilization in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder after early treatment of paliperidone palmitate once-monthly treatment in Hong Kong

Background: Very few data are available to demonstrate the economic benefit of early paliperidone palmitate once-monthly long-acting injectable (PP1M) treatment in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.

Methods and materials: This study has retrospectively compared the healthcare utilization and associated costs of pre- and post-PPIM treatment in 413 patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder recruited from three major public hospitals providing psychiatric services in Hong Kong. Patients were categorized into early treatment (≤3 years since diagnosis) and chronic (>3 years) groups, and also whether they were receiving polypharmacy (POP).

Results: It was found that patients who were started on early therapy with no POP had the most favourable outcomes. Overall results of the entire cohort, including both early and late treatments, indicate that there was a slight increase in annual in-patient days (IP) per patient and outpatient visit (OP) by 3.18 and 1.87, respectively, and a decrease in emergency room visit (ER) of 0.9 (p?p?p?p?Conclusions: From the 413 patients studied, potential annual savings is higher by early administration of PPIM in patients with NP. Analysis using multivariate linear regression based on generalized estimating equations and sensitivity analysis using a linear mixed model supported the findings.