The effect of diplomatic representation on trade: A panel data analysis

This study addresses current gaps in the empirical literature regarding the effect of diplomatic representation on trade using a panel data set for 100 countries with 5‐year interval data from 1985 to 2005 and four‐digit level industry data. The results indicate that the effect of diplomatic representation on exports in differentiated goods is positive and significant and larger than on exports in homogeneous goods on average, but not statistically different from it. Furthermore, diplomatic representation only increases trade along the extensive margin and not along the intensive margin. The results indicate that diplomatic representation is effective in performing its function as a network search intermediary and that it is a useful policy tool to alleviate market failure.     

Golf Versus Nongolf Club Operations: Benchmarks for 2014

With the club industry comprising of different types of clubs, a more in-depth analysis separating clubs with and without golf operations would be beneficial. Financial performance can be summarized via financial ratios. This study surveyed 115 clubs regarding their financial performance and calculated 24 financial ratios for 2014. The median profit margin of all clubs was at 1.65%. Clubs with golf operations reported a median profit margin at 1.73%, doubling that of the nongolf operations at 0.83%. T-tests using means of financial ratios showed a statistically significantly difference in only the food inventory turnover by days.     

Then and Now: Examining Older People's Engagement in Outdoor Recreation Across the Life Course

Outdoor recreation provides a range of health and wellbeing benefits and facilitates engagement with natural environments. We explore older people's participation in outdoor recreation throughout their lives to examine how past experiences shape engagement later in life. A qualitative life history approach, consisting of semi-structured interviews and a focus group in three place-specific (urban, rural, and small town coastal) case studies in Scotland, was adopted. Thematic analysis revealed ways in which childhood experiences shaped adult engagement and highlighted life course transitions where behaviour change was most pronounced. Place and gender were considered as factors which may affect responses. Participants identified the points of getting married, becoming a parent, children entering adolescence, retirement, the onset of disabilities or ill health, and the death of others as “moments of change” in the extent and/or form of their outdoor recreation. The findings highlight potential for targeted interventions to promote outdoor recreation throughout life.     

高职院校思想政治理论课与职业素养教育融合研究

高校思想政治理论课是大学生思想政治教育的主渠道。职业素养教育是高职院校人才培养体系中的特色环节,也是高职院校进行大学生素质教育的重要阵地。高职院校思想政治理论课与职业素养教育实现有机融合,可以有效调动各种资源形成教育合力,有利于高职院校构建大思政工作格局。高职院校可以从做好顶层设计、整合人才队伍、融入教育载体、互鉴教育方式、规范考核评价五个方面加强思想政治理论课与职业素养教育的有机融合,形成协同育人效果。     

Natural resources,technological progress,and economic modernization

The present inquiry focuses on the modernization perspectives of the commodity‐exporting countries through the lens of development economics. To this end, the study adopts the Kaldorian framework to address the modernization effects, epitomized in the absorption of surplus labor. To trace the process of economic modernization, the study augments Lewis’s dualistic economy model by the extractive sector. Three different scenarios for the management of resource revenues are scrutinized. An altruistic mode, which implies a pure redistribution of the revenues among the poor swaths of the population, protracts the process of economic modernization, requires a greater amount of capital stock, and harbors a greater risk of a poverty trap. This effect is less pronounced if the modern sector is more capital‐intensive. A productive mode, which elicits full reinvestment of the commodity revenues, in contrast, accelerates the pace of economic modernization. Further, predicated on the scrutiny of a more realistic scenario, a bargaining mode, the study derives the condition for a net positive (or negative) modernization effect. The study identifies technical progress alongside capital accumulation as a further important source of economic modernization.     

Applying the counseling-learning approach to a tourism-related massive open online course

ABSTRACT

This study discusses how to apply counseling-learning (CL) principles to a particular e-learning solution for teaching a tourism-related subject via a massive open online course (MOOC). Several effective caring patterns in achieving learning-related goals and being part of a community according to the CL principles are presented and discussed using the MOOC “eTourism: Communication Perspectives” as a case study. The study underlines how the MOOC platform can act as a place for contents enjoinment and active learning. Moreover, the active role of social media for increasing the engagement of learners in the proposed activities and for developing a sense of the community is identified. In particular, Facebook and Twitter can act as places for community building and informal social interactions among learners that last beyond the completion of the course, which in turn can be a valid aid for continuing the relationships among instructors/learners and learners/learners, and for reaching new ones.     

历史记载以来黄河下游河道变化及沉积环境分析

论文对近历史记载以来黄河下游河段河道变迁历史进行总结概括并重新绘制了黄河下游河道变迁示意图。黄河下游河段按流向分为北、东、南三个方向。北流河道相对分散,形成了一系列三角洲沉积,有的已被沿岸河流带来的沉积物覆盖;东流河道在入海口处河道变迁频繁,形成了规模较大的三角洲并持续至今。南流河道在摆动起始有多股漫流,经由淮河水系扩散,至苏北一带汇成一股由苏北汇入黄海并在苏北形成了规模较大的三角洲。结合相关研究成果,分析黄河河口沉积环境发现:黄河入海泥沙堆积有极高的沉积速率,在沉积年份每年可沉积数十厘米至数米,可以快速向海淤进形成三角洲,而黄河行水期结束后,则无沉积甚至被侵蚀。研究结果表明,北至海河、南到淮河的大范围内沉积环境的塑造均与黄河有关,黄河与下游的滦河、小清河、弥河、潍河、淮河、射阳河等相互影响,共同塑造了华北平原的沉积格局。     

基于不同城市化发展阶段的山西省城镇建设用地适度集约利用研究

研究目的:针对城市化进程中的土地低效利用以及过度集约问题,探讨不同城市化发展阶段的土地集约利用状况及适度集约利用状态。研究方法:采用匹配度模型、曲线估计模型和多目标规划模型,对山西省的土地集约利用进行分区优化。研究结果:(1)1999—2012年山西省土地集约利用与城市化水平之间的匹配趋势逐渐由失调、磨合向协调转变,但不同地区之间的匹配水平差距却在逐渐扩大;(2)2018年山西省城市化水平处于低于30%、30%～70%和高于70%时,以单位城镇建设用地固定资产投资额为表征的土地适度集约利用值分别为249.93万元/km~2、367.57万元/km~2和692.72万元/km~2,两项指标叠加全省可划分为平稳发展区、重点挖潜区和优化拓展区,并提出了不同地区差别化的建设用地管控政策。研究结论:不同城市化发展阶段的土地适度集约利用研究能为制定区域差别化政策提供参考,以促进该地区的土地集约利用水平达到适度状态。     

新时代中国城市土地集约利用若干问题的再认识

研究目的：基于中国城市土地集约利用研究现状，面向新时代要求，重新审视与厘清城市土地集约利用理论认知、评价标准、影响机制和优化调控等基本问题，为中国土地集约利用的理论完善和实践创新提供支撑。研究方法：理论分析法和推理演绎法。研究结果：（1）城市土地集约利用在理论认知上应由“三个阶段”转向“三个时期”；（2）城市土地利用集约度的评价标准应由静态指标转向动态耦合；（3）城市土地集约利用的影响机制研究应由封闭区域转向关联传导；（4）城市土地集约利用优化调控策略应由极限集约转向最优集约。研究结论：进入新时代，城市土地集约利用理论上可实现“不增地，多增效”甚至“地减量，效增加”，未来相关研究应重点关注存量和减量规划中建设用地与经济发展之间关系的变化特征，以及国土空间规划与土地利用计划管理改革下新的城市土地集约利用问题。国家相关规程中的集约评价标准须结合区域发展阶段进行“匹配性”修正，政策制定要考虑区域间的“关联性”和“传导性”进行精准化设计，治理方案应按照最优集约度的“动态性”进行差异化调控。     

基于分层线性模型的开发区工业用地集约利用影响因素研究

研究目的:针对以往工业用地集约利用影响因素研究仅考虑单一层次且多集中于宏观、中观尺度的问题,尝试从微观企业尺度分析企业、开发区两层因素对工业用地集约利用的影响。研究方法:综合评价法和分层线性模型。研究结果:江西省开发区企业土地集约利用水平总体偏低,在地域分布上呈现出赣北赣东赣西赣中赣南的特征,与开发区土地集约利用水平地域分布一致;开发区企业用地集约度受到企业和开发区两个层次影响。企业层次主要受企业规模、企业所有制、行业类型、研发投入和初始基础设施影响;开发区层次主要受开发区级别、工业用地率和土地利用集约度影响,并且通过影响企业资本类型、研发投入和初始基础设施的系数对企业用地集约度产生加成效用。研究结论:分层线性模型有效解决了开发区企业土地集约利用影响因素的结构分层和嵌套问题,揭示了开发区企业土地集约利用影响因素与机制,研究结果为研究区有针对性的制定土地集约利用政策提供一定依据。