How well do urban growth boundaries contain development? Results for Oregon using a difference-in-difference estimator

Urban containment policies, including urban growth boundaries (UGBs), are a common tool used by city planners to promote compact development. We analyze how well UGBs do in containing development using fine-scale GIS data on cities in Oregon. Earlier studies on UGBs yield mixed results, with some authors finding no effects of UGBs on housing market variables and urbanization rates and others finding significant effects. A challenge in measuring these effects is that the location of the UGB is unlikely to be an exogenous determinant of a land parcel's value for development. The panel structure of our dataset allows us to estimate the UGB's effect on the probability of development using a difference-in-difference estimator applied to a narrow band of plots along each city's UGB. This estimator controls for time-invariant unobservable variables and common temporal effects among plots, thereby mitigating the potential for biased estimates due to the endogeneity of the UGB's location. We also pursue a novel approach to controlling for time-varying factors that exploits our fine-scale data. We find that UGBs contain development in many of the Oregon cities we examine, although there are some cities in which development rates are the same inside and outside of the UGB. Our results reveal that, in most cities, the effect of the UGB is small relative to pre-existing differences in development probabilities. This suggests that it may be difficult to identify UGB effects with cross-sectional data, the approach commonly taken in previous studies.     

Economic and fiscal impact analysis of energy development projects: Coal liquefaction in the Illinois Basin

This paper addresses the problem of anticipating the local economic, demographic and fiscal impacts occurring from the siting of coal liquefaction facilities in the Illinois Basin. This region (primarily western Kentucky) will contain some of the most ambitious liquefaction projects in the U.S., yet no comprehensive method for the estimation of these impacts currently exists. It is suggested that the solution might lie with the development of an integrated econometric impact evaluation model. The potential economic, demographic and fiscal impacts of these projects are also described, preliminary analyses using existing economic impact assessment methods are presented, and certain policy analysis applications are highlighted.     

Fitting Observed Demographic Rates with the Multiexponential Model Schedule: An Assessment of Two Estimation Programs

The process of finding the best fitting model can often be very time consuming and tedious. Most computer programs are very specialized, and many require initial parameter estimates to fit a particular curve. Those that are most useful are ones that are versatile in applications, and ones that allow inputs of "rough" parameter estimates for finding the optimal ones. This paper focuses on current approaches for fitting observed age-specific demographic data with the multiexponential model schedule and uses two curve-fitting computer programs: MODEL and TableCurve2D. These two programs are assessed according to how well, and how simply, they can be used to fit age-specific fertility, mortality, and migration rates.     

The international importance of low tax rates1

G-7 economies raised tax rates in the 1990s, unlike the 1980s. Yet many developing nations continued to bring their highest tax rates down. Economic growth among 19 countries with low or falling tax rates averaged 5.8% a year from 1990 to 1996, up from 4.5% in the preceding decade. At the same time, annual GDP growth among G-7 countries slowed to 1.7%, down from 2.9%.     

Assessing empirical research on value-based management: Guidelines for improved hypothesis testing

The claims that value-based management (VBM) increases corporate performance have attracted considerable interest among researchers and organizations over the last three decades. Even though many studies have been conducted, the evidence on whether users outperform non-users is inconsistent. This paper attempts to place these diverse findings into perspective, and provide venues for future research. For that purpose, we drafted a framework to analyze 120 empirical studies on VBM. We concluded that meaningful hypothesis tests have been impaired by the narrow scope of data sets as well as methodological misspecifications. Based on this analysis, we categorized studies into four streams of research, employing factor analysis and cluster analysis. We then suggested that the most sophisticated studies identified positive performance effects of VBM. Lastly, we derived guidelines to improve the hypothesis testing of future studies on VBM.     

煤矿党建和思想政治工作探析

煤炭行业作为国家的基础行业,其党政建设在当中起着引导性的作用。而目前在煤矿基层党政建设当中,还存在很多这样那样的问题。本文就煤矿基层党政建设工作做了一个简单谈讨。     

我院2000—2010年肺癌病325例资料统计分析

目的:肺癌是最常见的肺原发性恶性肿瘤。通过统计分析,了解我市肺癌的发病特点以及变化趋势,为我市肿瘤防治工作提供详细的参考数据。方法:收集本院2000～2010年10年间确诊的肺癌病例资料,录入到Access数据库中进行统计分析。结果10年间共检出肺癌病例325例,其中后5年肺癌病例224例,较前5年多101例;45岁以上278例,占全部病例的85.53%,高峰年龄段为50～65岁组。其中,男286例,占88%;女39例,占12%。入院进行手术的病例共126例,占全部病例的38.76%。结论:本市肺癌发病率呈上升状态,男性多于女性。     

煤质化验的误差控制的几点思考

对于所有的煤质化验工作而言,第一步首先就要采取煤样,对煤样的采取工作是整个煤质化验过程中,最为重要的一个环节。在实际操作过程中,有很多因素都会让采煤产生一定误差。因为煤的特性极为不均匀,所以很容易造成误差。既然误差是无法避免的,那么我们就应该采取相应的措施,从根本上极力减小误差的出现。     

Issues in the implementation of proactive environmental strategies

Management consultants, environmental groups, and industry trade associations have all recently offered guidelines for companies to improve environmental performance.¹ The guidelines suggest ways that companies can implement strategic change to move beyond compliance with regulation, assume responsibility for the environmental impacts of their products, and gain public credibility. Much of the advice offered can be useful to managers who are responding to rapidly changing environmental pressures. Nevertheless, implementation of some of the general guidelines could impose undue costs or introduce untoward organisational consequences for certain companies. While mentioned as an issue in the management literature, companies need more systematic advice on how best to tailor these broad guidelines for environmental strategic change to the specific needs and capabilities of their companies. In addition, as many companies are comprised of diverse business units that are sometimes linked together only through financial controls, managers must adapt environmental management programs to unique ‘substructures’ within the firm. These substructures can differ dramatically in their environmental performance and their management capabilities. Elsewhere we have offered a framework for analysing environmental strategies and management programs.² In this paper, we identify some of the implementation issues that confront companies when they introduce environmental strategic change. We argue that environmental strategies are most effectively implemented when they are consistent with the organisational characteristics and operating context of the company involved. We use Volvo's experience with environmental strategic change to highlight many of the difficulties that companies may encounter when altering their approach to environmental performance. The case illustrates how a company can modify its own strategy and management programs for more effective change. It is an interesting case to study because of the proactive and comprehensive nature of Volvo's environmental strategy and management programs.     

Investigations of sexual harassment allegations: Legal means fair—or does it?

Sexual harassment investigations are among the most sensitive and explosive of all HR activities, yet HR managers typically do not receive training in how to conduct these investigations. As a result, and despite the best efforts of the HR manager, the parties involved often believe they were not treated fairly. Our article focuses on the central question of providing fair treatment during the emotionally charged atmosphere of a sexual harassment investigation. We integrate the organizational justice literature with case law and move through five “stages” of an investigation. Lessons in each stage are highlighted, dilemmas are discussed, and guidelines are offered. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

OECD Efforts to Address the Measurement and Policy Challenges Posed by the Information Society

The OECD has acted as a forum for the discussion of policies regarding the information society for over 20-years, producing guidelines and recommendations in areas such as privacy of personal information, computer security, cryptography, regulatory reform of communications, and most recently on-line consumer protection and the taxation of e-commerce. By and large, this work was undertaken without the benefit of statistical measures. But the economic performance of a number of OECD Member countries during the 1990s underscores that the policy challenges being posed by the information society are increasingly economic in nature—how ICT is affecting productivity, growth rates, inflation, labour markets etc.—necessitating the need for statistically rigorous data. This paper outlines how recent efforts by national statistical offices to improve this situation have allowed researchers to gain new insight into the economic impact associated with ICTs and applications like e-commerce, leading to a number of policy recommendations as to how best to exploit the economic potential of these technologies. The paper ends by outlining important policy issues that require new statistical efforts.     

Turnover propensity and its causes among Singapore nurses: an empirical study

Nurse turnover has been a serious challenge to the efficiency and effectiveness of any health-care delivery system. Various antecedents of turnover are examined in this study in attempt to identify the most critical causes of the problem. One hundred and eighty nurses from a large hospital in Singapore participated in the survey. The results show that a) stress strikes throughout different stages in turnover development; b) professional commitment is a significant cause of turnover cognition, but not turnover intention; and c) organizational commitment and supervision satisfaction are among the top predictors of turnover intention. These results deviated from the apprehension of many health administrators about the causes of the nursing turnover, thus provided clues as to how to mitigate the problem. And, as they were compatible with the results of studies on Canadian and American nurses, these results contributed to the empirical generalization process. The implication of the findings is discussed in the paper.     

Trading places: An experimental comparison of reallocation mechanisms for priority queuing

In a laboratory experiment, we compare two auction mechanisms that are designed to improve a queue's efficiency by allowing customers to trade places. In the server‐initiated auction, the server, when idle, sells the right to be served next to the highest bidding customer in the queue and distributes the proceeds among the remaining customers. In the customer‐initiated auction, new arrivals can sequentially trade places with queued customers. We use two novel experimental protocols to examine the behavioral properties of both auction mechanisms. We find that both auction mechanisms improve a queue's efficiency on average and that both perform equally well in terms of efficiency gain. We also find evidence of the sunk‐cost effect but not of the endowment effect. Participants indicated that they found the server‐initiated auction a fairer mechanism than the customer‐initiated auction. When voting between the two auctions, the participants tended to favor the server‐initiated auction.     

Using social marketing to increase breast cancer screening among African American women: perspectives from African American breast cancer survivors

• Despite progressive preventative techniques, intervention programs, and guidelines to help reduce breast cancer mortality, African American women (AAW) remain affected by breast cancer in greater numbers compared to Caucasians. As rates of breast cancer mortality continue to increase among AAW, a greater need for change emerges, which should include crafting culturally specific social marketing programs that promote breast cancer awareness among AAW. This exploratory study focuses on social marketing strategies to promote this awareness. The research underscores several social marketing strategies from the perspective of AAW (N = 130) breast cancer survivors. Qualitative data were collected from focus groups regarding social marketing strategies needed to promote breast cancer awareness. The discussions revealed social marketing campaigns that are culturally sensitive and unswerving are more likely to increase behavior modification. Furthermore, messages from other AAW tailored toward a specific market are more beneficial for promoting breast cancer screening.

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

平价时装店身处繁华地段的原因——论ZARA销售部门的区位选择

西班牙跨国服饰公司INDITEX的旗舰品牌ZARA,以其优秀的品质和低廉的价格迅速俘获了很多年轻人的心。然而,售价低廉的ZARA却都将专卖店开在租金高昂的高档商业区和繁华的交通枢纽地段,而且每家店铺的占地面积都非常大。从ZARA服饰的品牌特点来看,其销售部门的区位因素主要有繁华地段交通便利、人口密集、经济发达、对新事物的接受力高以及周围品牌的对比效应显著等。可见,ZARA销售部门的区位选择是符合区位选择理论的。     

矿井采空区瓦斯抽放

矿井瓦斯是成煤过程中的一种伴生产物,其主要成分是甲烷。它是一种无色、无味、无臭的气体。比空气轻,相对密度为0.554。为了减少和解除矿井瓦斯对煤矿安全生产的威胁,利用机械设备和专用管道造成的负压,将煤层中存在或释放出的瓦斯抽出来,输送到地面或其他安全地点的做法,叫做瓦斯抽放。     

城市口头和非物质文化遗产保护研究——以国家历史文化名城佛山为例

国家历史文化名城佛山有着丰富的口头和非物质文化遗产,基于对其产生的背景,即明清佛山独特的生产方式、生活方式、社会组织方式和这些遗产的空间载体的研究,综述了佛山口头和非物质文化遗产的类型和特色,结合对其生存现状的分析,探讨了如何在法定的形态规划中,通过保存相应的场所、维持空间的致密性、寻找相关的线索建立路径和结构性网络的方式,来实现口头和非物质文化遗产在日常生活中的延续,从而实现其保护和传承.     

体部伽玛刀联合化疗治疗中晚期非小细胞肺癌的临床疗效

目的:评价体部伽玛刀联合化疗治疗中晚期非小细胞肺癌(NSCLC)的临床疗效。方法:观察中晚期NSCLC患者186例,体部伽玛刀治疗单次外周剂量4～5Gy,治疗次数8～12次,总剂量40～50Gy;放疗结束后2周实施化疗,使用吉西他滨(Gemcitabine)1000mg/㎡,第1、8天,顺铂(DDP)30mg/㎡,第1-3天,每21天为1周期,至少完成2周期化疗,伽玛刀治疗结束后3月评价疗效。结果:186例患者均完成治疗,近期疗效评价总有效率(CR+PR)88.17%,随访36与月,1年生存率61.29%,2年生存率42.47%,3年生存率33.87%。随访期内未见严重放射性并发症。结论:采用体部伽玛刀联合化疗治疗中晚期肺癌,具有较高的近期疗效,毒副反应较轻,患者可以耐受     

Explaining employee turnover in an Asian context

Employee turnover is giving sleepless nights to HR managers in many countries in Asia. A widely‐held belief in these countries is that employees have developed ‘bad’ attitudes due to the labour shortage. Employees are believed to job‐hop for no reason, or even for fun. Unfortunately, despite employee turnover being such a serious problem in Asia, there is a dearth of studies investigating it; in particular studies using a comprehensive set of variables are rare. This study examines three sets of antecedents of turnover intention in companies in Singapore: demographic, controllable and uncontrollable. Singapore companies provide an appropriate setting as their turnover rates are among the highest in Asia. Findings of the study suggest that organisational commitment, procedural justice and a job‐hopping attitude were three main factors associated with turnover intention in Singapore companies.