Carbon offsets as an economic alternative to large-scale logging: a case study in Guyana

The objective of this study is to analyze the economic viability of carbon-offset projects that avoid logging in Guyana's forests. The results of this case study illustrate the cost effectiveness of alternative land-use options that reduce deforestation and associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This analysis demonstrates that using Guyana's rainforests for climate change mitigation can generate equivalent revenue to that of conventional large-scale logging without detrimental environmental impacts. At a 12% discount rate, the break-even price for carbon is estimated to be about US$ 0.20/tC. This estimate falls toward the low range of carbon prices for existing carbon offset projects that avoid deforestation.     

A study of Shanghai fuel oil futures price volatility based on high frequency data: Long-range dependence,modeling and forecasting

In existing researches, the investigations of oil price volatility are always performed based on daily data and squared daily return is always taken as the proxy of actual volatility. However, it is widely accepted that the popular realized volatility (RV) based on high frequency data is a more robust measure of actual volatility than squared return. Due to this motivation, we investigate dynamics of daily volatility of Shanghai fuel oil futures prices employing 5-minute high frequency data. First, using a nonparametric method, we find that RV displays strong long-range dependence and recent financial crisis can cause a lower degree of long-range dependence. Second, we model daily volatility using RV models and GARCH-class models. Our results indicate that RV models for intraday data overwhelmingly outperform GARCH-class models for daily data in forecasting fuel oil price volatility, regardless the proxy of actual volatility. Finally, we investigate the major source of such volatile prices and found that trader activity has major contribution to fierce variations of fuel oil prices.     

Corporate culture, strategic orientation, and business performance: New approaches to modeling complex relationships

This paper introduces the idea of using a complex biochemical model as an alternative method for modeling managerial constructs in order to incorporate change within organizations. To illustrate the potential of using this type of modelling, two well established managerial concepts (strategic orientation and corporate culture) are reviewed and the differences and similarities between the constructs discussed. Traditional simplistic models are presented and the limitations of these for dealing with change within and between organizations are discussed. A more complex model based on enzyme action is presented, and integrated with case study material which allows rich, complex and dynamic modeling including the incorporation of evolutionary and co-evolutionary change within organizations.     

Kalman filtering as an alternative to Ordinary Least Squares — Some theoretical considerations and empirical results

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the superiority of the Kalman filter over Ordinary Least Squares for estimating the unknown coefficients of the classical linear regression model. Both methods are analyzed with respect to their optimality properties and their usefulness in dealing with multicollinearity. Theoretical results are applied to two economic models.     

Grafting, metham sodium, soil solarization and virtually impermeable films as alternative technologies to methyl bromide for Chinese protected tomatoes

In the frame of the Sino-ltalian Cooperation Program for Environmental Protection, jointly launched in the year 2000 by the Italian Ministry for Environment and Territory and Sea （IMETS） and the China State Environmental Protection Administration （SEPA）, experimental trials were carried out in Qingzhou city （Shandong Province, China） during 2001-2003 to test several methyl bromide alternative methods to control soilborne diseases in greenhouse tomatoes. Grafting tomatoes on resistant rootstock （Lyeopersicon lycopersicum × L. hirsutum）, metham sodium applied under traditional polyethylene plastic films; metham sodium applied at low rate under virtually impermeable films and soil sotarization combined with biocontrol agents were the alternatives tested and compared to methyl bromide applied under virtually impermeable plastic films too. Collected data show that resistant rootstock （Lycopersicon tycopersicum × L. hirsutum） introduced from Italy is a promising alternative to methyl bromide for local tomato cultivars. Metham sodium applied under traditional polyethylene plastic films is an effective alternative. Moreovez virtually impermeable films demonstrate the help to reduce methyl bromide and metham sodium rates. Finally soil solarization combined with biocontrol agents does not provide satisfactory results in terms of disease control.     

博物馆：城市记忆、标志及通向未来文化的桥梁——以江苏南通市为例

博物馆,对于城市功能而言,涵盖面不可能很广很大,但在城市发展中、特别是文化的承上启下和继承创新中的地位、功能和作用的确不可或缺。它扮演的是过往与历史见证者的角色,但也是未来文化、特别是先进文化创造、发展的必要基础和条件。博物馆担负着独特的文化使命。已经达到一定规模的城市不可能没有博物馆,博物馆在城市历史演进和不断扩大过程中的角色无可替代。一、城市文化传统及其历史记忆留存在各级各类博物馆每一个城市都有属于自己的历史,每一个城市都有区别于其他城市的历史传统和独特记忆。城市的传统和记忆既留存在人们的脑海当中…     

A globally flexible,quadratic almost ideal demand system: an application to demand for meats and fish in Taiwan

A new demand system, called a globally flexible, quadratic almost ideal demand system (GF–QUAIDS), integrates both the quadratic Engel curve and the Fourier series. This novel GF–QUAIDS model is applied to study the demand for meats and fish in Taiwan. Empirical results show that the GF–QUAIDS fits the data well and that, by using the likelihood ratio test, its nested models are rejected, including the locally flexible functional form and the linear Engel curve. Nevertheless, other empirical model-selection measures indicate that the GF–QUAIDS can be as good as its famous nested models such as the AIDS, QUAIDS and GF–AIDS.     

Transfer payments from the central government to the local gov- ~ i in ernments and the local governments efforts on taxation,taking China as an example

The influence of the transfer payments from the central government to the local governments on the local governments＇ efforts on taxation must be taken into consideration by every country for the design of the transfer payments. Based on the theoretical analysis on the influence of the transfer payments from the central government to the local governments＇ on the local governments＇ payments＇, this paper indicates that the local governments＇ efforts on taxation depends on the demand elasticity of the district for public goods, It increases with the increase of the elasticity. Judge the degree of the local govet：nment＇s efforts on taxation by measure 2. After an empirical analysis on the transJer payments from the central government to the local governments＇from 2000 to 2004, this paper gets the con- clusion that the local governments＇ effbrts on taxation ctbates with the increase of supporting payments or with the increase of the ratio of transfer payments to local wiliing public paymentS. Under speCific Circumstances, the higher the ratio of transfer payments to the local fiscal expenditure is. the smaller the local governments＇ efforts＇ on taxation is＂ under the central payments, whereas＇ the higher the local income is, the higher the efforts is under the central pav- ments. Based on this＇, this paper gives the meaning of its eOrresponding pofiCieS. ＂