THE EFFECT OF ACTIVATION OF THE OXIDATION REACTION OF SODIUM PERBORATE ON THE CLEANING OF TEXTILES AND THE CONSUMPTION OF ELECTRIC ENERGY

The purpose of this study was to investigate the bleaching efficiency of activated sodium perborate at low washing temperatures and the resulting energy saving. The comparison of the washing efficiency of basic and activated detergent was based on practical washing tests. The types of dirt used were coffee, fruit juice, tea, blood and a soot-oil mixture. The washing temperatures were 50, 60, 70 and 80°C. The cleanness of the washing was determined by a whiteness measurement. The consumption of electrical energy was measured with a kWh-meter. The higher the temperature, the more effectively all the types of dirt were removed from the textiles. With activated detergent a cleanness was obtained at 50°C and 60°C that was almost as good as with basic detergent at 80°C. The coloured types of dirt washed out more easily than blood or the soot and oil mixture. An average saving of 20% in the consumption of energy was obtained when the washing temperature was lowered by 10°C. With activated detergent, 45% of the energy consumed using basic detergent was saved with no reduction in the final cleanness.     

Manual dishwashing habits: an empirical analysis of UK consumers

This study presents an overview of the washing up behaviour of consumers in the UK. Peoples' individual attitudes were observed as were the amount of water and energy used, the time taken and the cleaning performance. Additionally, manual dishwashing was compared with the use of automatic dishwashers. Participants were recruited to represent all geographic regions of the UK as well as forming a representative cross‐section of the population. Each of the 150 participants washed a full load of soiled tableware based on the standard EN 50242 ‘Electric Dishwashers for Household Use – Methods for Measuring the Performance’. For comparison, the best selling dishwasher in the UK in 2007 was tested under the same conditions as those in the consumer trial. Additionally, consumers who owned a full‐size dishwasher were asked to load it to the point when they decided that the dishwasher was full. The study shows that these consumers, on average, used 49 l of water and 1.7 kWh of energy, whereas the dishwasher used 13 l of water and 1.3 kWh of energy on average for the same amount of dishes under the conditions tested. Statistical analysis showed that these differences are significant. The dishes washed by hand were found to be slightly less clean than dishes washed in a dishwasher. For washing a full dishwasher load by hand, the participants needed, on average, 60 min, while they only took 9 min on average to load and unload the same amount of dishes in a dishwasher. The average participants were able to fill almost the full load into the dishwasher (96% of the items as used in a test following EN 50242).     

GEOMETRICAL TRIPARTITION OF THE TOTAL EFFECT ON CAPITAL OF A CHANGE IN THE PROFIT RATE (THE DISCRETE CASE)

The author shows that the effect on the product-capital ratio of an increase in the profit rate from below to above the rate that marks the switching from technique I to technique 11 can be geometrically split up into i) two price effects resulting from price changes within each technique and ii) an intermediate real effect, in general well-behaved, consequent to the switching from the first to the second technique. The product-capital ratios can be correctly determined, and are as such “invariant” with respect to the numéraire chosen, only if derived from wage curves that are constructed by assuming as numéraire a basket whose composition is the same as the net product. This does not invalidate the proposition that the capital-product ratio, conceived as the value of capital per physical basket of product, and its response to a rise in the profit rate vary with the numéraire chosen.     

我国高速公路建设融资问题初探

高速公路建设的迅速发展 ,使得项目融资矛盾日益突出。一方面是以财政拨款方式为主的融资渠道无法满足高速公路建设的需要 ;一方面是大量民间资本和国际资本无法顺畅地进入国内高速公路建设市场。文章提出并论证了运用BOT融资和资产证券化 (ABS)方式 ,通过有效地引入国际资本和拓宽民间资本的投资渠道 ,来解决高速公路的资金供需矛盾 ,同时提出加强和完善相应的法律法规是保证BOT融资和资产证券化顺利实施的关键所在。     

THE COST OF WASHING CLOTHES: SOURCES OF VARIATION

This paper develops the national average cost of washing clothes by examining consumer research data on the frequencies of using various water temperature settings and laundry additives and by utilizing national surveys of laundry product prices. Variations in these costs are shown to be significantly affected by three variables: (1) costs increase with family size due to the higher number of loads washed, (2) costs increase in areas where phosphate detergents are not available due to an increased use of hot water and laundry additives and (3) costs increase in harder water areas due to an increased use of hot water and fabric softener. The average increased cost for energy and laundry additives per family due to the nonavailability of phosphate detergents exceeds $11.00 per year. In addition to this amount, increased wear on washing machine parts and fabrics from the use of carbonate-built detergents significantly increases the costs to consumers in nonphosphate areas.     

THE IMPACT OF ORDER FULFILLMENT SERVICE ON RETAILER MERCHANDISING DECISIONS IN THE CONSUMER DURABLES INDUSTRY

Historically, manufacturers held the upper hand in consumer goods supply chain relationships. There has been a pervasive shift of power to retailers over the past 20 years, however, ushering in an era of waning consumer loyalty to manufacturers' brands and increasing loyalty to retailers. While there is extensive research focusing on the manufacturer‐consumer relationship, retailers' increased ability to influence consumer purchases suggests that manufacturers should understand not only consumer perceptions of delivery service, but also retailer perceptions. We incorporate social network theory to examine the manufacturer‐retailer‐consumer linkages in the consumer durables industry, with the emphasis on the retailer in the role of the “broker” (Burt 1992). Specifically, we examine whether retailer perceptions of a manufacturer's order fulfillment service (OFS) positively impacts retailer perceptions of the manufacturer's brand, the importance of the product, and the likelihood of the retailers' salespeople to recommend the product to consumers. The research bridges OFS and retailer purchase behavior in a consumer durables industry characterized by high levels of consumer involvement, brand presence, and personal selling.     

THE VON NEUMANN VERSION OF DE VITI DE MARCO'S MODEL THE CASE OF PUBLIC INTERMEDIATE COMMODITIES

As a substantial share of the national product is absorbed by the public sector, it may be interesting to examine the consequences of public sector activities introducing externalities into a von Neumann model. Previous approaches have shown some limitations and shortcomings which may be solved by introducing each externality as a different von Neumann commodity, distinguished on the basis of its user. These public intermediate commodities (pic) are related only to the production side of the economy. We will suppose their total available amount to influence directly the use and the intensity of one or more productive processes. Pic are also one of the premises and foundations of the public sector normative and positive theory of De Viti De Marco. In our model we will try to follow his line of reasoning as faithfully as possible, even if we shall confine ourselves to the original von Neumann (or KMT) model. It may be surprising to see how easily pic will fit into the von Neumann model, but this should not be unexpected after the article by Morishima and Thompson. We will show how the rate of growth of the von Neumann economy (where the prices of pic are determined by the equilibrium solution and paid through taxation) is greater than the one which will be determined by the private market equilibrium where pic are free.     

Bacterial survival on fabrics laundered in cold water

The effect of detergent formulation and fabric type on bacterial survival after home laundering in cold water was investigated. Three fabrics, 65/35 polyester/cotton shirting, 100% cotton sheeting, and 100% cotton terry cloth, were inoculated with Staphylococcus aureus, laundered in cold 60 ± 5°F (16 ± 3°C) water and machine dried. Eight phosphorus-based powders and non-phosphorus detergents in both powder and liquid form were used. A control with no detergent was used. Percent reduction in bacteria after machine washing and after machine drying were determined. Of the eight detergents studied, only two effectively removed 100% of the bacteria from the cotton terry cloth after washing. These were sodium carbonate and aluminosilicate-based powders, one of which contained sodium perborate, the other included enzymes. All of the detergents used removed > 97% of bacteria from the polyester/cotton shirting and cotton sheeting fabrics. No significant cross contamination occurred with any fabric. A greater percent reduction of bacteria was obtained with the terry cloth samples after washing and tumble drying than after washing alone. The implications of the study are important for consumers who are using colder water in the laundering process. This study found that bacteria were removed more easily from the two plain weave fabrics than the looped terry cloth fabric. The effectiveness of tumble drying after cold water laundering to reduce bacteria in the terry cloth towelling was an important finding.     

THE INTELLECTUAL FOUNDATION OF THE JOURNAL OF BUSINESS LOGISTICS AND ITS EVOLUTION BETWEEN 1978 AND 2007

Many logistics and supply chain management researchers have so far studied the nature of logistics and supply chain management research in terms of its domain and scope, its epistemological assumptions, and its evolution. However, the knowledge repository on which the scientific research community draws, that is, its intellectual foundation, has not yet been studied. Studying the intellectual foundation of research provides an unbiased and comprehensive picture of the development, dissemination, and utilization of its knowledge. In this article, we identify the most contributive works—in terms of citations received—that have been used in 497 articles published in the Journal of Business Logistics (JBL) between 1978 and 2007. By means of citation and co‐citation analysis, the intellectual structure of research in JBL is revealed and transformations therein are explored. Overall, the most frequently‐cited literature can be classified into six themes: physical distribution; inventory models; customer service; interorganizational relationships; competitive strategy; and empirical methodologies for socio‐scientific research. Furthermore, we determined a development in citation frequencies to these themes: literature related to physical distribution and inventory management declined over the three decades under study, whereas literature related to competitive strategy and empirical methods gained in importance. This development indicates a shift from an operational focus to a prioritization of managerial issues. Moreover, our results demonstrate a shift towards more relational and institutional research in logistics (management), which has been typically linked with the notion of supply chain management since the 1990's.     

FREEDOM AND ACHIEVEMENT OF WELL‐BEING AND ADAPTIVE DYNAMICS OF CAPABILITIES

Extending D'Agata (2007, Journal of Socio‐Economics, 36, pp. 177–90), we consider adaptive dynamics of capabilities. In terms of the two‐way evaluation of well‐being à la Sen, we show the existence of a distribution of goods equalizing well‐being freedom (achievement) of each individual, the total amount of goods being fixed. On the other hand, by means of counter examples, we exemplify that two closely related focal variables can move in reverse directions (goods vs. well‐being, or freedom vs. achievement). In a dynamic context, one's well‐being achievement may decrease even with an increase in goods available, while, ceteris paribus, his/her well‐being freedom increases.     

VOLATILITY STRUCTURES OF FORWARD RATES AND THE DYNAMICS OF THE TERM STRUCTURE1

For general volatility structures for forward rates, the evolution of interest rates may not be Markovian and the entire path may be necessary to capture the dynamics of the term structure. This article identifies conditions on the volatility structure of forward rates that permit the dynamics of the term structure to be represented by a two-dimensional state variable Markov process. the permissible set of volatility structures that accomplishes this goal is shown to be quite large and includes many stochastic structures. In general, analytical characterization of the terminal distributions of the two state variables is unlikely, and numerical procedures are required to value claims. Efficient simulation algorithms using control variates are developed to price claims against the term structure.     

A MODEL OF THE FIRM'S DEMAND FOR MONEY UNDER UNCERTAINTY

Recently, economists have centered their explanation of the demand for money balances on the transactions motive. The roles of precautionary and speculative motives remain ambiguous. The purpose of this paper is to fill this void. We develop a static model of the individual firm's demand for money in which prices and the interest rate are assumed to be random variables. In this model, the entrepreneur must decide his money holdings ex ante, and both capital and labor inputs are determined ex post. The demand for money corresponding to the various motives is a consequence of analyzing the ex ante profit function. Implications for monetary policy are derived from this analysis.     

THE UNEQUALIZING EFFECTS OF ICT ON ECONOMIC GROWTH

We analyse the effects of information and communication technology (ICT) on levels and growth of per capita GDP in two different ways: (1) by treating ICT as a specific type of physical capital and as a variable that helps to correct for quality existing physical capital measures, and (2) by considering that telephone lines, personal computers and internet hosts are ‘bottleneck‐reducing’ factors that increase the productivity of labour by making easier the diffusion and processing of (non‐rivalrous and almost non‐excludable) knowledge. We compare the relative significance of the two hypotheses in level and growth estimates and find that, when separately taken, both of them improve upon the classical Mankiw et al. (Quarterly Journal of Economics, Vol. 107 (1992), pp. 407–437)/Islam (Quarterly Journal of Economics, Vol. 110 (1995), pp. 1127–1169) framework. These findings show that our approach captures dimensions of time‐varying country‐specific technological progress that previous approaches in the literature did not take into account.     

A MODEL‐FREE VERSION OF THE FUNDAMENTAL THEOREM OF ASSET PRICING AND THE SUPER‐REPLICATION THEOREM

We propose a Fundamental Theorem of Asset Pricing and a Super‐Replication Theorem in a model‐independent framework. We prove these theorems in the setting of finite, discrete time and a market consisting of a risky asset S as well as options written on this risky asset. As a technical condition, we assume the existence of a traded option with a superlinearly growing payoff‐function, e.g., a power option. This condition is not needed when sufficiently many vanilla options maturing at the horizon T are traded in the market.     

地下水污染原位修复技术（PRB）研究

本研究选定自配水（含挥发酚和Cr6＋）为供试水样,以粉煤灰、石英砂、铁粉以及它们的混合物为反应介质,通过对比实验可知,粉煤灰对挥发酚有一定的吸附作用,平均去除率可以达到48.4%,但对Cr6＋的吸附作用很弱。而零价铁由于具有很强的还原性,与水中的Cr6＋能有效的发生氧化还原反应,所以对Cr6＋的处理效果非常好,平均去除率达到了99%左右。     

知识产权保护与国际科技合作

自改革开放以来 ,国际科技合作迅速发展为国民经济的持续、快速、健康发展和科技进步做出了巨大贡献 ,取得了许多重要成果。但在国际科技合作过程中 ,知识产权的保护同样变得十分敏感。因此 ,在国际科技合作中我们一方面要利用知识产权制度来促进国际科技的合作 ,另一方面更要强调利用知识产权制度来维护国家利益     

CONVERGENCE OF BARRIER OPTION PRICES IN THE BINOMIAL MODEL

In this paper, we study the rate of convergence of the European barrier call option price given by the CRR binomial model to the Black–Scholes price as the number of periods n tends to infinity. In general the error is of order and we give explicit formulas for the coefficients of and 1/n in the asymptotic expansion of the error. These coefficients depend on the positions of the barrier and strike in the binomial lattice and enable us to give a rigorous explanation of the observed fact that the error is of order 1/n when n is chosen in an appropriate way.     

Books on International Economic Affairs: THE POLITICS OF AGRICULTURAL TRADE

DECISION-MAKING AND AGRICULTURE, Papers and Reports on the Sixteenth International Conference of Agricultural Economists, edited by Theodor Dams and Kenneth E. Hunt DISTORTIONS OF AGRICULTURAL INCENTIVES, edited by Theodore W. Schultz THE CHICKEN WAR, by Ross B. Talbot TO FEED THIS WORLD, by Sterling Wortman and Ralph W. Cummings, Jr     

THE INFLUENCE OF DIFFERENT FORMS OF GOVERNMENT SPENDING ON DISTRIBUTION AND GROWTH

This paper deals with the influence of different types of government expenditure on growth in a post‐Keynesian framework. The analysis considers a government sector with a balanced budget and an autonomous and non‐linear investment function, interpreted along a Kaleckian and a Classical‐Harrodian line. It shows under which conditions different types of government expenditure are beneficial or detrimental for economic growth, comparing some results with those reached by Barro in his 1990 Journal of Political Economy article, and points out the emergence of phenomena like multiple equilibria, hysteresis and low growth traps.     

CHOICE OF TECHNIQUES AND THE THEOREM OF OKISHIO

This paper discusses the sufficiency of the »viability condition« of Okishio's theorem for signalling profit improving choice of techniques. Some counter-examples are given for linear technologies with joint production. Technological change which conform to the prediction of the theorem - choices made on the basis of the viability condition lead to higher average rate of profit - is called regular, and sufficient conditions for regularity are specified.