Advantages and disadvantages associated with the increased use of microwave energy in food preparation

This paper reviews some of the advantages and disadvantages associated with the increased use of microwave energy which have been revealed in recent investigations. In the U.K., there have been many changes in household structure and in eating patterns. Lifestyles have changed as a result of the complex interaction between social, nutritional and technical developments. There are now many new products and a different mode of cooking and eating is used in which convenience is an important feature. Comparisons between households with and without microwave cookers showed a fundamental difference between time and energy used in food preparation and also between the part played by different family members in meal production. The changing roles within households and the nature of family-eating patterns were evident. Experiments were carried out to quantify some of the observed differences between food cooked by conventional methods and by using microwave energy. The microwave cooker was found to be an important domestic cooking appliance with potential for improving energy efficiency during cooking and providing convenience and increased leisure time but it must be realised that there are problems relating to product design and safety.     

Stock Exchange Disclosure and Market Development: An Analysis of 50 International Exchanges

This study examines associations between measures of stock exchange disclosure and market development at 50 of the member stock exchanges of the World Federation of Exchanges. We focus on stock exchange disclosure systems (rather than actual company disclosures) because this approach links stock exchange policy with desired outcomes related to market development (such as liquidity, trading activity, and market size relative to gross domestic product). We find strong support for the hypothesis that the strength of the disclosure system (disclosure rules, monitoring, and enforcement) is positively associated with market development, after controlling for legal system, legal protection of investors, market size, and several other potentially relevant explanatory variables.     

今夏瓷砖流行趋势

据业内人士分析,今年各类瓷砖品牌都将更加注重消费者的多样化需求,在尺寸、花色、质感上进行全方位改良,并与国际接轨,将国际流行色及搭配方式带入国内市场。有业内人士称,无论哪种瓷砖,把握好了规格、设计、价格、铺贴四大方面,就等于把握住了关键。铺贴:自由组合走时装化瓷砖的铺贴更加自由,而且打破固有规则,根据个人喜爱彰显个性,这将是今夏以来瓷砖铺贴的特点。这两年瓷质釉面砖(俗称通体砖)的流行让瓷砖的自由铺贴有了新主张。通体砖可以墙地一体,消费者完全不用再区分墙砖、地砖的概念,相同的材质可随心所欲地墒地铺贴。据了解,这种…     

Lifetime vs Annual Tax-Transfer Incidence: How Much Less Progressive?

Annual fiscal incidence studies have found that income taxes and cash transfers are highly progressive and that their net effect is to redistribute income from rich to poor. Yet many argue Jhat such studies overstate the redistribution achieved by governments and that lifetime analysis is needed New results suggest that both income taxes and cash transfers are progressive on a lifetime basis, although they are much less progressive than annual studies suggest. The Australian tax-transfer system thus generates some lifetime redistribution from rich to poor, while also enforcing intra-personal redistribution across the life cycle of individuals.     

2005 — It's Here, Ready or Not: A Review of the Australian Financial Reporting Framework

This article reviews the current financial reporting framework in Australia by considering three groups that are involved in the production of companies' financial reports: rule-makers, financial report preparers and rule-enforcers. We outline dramatic changes to the financial reporting framework in the period 2002-04 (primarily from CLERP 9) and explore the effect on the roles and activities of various groups of the adoption of international accounting standards in Australia.     

Pre-retirees' assessment of housing adequacy and their propensity to move

The purpose of this study is to determine how adequate pre-retirees perceived their homes would be for retirement, and their propensity to move after retirement. This study assesses the relationships between certain socio-demographic variables and feelings and plans for retirement, current housing tenure and structure conditions of the home, the anticipated adequacy of the size of the current home for retirement, and the anticipated locational decision after retirement. Three hypothesized models were tested, each succeeding model adding another level, using the above variables. The hypothesized models were tested using logistic regression. Marital status and family income are statistically significant in the prediction of current housing tenure and structure conditions. The amount of planning for retirement, assessed by the respondent in comparison to others of similar age, is a significant predictor of anticipated satisfaction with the present dwelling at retirement. Anticipated satisfaction with the present dwelling at retirement and age are statistically significant in the prediction of likelihood of moving at retirement.