Modeling Conditional Yield Densities

Given the increasing interest in agricultural risk, many have sought improved methods to characterize conditional crop-yield densities. While most have postulated the Beta as a flexible alternative to the Normal, others have chosen nonparametric methods. Unfortunately, yield data tends not to be sufficiently abundant to invalidate many reasonable parametric models. This is problematic because conclusions from economic analyses, which require estimated conditional yield densities, tend not to be invariant to the modeling assumption. We propose a semiparametric estimator that, because of its theoretical properties and our simulation results, enables one to empirically proceed with a higher degree of confidence.     

Stochastic Technology, Risk Preferences, and Adoption of Site-Specific Technologies

A model of farmer decision making is developed to determine the extent to which uncertainties about soil fertility and weather affect the value of site-specific technologies (SSTs) using jointly estimated risk and technology parameters. Uncertainty can lead risk-averse farmers to apply more fertilizers and generate more pollution than in the certainty case. Ignoring uncertainty and risk aversion would overestimate the economic and environmental benefits of SSTs and underestimate the subsidy required to induce adoption. Accounting for uncertainties and risk preferences might explain the low observed adoption rates of SSTs. Improving the accuracy of SSTs would increase the incentives for adoption.     

Estimating Willingness to Pay for Improved Water Quality in the Presence of Item Nonresponse Bias

This article deals with the problem of item nonresponse in contingent valuation surveys using a payment-card method, by applying a grouped-data sample-selection estimation technique that is capable of imputing the missing values conditional upon a respondent's decision to answer a willingness-to-pay question. The advantage of the technique lies in its ability to utilize all of the information in the sample, permitting a more efficient estimation in the presence of item nonresponse bias. The major determinants of willingness to pay appear to be household income, number of children, education, perception of existing water quality, and identification with environmental issues.     

对《形状和位置公差》新标准的理解和应用

通过对《形状和位置公差》新、旧国际的对比，综述了新、旧标准间的不同之处、便于迅速了解和应用新标准。     

Price rigidities and institutional variations in markets with posted prices

Summary Standard laboratory posted-offer markets respond slowly and incompletely to demand shocks. In these one-sided markets, where sellers control the setting of prices, very little information is transmitted via the process of exchange. For this reason, traders have trouble distinguishing randomness in their own experience from changes in market fundamentals. This paper reports the results of twelve laboratory markets conducted to assess whether some common variants to standard posted-offer rules can correct the adjustment deficiences. Although discounting, multiple postings and excess demand information all improve performance, we find that response remains poor, and efficiencies low.Support for this research was provided by the National Science Foundation (SBR 9319842 and SBR 9320044), and the University of Virginia Bankard Fund. Data are archived at FTP address: fido.econlab.arizona.edu. We wish to thank Charles Plott and Shyam Sunder for useful comments on an earlier draft of this paper. The usual disclaimer applies.     

我国A股、B股市场并轨的前景探析

B股市场的前途问题是一个困扰市场参与者的主要问题,而前途的不明朗源于B股市场定位的困惑和功能失调。筹资功能方面,1991～2004年12月B股市场通过股票发行总计筹资50.03亿美元,通过配股筹资3.27亿美元,而同期A股市场对应的数据是5695.7亿元和2276.74亿元,而且最近3年B股市场的     

杜钰洲指出:轻纺城促进了产业和流通业的双重的升广州国际轻纺城强势出击"中博会"

9月12～15日,广州国际轻纺城以近300平米的大规模展位,"航空母舰式"特装展台形象高调亮相在广州琶洲会展中心举行的"第二届中国中小企业博览会暨中法中小企业博览会"(简称"中博会").     

青年农民工市民化的制约因素分析

青年农民工市民化,是指他们在身份上获得城市居民相同的合法身份和社会权利的过程,最明显的标志是获得所在地的城市户口及相应的社会权利。但是在推进青年农民工市民化过程中,仍然存在着思想障碍、制度障碍、政策障碍、组织障碍、青年农民工自身素质障碍等方面的限制,制约了青年农民工市民化的顺利推进。     

对塔里木河流域灌区实施SIDD管理模式的思考

本文以产权理论和制度变迁理论为基础,将产权及制度变迁中的路径依赖思想运用于分析灌溉用水管理制度创新的问题中,通过介绍SIDD管理模式的实施效果以及体制障碍的分析,提出了进一步发展SIDD的制度环境建设的对策。     

China’s Labor Market on Crossroad

I.IntroductionSincethelate1990s,China’slabor market has comeundergreat pressure,asreflected by anincreasing unemployment rate,and adeclining labor force participation rate.The causesofthe severe unemployment are threefold.First,due to the macro-economic downturn andrapid industrial structural change in the late1990s,state-owned enterprises(SOEs),whichlost their comparative advantage and competitiveness,have been unable to fully utilizetheir production capacity,and have become loss-makers.Se…