Net neutrality and market power: The case of South Africa

Net neutrality rules have been implemented in many developed countries, often in response to concerns over network operator market power and potential blocking or throttling of content. However, developing countries typically have significantly lower levels of internet penetration and usage. Market power in respect of internet access looks quite different given that mobile is the predominant means of connection and there are often three or more mobile operators. In South Africa, there is a quasi-monopoly in the paid satellite broadcasting market and broadband providers zero-rating content from third parties (such as Netflix) may bring about more competition. We test the main theories of harm arising in the net neutrality debate, including network operator market power and exclusion among content providers using data on the number of announced prefixes and peers and IP addresses and considering examples of bundling and zero-rating conduct by operators. We find that net neutrality rules are less likely to be required in South Africa and other developing countries and that strict enforcement of such rules could in fact hinder competition in markets for content, telecommunications networks and other related markets.     

A net stable funding ratio for Islamic banks and its impact on financial stability: An international investigation

The Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB) is the standard setting body for the Islamic banking industry. The IFSB, while endorsing the Basel III accord, modified the criteria to calculate the Net Stable Funding Ratio (NSFR) to cater for the unique aspects of the Islamic banking industry. In this paper, we calculated the modified NSFR of 136 Islamic banks from 30 jurisdictions between 2000 and 2013 and explored the potential impact the requirements of this ratio has on the financial stability of Islamic banks after controlling for bank, country, and market-specific variables. The empirical findings suggest that the modified NSFR has a positive impact on the financial stability of Islamic banks during the sample period. However, the marginal impact of the NSFR on stability diminishes as the size of the bank increases. The results remained robust after applying an alternative measure of stability and using an alternative estimation model based on an instrumental variable approach. These results validate the use of the IFSB’s modified NSFR for Islamic banks as a regulatory measure.     

Optimizing service-level and relevant cost for a stochastic multi-item cyclic production system

A multi-item make-to-order production system in a stochastic environment is analyzed. Assuming a common cycle production approach, the impact of safety stock, cycle time, demand, processing time and setup time on service-level and total relevant cost (holding, setup and backorder cost) is determined. To illustrate this relationship a trajectory for the service-level with respect to the relevant cost (holding and setup) is presented. Furthermore algorithms to calculate the cycle time which leads to maximum service-level at constant safety stock and to calculate the pair cycle time and safety stock which minimize total relevant cost are introduced.     

投资项目评价标准的比较与选择

净现值、内部收益率、获利指数等贴现指标在互斥项目选择的实际应用中,常导致不同的投资决策,其原因、解决方法是本文探讨的目的。文章首先对净现值和内部收益率进行比较分析,着重介绍了内部收益率的先天缺陷及替代方法MIRR;然后分析净现值和获利指数的主要差异,最后得出结论:净现值是确定条件下投资项目评价标准中最合理的方法,其他标准则需结合着净现值来运用,否则可能导致决策失误。     

参与和治理:中国社会安全网建设的战略选择

中国正处在社会经济转型时期，在此期间，社会安全网的建设完善与否不仅是保证经济持续增长的内在要求。更是保证社会稳定的关键。分析中国社会安全网的建设过程，评估社会安全网的状况，本文认为，中国社会安全网的未来走向或者战略选择应该以政府为主导力量，通过多元主体的互动逐步迈向善治，实现从政府管理到治理的转变，建立责任分担的社会风险防御机制，提升弱势群体的社会参与机会与能力，消除社会隔阂、实现社会整合。     

论安全食品供应链管理

本文提出安全食品供应链管理是保障食品安全的重要途径,并从以下几方面来讨论安全食品供应链管理:食品供应链管理的必要性;食品供应链设计的基本要求;目前我国食品供应链的特性分析;食品供应链的优化管理方法。     

用收敛类刻划第一可数公理

本文用收敛类诱导出满足第一可数公理的拓扑空间,并得到一个拓扑空间满足第一可数公理的充要条件。     

Anticipated foreign military threat, arms accumulation, and the current account in a small open economy

This paper examines the effects of an anticipated foreign military threat on consumption, the home weapons stock, and net foreign asset position in a small open economy. If the utility function is separable between butter and guns, the economy decreases both butter and guns when the news arrives, accumulates foreign assets prior to the foreign threat realization, and increases guns as the foreign threat realizes. If the utility function is nonseparable between butter and guns, the economy may have two dynamic responses. The first is similar to the separable case, except that consumption exhibits a discrete jump when the foreign threat realizes. The second is that the economy increases both butter and guns on impact, decumulates foreign assets prior to the foreign threat implementation, but either increases or decreases guns as the foreign threat realizes.     

国外饲料安全的研究进展

通过查阅国外近20年发表的关于饲料安全方面研究的文献,调查国外饲料安全研究的进展情况。结果显示近几年国外对饲料安全越来越关注,主要包括：对欧盟饲料安全法律法规及监管体系的介绍和评价;快速识别原料来源的检测技术研究;转基因产品作为饲料的安全性研究;饲料中二英/多氯联苯的报道;饲料中微生物污染调查和控制及益生菌的研究;对饲料添加剂的研究报道;对植物毒素和真菌毒素的研究。     

沿海地区建筑企业安全管理绩效评价研究

对我国沿海地区的建筑企业安全绩效进行调查研究,利用数据包络分析(DEA)中的C2R模型和SE-C2R模型对建筑企业的安全管理绩效进行评价,结果表明:安全管理绩效有效的建筑企业表现出“低投入、低事故率”,相反无效的建筑企业表现出“高投入、高事故率”,证明了高安全管理投入并不一定能够带来低事故发生率;安全管理绩效无效的建筑企业具有提高安全管理绩效的潜质和改善空间,关键在于如何科学地配置安全管理投入资源;同时也表明DEA是评价建筑企业安全管理绩效的一种有效方法.