Forecasting with vector autoregressive (VAR) models subject to business cycle restrictions

In the last decade VAR models have become a widely-used tool for forecasting macroeconomic time series. To improve the out-of-sample forecasting accuracy of these models, Bayesian random-walk prior restrictions are often imposed on VAR model parameters. This paper focuses on whether placing an alternative type of restriction on the parameters of unrestricted VAR models improves the out-of-sample forecasting performance of these models. The type of restriction analyzed here is based on the business cycle characteristics of U.S. macroeconomic data, and in particular, requires that the dynamic behavior of the restricted VAR model mimic the business cycle characteristics of historical data. The question posed in this paper is: would a VAR model, estimated subject to the restriction that the cyclical characteristics of simulated data from the model “match up” with the business cycle characteristics of U.S. data, generate more accurate out-of-sample forecasts than unrestricted or Bayesian VAR models?     

基于RFID技术的博物馆人员和馆藏文物管理系统的设计

随着RFID技术的不断发展,基于RFID技术的信息管理系统与人员和物品管理等传统行业相结合,可大大提高这些行业管理的电子化、数字化水平.本文通过一个案例阐述了构建完整的博物馆人员和馆藏文物综合管理系统的基本设计思想方法和实现原理.     

The Effect of Land Restitution on Poverty Reduction among the Khomani San “Bushmen” in South Africa

This paper looks at the impact of land restitution involving the Khomani San “bushmen” in the Kgalagadi area of South Africa. It seeks to investigate the effect of land restitution on poverty reduction among the beneficiaries. We run two‐stage least squares models of access to nature, per capita income and poverty status on the use of restituted land, among other variables. Our results suggest that the Khomani San beneficiaries have gotten more access to natural resources but that the use of restituted land has neither increased per capita income nor reduced poverty. In fact, the use of restituted land has contributed to increased poverty. Therefore, land restitution should become part of a broader, carefully crafted rural developmental strategy for it to be effective in reducing poverty. Otherwise, land restitution risks enabling indigenous communities to continue with their “traditional” way of life, and in fact thereby keep them poor.     

Dynamics of youth access to agricultural land under the customary tenure regime in the Techiman traditional area of Ghana

This paper investigated youth access to agricultural land under customary land tenure in Ghana. Using Techiman Traditional Area as a case study, the study applied multiple sampling techniques in a multi-stage sampling process to select the study communities and respondents. A total sample of 455 youth respondents and 23 elders were covered in twenty peri-urban and rural communities. The study revealed that irrespective of whichever mode (market or non-market) the youth employed to access agricultural land, in rural or peri-urban areas, there were constraints to their land sizes. Majority of the youth, both indigenes and migrants, held small land sizes of 1–3 acres for farming purposes. The underlying causes were two-fold: demand-related such as high cost of accessing land and competition from residential developers and supply-related such as unwillingness of the elders to release land and increasing scarcity of productive family land, among others. It is thus the conclusion of the paper that more research should be conducted across the country into youth access to agricultural land under customary tenure as a means of formulating an evidence-based youth agricultural land access policy for the country. There is also the need for public education of customary authorities to sensitize them on the need for making land accessible to the youth for agricultural purpose.     

Financing Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Ghana

Abstract

Issues of finance and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries have dominated the research agenda at various policy levels. However, very little empirical analysis, that is, hypothesis testing has been carried out to ascertain the relationship between finance and enterprise performance. Although a few studies have attempted to examine this relationship, yet there remain large gaps in our knowledge concerning the relationship between finance and SME development. This paper attempts to fill this gap by providing information on the relationship between finance and enterprise growth in Ghana.     

Office软件数据处理在中油财务系统差错识别中的运用心得

本文闸述了如何对Office系列软件中的Excel与Access进行联合运用,从而在财务软件产生的教据使用中进行差错识别,这将大大提高工作效率.     

补考考场自动排布软件设计

本文介绍了一种补考考场自动排布软件的设计方法，利用Vc＋＋作为开发工具，Access数据库作为数据源，采用最佳适应算法实现考场的自动排布，然后利用VBA技术将试卷袋封皮与考试人员名单以word文档的形式自动生成。     

基于Access数据库的矿井通风网络解算软件设计与实现

针对当前市场上通风安全管理系统软件价格昂贵,使用复杂的问题,考虑实际工作中多采用excel表格处理通风数据,利用excel与Access数据库的互导性,提出基于Access数据库的通风网络解算软件,采用面向对象的VB6.0软件开发了软件的具体功能,使用ADO技术实现数据的交互。实践应用证明,该软件具有使用简单、开销小的优点。     

海洋工程工时定额编制与软件开发

在项目中通过对已有工时定额数据的使用,对几个平台的计划工时与实际工时的比较和分析,并结合工程项目的实际情况,开发了一套适用于海洋工程的工时定额体系,涉及到海洋石油开发建设所包括的结构、配管、电气、仪表、通讯、机械、暖通空调、安全、保温、舾装、涂装、脚手架、检验等专业,并利用Access数据库开发形成工时估算系统。     

An investigation of the short-term performance of the Canadian IPO market.

This article explores the short-term return performance of the Canadian initial public offering (IPO) market. Historically, the Canadian IPO market has shown to be one of the least underpriced markets in the world. This paper uses recent IPOs from 2010 to 2017, and the results confirm that the Canadian IPO market remains one of the least underpriced IPO markets in the world. The mean (median) first-day returns show that Canadian IPOs are marginally underpricing at only 1.45% (0.24%) during the sample period. Additional short-run return measures indicate that Canadian IPOs underperform the market in their 1-month, 6-month, and 12-month holding periods. This research also contributes to the existing IPO literature by showing that restricted voting share offerings tend to be more underpriced and perform poorly over the short-term.