A push to cycling—exploring the e-bike's role in overcoming barriers to bicycle use with a survey and an intervention study

In Norway, as in many countries, there is a political goal to increase bicycle use. The electric bicycle (e-bike) is a promising tool for achieving this goal, given the hilliness of the country. However, little is yet known about the deterrents of cycling in Norway in general, and in particular how the purchase of an e-bike could be stimulated.

In the current study, 5500 respondents from a convenience sample among car owners were asked about their perceptions of bicycling in general, and of e-bikes in particular as well as their willingness to pay (WTP) for an e-bike. Randomly selected participants (N = 66) were given access to an e-bike for a limited time (2 or 4 weeks). A second questionnaire captured the same perceptions and WTP post-intervention. The results were compared with a control group (N = 214).

The results showed that those who cycle the least were most interested in buying an e-bike and that prior knowledge of the e-bike corresponded with a higher desire to buy one. Pro-environmental values did not predict interest in e-bikes, neither did norms and attitudes toward cycling. The WTP for an e-bike increased after having experienced the benefits for those who used an e-bike compared to those who did not. Price reduction of the e-bike (e.g. VAT exemption), spread of knowledge among the wider population, and actions to offer an e-bike experience may therefore be effective strategies for further expansion of the e-bike in the transport system and thereby to increase bicycle use in Norway.     

Moving freight on public transit: Best practices,challenges, and opportunities

Freight on Transit (FOT) refers to an operational strategy where public transit vehicles and/or infrastructure are used to move freight. Examples include moving goods alongside passengers on buses, attaching cargo trailers to transit vehicles, and operating freight vehicles between trains on subway lines. This paper describes the methods and results of a three-round Delphi study engaging 34 transportation experts to explore challenges and opportunities of FOT and to conceptualize and evaluate potential FOT operations in Toronto. Traditional Delphi methods were used for the exploration of FOT challenges and opportunities, and a modified approach was formulated to integrate experts' opinions and develop new FOT concepts for Toronto. The results support previous claims that technical challenges of FOT may be easier to overcome than institutional barriers. Evaluation of potential FOT operating strategies in Toronto suggests that while the current public transit network does not have capacity to support additional movements, there may be realistic opportunities to include freight service in future projects as a means of offsetting operating costs and reducing the impacts of goods movements.     

城乡基本公共卫生服务均等化:经验观照与下一步

推进基本公共卫生服务均等化,是建设服务型政府的必然要求,也是维护社会公平正义、确保社会稳定和健康发展的必然选择。经过多年的发展,日本形成了一整套符合自身国情的公共卫生设施建设管理体制和政策体系,其在基本公共卫生服务均等化方面的一些做法值得借鉴。推进我国城乡基本公共卫生服务均等化,应构建公私医疗卫生机构在基本公共卫生服务供给中的合作治理机制,健全基本公共卫生服务均等化的制度保障体系,确保基本公共卫生服务均等化的财力投入长效稳定化,加快公共卫生服务人力资源建设,搭建城乡统筹的基本公共卫生服务信息管理系统。     

An empirical examination of IPO underpricing in the Chinese A-share market

Research in the literature shows that initial public offerings (IPOs) of common stocks are systematically priced at a discount to their subsequent initial trading price. The large underpricing magnitude in the Chinese IPO market has attracted much attention. We consider three hypotheses that may explain the IPO underpricing in China. These are the winner's curse hypothesis, the ex ante uncertainty hypothesis and the signaling hypothesis. Among these hypotheses, the winner's curse hypothesis has not been tested in the Chinese market. Using IPO data for online fixed-price offerings from November 1995 to December 1998, our results show that the winner's curse hypothesis is the main reason for the high IPO underpricing in China. The signaling hypothesis is not empirically supported in the Chinese market during the sample period.     

公民参与在公共政策制定中的意义

公民参与在公共政策的整个运行过程中,充分保障广大人民群众的主人翁地位,真正贯彻公共政策的民主化原则,制定出科学、合理、公正的公共政策,以实现公共政策的有效性中的意义是极其重大而深远的。公民参与也是民主程序的核心概念,“真正的民主,需要通过‘公民不断的参与’,方能领略什么是民主,在心理上融会和建立民主作风,在行为上获取民主办事的技巧和方法,这样才可以保证社会运作是真正由人民主宰。”     

从现代产权制度着眼 深入推进国有林权改革

在论述国有林区建立现代产权制度重要意义的基础上,对伊春的林权制度改革目标和内容进行了阐述。认为伊春林区实行的以职工家庭对国有林地进行承包经营为主要内容的产权形式,是国有林区的一种优越的经济制度选择;其核心目标是在国有森林资源领域真正建立起归属清晰、责权明确、保护严格、流转顺畅的现代产权制度。     

Property finance in the UK in the post‐war period

Summary

This paper is intended to introduce readers to the subject of property finance and to provide a review of post‐war trends in property finance and investment. In particular, it considers the growth and influence of institutional investment. The property ‘myth’ is examined in the light of recent analysis of the rental performance of commercial and industrial property, and the obsolescence of buildings.     

GAME THEORETIC MODELS OF MIXED OLIGOPOLY

Abstract. In this paper we review various models that have been proposed for the study of mixed oligopoly, that is markets in which private and public firm compete on equal basis using only market instruments.     

Anticipated Environmental Policy and Transitional Dynamics in an Endogenous Growth Model

This paper makes a new attempt toinvestigate how an anticipatedenvironmental policy governs the transitionaldynamics of an economy when pollutionexternality is taken into account. Themodeling strategy we use is an AK technologyendogenous growth framework with an endogenousleisure-labor choice. It is found that, unlikeinelastic labor supply framework, a rise inpublic abatement expenditure will stimulate thebalanced economic growth rate. It is alsofound that public abatement technology plays animportant role in determining the transitionaladjustment of the economic growth rate inresponse to a pre-announced environmentalpolicy.     

辽宁高端装备制造业技术创新联盟的公共政策研究

辽宁高端装备制造业近几年发展迅猛,围绕区域产业集群初步形成了一些技术创新联盟,但由于缺乏有力的公共政策支持,技术创新联盟不能真正发挥应有作用。从研究标准联盟公共政策的影响因素入手,提出了适合辽宁高端装备制造业技术创新联盟组建和发展的公共政策建议,这些政策建议可以促进辽宁高端装备制造业技术创新联盟迅速壮大,提高技术创新联盟的竞争力。