Assessment of natural resources for nature-based tourism: : the case of the Central Coast Region of Western Australia

Resources for development of a nature-based tourism industry were identified and assessed in the Central Coast Region of Western Australia. The assessment framework developed used both qualitative and quantitative techniques to establish levels of attraction, accessibility, presence of infrastructure and the level of environmental degradation. Data were gathered using a checklist approach to quantify characteristics of sites. Resource assessment was completed using matrices with relevant indicators incorporating weighting techniques. Sixty-five potential nature-based tourism resource sites were identified. The attraction diversity in the Region is high, although the resources were associated with poor accessibility, low levels of tourism infrastructure and moderate levels of environmental degradation. Results from this research were presented to government authorities and incorporated into the planning process. This paper highlights some of the difficulties associated with establishing objective resource evaluation techniques for nature-based tourism, as well as key findings from the research.     

Do Federal Reserve communications help predict federal funds target rate decisions?

We explain federal funds target rate decisions using macroeconomic variables and Federal Reserve communication indicators. Econometrically, we employ an ordered probit model of a Taylor rule to predict 75 target rate decisions between 1998 and 2006. We find, first, that our communication indicators significantly explain target rate decisions and improve explanatory power in and out of sample. Second, speeches by members of the Board of Governors and regional presidents have a statistically significant and equal-sized effect, whereas the less-frequent monetary policy reports and congressional hearings are insignificant. Third, our findings are robust to variations in the specification, including changes in the communication strategy. Finally, our communication indicator based on Federal Reserve speeches performs better in explaining target rate decisions than do newswire reports of Fed communications.     

詹姆斯·麦迪逊的人性观与宪法思想

麦迪逊认为，人性中的美德与瑕垢、理性与激情是人的同一品性的不同表现，而不是两种矛盾品性的共存。他的人性观是经验的和一般的，而不是抽象的和单一的善恶假定。这与他看重外部激励与立宪层面的制度设计是一致的。麦迪逊的人性观与他的共和思想是一致的，其强调共同体的“永久和长远利益”，不同于现代多元主义将公共利益视为个人利益加总的看法，这反映在他赞同在立宪设计时通过“以野心对抗野心”的制衡机制来改善公共决策的品质的观点上。麦迪逊的思想源于时代，也超越了时代。     

高等职业教育比较研究

关于高等职业教育的属性,可以从横向与纵向两个维度来认识,即与普通高等教育、成人高等教育及非高等教育的区别,与初职与中职教育的区别。国际高职教育呈现百花齐放的状态,各国之间没有完全相同的模式,但按照不同层面设定的划分标准,可以找出一些规律性的东西。根据高等职业教育发展的一般规律,观察中国高职教育的基本特征,可以预测我国高职教育的发展。     

党刊如何"三贴近"

“三贴近”是新时期党刊作为改进和加强自身工作的一条重要原则。是党刊自身发展的需要，更是党的事业的需要。党刊的政治性和“三贴近”是统一的。编辑记者高度的责任心是党刊“三贴近”的前提；深入实际，调查研究，是“三贴近”的唯一途径。     

产 权 性 质 与 IPO 机 会

以2006～2009年期间的IPO申请为样本,研究产权性质与IPO机会的关系,发现产权性质对IPO机会没有显著影响。结果表明,伴随着转型进程的推进和国有企业改革攻坚战在本世纪初基本完成,中国资本市场在2006年出现转折性变化进入了新的发展阶段,股权融资不再有产权性质歧视。     

内蒙古图牧吉自然保护区春季迁徙水鸟多样性研究

2011年4月5日~5月5日,在内蒙古图牧吉国家级自然保护区对春迁徙水类多样性进行了调查,共记录到鸟类7目13科45种99567只次。共记录到国家级重点保护鸟类13种26899只。应用鸟类多样性公式对春季水鸟多样性进行了分析,其多样性指数、均匀性指数和物种丰富度指数分别为1.849641、0.336797、和0.00042。并对水域、沼泽、草甸和农田水鸟多样性进行了比较;结果表明其多样性为水域（1.791485）>沼泽（1.789785）>草甸（1.629579）>农田（0.098193）;均匀性指数为草原（0.701821）>沼泽（0.368422）>水域（0.330151）>农田（0.098193）;物种丰富度指数为草原（0.037313）>农田（0.003175）>沼泽（0.000951）>水域（0.00063）。本研究为今后水鸟资源管理和濒危物种的保护提供了科学依据。     

Federal Reserve financial crisis lending programs and bank stock returns

We use an E-GARCH model to estimate the wealth effects of Federal Reserve lending during the financial crisis to Investment banks (I-Banks), “Too Big to Fail” (TBTF) banks, and “traditional” commercial banks. Borrowing from the Term Auction Facility program has negative wealth effects for all banks and I-banks in particular. We also find that the market view of the liquidity programs changed across the sample sub-periods. I-Bank and TBTF bank borrowing from the discount window is initially viewed positively, however continued use of the discount window and the Term Auction Facility was generally (though not universally) viewed negatively. Commercial Paper Funding Facility program participation is consistently positive only for traditional banks and programs that focus on the purchase of specific securities (e.g., commercial paper) to address specific problems also appear to primarily benefit traditional banks. The inconsistency of results across the time periods of the crisis is telling as market participants struggled to discern what access to these programs meant.     

投标人参考点效应与最优公开保留价博弈分析

本文从行为经济学出发,用博弈论的方法研究存在参考点效应时,投标人在第一价格和第二价格密封招标中的报价策略以及招标人的最优公开保留价定价策略,并对不同招标方式下投标人的期望收益进行比较。本文给出存在参考点效应时招标最优公开保留价的定价公式,分析了参考点效应和投标人数对最优公开保留价的影响。研究表明,在采用公开保留价的情况下,考虑投标人参考点效应对报价策略的影响时,不同招标方式给投标人带来的期望收益是相等的,即此时招标支付等价性命题仍然成立。此外,随着投标人参考点效应的增强和投标人数的增加,招标人的最优公开保留价下降。     

中央银行介入资产证券化业务及其会计核算规则研究*--以美联储为例

介入资产证券化业务在次贷危机爆发后成为美联储实施非常规货币政策的工具。本文研究美联储介入资产证券化业务的历程、动因、方式和范围,分析美联储对持有资产证券化产品和对特殊目的实体进行会计报表合并的核算规则,指出我国中央银行要研究建立与资产证券化业务相配套的风险监控机制、救助应急机制、市场沟通机制和会计核算机制。