European financial crisis and bank productivity: evidence from Eastern European Countries

The paper examines the productivity levels of the largest banks operating in the Eastern European countries over the period of the ongoing European financial crisis. Specifically, the analysis covers the periods of U.S. subprime crisis, the global financial crisis and the sovereign debt crisis. By adopting a fully nonparametric framework, it provides a probabilistic version of a directional input-oriented Malmquist productivity index alongside with its main decomposition. The results from the analysis suggest that banks have faced a deterioration of their productivity levels between the examined periods. It is evident that during the initiation of European sovereign debt crisis, the banks have weakened their ability to utilize efficiently their inputs of production and their ability to realize scale economies.     

Evolution of FDI flows in the global network: 2003–2012

As one type of international capital flow, FDI maintains its important role in globalization. This article attempts to investigate the evolution of the FDI flows from a network perspective. Based on the bilateral FDI flows data between countries from 2003 to 2012, we construct the global FDI flows network for each year and thus quantify network measures (such as flow volumes and connections); further by analysing the tendency and changes of these network measures during the past 10 years, we delineate the features and dynamics of the FDI flows in the global network. We have the following findings: (a) the flows network changes during and after the crisis, i.e. flow volume fallen down and recovered, and flow connection restructured with more diversity; (b) the global FDI flows network is getting more loosely connected; (c) individual countries vary in different patterns.     

Changes in Global Trade Patterns and Women's Employment in Manufacturing, 1995–2011

This study investigates the feminization and defeminization trends in manufacturing employment in thirty countries from 1995 to 2011. Utilizing two separate methods, structural decomposition analysis (SDA) and factor content analysis (FCA), the study identifies the major industries and trade partners behind the structural shifts in trade that have induced changes in employment and thus in the rates of women’s employment. The findings highlight that, as a general trend, defeminization in manufacturing has persisted in the Global North, led by a negative trade impact in low-technology industries. In the Global South, feminization and defeminization trends are not as straightforward. Despite positive changes in women’s share of employment in medium-high- and high-technology industries, negative gender bias effects of trade changes are found particularly in high-technology industries, where occupations are notably gendered.     

Developing a financial conditions index for a post-transition country: the case of Croatia

The interconnection between financial and business cycles and the importance of surveillance over financial markets emphasise the need for the development of indicators that could trace financial conditions in a country. In this paper, we focus on developing a financial conditions index for a post-transition country – Croatia. Since financial conditions indices for post-transition markets differ from those for developed markets due to differences in the development of their financial systems and the availability of data, we show that financial conditions indices constructed for post-transition markets need to be tailored to the specifics of such markets.     

Forecasting UK consumer price inflation using inflation forecasts

The inflation rate is a key economic indicator for which forecasters are constantly seeking to improve the accuracy of predictions, so as to enable better macroeconomic decision making. Presented in this paper is a novel approach which seeks to exploit auxiliary information contained within inflation forecasts for developing a new and improved forecast for inflation by modeling with Multivariate Singular Spectrum Analysis (MSSA). Unlike other forecast combination techniques, the key feature of the proposed approach is its use of forecasts, i.e. data into the future, within the modeling process and extracting auxiliary information for generating a new and improved forecast. We consider real data on consumer price inflation in UK, obtained via the Office for National Statistics. A variety of parametric and nonparametric models are then used to generate univariate forecasts of inflation. Thereafter, the best univariate forecast is considered as auxiliary information within the MSSA model alongside historical data for UK consumer price inflation, and a new multivariate forecast is generated. We find compelling evidence which shows the benefits of the proposed approach at generating more accurate medium to long term inflation forecasts for UK in relation to the competing models. Finally, through the discussion, we also consider Google Trends forecasts for inflation within the proposed framework.     

金融危机下人民币汇率变动对外贸的影响——以山东青岛为例

自人民币汇率制度改革以来,人民币汇率波幅明显增大,并呈现持续升值的势头,金融危机期间,人民币汇率波动更加频繁,势必对我国外贸造成一定程度的影响。以青岛进行实例分析,采取金融危机期间人民币汇率变动与青岛进出口贸易的数据建立回归模型,在分析人民币汇率变动的趋势与青岛对外贸易总体现状的基础上,对金融危机下人民币汇率变动对青岛外贸的影响进行了回归分析,得出金融危机下人民币汇率变动对青岛进口影响不显著,而对青岛出口影响较大的结论,并根据分析提出应对危机和发展对外贸易的政策建议。     

无卤阻燃聚丙烯腈的合成及性能分析

基于环保要求设计合成了无卤阻燃丙烯腈共聚物。热分析表明,醋酸乙烯酯的引入使丙烯腈共聚物的热分解温度有所改变,合适的VAC含量可以使丙烯腈共聚物具有更好的热稳定性。阻燃性能测试表明当丙烯腈共聚物中醋酸乙烯酯单元含量为25%时,由其水解衍生物所制备的阻燃丙烯腈共聚物的极限氧指数值都能达26%以上。     

浅析天然气汇管开裂原因与预防

通过对天然气汇管截面应力场的探讨,分析了汇管表面裂纹产生的原因并提出了相应预防措施。得出长庆油田第一采气厂出现表面裂纹的7台管汇是由于焊接和热处理工艺不当使残余应力过大所致。     

基于主成分分析法的生物质发电项目效益评价研究

首先构建了生物质发电项目经济效益评价的指标体系,介绍了主成分分析法的基本原理,然后对搜集到的数据采用SPSS软件进行主成分分析。事实证明,主成分分析能剔除指标之间的相关性,比其他方法更加简单易行,能为生物质发电项目的效益评价提供数据支持。     

并网型风电耦合制氢系统经济性分析

为了减小风电对电网的冲击并增大风能的有效利用,并网风电耦合氢能系统被认为是能源利用的一种新模式。对风电场耦合制氢系统,首先设计了风电场可耦合制氢系统的产能,然后对该系统的收入、支出及净现金流量进行分析。最后以上海东海风电场为例,通过对其耦合制氢系统的经济性进行分析,指出该项目收益明显;并对H2产量和风电价格2个因素作了敏感性分析。