bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The efficiencies defence in merger cases: implications of alternative standards
Authors: Bian Lin , McFetridge D. G. 
Published: March 2003

We compare alternative interpretations of the efficiencies defence, provided under Canadian competition law, for mergers found likely to lessen competition substantially. We find the respective percentage reductions in long‐run marginal cost required for a profitable merger to satisfy the total surplus, price, and two weighted surplus standards, given pre‐merger market structure. We find that when efficiency spillovers are low and markets are concentrated, the cost reduction required to satisfy the price standard is over four times higher than is required for a profitable, total‐surplus‐increasing merger and the cost reductions required to satisfy the weighted surplus standards are nearly twice as high.Les auteurs comparent diverses interprétations des stratégies de défense en terme d'eﬃcacité pour les fusions dont on pense qu'elles vont réduire substantiellement le concurrence dans le cadre de la loi sur la concurrence au Canada. Ils identifient que les réductions en pourcentage dans le coût marginal de longue période qui sont requises pour qu'une fusion profitable satisfasse aux normes du surplus total, du prix, et des deux surplus pondérés, compte tenu de la structure de marché avant la fusion. Il semble que quand les eﬀets de débordement d'efficacité sont faibles et que les marchés sont concentrés, les réductions de coûts requises pour satisfaire la norme de prix soient quatre fois plus élevées que ce qui est requis dans le cas d'une fusion profitable qui accroît le niveau de mieux‐ être, et presque deux fois deux fois plus élevées pour satisfaire la norme des surplus pondérés.
Farm settlement with imperfect capital markets: a life‐cycle application to Upper Canada, 1826–1851
Authors: Lewis Frank D. 
Published: March 2003

Farm settlement, where borrowing is constrained, is addressed with a life‐cycle model. Because a pioneer farm must be cleared before becoming productive, the settler first accumulates in order to purchase supplies and maintain consumption during the initial years. Implications of the model are explored using data from Upper Canada, 1826–1851: age at settlement is delayed. Settlers eventually receive higher incomes than those who do not settle; rising life expectancy contributes to settlement; an immediate income is a prerequisite to settlement. Such findings conform to the experience of Upper Canada and other pioneer areas and may also illuminate aspects of migration. JEL classification: N31, J61 Colonisation agricole quand les marchés du capital sont imparfaits:une application du modèle du cycle de vie au Haut‐Canada, 1826–51. L'auteur examine le processus de colonisation agricole quand il y a contraintes sur les emprunts à l'aide d'un modèle de cycle de vie. Parce qu'un pionnier doit d'abord défricher avant que la ferme ne soit productive, le colon doit avoir préalablement accumulé un certain pécule afin de pouvoir acheter le matériel nécessaire et maintenir sa consommation durant les premières années de colonisation. On analyse les implications de ce modèle en utilisant les données pour le Haut Canada de 1826 à1851. Entre autres résultats, on note que l'âge où l'on s'installe est reporté; que ceux qui colonisent éventuellement reçoivent des revenus beaucoup plus élevés que ceux qui ne le font pas; que la croissance de l'espérance de vie tend à encourager la colonisation; et qu'une source immédiate de revenus est un prérequis à la colonisation. Ces résultats et certains autres sont conformes à ce que l'on observe dans le Haut Canada et dans les autres zones de colonisation, et il peuvent jeter un peu de lumière sur certains aspects du processus de migration.
Private information for foreign investment in emerging economies
Authors: Kinoshita Yuko , Mody Ashoka 
Published: March 2003

In previous studies it has been found that new foreign investment is significantly related to the stock of existing investment in the country/region. This paper's contribution is the finding that a Japanese firm's new investment in an emerging economy is positively correlated with its own previous investment in that economy and also with the current/planned investments by competitors. These two channels are primarily substitutes; that is, investment by competitors becomes less salient when the firm has experience in the market. The correlated behaviour is not explained by industrial agglomerations but appears to reflect the value of private information to investment in emerging economies. Information privée et investissement étranger dans les économies en émergence. Des travaux antérieurs ont montré que les nouveaux investissements à l'étranger sont co‐reliés de manière significative à la taille du stock d'investissement étranger dans le pays ou la région. La contribution de ce mémoire porte sur le fait qu'un nouvel investissement d'une entreprise japonaise dans une économie en émergence est co‐relié positivement avec son propre niveau antérieur d'investissement dans cette économie mais aussi avec le niveau des investissements présents et anticipés de ses concurrents. Ces deux canaux d'information sont des substituts: le niveau d'investissement par les concurrents devient moins important à proportion que l'entreprise a acquis de l'expérience dans ce marché. Ce comportement co‐relié n'est pas expliqué par les effets d'agglomération industrielle mais semble refléter la valeur de l'information privée quand on investit dans des économies en émergence.
Know‐how sharing with stochastic innovations
Authors: Eaton B. Curtis , Eswaran Mukesh 
Published: March 2003

We provide a model of know‐how sharing between competing firms in which each of two firms gets a stochastic innovation in its stock of know‐how in every period. Separately considering the cases when innovations are indivisible and divisible, we examine the nature of the subgame perfect sharing agreements that can obtain. We discover that both stochasticity and indivisibility undermine the ability to support sharing. Furthermore, we find that there are equilibria in which know‐how sharing can be intermittent and that small innovations are more likely to be shared than large ones, when innovations are divisible but not necessarily when they are indivisible. JEL Classification: O30, O33 Partage du savoir faire quand les innovations sont stochastiques. Les auteurs proposent un modèle de partage du savoir‐faire entre entreprises concurrentes dans lequel chacune des deux entreprises obtient une innovation stochastique dans son stock of savoir‐faire à chaque période. En considérant séparément les cas où les innovations sont divisibles et non‐divisibles, on examine la nature des accords de partage parfait qui peuvent se produire dans le sous‐jeu. On montre que la stochasticité et l'indivisibilité minent la possibilité de maintenir le partage. De plus, on découvre que des solutions d'équilibre avec partage de savoir‐faire peuvent jouer par intermittence, et qu'on est davantage susceptible de partager les fruits des petites innovations plus que des grandes quand les innovations sont divisibles, mais pas nécessairement quand elles sont indivisibles.
Anti‐dumping measures as a tool of protectionism: A mechanism design approach
Authors: Cheng Leonard K. , Qiu Larry D. , Wong Kit Pong 
Published: March 2003

In this paper we explore the design of optimal incentive‐compatible anti‐dumping (AD) measures. When the weight given to the domestic firm's profit in the government's objective function is relatively small, it is shown that no AD duty should be imposed if the foreign firm reports its own costs, but a constant AD duty should be imposed if the domestic firm reports the foreign firm's cost. When this weight is large, in either case of reporting the AD duty is a prohibitive tariff. The optimal AD measures are modified in the presence of a GATT/WTO constraint. JEL Classification: F12, F13 Les mesures anti‐dumping en tant qu'outil de protectionnisme: une approche en termes de construction de mécanismes. Ce mémoire examine la construction de mesures optimaales anti‐dumping (AD). Quandla valence des profits de la firme domestique est faible dans la fonction objective du gouvernement, on peut montrer qu'aucune mesure AD ne devrait être imposée si l'entreprise étrangère révèle ses propres coûts, mais qu'un droit AD constant devrait être imposé si c'est la firme domestique qui révèle les coûts de l'entreprise étrangère. Quand la valence des profits de la firme domestique est grande, quelle que soit la source de l'information, la mesure AD qui s'impose est un droit de douane prohibitif. Les mesures optimales doivent évidemment être modifiées pour prendre en compte la contrainte engendrée par l'existence des règles du GATT/OMC.
The role of credentials in the Canadian labour market
Authors: Ferrer Ana M. , Riddell W. Craig 
Published: March 2003

We study the role of credentials or ‘sheepskin effects’ in the Canadian labour market. Sheepskin effects refer to increases in wages associated with the receipt of a degree after controlling for educational inputs such as years of schooling. We find strong evidence of sheepskin effects associated with graduation from high school, community college or trade school, and university. The importance of credentials increases with educational attainment, accounting for 30 per cent of the return to 16 years of schooling but more than half of returns above 16 years. Our evidence indicates that both years of schooling and degree completion influence earnings. JEL Classification: I2, J3 Le rôle des certificats dans le marché du travail au Canada. Les auteurs étudient le rôle des certificats ou des «effets de parchemin» dans le marché du travail au Canada. Les effets de parchemin font référence aux augmentations de salaires associées à l’obtention d’un diplôme ou d’un grade après avoir pris en compte l’expérience éducationnelle comme les années d'éducation. On découvre des résultats probants pour ce qui est des effets de parchemin associés à l’obtention d’un diplôme d'école secondaire, de collège communautaire, d'école technique, et d’université. L’importance de la certification augmente avec le niveau d’instruction : elle compte pour 30 pourcent du rendement pour 16 années de scolarité mais pour plus de la moitié des rendements pour la scolarité au delà de ces premiers 16 ans. Les résultats indiquent que tant les années de scolarité que la certification comme telle ont un impact sur les gains.
Abductive Diagnosis Using Time‐Objects: Criteria for the Evaluation of Solutions
Authors: Keravnou Elpida T. , Washbrook John 
Published: March 2003

Diagnostic problem solving aims to account for, or explain, a malfunction of a system (human or other). Any plausible potential diagnostic solution must satisfy some minimum criteria relevant to the application. Often there will be several plausible solutions, and further criteria will be required to select the “best” explanation. Expert diagnosticians may employ different, complex criteria at different stages of their reasoning. These criteria may be combinations of some more primitive criteria, which therefore should be represented separately and explicitly to permit their flexible and transparent combined usage.In diagnostic reasoning there is a tight coupling between the formation of potential solutions and their evaluation. This is the essence of abductive reasoning. This article presents an abductive framework for diagnostic problem solving. Time‐objects, an association of a property and an existence, are used as the representation formalism and a number of primitive, general evaluation criteria into which time has been integrated are defined. Each criterion provides an intuitive yardstick for evaluating the space of potential solutions. The criteria can be combined as appropriate for particular applications to define plausible and best explanations.The central principle is that when time is diagnostically significant, it should be modeled explicitly to enable a more accurate formulation and evaluation of diagnostic solutions. The integration of time and primitive evaluation criteria is illustrated through the Skeletal Dysplasias Diagnostician (SDD) system, a diagnostic expert system for a real‐life medical domain. SDD's notions of plausible and best explanation are reviewed so as to show the difficulties in formalizing such notions. Although we illustrate our work by medical problems, it has been motivated by consideration of problems in a number of other domains (fermentation monitoring, air and ground traffic control, power distribution) and is intended to be of wide applicability.
On the Hybrid Propositional Encodings of Planning
Authors: Mali Amol Dattatraya 
Published: March 2003

Recently, casting planning as propositional satisfiability (SAT) has been shown to be an efficient technique of plan synthesis. This article is a response to the recently proposed challenge of developing novel propositional encodings that are based on a combination of different types of plan refinements and characterizing the tradeoffs. We refer to these encodings as hybrid encodings. An investigation of these encodings is important, because this can give insights into what kinds of planning problems can be solved faster with hybrid encodings.Encodings based on partial–order planning and state–space planning have been reported in previous research. We propose a new type of encoding called a unifying encoding that subsumes these two encodings. We also report on several other hybrid encodings. Next, we show how the satisfiability framework can be extended to incremental planning. State–space encoding is attractive because of its lower size and causal encoding is attractive because of its highest flexibility in reordering steps. We show that hybrid encodings have a higher size and a lower flexibility in step reordering and, thus, do not combine the best of these encodings. We discuss in detail several specific planning scenarios where hybrid encodings are likely to be superior to nonhybrid encodings.
A Comparative Study of Perceived Job Stressor Sources and Job Strain in American and Iranian Managers
Authors: Spector Paul E. , Cooper Cary L. , Aguilar‐Vafaie Maria E. 
Published: March 2003

Des échantillons de chefs d’entreprise aux USA et en Iran ont été comparés quant aux pressions au travail (contrainte, orientation du rôle du responsable/tâche, travail/maison et le support à ne pas travailler), cinq agents tenseurs (la dissatisfaction au travail, la tension mentale, la tension physique, l’intention de quitter le travail et l’absentéisme) et le sentiment de contrôle (LOC) au travail. Comme attendu, les chefs d’entreprise iraniens étaient davantage externes et davantage sous pression sur les cinq types d’agents stressants. Les américains ont montré de plus fortes corrélations entre les agents stressants. Les relations entre pression et tension au travail étaient similaires dans chacun des échantillons et dans les deux échantillons le LOC interne était associéà un niveau de stress plus bas. Bien que la statut marital n’ait pas été associé au stress au travail et aux agents stressant chez les américains, de fortes relations existent chez les iraniens.Samples of Iranian and US managers were compared on four sources of job pressure (constraints, managerial role/tasks, home/work, and nonwork support), five strains (job dissatisfaction, mental strain, physical strain, intention of quitting the job, and absence), and work locus of control. As expected Iranian managers were more external and were higher on pressure and on all five job strains. Americans showed higher intercorrelations among strains except for absence, whereas Iranians had higher correlations among sources of pressure. Relations between pressure and job strains were similar across both samples, and in both samples internal locus of control was associated with lower strain. Although marital status was not associated with job stressors and strains among Americans, it showed strong relations among Iranians.
Basic principles of optical imaging and application to the study of infant development
Authors: Meek Judith 
Published: March 2003

AbstractNew optical methods of studying the infant brain have been developed over the last 20 years. These techniques make use of a window of transparency of biological tissue to near infrared light. Using spectrophotometry new insights have been gained into mechanisms of brain damage in newborn infants undergoing intensive care, and non‐invasive functional activation studies have been pioneered in awake infants. Recently topographic mapping of activated cortex has become possible, and preliminary tomographic images of regional oxygenation in infants have been constructed. This is a rapidly changing field which offers exciting possibilities for studying both normal and abnormal child development.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation in child psychiatry: disturbed motor system excitability in hypermotoric syndromes
Authors: Moll Gunther H. , Heinrich Hartmut , Rothenberger Aribert 
Published: March 2003

AbstractNormal development and dysfunctions of motor system excitability can be investigated in vivo by means of single‐ and paired‐pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). While different TMS‐parameters show different developmental time courses between 8 and 16 years of age, distinct dysfunctional patterns of motor system excitability can be demonstrated in child psychiatric disorders with hypermotoric behavior: in tic disorder, a shortened cortical silent period can be stated providing evidence for deficient inhibitory mechanisms within the sensorimotor loop, probably primarily at the level of the basal ganglia. In attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a decreased intracortical inhibition indicates deficient inhibitory mechanisms within the motor cortex (but enhancement of intracortical inhibition after oral intake of 10 mg methylphenidate). In children with comorbid ADHD and tic disorder, the findings of a reduced intracortical inhibition as well as a shortened cortical silent period provide evidence for additive effects at the level of motor system excitability. Thus, TMS allows us to obtain substantial insight into both the normal development and the neurobiological basis of hypermotoric syndromes in child psychiatry.
The Sphere Project: The Implications of Making Humanitarian Principles and Codes Work
Authors: Gostelow Lola 
Published: March 2003

In 1996, in recognition of concerns about humanitarian response efforts, non‐ governmental organisations (NGOs) launched the Sphere Project, the first collaborative initiative to produce globally applicable minimum standards for humanitarian response. The aims of the Sphere Project are to improve the effectiveness of humanitarian efforts and to enhance the accountability of the humanitarian system, primarily to those people who have a right to protection and assistance in disasters, as well as to agency members and donors.This paper discusses the purpose of the Sphere Project, the unique process that brought it about and the major concerns that have been raised about its practical application. Finally, the paper considers the implications of this for improving the impact of humanitarian response and for future initiatives given the process that Sphere has begun. It argues that improved accountability does not start and stop with NGOs. They are just one element of a wider humanitarian response effort and more needs to be done to improve the system as a whole.
La réglementation et l’organisation du transport de personnes par chemins de fer dans l’Union européenne:
Authors: Debande O. , Monami E. 
Published: March 2003

This article proposes an analysis of recent developments of the railway sector‐mainly passenger transport—in the European Union. It first provides a critical synthesis of the foundations and practical intervention modes of the European legislators.A typology of the organizational structures applied in various Member States shows the diversity of the reforms undertaken in Europe, among others under the impulse of the common European transport policy.Finally the authors analyse advantages and disadvantages of recent regulatory reforms aimed at introducing in the railway sector a separation between infrastructure and operation of transport services in order to increase competition in transport supply.
Trade Diversion Effects of the New EU Arrangements on ASEAN
Authors: Cuyvers Ludo 
Published: March 2003

paper identifies the product groups of the ASEAN exports to Europe that will experience trade diversion effects from the enlargement of the EU (EU 12) with Austria, Finland and Sweden (EFTA 3) and the European association agreements with the Eastern European countries (EACs) using the methodology of Kreinin and Plummer. This methodology establishes for each sufficiently important ASEAN export product group to the EU 12, the EFTA 3 or the EACs whether or not competition is felt from one of the three groups of European countries, after which the tariff and non‐tariff preferences towards European products and against the ASEAN exports are analysed.The share of the exports in ASEAN's external trade with the EU 12, the EFTA 3 and the EACs that is affected by the trade diversion of these recent European integration initiatives, is calculated. It appears that the ASEAN exports to the EU 12 are affected by the accession of the EFTA3 only to a limited extent, but that the trade diversion effect on the EU 12 and the EFTA 3 markets to be expepected from the European association agreements with the EACs is considerable.
Is Price in Hong Kong That Flexible? Evidence from the Export Sector
Authors: Yip Paul S. L. , Wang R. F. 
Published: March 2003

Using the Johansen procedure, this paper estimates and compares the adjustment speeds of Hong Kong’s export volume and export price. Result of this will have profound implications on the debate of the appropriateness of Hong Kong’s current exchange‐rate system.Two cointegrating vectors were found in our system, with one postulating the export volume equation and another postulating the export price equation. It was found that export volume will adjust relatively fast to shocks in the export volume equation, and that export price will adjust relatively slow to shocks in the export volume equation. On the other hand, export volume will be insensitive, and export price will adjust at moderate speed, to disequilibrium in the export price equation. Based on the estimated model, we also conducted simulation exercises to highlight the impacts of the appreciation of the US Dollar and the reduction in world demand on Hong Kong’s export volume during the crisis and post‐crisis periods.
The Chinese State Enterprise Sector: Labour Market Reform and the Impact on Male–Female Wage Structure
Authors: Kidd Michael P. , Meng Xin 
Published: March 2003

The paper examines the wage structure in the Chinese state enterprise sector between 1981 and 1987. This period is of particular interest given the introduction of major labour market reforms in China during the early 1980s. In essence the reforms represented a movement away from administratively determined prices towards a market–oriented system combined with a relatively flexible system of labour allocation. The Juhn, Murphy and Pierce (1991) decomposition is employed to shed light on the role of changing labour market institutions over the period. JEL classification: J31; J16