Measuring allocative efficiency in Cultural Economics: the case of “Fundación Princesa de Asturias” (The Princess of Asturias Foundation)

The literature on Cultural Economics provides us with some examples for the measurement of technical efficiency. However, there are few case studies dedicated to the analysis of allocative efficiency. The aim of this paper is to fill this gap by incorporating a methodology that analyses both technical and allocative efficiency. We use the Shephard’s distance function, particularly suitable when affronted with non-profit-making firms or institutions that are not interested in cost minimization. As an empirical application, we analyse the efficiency of Fundación Princesa de Asturias (PAF), a Spanish non-governmental organization devoted to promoting the cultural, scientific and humanistic values of universal heritage, the period of study being 1988–2012. Our findings suggest that PAF could have used 7% less inputs to achieve the same level of output. On the other hand, we have found allocative inefficiency. Concretely, the input for other expenditures appears to have been over-utilized in relation to both the inputs for labour and current assets, with labour in turn being over-utilized in relation to current assets. Moreover, our results indicate that both technical and allocative efficiency have clearly improved during the period analysed. In summary, our empirical application shows how distance function methodology can be successfully implemented to measure allocative efficiency in cultural firms and institutions.     

Demand for culture in Spain and the 2012 VAT rise

This paper analyzes the effects that the 2012 VAT rise in Spain had on household’ demand for cultural goods and services. Household’ demands are modeled as a two-stage QUAIDS. After estimating price and expenditure elasticities, and the pass-through parameter associated with the reform, our results show that the individual welfare loss and the increment in the tax bill increase, but less than proportionately, with income. Consequently, the reform can be considered as regressive. Relating the effects of the VAT reform to households’ incomes also implies a low quantitative effect, because of the low proportion of total household expenditure that cultural expenditure represents. From a social perspective, the size of the induced welfare loss would positively depend on society’s inequality aversion. Regardless of the latter, it cannot be concluded whether the reform would have increased or reduced inequality in the distribution of cultural spending. Our results prove qualitatively robust to alternative values of the pass-through parameter.     

Effects of blood flow restriction without additional exercise on strength reductions and muscular atrophy following immobilization:A systematic review

Purpose:To investigate whether blood flow restriction(BFR) without concomitant exercise mitigated strength reduction and atrophy of thigh muscles in subjects under immobilization for lower limbs.Methods:The following databases were searched:PubMed,CINAHL,PEDro,Web of Science,Central,and Scopus.Results:The search identified 3 eligible studies,and the total sample in the identified studies consisted of 38 participants.Isokinetic and isometric torque of the knee flexors and extensors was examined in 2 studies.Cross-sectional area of thigh muscles was evaluated in 1 study,and thigh girth was measured in 2 studies.The BFR protocol was 5 sets of 5 min of occlusion and 3 min of free flow,twice daily for approximately 2 weeks.As a whole,the included studies indicate that BFR without exercise is able to minimize strength reduction and muscular atrophy after immobilization.It is crucial to emphasize,however,that the included studies showed a high risk of bias,especially regarding allocation concealment,blinding of outcome assessment,intention-to-treat analyses,and group similarity at baseline.Conclusion:Although potentially useful,the high risk of bias presented by original stodies limits the indication of BFR without concomitant exercise as an effective countermeasure against strength reduction and atrophy mediated by immobilization.     

中国区域经济与环境协调度预测分析

经济发展与环境之间的关系已经成为全世界特别是发展中国家关心的问题，但有关的定量研究比较缺乏。该文首先解释了经济与环境协调度基本概念与模型内涵，并介绍了灰色系统在贫信息系统中进行预测的基本原理。通过灰色系统GM(1,1)模型对90年代我国省级区域的经济与环境协调度进行了计算，经过检验，模型模拟精度较高。因此运用此模型对2005年与2010年的区域协调度进行了预测。结果表明，我国大部分地区的经济与环境关系基本处于调和状态，即经济的增长是以牺牲环境为代价的。未来10a的协调度空间分布仍然呈现“U”型特征。处于转折点附近的省区协调度波动比较大，包括广大的中部地区。尽量减少波动并尽快实现协调度的转折是这些地区在经济发展过程中要注意的问题；西部大部分地区如果继续沿用90年代的发展策略，对经济发展政策和手段不作宏观的调控，在西部开发过程中出现的环境问题将会越来越严重。     

Measurement and analysis of soil nitrogen and organic matter content using near-infrared spectroscopy techniques

Near infrared reflectance （N1R） spectroscopy is as a rapid, convenient and simple nondestructive technique useful for quantifying several soil properties. This method was used to estimate nitrogen （N） and organic matter （OM） content in a soil of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou County. A total of 125 soil samples were taken from the field. Ninety-five samples spectra were used during the calibration and cross validation stage. Thirty samples spectra were used to predict N and OM concentration. NIR spectra of these samples were correlated using partial least square regression. The regression coefficients between measured and predicted values of N and OM was 0.92 and 0.93, and SEP （standard error of prediction） were 3.28 and 0.06, respectively, which showed that NIR method had potential to accurately predict these constituents in this soil. The results showed that NIR spectroscopy could be a good tool for precision farming application.     

生态因子对礁膜配子放散及黑暗时间对合子固着的影响

采用单因子实验方法研究了湛江港礁膜配子的成熟放散与温度、光照、比重和pH值的关系,并对黑暗时间对配子接合及合子附着的影响进行了初步研究。实验结果表明,在温度为20℃、光照强度为80．13μmol/（m^2·s）左右、pH值为7．9、比重为1．018的室内培养条件下,为礁膜配子体成熟和配子囊大量放散配子的最适宜生态条件。早期合子附着的适宜黑暗时间为5—6h。     

Impact in the school system of a strategy for identifying and selecting academically talented students: the experience of Program PENTA‐UC

The study explores the consequences, for participating schools, of the implementation of a system for the identification and selection of academically talented students, in the context of an extracurricular enrichment program operating at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. The participants were 73 students, 50 teachers, and seven members of the school administration, in seven schools. Data were collected through interviews and focus groups. The results indicated that the identification and selection processes have mostly positive effects on teachers and students. Some potentially negative effects were also detected for the classmates of the talented students, which relate mainly to the manner in which information was handled. Possible implications of these findings for this program for talented children and other similar programs are discussed.     

在Linux下开发个人防火墙软件

从网络安全的实际需要出发 ,阐述了用Linux开发个人防火墙的思想、方法和注意事项 ,并给出了具体的设计实例 .     

劳动力市场分割与大学毕业生失业

具有大学以上学历者占我国全部劳动者的比例非常低 ,但最近几年大学毕业生找工作却有越来越难的趋势。这种看似矛盾的现象是转型过程中劳动力市场分割这一制度背景下 ,大学毕业生与用人单位相互搜寻的结果。过大的城乡收入差距和过高的工作转换成本 ,使大学毕业生“宁要城里一张床 ,不要农村一幢房”,但城里的用人单位却因过高的解聘成本和户口成本而不能吸收更多的大学毕业生。因此 ,大学毕业生就业难的缓解和解决 ,要依赖经济发展 ,也离不开体制改革     

Cosmopolitical encounters: Prototyping at the National Zoo in Santiago,Chile

This article presents an empirical reflection on how the prototyping of an environmental enrichment device for chimpanzees at the National Zoo of Chile precipitates a cosmopolitical encounter. Using material produced by design students, zookeepers and the chimps Judy and Gombe, we describe how prototyping iterations establish open processes of dialogue and encounters among humans and nonhumans. The case will demonstrate how prototyping can go further than the generation of models of an original. On the contrary, the cosmopolitical encounter emerging from the prototyping process makes evident a truly ontological vocation, acknowledging humans and other-than-human beings as singular entities. Its provisional and malleable nature turns this device into a privileged locus for the exploration of interspecies entanglement. Although zoos are scientifically organized institutions, in this case we observe how its anthropocentric hierarchy was performatively reshuffled at certain moments of the prototyping process. The cosmopolitical qualities of the prototyping process analyzed derive from its capacity to deploy an ethics of attention and care between the agencies at play, that is, for unfold gestures of mutual vulnerability. Finally, we propose prototyping as a device for moving from cosmopolitics as a way of understanding the world to cosmopolitics as a matter of design.