Search

The potential of the paper-bill spread to foresee business cycle changes dwindled in the 1980s as liquidity of commercial paper increased. The latter incited investors to consider paper as an approximate alternative for Treasury bills. Consequently, shocks to the paper and bill markets did not significantly affect the paper-bill spread but were actually incorporated by proportional yield alterations in both markets. This findings veer away from explanations that attribute the predictive decline to market contractions and to changes in paper and bill supplies unrelated to business conditions.

The tolerance and aggression between nestmates and non-nestmates were studied in the paper wasp, Polistes dominulus, to determine whether nestmate discrimination is context-dependent. Three contexts were considered, namely dyads composed of a pair of non-nestmates, dyads composed of a pair of nestmates and triads composed of two nestmates and a non-nestmate. The findings showed that P. dominulus workers are capable of distinguishing between neighbors from non-neighbors, familiar from unfamiliar fragments and nestmates from non-nestmates.

A small cross-sectional study of upper extremity disorders was conducted in two departments of a pulp and paper mill. The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of upper extremity disorders and identify any associated work place risk factors in long cycle jobs with multiple tasks of varying duration. Physical exams and health status interviews were conducted on 23 employees (77%) in the paper machine department and on 17 employees (59%) of the power and recovery department. All participants completed questionnaires on physical and psychosocial job characteristics. There was a statistically significant difference in hand and wrist disorders between the two departments at the p < 0.05 level (34.8% in the power and recovery department, and 5.9% in the paper machine area). Multiple logistic regression models showed a significant relationship between the use of a steel lance and shoulder disorders. Elbow arthritis was also associated with lance usage. There was evidence that the job analysis was not able to fully describe the risk factors present in the paper machine department. Biomechanical exposures existing prior to the time of the study may not have been adequately characterized. An important aspect of this study is that the jobs studied were not typical repetitive jobs that are commonly studied. Keywords: carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, cumulative trauma disorder, pulp and paper, process industry

The Ming dynasty (1368-1644) abandoned the paper money system established by the Sung dynasty (960-1279) due to inflation problems caused by over-issuance. It was driven to do so by competition from metallic currencies which raised 'interest elasticity of paper money demand.' This is proven using the Cagan adaptive expectations model and the money-in-utility model. Likewise, the Southern Sung government's dependence on a leaning-with-the-wind feedback approach to prevent self-generating inflation is discussed.

The effect of inspections on the self-reported quality emission levels of pulp and paper facilities in Quebec was studied in a basic model which considered the discharges of biological oxygen demand and total suspended solids. It was recognized that both the Canadian and US governments have inadequate resources to monitor and implement environmental regulations. It was concluded that inspections and the probability of inspections have a significant negative effect on emissions. In addition, regulators are given more information due to more frequent reporting.

Data indicate the unreliability of information from the spread for industrial production growth in predicting economic activity contrary to what Benjamin M. Friedman and Kenneth N. Kuttner postulated in a series of articles since 1989. Two outliers in the data indicate the predictive content of the spread, namely, the 1974 Franklin National Bank episode and the imposition of the Carter Credit controls in 1980.

A field study was conducted to investigate the division of labour between queens and workers of Polistes fuscatus in colony defence against unrelated conspecific intruders. Responsibilities for colony defence resided primarily with the queen. Queens were significantly more likely than workers to encounter an intruder and to participate in the first interaction with an intruder. Queens also participated in the vast majority of interactions with intruders. However, queens did not display this same degree of differential involvement with returning nestmates. Queens also were significantly less tolerant than workers of both unrelated intruders and returning nestmates. These results and others suggest that queens have a more restrictive acceptance threshold than workers. The caste differences in acceptance thresholds appear to be consonant with the inclusive fitness interests of members of each caste. The field behaviour and ecology of P. fuscatus, together with theoretical considerations, lead to the prediction that queens should be more extensively involved than workers in colony defence against conspecific intruders.

In our study, we set out to see how low-fidelity three-dimensional paper prototypes could be used to test the usability of two alternative concepts for a drink can refund machine. The tests were carried out in the real environment with the actual users of the product. The tests took place before any software or hardware had been implemented. Using paper prototypes is a quantitative evaluation method which is easy to apply and suitable for product development processes with a tight schedule. We found the 3DPP modeling and testing method turned out to be useful and the results obtained had an influence on the product. Keywords: Prototyping, user interface design, industrial design

The Al and pH anomalies due to volcanic activities in the Manus Basin may be because the non-steady state volcanic or hydrothermal process cause fluids rich in CO2 and H2S. High temperature and low pH hydrothermal fluid are unlikely to be responsible for these anomalies. Dissolved H2S, CO2, metal oxidation, hydrolysis, sulfide oxidation and metal sulfide formation can provide protons that affect the pH. The Al anomaly may be due to either dissolution of ultrafine hyaloclasites or release of Al as volatile halides.

Alice Stopford Green's papers on the Boer prisoner of war (POW) camp in the South Atlantic island of St Helena Island provide additional information on UK's penal policies in the South African or Boer War. It was revealed that POWs at the overseas POW camps received better treatment notwithstanding the shooting of three young POWs in St Helena. Green published articles; met with British politicians, officials, pastors, medics, Boer leaders and POWs; solicited for funds; and campaigned for POW education, employment and repatriation.

The 1981 White Paper of the US Dept. of State alleges that Soviet-bloc countries participated in the Salvadoran Civil War. Over the years, the report has been criticized adversely by journalists and scholars alike. However, an examination of the evidence available at the time and thereafter shows that the paper relied on acceptable solid intelligence, despite certain errors. It appears that the USSR and its allies interfered in the conflict through Cuba.

Longhurst's proposal of the eddy upwelling hypothesis to elucidate the Amazon plume is faulty as the two big plumes of discolored water in the western tropical Atlantic correspond to the geographical location of the deltas of the Orinoco and Amazon Rivers. There is consistency in the two plumes and the advection of river water by nearby ocean currents.

Scandinavian companies have tended to be predominant in the European paper and pulp industry, but this is changing as waste paper is increasingly used as a raw material. The business system framework is a useful tool for analysing the paper and pulp industry. In some ways an integrated European business system is developing with convergence between systems in Scandinavia and elsewhere in Europe. However, core competencies such as conservation of forests still divide the Scandinavian system from those elsewhere in Europe.

A solution to the non-existence of competitive equilibria in an economy where satiation is possible is presented. Based on an economic situation with many agents and where paper money is one of the commodities without transaction costs, it is concluded that competitive equilibrium may exist by using money as a net positive supply even if preferences may be satiated when the agents are permitted to select a consumption set within a given budget.

The works of Belk (1995), Dittmar et al. (1995) and Marell et al. (1995) on different aspects of spending and consumption are reviewed. The study of Dittmar and colleagues is similar to the Belk study in that both address gender differences. It is also similar to Marell et al.'s work in the sense that the two bodies of research are based on the belief that consumer behavior is influenced by the perceived gap between a current state and a more abstract ideal.

The ability of government to make public investments in infrastructure to spur economic growth is debatable. Previous research has come up with a plethora of normative policies without considering the possiblity of doing more harm than good. The macroeconomic perspective of these studies can be better evaluated using a microeconomic view. In general, the economic growth model being aimed for assumes a different price and allocation structure which should be studied in greater depth using micro approaches.

A discussion of the partnerships developed in a research study is presented to come up with an effective model of research partnerships. The relationships between the anthropological researchers and members of the community under study were exlored. Observations indicate several factors that could spell success for the said partnerships. These include an understanding of social research, exerting equal efforts, delegation of tasks according to skills and effective communication between the partners.

This article considers recent 'end of history' and 'end of nature' hypotheses in the context of new scientific and socioeconomic paradigms, and seeks a broader understanding of the nature of information society. Through a review of recent work on future socioeconomic and scientific and technological developments, the conservationist view is rejected in favour of 'wise design and governance of evolution'. Planning and forecasting have a central role in this process. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

The relationship of environmental constraints with the differences between plant-level efficiency and the feasibility of enhancements in environmental performance and productivity are investigated. Results indicate that not all production inefficiencies can be attributed to environmental constraints. A 1990 estimate shows that the average production loss caused by environmental constraints is 9.4%.

Predictive models pose difficulties not because of description versus prediction conflicts but because of explanation versus prediction conflicts. Description versus prediction deals more with mathematical terms and disregardsthe basic substantive considerations of explanation and prediction. On the other hand, explanation versus prediction includes exogeneous variables whose future state and estimated interactions provide a more realistic model.

The view that either CO mixing ratio decreases with increasing height over several large volcanoes or that an absorbing mineral is present on the surface with coverage correlated with height is justified. However, it fails to consider a third possibility which can explain this mechanism. It is possible that a small error in measurement due to scattered light can affect the results. It is suggested that increasing the continuum level by 0.3% in the low-resolution spectra can bring more accurate results.

Highlights of the seminar 'Paper Landscapes' focusing on maps and other interest across humanities with spatial relevance held on July 18-19, 1997 is discussed. Majority of the participants were scholars in the English subject. Papers include such topics as maps and written texts on Scotland and Wales and the cartographic practices during Imperial times.

Preferential concentration of marine particles with small excess density depends on initial conditions and inertia parameter. When the initial velocity of the particle equals that of the fluid at the particle position, the mathematical relation shows that there will be no velocity difference between the fluid and the particle. Particles follow the flow and fail to show any preferential concentration. The preferential concentration of these particles by the turbulence is a transient feature of the flow. The density ratio is a crucial factor for the degree of preferential concentration.