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Examines the expanding use of advertising in China. Discusses the impact of transnational corporations in communication and other areas on the development of China, and the implications that the introduction of advertising has for China's role as one of the models for developing countries. (JMF)

Atmospheric rivers (ARs) play vital roles in the western United States and related regions globally, not only producing heavy precipitation and flooding, but also providing beneficial water supply. This paper [...]

Employers and colleges value individuals with leadership service, but there is limited evidence on whether leadership service itself creates skills. Identification in this context has proved difficult because settings in which leadership service accrues to individuals for ostensibly random reasons are rare. In this study we estimate the effects of random assignment to classroom leadership positions in a Chinese secondary school. We find that leadership service increases test scores, increases students' political popularity in the classroom, makes students more likely to take initiative, and shapes students' beliefs about the determinants of success. The results suggest that leadership service may impact human capital and is not solely a signal of preexisting skills. Keywords: extracurriculars * classroom environment * student government, 1. Introduction Employers and colleges place a high premium on individuals with leadership service, but little is known about what types of skills, if any, leadership service creates. Individuals with [...]

Obesity rates in the United States have grown rapidly in recent years, and obesity has become a leading cause of preventable death. Medical research has linked obesity to diabetes, heart [...]

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jhealeco.2008.02.001 Byline: Michael Anderson Keywords: Traffic; Safety; Preventable; Externalities; Trucks Abstract: Light trucks have doubled their share of the vehicle fleet from 1980 to 2004. This paper examines the effects of this increase on traffic safety, combining estimates from a state-level panel data set with an accident-level micro-data set. The results suggest that a one-percentage point increase in light truck share raises annual traffic fatalities by 0.34%, or 143 deaths per year. Of this increase, approximately one-fifth accrue to the light trucks' own occupants, and the remaining four-fifths accrue to the occupants of other vehicles and pedestrians. Using standard value of life figures, the implied Pigovian tax is approximately 3850 dollars per light truck sold. Overall, light trucks pose a significant hazard to other users of the highway system but on average provide no additional protection to their own occupants. Author Affiliation: University of California, Berkeley, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 207 Giannini Hall, MC 3310, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States Article History: Received 6 June 2007; Revised 11 December 2007; Accepted 1 February 2008

A method using MedEthEx, a system that uses machine learning to solve biomedical ethical dilemma, is described. This process can be further extended to apply Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques to develop new areas of applied ethics and to analyze ethical theory.

Even over a 75-year horizon, forecasts of PAYGO pension finances are misleadingly optimistic. Infinite horizon forecasts are necessary, but are they possible? We build on earlier stochastic forecasts of the [...]

Previously, variations of the Yule-Walker techniques have been applied successfully to give point estimates of electromechanical modes of a power system based on measured ambient data. This paper introduces a bootstrap method to give confidence interval estimates for the electromechanical modes. Simulation results from a 19-machine model show the validation of the bootstrap method and its consistence to Monte Carlo methods. Actual measurement data taken from western North American Power Grid in 2000 are processed using the bootstrap method to give confidence interval estimates for interarea mode damping ratios. The use of multiple outputs is shown to improve the performance and tighten the confidence intervals. Index Terms--Bootstrap, electromechanical modes, estimation, Monte Carlo, power system monitoring, power system stability, Yule-Walker.

Bermudagrasses (Cynodon spp.) are important for turf and forage in temperate and tropical climates, with cultivars historically propagated clonally. Over the past two decades the number of seed-propagated commercial cultivars has dramatically increased, but information is lacking on the extent of the genetic diversity among these new cultivars. Accordingly, this research was undertaken to assess the genetic relatedness of 17 seed-propagated turf-bermudagrass cultivars using DNA amplification fingerprinting (DAF). Four DAF and four Minihairpin-DAF (MHP-DAF) primers were used in this study. The DAF and MHP-DAF primers amplified 90 and 131 amplicons, respectively. A total of 13 out of the 17 cultivars were practically indistinguishable using the DAF primers with an average similarity [similarity coefficient (SC)] of 0.982 while the MHP-DAF primers distinguished all cultivars readily. Results from the DAF and MHP-DAF analysis indicated that 14 out of the 17 cultivars were related to Arizona common germplasm with average SC of 0.833 in the MHP-DAF analysis. Arizona common germplasm is naturalized to the Colorado River Valley production areas of Arizona and California. The three most distinct cultivars--'Princess 77', 'Yukon', and 'SWI-11'--had an average SC of 0.668. The most distinct cultivar was Yukon with an average SC of 0.604. Yukon showed 59 DNA signatures not observed in the other cultivars studied with DAF and MHP-DAF. These results indicated that a majority of seeded-type bermudagrasses developed over the past two decades depend on a narrow genetic base and that several recent cultivars are markedly genetically distinct, indicating a recent and significant broadening of the germplasm., BERMUDAGRASS (Cynodon dactylon L. Pers) is a perennial sod-forming turf and forage grass, native to India and eastern Africa (Beard, 1973, p. 132-593; Correll and Johnson, 1970). This grass is [...]

This paper describes experiments on the formation and transport, in vacuum and plasma, of a low-energy (70-120 keV), high-intensity (10-30 A/[cm.sup.2]), long-pulse (0.5-1 [micro]s) [H.sup.+] ion beam. The beam was generated in a magnetically insulated diode with an applied radial B-field and active hydrogen-puff plasma source at the anode. The combination of a ballistic focusing large area anode (250 [cm.sup.2]) with a post-cathode toroidal magnetic lens and straight transport solenoid section provided beam transport to a distance of > 1 m with an overall efficiency of [greater than or equal to] 50%. Two-dimensional single-particle computer simulations of the ion's trajectory in the lens/solenoid system supported optimization of the lens and solenoid parameters. Index Terms--Ion beam, magnetically insulated diode, magnetic lens, plasma source.

Declining fall flows are limiting the ability of the Cosumnes River to support large fall runs of Chinook salmon. Management scenarios linking surface water and groundwater alternatives to provide sufficient fall flows are examined using groundwater flow and channel routing models. Results show that groundwater overdraft in the basin has converted the river to a predominantly losing stream, practically eliminating base flows. Management alternatives to increase net recharge (for example, pumping reductions) were examined along with surface water augmentation options. Using a minimum depth standard for fish passage, average surface water flow deficits were computed for the migration period of Chinook salmon. Groundwater deficits were evaluated by comparing simulated current groundwater conditions with conditions under various scenarios. Increases in net recharge on the order of 200 to 300 million [m.sup.3]/year would be required to reconnect the regional aquifer with the channel and in turn reestablish perennial base flows. Options that combine surface water augmentation with groundwater management are most likely to ensure sufficient river flows in the short term and to support long-term restoration of regional groundwater levels. CE Database subject headings: Surface waters; Ground water; Restoration; California; Rivers; Base flow.

Rent-to-own agreements (RTO) are traditionally seen as disguised installment contracts imposed on uninformed consumers at usurious interest rates. After the flaws and omissions in these interest rate calculations arc addressed, [...]

We describe a neural information retrieval system (NIRS), now in production within the Boeing Company, which has been developed for the identification and retrieval of engineering designs. Two-dimensional and three-dimensional representations of engineering designs are input to adaptive resonance theory (ART-1) neural networks to produce clusters of similar parts. The trained networks are then used to recall an appropriate cluster when queried with a new part design. This application is of great practical value to industry because it aids in the identification, retrieval, and reuse of engineering designs, potentially saving large amounts of nonrecurring costs. In this paper, we review the application, the neural architectures and algorithms, and then give the current status and the lessons learned in developing a neural-network system for production use in industry. Index Terms - Adaptive resonance theory (ART), clustering, design retrieval, group technology, information retrieval, neural network.

My guest columnist this quarter is Mike Anderson, with more information on the Internet, a subject that continues to dominate the various PC magazines. As before, both Mike and I [...]

The central theme of this issue of Business Economics is information technology, so I thought I would devote this quarter's column to the Internet. By the way, the Internet was [...]

In a recent article in this journal, Robert E. Lane (1992) examined the economist's notion of the 'marginal disutility of labor.' Christian views of labor are one of several perspectives [...]