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Hundreds of years of empirical expertise resulted in the development of vernacular dwellings adapted to the local climate and geomorphology in order to accommodate the daily needs of the occupants. In this respect, vernacular architecture has a lot to teach contemporary architects and engineers in terms of environmentally responsive design. This paper reports on the findings of a field research and literature study that was undertaken in the framework of a two-year funded research programme which investigates the environmental design dimensions of rural vernacular dwellings in the coastal, lowland and mountainous regions of Cyprus which feature diverse topographical, geological and climatic characteristics. The investigation of a significant number of rural settlements led to the selection of representative case studies, as well as to the selection and tabulation of a large number of vernacular dwellings, in the settlements in question. Special attention was paid to the interrelation of the building typology, semi-open and open spaces configuration, materials, construction techniques and openings (size and position) with aspects of environmental design. A series of diverse bioclimatic design features, related to outdoor microclimatic control, passive cooling and heating techniques, were recorded in each climatic region. The research results note that vernacular architecture addresses successfully specific adaptation challenges imposed by local conditions.Moreover, it indicates that vernacular architecture presents itself as a model for a sustainable design approach. The findings of this study may be of interest in the broader Eastern Mediterranean region where similar typological, constructional and spatial characteristics are incorporated in vernacular architecture.; •Vernacular architecture of Cyprus holds significant environmental value.•Environmental aspects of traditional dwellings are identified in 3 climatic regions.•Each climatic region exhibits diverse passive heating and cooling designs.•This diversity is linked to the local climate, landscape, materials and way of life.•A taxonomy of environmental techniques is proposed for each climatic region. 111 91 109

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This article examines the role of remittances in income diversification strategies in Bolivia's rural sector. Remittances can be consumed or invested by the recipient. As an investment, funds can be used for farming or to finance other nonfarm productions. In this article, we use a large and nationally representative survey to estimate the effect that remittances have on the probability of producing income from nonfarm activities (diversification) by using a bivariate probit model. Our evidence shows that remittances increase the probability that a rural family engages in nonfarm activities, at least in some regions of Bolivia. We also find evidence that the sender's decision to remit and the recipient's decision to diversify may be jointly determined. As such, this suggests that remittances may serve as a mechanism to overcome localized failures in Bolivia's capital markets.

Transit hubs have always been sites of intense activity and the buildings housing their functions have always held an exotic allure with a character of industrial innovation and structural expression. The central theme of this paper is to address the potential for urban regeneration and improved mobility presented by transit oriented development (TOD) especially as it pertains to the crossroads of highways and transit hubs. This paper also suggests some important qualities of expanded mobility as a smart-growth principle. Expanded mobility is a cornerstone of efforts to promote smart growth. Data has been collected through a survey facilitated by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), which allowed the solicitation of information on current practices in joined development projects in the USA.

Does medical technology originating in countries close to the technology frontier have a significant impact on health outcomes in countries distant from this frontier? This paper considers a framework where lagging countries may benefit from medical technology (a result of research and development by countries close to the frontier) that is embodied in medical imports or diffuses in the form of ideas. Using a novel dataset from a cross-section of 73 technology-importing countries, we show that medical technology diffusion is an important contributor to improved health status, as measured by life expectancy and mortality rates.

We examine the relationship between openness in services trade (both telecommunication and financial) and economic growth via the threshold regression model to test for a differential impact between low- and high-income countries. Results confirm the existence of a two-regime split. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

This paper evaluates various channels through which foreign technology diffuses to the manufacturing sector of developing economies. These economies undertake virtually no own R&D, so they rely on foreign technology to a much larger extent than developed economies. We investigate the direct effect of foreign R&D, as well as technology embodied in imports of intermediate and capital goods and foreign direct investment, on the growth of total factor productivity and value added in the manufacturing sector of 32 economies during 1965-92. We find that foreign R&D typically has the biggest positive impact on domestic productivity and value-added growth. Imports of capital goods and foreign direct investment also play a similar role, but their effect is of smaller magnitude and is not always significant. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2005,. 9 482 501 482-501

In this paper, we investigate the determinants of research output by European economics departments. We use data from a survey we conducted on the various characteristics of these departments. We pay particular attention to spillovers from North America to Europe and measure these in terms of visiting arrangements between academic institutions across the Atlantic and formal training received by European faculty in North America. We find strong evidence that European economics departments with North-American links have higher research output. © 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 23 191 202 191-202

The kilowatt (kW) demand charge characterizes most electricity price schedules for industrial customers, yet it has not been analysed thoroughly (compared with time-of-use rates). This article shows how such charges complicate interpretations of past estimates of the industrial demand for electricity. Using a utility maximization (cost minimization) model, we derive consistent demand curves, which are shown potentially to be subject to discontinuities.