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The dramatic rise in oil prices in 2008 has increased attention on the sources of imported oil, the workings of the world oil market, and the potential problems of meeting future demand for liquid fuels. Energy security concerns often focus on the Middle East. But most of the world s oil and natural gas production occurs in countries outside that area. Political instability, governance shortfalls, armed conflict, and the potential for further conflict both within and outside the Middle East continue to threaten the continuity of supplies of oil and natural gas. Oil and natural gas exports already provide the financial foundation for the economic development of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan, and there is considerable promise of significant expansion of exports in coming years and decades. Presently, energy exports from the Caspian region are constrained by a combination of inadequate upstream investment and the available pipeline network. Meanwhile, Russia, the European Union, China, Turkey, and the United States have major stakes in how and when additional oil and gas production will come on line and, more importantly, how it will be routed. Turkey is emerging as an energy crossroads because of its unique position astride potential transit routes from the Caspian, as well as from Iraq and Iran, to Europe. In this technical report, we examine the current energy security situation in the Caspian region and the potential impediments to further development of Caspian oil and natural gas resources. Considering Turkey s important relationship with the United States and the US. Air Force (USAF), we give special attention to issues associated with the transit of oil and natural gas within Turkey, including oil tanker transit through the Bosporus and the security of Turkey s overland oil and gas pipeline network. The report also suggests areas in which USAF might be able to assist Turkey in attaining its objective of becoming an energy transit hub., Volume 2 of 4. ISBN 978-0-8330-5890-4. The other three volumes in this series are: James T. Bartis, Promoting International Energy Security, Vol. 1: Understanding Potential Air Force Roles, TR-1144/1-AF, 2012; Ryan Henry, Christine Osowski, Peter Chalk, and James T. Bartis, Promoting International Energy Security, Vol. 3: Sea-Lanes to Asia, TR-1144/3-AF, 2012.; and Stuart E. Johnson, Caroline Baxter, James T. Bartis, and Duncan Long, Promoting International Energy Security, Vol. 4: The Gulf of Guinea, TR-1144/4-AF, forthcoming. See also ADA562952, ADA562954.

The measurement of total suspended solids (TSS) concentrations through water quality monitoring programs is laborious, costly, and time-intensive. Winter conditions further hinder water quality monitoring programs. The use of Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCPs) is currently being explored as a surrogate for estimating total suspended solids concentrations. TSS concentration and ADCP measurements were collected during the winter at the Lower Nelson River and the Red River such that ADCP backscatter data could be calibrated to TSS concentrations. Different calibration schemes were pursued, some involving flow parameters determined from ADCP data, in order to accurately model the data. Due to limited ranges in the data, further TSS concentration and ADCP measurements were taken during the open water period. Calibrations were achieved with varying degrees of accuracy, however the they failed to perform well beyond the ranges for which they were developed.

In this paper, It has been addressed this question using firm-level panel data from 12 developing countries. It was also developed a summary index of the efficiency of investment allocation that measures whether, and to what extent, investment funds are going to firms with a higher marginal return to capital. Then it was examined the relationship between this index and various measures of financial liberalization. The results suggested that in the majority of cases financial reform has led to an increase in the efficiency with which investment funds are allocated.

We examine whether responses to survey questions about child care availability, quality and cost, aggregated at the local geographical level, have any explanatory power in models of partnered female and lone parent labour supply. We find evidence that partnered women and lone parents who live in areas with more reports of lack of availability, low quality or costly child care work fewer hours and are less likely to work than women in areas with fewer reported difficulties with child care.