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Common Trends (common + trend)
Selected AbstractsCommon trends and common cycles in Canada: who knew so much has been going on?CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS, Issue 1 2006Elizabeth C. Wakerly Another prevalent belief is that the Canadian regions respond symmetrically to the same aggregate shocks. A common trends / common cycles decomposition of Canadian regional outputs casts doubt on the convergence hypothesis and reveals trend shocks dominate fluctuations in Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritimes in the short and long run, but not in British Columbia and the Prairies. Thus, Canadian regional output fluctuations are driven by an asymmetric and economically important set of disaggregate propagation and growth mechanisms. Our results point to a new Canadian macroeconomic research agenda. JEL classification: C32, E32, O47 Tendances communes et cycles communs au Canada: qui savaient que tant de choses se sont passées?, Il est généralement bien accepté que convergence il y a dans les niveaux de production régionaux au Canada. Une autre croyance est que les régions canadiennes répondent de manière symétrique aux mêmes chocs agrégés. Une décomposition des tendances communes et des cycles communs des productions régionales au Canada jette le doute sur l'hypothèse de convergence et montre que les chocs tendanciels dominent les fluctuations en Ontario, au Québec et dans les Maritimes à court et à long terme, mais pas en Colombie Britannique et dans le Prairies. Donc, les fluctuations du niveau régional de production au Canada sont enclenchées par un ensemble asymétrique et économiquement important de mécanismes désagrégés de propagation et de croissance. Ces résultats définissent un nouvel ordre du jour pour la recherche macro-économique au Canada. [source] Psychiatric services for people with severe mental illness across western Europe: what can be generalized from current knowledge about differences in provision, costs and outcomes of mental health care?ACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 2006T. Becker Objective:, To report recent findings regarding differences in the provision, cost and outcomes of mental health care in Europe, and to examine to what extent these studies can provide a basis for improvement of mental health services and use of findings across countries. Method:, Findings from a number of studies describing mental health care in different European countries and comparing provision of care across countries are reported. Results:, The development of systems of mental health care in western Europe is characterized by a common trend towards deinstitutionalization, less in-patient treatment and improvement of community services. Variability between national mental healthcare systems is still substantial. At the individual patient level the variability of psychiatric service systems results in different patterns of service use and service costs. However, these differences are not reflected in outcome differences in a coherent way. Conclusion:, It is conceivable that the principal targets of mental healthcare reform can be achieved along several pathways taking into account economic, political and sociocultural variation between countries. Differences between mental healthcare systems appear to affect service provision and costs. However, the impact of such differences on patient outcomes may be less marked. The empirical evidence is limited and further studies are required. [source] A shortening of the manus precedes the attenuation of other wing-bone elements in the evolution of flightlessness in birdsACTA ZOOLOGICA, Issue 1 2010R. L. Nudds Abstract Nudds, R. L. and Slove Davidson, J. 2010. A shortening of the manus precedes the attenuation of other wing-bone elements in the evolution of flightlessness in birds. ,Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 91: 115,122 This is the first study to present evidence for a general pattern of wing-bone attenuation during the early stages of the evolution of flightlessness. A comparative analysis using phylogenetic independent contrasts showed that in families that contain both flighted (volant) and flightless species, the volant species have shorter wings and total-arm (humerus + ulna + manus) lengths relative to their body masses than the species within their wholly volant sister families. A shortening of the manus may typify the early stages of the evolution of flightlessness, with the humerus and ulna attenuating later, perhaps because of their role in maintaining the position of the aerodynamically important alula. A shorter wing relative to body mass was not the result of the inverse (i.e. heavier body mass relative to wing length) because mean body masses of volant members of flightless families were similar to or lower than those of their wholly volant sister families. Despite finding a common trend in the wing morphologies of volant members of flightless families, it seems unlikely that a general model of selection pressures driving the evolution of flightlessness exists. At the very least, a dichotomy between those birds that have lost the ability to fly in order to gain the ability to swim and terrestrial forms, may persist. [source] Intraseasonal climate and habitat-specific variability controls the flowering phenology of high alpine plant speciesFUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2010Karl Hülber Summary 1. ,High alpine plants endure a cold climate with short growing seasons entailing severe consequences of an improper timing of development. Hence, their flowering phenology is expected to be rigorously controlled by climatic factors. 2. ,We studied ten alpine plant species from habitats with early and late melting snow cover for 2 years and compared the synchronizing effect of temperature sums (TS), time of snowmelt (SM) and photoperiod (PH) on their flowering phenology. Intraseasonal and habitat-specific variation in the impact of these factors was analysed by comparing predictions of time-to-event models using linear mixed-effects models. 3. ,Temperature was the overwhelming trigger of flowering phenology for all species. Its synchronizing effect was strongest at or shortly after flowering indicating the particular importance of phenological control of pollination. To some extent, this pattern masks the common trend of decreasing phenological responses to climatic changes from the beginning to the end of the growing season for lowland species. No carry-over effects were detected. 4. ,As expected, the impact of photoperiod was weaker for snowbed species than for species inhabiting sites with early melting snow cover, while for temperature the reverse pattern was observed. 5. ,Our findings provide strong evidence that alpine plants will respond quickly and directly to increasing temperature without considerable compensation due to photoperiodic control of phenology. [source] Transnational lives, transnational marriages: a review of the evidence from migrant communities in EuropeGLOBAL NETWORKS, Issue 3 2007ELISABETH BECK-GERNSHEIM Abstract Whom do migrants marry? This question has become a popular topic of research, and existing studies identify a common trend: most of the non-European, non-Christian migrants in Europe marry someone from their country of origin. The motivations for such practices are to be found in the characteristics of transnational spaces and in the social structures that emerge in such spaces. Based on a review of research from several European countries, three such constellations are discussed: first, the obligations to kin, especially when migration regulations become more restrictive, and marriage becomes the last route by which to migrate to Europe. Second, new forms of global inequality, between the metropolitan centre and countries of the global periphery, give migrants in Europe improved status and standing in their society of origin and therefore excellent opportunities on the marriage market there. Third, gender relations have started to shift in both host society and migrant families. Men and women alike are trying to rebalance power relations within marriage and to shift them in their favour. In this process marriage to a partner from the country of family origin may promise strategic benefits. The article ends with suggestions for future research. [source] Takeover activity in Australia: endogenous and exogenous influencesACCOUNTING & FINANCE, Issue 3 2005Frank Finn G34 Abstract The present paper analyses the population of takeover bids for listed Australian companies using quarterly data over a 25-year period to re-examine the predictability of takeover activity and to determine if there is a flow on impact on macroeconomic variables. We examine whether takeover activity: (i) is endogenous; that is, determined by own activity; (ii) is jointly determined by macroeconomic and capital market variables; and (iii) has an exogenous spillover impact across the economy. We find that stock prices and takeover activity share a long-term common trend, the relative success of takeover bids is independent of sharemarket activity, and conclude that aggregate takeover activity is driven by fundamental economic factors rather than by speculative activity. [source] Similar and Yet So Different: Cash-for-Care in Six European Countries' Long-Term Care PoliciesTHE MILBANK QUARTERLY, Issue 3 2010BARBARA Da ROIT Context: In response to increasing care needs, the reform or development of long-term care (LTC) systems has become a prominent policy issue in all European countries. Cash-for-care schemes,allowances instead of services provided to dependents,represent a key policy aimed at ensuring choice, fostering family care, developing care markets, and containing costs. Methods: A detailed analysis of policy documents and regulations, together with a systematic review of existing studies, was used to investigate the differences among six European countries (Austria, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Sweden). The rationale and evolution of their various cash-for-care schemes within the framework of their LTC systems also were explored. Findings: While most of the literature present cash-for-care schemes as a common trend in the reforms that began in the 1990s and often treat them separately from the overarching LTC policies, this article argues that the policy context, timing, and specific regulation of the new schemes have created different visions of care and care work that in turn have given rise to distinct LTC configurations. Conclusions: A new typology of long-term care configurations is proposed based on the inclusiveness of the system, the role of cash-for-care schemes and their specific regulations, as well as the views of informal care and the care work that they require. [source] The European perspective of psychiatric reformACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 2001T. Becker Objective:,To provide a framework of mental health care reform across Europe. Method:,On the basis of summary quantitative indices and expert ratings of broad aspects of mental health care structure, the process and outcome of psychiatric reform common trends and differences are outlined. Results:,There has been a broad trend away from an institutional model of care with the mental hospital as the dominant institution, and community- and general hospital-based mental health services of varying comprehensiveness are in place in most countries. The social and broad community aspects of psychiatric reform have generally been somewhat less successful than changes in service set-up. Assessment of reform outcomes proves particularly difficult. Conclusion:,Psychiatric reform processes have achieved some of their aims, and there are broadly similar trends. Regional variation is substantial and may be as important as cross-national differences. Mental health care reform is ongoing across the European region. [source] A common-features analysis of Amsterdam and London financial markets during the eighteenth centuryECONOMIC INQUIRY, Issue 1 2000G Dempster We examine the financial linkage between the London and Amsterdam financial markets using stock prices recorded in each market over the period 1723-94 in conjunction with tests for common trends, cycles, and regime shifts. These tests reveal a surprising degree of integration between the markets as their prices move together in both the short and long run. Moreover, shocks to the assets translate quickly and accurately between markets. It also appears that Dutch investment did not destabilize London markets and stock prices in London were the primary determinant of prices in Amsterdam. [source] Estimating common trends in multivariate time series using dynamic factor analysisENVIRONMETRICS, Issue 7 2003A. F. Zuur Abstract This article discusses dynamic factor analysis, a technique for estimating common trends in multivariate time series. Unlike more common time series techniques such as spectral analysis and ARIMA models, dynamic factor analysis can analyse short, non-stationary time series containing missing values. Typically, the parameters in dynamic factor analysis are estimated by direct optimization, which means that only small data sets can be analysed if computing time is not to become prohibitively long and the chances of obtaining sub-optimal estimates are to be avoided. This article shows how the parameters of dynamic factor analysis can be estimated using the EM algorithm, allowing larger data sets to be analysed. The technique is illustrated on a marine environmental data set. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Trends in NE Atlantic landings (southern Portugal): identifying the relative importance of fisheries and environmental variablesFISHERIES OCEANOGRAPHY, Issue 3 2005KARIM ERZINI Abstract Time series of commercial landings from the Algarve (southern Portugal) from 1982 to 1999 were analyzed using min/max autocorrelation factor analysis (MAFA) and dynamic factor analysis (DFA). These techniques were used to identify trends and explore the relationships between the response variables (annual landings of 12 species) and explanatory variables [sea surface temperature, rainfall, an upwelling index, Guadiana river (south-east Portugal) flow, the North Atlantic oscillation, the number of licensed fishing vessels and the number of commercial fishermen]. Landings were more highly correlated with non-lagged environmental variables and in particular with Guadiana river flow. Both techniques gave coherent results, with the most important trend being a steady decline over time. A DFA model with two explanatory variables (Guadiana river flow and number of fishermen) and three common trends (smoothing functions over time) gave good fits to 10 of the 12 species. Results of other models indicated that river flow is the more important explanatory variable in this model. Changes in the mean flow and discharge regime of the Guadiana river resulting from the construction of the Alqueva dam, completed in 2002, are therefore likely to have a significant and deleterious impact on Algarve fisheries landings. [source] Summary of contributions to GAW15 Group 16: Processing/normalization of expression traitsGENETIC EPIDEMIOLOGY, Issue S1 2007Aurélie Labbe Abstract Here, we summarize the contributions to group 16 of Genetic Analysis Workshop 15, held in Florida, U.S.A. The theme of this group was preprocessing of expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) studies using the Affymetrix platform. The objective of the Genetic Analysis Workshop 15 problem 1 dataset was to use transcript levels that are measured using DNA microarrays as quantitative traits and localize the genes or other features of the DNA that control gene expression by quantitative trait loci linkage analyses. All contributors of this group used the microarray expression profiles (problem 1) data. Various approaches and questions were examined to investigate the effects of preprocessing methods and/or gene filtering on the interpretation of data, specifically on heritability estimates of gene expression and on linkage results. In addition, some contributors focused on the statistical issues involved in large-scale genetic analyses of quantitative traits that account for or build composite phenotypes from a large number of correlated traits. Since the true eQTLs are not known in the problem 1 data, results from the 11 studies cannot be fully evaluated for the methods employed. However, several common trends were found. All reports concluded that preprocessing statistical analyses may have an important impact on eQTL analyses and on the identification of cis -/trans -regulators and/or major biological pathways. Genet. Epidemiol. 31(Suppl. 1):S132,S138, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Economic Policy and Social Policy: Policy-linkages in an Era of GlobalisationINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WELFARE, Issue 1 2000Dong-Myeon Shin This article argues that changes in the role of the state in economic affairs will affect the process of social policy. Growing economic integration caused by globalisation now places a greater constraint upon the discretion of the nation state, bringing about a transformation into a more competitive state. States are increasingly having to compete against each other in order to promote competitiveness and attract foreign direct investment (FDI) from international capital markets. This competition influences in turn the social policy formation requiring the redesigning of social policy. Thus, welfare states may need to reform their social policy towards a "business-friendly social policy". The analysis of social policy inputs and outputs presented here suggests that there are common trends in most welfare states towards: a market-conforming policy on business taxation, a reduction of the share of employer's contributions in social protection revenues, more limited income security programmes, an increased allocation of resources for active labour market programmes and less state intervention in the labour market. All these reforming trends in social policy can be understood as a response of welfare states to the evolving needs of business caused by structural change, notably globalisation. [source] Stereotypes and Moral Oversight in Conflict Resolution: What Are We Teaching?JOURNAL OF PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION, Issue 4 2002J. Harvey I examine some common trends in ,conflict management skills', particularly those focused on practical results, and argue that they involve some moral problems, like the reliance on offensive stereotypes, the censorship of moral language, the promotion of distorted relationships, and sometimes the suppression of basic rights and obligations that constitute non,consequentialist moral constraints on human interactions (including dispute resolution). Since these approaches now appear in educational institutions, they are sending dangerous messages to those least able to critically assess them, messages that denigrate the language, reflection, and interactions on which the moral life depends, thus undermining the possibility of moral education in the most fundamental sense of the phrase. [source] A review of similarity between seed bank and standing vegetation across ecosystemsOIKOS, Issue 9 2007Kristine N. Hopfensperger The relationship between above and belowground species composition has been researched in forests, grasslands, and wetlands to understand what mechanisms control community composition. I thoroughly reviewed 108 articles published between 1945 and 2006 that summarized and provided specific values on similarities between above and belowground communities to identify common trends among ecosystems. Using Sørenson's index of similarity, I found that standing vegetation and its associated seed bank was the least similar in forest ecosystems, most similar in grasslands, and of intermediate similarity in wetlands. I also discovered that species richness was not related to seed bank , vegetation similarity in any of the three ecosystems. Disturbances were a common mechanism driving community composition in all ecosystems, where similarity decreased with time since disturbance in forest and wetland ecosystems and increased with time since disturbance in grasslands. Knowing the relationships between seed bank and standing vegetation may help conservationists to manage against exotic species, plan for community responses to disturbances, restore diversity, and better understand the resilience of an ecosystem. [source] Increasing Convergence Between U.S. and International Securitized Property Markets: Evidence Based on Cointegration TestsREAL ESTATE ECONOMICS, Issue 3 2009Nafeesa Yunus This article examines the degree of interdependence among the securitized property markets of six major countries and the United States. Long-run results indicate that, over a period beginning January 1990 and ending August 2007, the property markets of Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States are tied together, implying that from the perspective of the U.S. investor the markets of the Netherlands and France provide the greater diversification benefits. Further, the United States and Japan are found to be the sources of the common trends, suggesting that the two larger property markets lead the five (cointegrated) markets toward the long-run equilibrium relationships. [source] Comparative transcriptome analysis to unveil genes affecting recombinant protein productivity in mammalian cellsBIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOENGINEERING, Issue 1 2009Joon Chong Yee Abstract Low temperature culture (33°C) has been shown to enhance the specific productivity of recombinant antibodies in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells but did not affect antibody productivity in hybridoma (MAK) cells. We probed the transcriptional response of both cells undergoing temperature shift using cDNA microarrays. Among the orthologous gene probes, common trends in the expression changes between CHO and MAK are not prominent. Instead, many transcriptional changes were specific to only one cell line. Notably, oxidative phosphorylation and ribosomal genes were downregulated in MAK but not in CHO. Conversely, several protein trafficking genes and cytoskeleton elements were upregulated in CHO but remained unchanged in MAK. Interestingly, at 33°C, immunoglobulin heavy and light chain showed no significant changes in CHO, but the immunoglobulin light chain was downregulated in MAK. Overall, a clear distinction in the transcriptional response to low temperature was seen in the two cell lines. To further elucidate the set of genes responsible for increased antibody productivity, the expression data of low temperature cultures was compared to that of butyrate treatment which increased specific antibody productivity in both cell lines. Genes which are commonly differentially expressed under conditions that increased productivity are likely to reflect functional classes that are important in the productivity changes. This comparative transcriptome analysis suggests that vesicle trafficking, endocytosis and cytoskeletal elements are involved in increased specific antibody productivity. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2009;102: 246,263. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||