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Structural Changes (structural + change)
Kinds of Structural Changes Selected AbstractsINCORPORATING TECHNOLOGY DIFFUSION, FACTOR MOBILITY AND STRUCTURAL CHANGE INTO CROSS-REGION GROWTH REGRESSION: AN APPLICATION TO CHINA,JOURNAL OF REGIONAL SCIENCE, Issue 3 2010Laixiang Sun ABSTRACT This paper advocates a spatial dynamic model that introduces technology diffusion, factor mobility, and structural change into the cross-region growth regression. The spatial setting is derived from theory rather than spatial statistical tests. An application of this model to the study of cross-province growth in China over the period 1980,2005 indicates that incomes are spatially correlated, which highlights the significance of technology diffusion and factor mobility. Furthermore, the integration of neoclassical growth empirics and the structural change perspective of development economics provide a much improved account of interprovincial variations in income levels and economic growth. [source] COINTEGRATION OF STOCK MARKETS BETWEEN NEW ZEALAND, AUSTRALIA AND THE G7 ECONOMIES: SEARCHING FOR CO-MOVEMENT UNDER STRUCTURAL CHANGEAUSTRALIAN ECONOMIC PAPERS, Issue 3 2005PARESH KUMAR NARAYAN This paper examines whether the New Zealand equity market is integrated with the equity markets of Australia and the G7 economies by applying both the Johansen (1988) and Gregory and Hansen (1996) approaches to cointegration. The Johansen (1988) test suggests that there is no long-run relationship between the New Zealand stock market and any of the other stock markets considered in the study. The Gregory and Hansen (1996) test finds that the New Zealand and United States stock market is cointegrated, but the New Zealand stock market is not cointegrated with the other stock markets in the study. This suggests that in order to avoid some of the risk through international portfolio diversification there is potential for investors to purchase shares in the New Zealand market and either the Australian market or most of the world's leading equity markets. [source] DEFINITION OF INTERNAL MORPHOLOGY AND STRUCTURAL CHANGES DUE TO DEHYDRATION OF RADISH (RAPHANUS SATIVUS L. CV. SUPRELLA) USING MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING SPECTROSCOPYJOURNAL OF FOOD QUALITY, Issue 5-6 2005ANNA SALERNO ABSTRACT Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) spectroscopy is a promising nondestructive analytical technique in food science. It offers the unique opportunity of studying vegetables, fruits and other foods in general, in their wholeness without any preparative manipulation of the sample. The aim of this study was to investigate the internal structure of radish and to monitor the variations induced by postharvest storage at low relative humidity. The MRI allowed for a clear definition of the internal structure of radishes with distinct visibility of xylematic and phloematic vessels distributed in a radial way. A decrease in water content, which results in the breakdown of tissues and the formation of large cavities with the detachment of the external cortex, is the main consequence of a few days' storage in low relative humidity. Both of these are factors that drastically decrease the quality of the radish's fleshy root. The MRI images give a novel insight into the internal organization of the hypocotyl, and this offers opportunities for further studies with regard to the structural differences related to the cultivars as well as the cultivation system. [source] STRUCTURAL CHANGES IN INDONESIAN INDUSTRY AND TRADE: AN INPUT-OUTPUT ANALYSISTHE DEVELOPING ECONOMIES, Issue 1 2005Mitsuhiro HAYASHI This study evaluates the current achievement of industrialization in Indonesia and clarifies what the major challenges are for sustaining industrialization. This is done by examining structural changes in the economy from the period before to the period after economic crisis using the method of input-output (I-O) analysis. After tracing the history of economic development in Indonesia, changes in industry and trade between 1995 and 2000 are viewed using skyline chart analysis, industrial linkage analysis, and growth-factor decomposition analysis. Results indicate that from 1995 to 2000, the manufacturing industry expanded the share of production, strengthened export orientation, and lowered import dependency. However, these phenomena appear to have resulted primarily from slumps in growth factors other than export demand as well as sharp declines in the value of the rupiah. This study shows that the current decrease of investment is a bottleneck in industrialization and indicates an urgent need for Indonesia to improve the investment environment, particularly for foreign investors. [source] EARLY STRUCTURAL CHANGES OF AORTIC WALL IN SINOAORTIC-DENERVATED RATSCLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PHARMACOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 4 2006Fu-Ming Shen SUMMARY 1The present work was designed to observe the early structural changes in the aortic wall in Sprague-Dawley rats 1, 2 and 4 weeks after sinoaortic denervation (SAD). 2Rats were examined 1, 2 and 4 weeks after SAD. Blood pressure (BP) was recorded in the conscious state. The thoracic aortas were taken for investigations, including: light microscopy, electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL). 3Blood pressure variability (BPV) was significantly increased in the SAD groups 1, 2 and 4 after the operation when compared with the sham-operated ones. 4Two weeks after SAD the percentage proportion of smooth muscle cell density (SMC%) was obviously increased. 5Four weeks after SAD: the SMC%, percentage proportion of collagen density (CD%) and aortic wall thickness (WT) were obviously increased with vascular smooth muscle cells blebbing concomitantly. Endothelial cells showed degenerative changes and swelling with blebbing of the cell membrane and increased condensation of peripheral nuclear chromatin and cytoplasmic vacuolization. It was also found that the number of apoptotic endothelial cells was increased and expression of eNOS was reduced. 6This is the first study that shows the time-course of aortic wall and endothelial cell changes induced by SAD. Increased BPV might be the priming factor in the development of organ damage induced by SAD. [source] COMPARISON OF ANGIOTENSIN II-INDUCED BLOOD PRESSURE AND STRUCTURAL CHANGES IN FISCHER 344 AND WISTAR KYOTO RATSCLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PHARMACOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 7 2004Jocelyne Blanc SUMMARY 1.,The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the blood pressure (BP) response, the BP and heart rate (HR) components of the startle reaction and the structure of the carotid artery and the aorta during chronic infusion of angiotensin (Ang) II in Fischer 344 (F344) compared with Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats, two in-bred normotensive contrasted strains. 2.,Osmotic mini-pumps filled with saline vehicle or AngII (120 ng/kg per min) were implanted subcutaneously in 8-week-old normotensive rats and infused for 4 weeks in F344 rats (saline, n = 10; AngII, n = 10) and WKY rats (saline, n = 10; AngII, n = 9). Basal BP, HR and the responses to an acoustic startle stimulus (duration 0.7 s, 115 dB) were recorded in conscious rats. The structure of the carotid artery and aorta was determined in 4% formaldehyde-fixed arteries. 3.,Compared with WKY rats, vehicle-treated F344 rats had lower bodyweight (BW; 266 ± 7 vs 299 ± 9 g; P < 0.05) and heart weight (0.80 ± 0.02 vs 0.98 ± 0.04 g; P < 0.05) and higher aortic systolic BP (SBP; 131 ± 1 vs 123 ± 5 mmHg; P < 0.001) and diastolic BP (98 ± 3 vs 89 ± 2 mmHg; P < 0.001). In F344 rats, compared with the WKY rats, the wall thickness/BW ratio was increased in the carotid artery (156 ± 9 vs 131 ± 6 nm/g; P < 0.05) and abdominal aorta (264 ± 13 vs 217 ± 12 nm/g; P < 0.05) and decreased in the thoracic aorta (246 ± 13 vs 275 ± 8 nm/g; P < 0.05). There was no difference in elastin and collagen density. Angiotensin II differentially enhanced BP in both strains: (SBP: 163 ± 5 and 132 ± 4 mmHg in F344 and WKY rats, respectively; Pstrain × treatment < 0.05). Circumferential wall stress was increased in the aorta of F344 rats compared with WKY rats (1176 ± 39 vs 956 ± 12 kPa (P < 0.001) and 1107 ± 42 vs 813 ± 12 kPa (P < 0.001) in thoracic and abdominal aortas, respectively). The startle response was amplified in F344 rats, with enhanced increases in SBP and pulse pressure (PP) and bradycardia compared with responses of WKY rats (+44 ± 9 mmHg, +10 ± 2 mmHg and ,40 ± 17 b.p.m., respectively, in F344 rats vs+28 ± 4 mmHg, + 4 ± 2 mmHg and ,19 ± 10 b.p.m. in WKY rats, respectively; Pstrain < 0.05 for BP and PP). The startle response was not affected by AngII. 4.,These results indicate a higher BP producing an increase in wall thickness in F344 rats compared with WKY rats. We propose that an increase in sympathetic nervous activity causes these haemodynamic differences, as suggested by the excessive increase in BP during an acoustic startle stimulus. Angiotensin II increased BP in F344 rats, but did not exaggerate the increase in BP during the startle reaction. [source] Tests for Parameter Instability and Structural Change with Unknown Change Point: A CorrigendumECONOMETRICA, Issue 1 2003Donald W. K. Andrews No abstract is available for this article. [source] Environmental Taxation and Induced Structural Change in an Open Economy: The Role of Market StructureGERMAN ECONOMIC REVIEW, Issue 1 2008Christoph Böhringer Environmental taxation; imperfect competition; structural change Abstract. Studies of structural change induced by environmental taxation usually proceed in a perfect-competition framework and typically find structural change to be quite moderate under realistic emission reduction scenarios. By observing that some of the industries affected are likely to operate under imperfect rather than perfect competition, additional mechanisms emerge which may amplify structural change beyond the extent identified as yet. Especially, changes in economies of scale may arise which weaken or strengthen the competitive position of industries over and above the initial cost effect. Using a computable general equilibrium model for Germany to examine the effects of a unilaterally introduced carbon tax, we find that induced structural change is more pronounced under imperfect competition than under perfect competition. At the macroeconomic level, we find that aggregate losses in economies of scale are larger than aggregate gains, implying that the total costs of environmental regulation are higher under imperfect competition than under perfect competition. [source] Structural Change in Transportation and Communications in the Knowledge Society , Edited by Kiyoshi Kobayashi, T.R. Lakshmanan, and William P. AndersonGROWTH AND CHANGE, Issue 1 2008John T. Bowen Jr. No abstract is available for this article. [source] Labor Market Dynamics During a Period of Structural Change: California inEarly 1990sGROWTH AND CHANGE, Issue 1 2000Alejandra Cox Edwards This paper contributes to the literature on labor market dynamics in four ways. First, unlike most of the existing literature, it uses the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP). This panel survey, with a 32-month window of observation, allows a more precise measure of employment flows than other data sources. It was found that one out of three workers experiences a job transition during the observation period. Second, it focuses on the state of California during an economic cycle. According to these estimates, the net decline in employment represents just 2.6 percent of all job rotations (separations offset by accessions), and gross job flows were as important during the downturn as they were during the economic expansion. Third, it estimates gross flows by sector, and finds significant variation in gross flows relative to employment across sectors of economic activity. Fourth, it examines the coexistence of cyclical and structural changes of California in the early 1990s. The results suggest a labor market link between structural changes and economic cycles. [source] Energy Efficiency and Structural Change in the Netherlands, 1980,1995JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2000Dematerialization, Economic Structure on National Energy Consumption, Influence of Energy Efficiency Summary International agreement has been reached to reduce greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. One important way of decoupling CO2 emissions from economic growth is by introducing technical measures to improve energy efficiency. In this article, we assess the influence of developments in energy efficiency and economic structure on the total primary energy consumption in the Netherlands over the period 1980, 1995. We find a distinct decoupling of the economic growth and energy consumption of 1.5% per year in the 15-year analysis period. We measure (technical) changes in energy efficiency by changes in the energy consumption per physical unit of production or activity. The aggregate rate of (technical) energy-efficiency improvement was 1.4% per year over the period 1980,1995. The use of physical production indicators makes it possible to measure energy-efficiency developments without detailed surveys at a very low level of aggregation. When we look at economic structural changes over this period, we find that (i) no substantial shift took place at the level of the economic sectors that we distinguish; (ii) the most energy intensive subsectors grew much faster than the total economy; and (iii) at the subsector level, on average, a sizable decoupling of physical production and value added occurred. We conclude that structural changes, that is, changes in the composition of the economy, did not lead to a net decrease in the energy intensity of the Netherlands over the period 1980,1995. [source] Detection of Structural Change in the Long-run Persistence in a Univariate Time Series,OXFORD BULLETIN OF ECONOMICS & STATISTICS, Issue 2 2005Eiji Kurozumi Abstract In this paper, we investigate a test for structural change in the long-run persistence in a univariate time series. Our model has a unit root with no structural change under the null hypothesis, while under the alternative it changes from a unit-root process to a stationary one or vice versa. We propose a Lagrange multiplier-type test, a test with the quasi-differencing method, and ,demeaned versions' of these tests. We find that the demeaned versions of these tests have better finite-sample properties, although they are not necessarily superior in asymptotics to the other tests. [source] Structural Change in U.S. Presidents' Use of ForceAMERICAN JOURNAL OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, Issue 3 2010Jong Hee Park Has there been a structural change in the way U.S. presidents use force abroad since the nineteenth century? In this article, I investigate historical changes in the use of force by U.S. presidents using Bayesian changepoint analysis. In doing so, I present an integrated Bayesian approach for analyzing changepoint problems in a Poisson regression model. To find the nature of the breaks, I estimate parameters of the Poisson regression changepoint model using Chib's (1998) hidden Markov model algorithm and Frühwirth-Schnatter and Wagner's (2006) data augmentation method. Then, I utilize transdimensional Markov chain Monte Carlo methods to detect the number of breaks. Analyzing yearly use of force data from 1890 to 1995, I find that, controlling for the effects of the Great Depression and the two world wars, the relationship between domestic conditions and the frequency of the use of force abroad fundamentally shifted in the 1940s. [source] Sources of Growth and Structural Change in the Vietnamese Economy, 1996,2003: A Computable General Equilibrium Analysis,ASIAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL, Issue 2 2009James A. Giesecke C68; D58; F14; O12 We use the MONASH-VN model, a dynamic computable general equilibrium model of the Vietnamese economy, to investigate Vietnam's rapid growth and structural change over the period 1996 to 2003. We do this in two steps. First, we estimate changes in variables representing production technologies, consumer preferences, government policy and other structural features of the economy. Movements in these structural and policy variables are then used to explain the recent history of Vietnam's rapid growth and structural change. We find the most important sources of growth and change to be technical improvements, favorable shifts in foreign demand for Vietnamese goods and employment growth. Other important factors include movement in household preferences away from primary products and towards manufactures and services, expansion in agricultural land supply, and tax reform. [source] Structural Change and International Migration in East AsiaASIAN-PACIFIC ECONOMIC LITERATURE, Issue 1 2002Graeme Hugo No abstract is available for this article. [source] Structural Change in a Series of Protonated Layered Perovskite Compounds, HLnTiO4 (Ln: La, Nd and Y).CHEMINFORM, Issue 39 2006Shunsuke Nishimoto Abstract ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract, please click on HTML or PDF. [source] In situ Investigation of Structural Changes during Deformation and Fracture of Polymers by Synchrotron SAXS and WAXS,ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 6 2009Konrad Schneider By simultaneous mechanical characterisation and synchrotron wide-angle x-ray scattering (WAXS) and small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS), it is possible to characterise on-line local changes in a polymer's structure with a rather-high time and space resolution, together with the mechanical properties. In this contribution, we discuss the experimental requirements for such investigations as well as three examples. The evolution of structural features during tensile deformation of a polyethylene copolymer, as depicted by WAXS (top) and SAXS (bottom) are shown in the figure. The deformation leads to a martensitic transformation from the orthorhombic to monoclinic system and the formation of nanocavities. [source] Structural Changes in the BODIPY Dye PM567 Enhancing the Laser Action in Liquid and Solid Media,ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 16 2007I. García-Moreno Abstract In the search for more efficient and photostable solid-state dye lasers, newly synthesized analogs of the borondipyrromethene (BODIPY) dye PM567, bearing the polymerizable methacryloyloxypropyl group at position 2 (PMoMA) or at positions 2 and 6 (PDiMA), have been studied in the form of solid copolymers with methyl methacrylate (MMA). The parent dye PM567, as well as the model analogs bearing the acetoxypropyl group in the same positions, PMoAc and PDiAc, respectively, have been also studied both in liquid solvents and in solid poly(MMA) (PMMA) solution. Although in liquid solution PMoAc and PDiAc have the same photophysical properties as PM567, PDiAc exhibited a photostability up to 10 times higher than that of PM567 in ethanol under 310,nm-irradiation. The possible stabilization factors of PDiAc have been analyzed and discussed on the basis of the redox potentials, the ability for singlet molecular oxygen [O2(1,g)] generation, the reactivity with O2(1,g), and quantum mechanical calculations. Both PMoAc and PDiAc, pumped transversally at 532,nm, lased in liquid solution with a high (up to 58,%), near solvent-independent efficiency. This enhanced photostabilization has been also observed in solid polymeric and copolymeric media. While the solid solution of the model dye PDiAc in PMMA showed a lasing efficiency of 33,%, with a decrease in the laser output of ca.,50,% after 60,000 pump pulses (10,Hz repetition rate) in the same position of the sample, the solid copolymer with the double bonded chromophore, COP(PDiMA-MMA), showed lasing efficiencies of up to 37,%, and no sign of degradation in the laser output after 100,000 similar pump pulses. Even under the more demanding repetition rate of 30,Hz, the laser emission from this material remained at 67,% of its initial laser output after 400,000 pump pulses, which is the highest laser photostability achieved to date for solid-state lasers based on organic polymeric materials doped with laser dyes. This result indicates that the double covalent linkage of the BODIPY chromophore to a PMMA polymeric matrix is even more efficient than the simple linkage, for its photostabilization under laser operation. [source] Structural Changes in Expected Stock Returns Relationships: Evidence from ASEJOURNAL OF BUSINESS FINANCE & ACCOUNTING, Issue 9-10 2006Evangelos Karanikas Abstract:, This paper suggests a recursive application of Fama and MacBeth's (1973) testing procedure to assess the significance of macroeconomic factors and firm-specific effects priced in explaining the cross-sectional variation of expected stock returns over time. The paper applies the suggested testing procedure to investigate the source of risks of the Athens Stock Exchange (ASE). Among the variables examined, it finds out that the changes in the short term interest rates and firm size can explain a significant proportion of the variation of the ASE individual returns. The paper argues that the significance of interest rate changes can be associated with monetary policy changes introduced by the Greek authorities after the mid-nineties. These changes were focused on targeting interest rates, instead of monetary aggregates. [source] Structural Changes Following Linear Ablation in the Left Atrium for Treatment of Atrial FibrillationJOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 9 2007REBECCA MCCALL B.V.C.Des. No abstract is available for this article. [source] Structural Changes in Silica Glass by Continuous-Wave Laser Backside IrradiationJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, Issue 6 2010Hirofumi Hidai We report on a permanent change in the physical properties inside silica glass by rapid heating and quenching using a continuous-wave laser beam. The absorption of the glass was enhanced by laser heating, and the heated spot moved as a result of thermal radiation and conduction. To trigger heating, an absorbent material was placed on the backside of a glass plate and irradiated through the glass. Laser illumination with a power of 11 W focused on the absorbent material induced a cylindrical modified zone along the laser beam with a length of up to 5.5 mm that was modified at a rate of ,130 mm/s. The characteristics of the modified silica glass were studied. The modified area consists of two layers, and the diameters of the inner and outer zones are ,40 and ,55 ,m, respectively. The inner zone was modified by laser heating. The fictive temperature is estimated to be ,1900 K. The etch rate and hardness of the modified glass increased owing to the increment of the fictive temperature. The outer zone was modified by tensile stress due to the densification of the inner zone. In the outer zone, the etch rate is increased and hardness is decreased. [source] Effects of Dry Grinding on the Structural Changes of Kaolinite PowdersJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, Issue 7 2000Pedro J. Sánchez-Soto The present study examined the effects of dry grinding, using ball-milling, on the structure of reference well-crystallized (KGa-1) and poorly crystallized (KGa-2) kaolinite powders from Georgia. Grinding produced a strong structural alteration, mainly along the c axis, resulting in disorder and total degradation of the crystal structure of the kaolinite and the formation of an amorphous product. The surface area increased with grinding time, mainly in KGa-2 (maximum value 50.27 m2/g), a result associated with particle-size reduction. These particles became more agglomerated with grinding, and the surface area decreased after 30 min, as confirmed by scanning electron microscopy and particle-size-distribution analysis. There was a limit to particle-size reduction with grinding time. When grinding time was increased, the original endothermic differential thermal analysis (DTA) effects of dehydroxylation in both samples shifted to lower temperatures, decreased in intensity, then disappeared completely after 120 min of grinding. The temperature of the characteristic first exothermic effect shifted slightly to lower temperatures with grinding, although the DTA effects did not increase with grinding time in either kaolinite sample, at least up to 325 min. The amorphous, mechanically activated kaolinite converted into low-crystalline mullite nuclei at a lower temperature than did the unground samples, as deduced by thermal and X-ray observations. This effect was especially important for the KGa-2 sample. Grinding did not seem to influence the formation of silicon-aluminum spinel from kaolinite. The present results may explain why ground kaolinite samples prepared via different routes,e.g., with differences in grinding,behave differently during high-temperature transformations, as reported in the related literature. [source] An Examination of Labor Productivity Growth and Structural Changes in the Singapore Labor Force,ASIAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL, Issue 3 2002Chong-Yah Lim This paper ,rst examines the sources of growth in the Singapore economy by decomposing real per capita gross domestic product (GDP) growth into two components. It is found that, for the period 1974,1999, labor productivity was a signi,cant source of economic growth in Singapore. Conversely, the contribution of the rate of change in employment ratio was only of secondary importance. On further decomposition, the rate of change in employment ratio was due mainly to rate of change in population age-structure ratio and rate of change in labor-force participation rate. Growth patterns of the labor force were examined after it has been segregated according to gender, citizenship and age group independently. Labor productivity growth was highest in the transport, storage and communication sector, while labor productivity growth was lowest in the ,nancial, insurance, real estate and business services sector. [source] Macroinvertebrate community response to pulse exposure with the insecticide lambda-cyhalothrin using in-stream mesocosmsENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 3 2005Lars-Henrik Heckmann Abstract esticides are constantly beingapplied to agricultural catchments, but little is known abouttheir impact onaquatic biota during natural exposure. In the present study, the impact of the pyrethroid lambda-cyhalothrin was studied in an in-stream mesocosm setup. Twice during the summer of 2002, the natural macroinvertebrate community was exposed in situ to a 30-min pulse of lambda-cyhalothrin. Pyrethroid doses were released through a modified drip set with nominal concentrations of 0.10, 1.00, and 10.0 ,g L,1 during the first exposure and 0.05, 0.50, and 5.00 ,g L,1 in the second exposure. Before, during, and after exposure, drifting macroinvertebrates were caught in nets. Quantitative benthic samples were taken both before and on two occasions after exposure. Macroinvertebrate drift increased immediately after the pulse exposure, with total drift being significantly higher at all concentrations. Gammarus pulex, various Ephemeroptera, Leuctra sp., and Simuliidae were some of the taxa showing the most pronounced drift response. Structural change in the community was found only at 5.00 and 10.0 ,g L,1, and recovery occurred within approximately two weeks. The present study may be valuable in assessing extrapolations based on laboratory results as well as in evaluating pyrethroid impact on natural freshwater environments. [source] Migration Policy and Industrial Structure: The Case of SwitzerlandINTERNATIONAL MIGRATION, Issue 2 2008Leonhard Becker ABSTRACT Structural change in OECD countries, emphasizing knowledge-based sectors, has led to an increasing demand for highly skilled labour. One means of meeting this demand has been to implement a selective immigration policy. Such policies, however, have been criticized for channelling labour into low-producing sectors and occupations, hampering structural change. Proponents of such criticism point to Switzerland's former policy of channelling immigrants into so-called seasonal sectors, a practice abandoned in the early 1990s, as having contributed to Switzerland's low growth rates. To assess this, we here analyse the amended migration policy's effects on skill structure and sectoral distribution of immigration flows using data from the Swiss Census of 1990 and 2000 to determine whether the new policy has led to an immigrant inflow more adapted to the processes of structural change. We find that the share of highly skilled immigrants has increased notably under the new migration policy. Our analysis also shows an important change in the sectoral focus of the new arrival inflow. Not only have fewer immigrants been entering declining sectors, but the majority of migrants arriving under the new policy regime have been absorbed into growing and knowledge-based sectors, meaning they are employed primarily in service and knowledge-intensive sectors. Overall, the analysis provides ample evidence that the current admission policy as ositively contributed to tructural change in Switzerland. [source] Decomposing Preference Shifts for Meat and Fish in the NetherlandsJOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, Issue 2 2001M.-J.J. Mangen The changing preferences of Dutch consumers for meat and fish are investigated using a switching almost ideal demand system. Structural change in demand between January 1994 and May 1998 is decomposed into underlying trends, temporarily irreversible preference shifts triggered by the BSE crisis of March 1996, and a "panic" reaction against beef in the month of the crisis itself. Preference shifts due to the BSE scare reduced expenditure shares for beef, minced meat and meat products by 2.5, 3.3 and 7.9 percentage points respectively. There were offsetting gains in the shares of pork, prepared meat and fish. Taking underlying trends also into account, changing preferences over the whole period reduced beefs share by 4.9 percentage points and increased those of poultry, prepared meat and fish by 4.1, 4.9 and 5.2 percentage points respectively. [source] Structural change and market power in the U.S. food manufacturing sectorAGRIBUSINESS : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 2 2009Kyle W. Stiegert This study develops an intertemporally linked market model to explore the relationships between price-cost margins, market concentration, and advertising outlay. The study used data from 48 four-digit SIC (standardized industrial classification) codes for the Food and Tobacco Processing Industries during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. The authors' findings provide evidence that both high and low levels of performance provide signals to industries to consolidate, but for obvious and different reasons. Further, increased consolidation leads to increased entry barriers (advertising) and higher profits to the industry. Our findings are supportive of both Chicago and Traditionalist Schools of thought about antitrust enforcement: Neither emerges in a dominant position. Endogeneity issues and findings within the intertemporal structure cast considerable doubt about overly simplistic structure,performance paradigms of firm behavior. [JEL Code: L11, L40, L66]. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Structural change in the West German agricultural sectorAGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, Issue 2009Silke Huettel Structural change; Strategic competition; Land market; Markov chain Abstract This article explains regionally differentiated patterns of structural change based on a theoretical framework dealing with strategic interaction of farms on the land market. The main research question focuses on the causes of regionally persistent structures. An empirical Markov chain model is defined for the West German agricultural sector. The model is used to explain the probabilities of farm growth, decline, or exit in terms of the current and former regional farm size structure. Further, the impact of variables describing the regional farm structure, thereby indicating market power of the large, the potential of high competition for land within a region, and possibly high rents of the status quo in combination with sunk costs, is quantified. The results confirm the relevance of strategic interaction as a crucial determinant of persistent regional differences in the farm size structure over time. [source] Gender equality or patriarchal dividend: Structural change in Turkish nursingNURSING & HEALTH SCIENCES, Issue 2 2008Elizabeth Herdman rn, bsocsc Abstract Turkey is attempting to join the European Union and is facing pressure to eliminate many forms of discrimination, including discrimination based on gender. In keeping with these aims, in early 2007 the Turkish government changed the law to permit Turkish men to become nurses. Given that Turkey is a highly patriarchal society and that occupational segregation by sex is a persistent feature, it is important to examine the potential outcome of the legislative changes. The aim of this paper is to explore the paradoxical potential for Turkish female nurses to experience increased discrimination in a system that is restructured by legislation to be non-discriminatory. [source] Structural change and the emergence of the new service economy*OXFORD BULLETIN OF ECONOMICS & STATISTICS, Issue 2001Christine Greenhalgh First page of article [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||