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Economic Analysis (economic + analysis)
Selected AbstractsTHE NEW INSTITUTIONAL ECONOMICS , A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO ECONOMIC ANALYSISECONOMIC AFFAIRS, Issue 3 2008Eirik G. Furubotn The initial objective of the paper is to describe the way in which the term ,New Institutional Economics' (NIE) emerged in the literature and became the designation for a new field concerned with the study of various analytical techniques designed for the exploration of institutional phenomena. It is then shown how some of the more important of these techniques, transaction-cost economics, property-rights analysis and contract theory, have been applied in two central lines of neoinstitutional thought , the Williamsonian and the Northian. Criticisms of these two disparate theoretical positions on the NIE are considered and assessed. Next, a brief review of some of the empirical literature is undertaken so that the explanatory powers of NIE themes can be gauged. Finally, the paper offers a few general remarks on the present state of the NIE and its possible influence on the further development of economics. [source] SPECIAL INTEREST POLITICS AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS: AN ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF STRENGTHENING PATENT PROTECTION IN THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRYECONOMICS & POLITICS, Issue 2 2008ANGUS C. CHU Since the 1980s, the pharmaceutical industry has benefited substantially from a series of policy changes that have strengthened the patent protection for brand-name drugs as a result of the industry's political influence. This paper incorporates special interest politics into a quality-ladder model to analyze the policy-makers' tradeoff between the socially optimal patent length and campaign contributions. The welfare analysis suggests that the presence of a pharmaceutical lobby distorting patent protection is socially undesirable in a closed-economy setting but may improve social welfare in a multi-country setting, which features an additional efficiency tradeoff between monopolistic distortion and international free riding on innovations. [source] INCORPORATING ECONOMIC ANALYSIS INTO UNDERGRADUATE BUSINESS LAW AND LEGAL ENVIRONMENT COURSES: EMPLOYER LIABILITY FOR SEXUAL HARASSMENT AS A MODELJOURNAL OF LEGAL STUDIES EDUCATION, Issue 2 2000Susan Willey [source] Computability, Complexity and Constructivity in Economic Analysis.ECONOMICA, Issue 295 2007Edited by K. VELA VILLAPILLAI No abstract is available for this article. [source] Comparative Energy, Environmental, and Economic Analysis of Traditional and E-commerce DVD Rental NetworksJOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY, Issue 3 2007Deepak Sivaraman This study is a comparative life-cycle assessment (LCA) of two competing digital video disc (DVD) rental networks: the e-commerce option, where the customer orders the movies online, and the traditional business option, where the customer goes to the rental store to rent a movie. The analytical framework proposed is for a customer living in the city of Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. The primary energy and environmental performance for both networks are presented using a multicriterion LCA. The package selected by the traditional network is responsible for 67% of the difference in total energy consumption of the two alternatives. Results show that the e-commerce alternative consumed 33% less energy and emitted 40% less CO2 than the traditional option. A set of sensitivity analyses test the influence of distance traveled, transportation mode, and reuse of DVD and DVD packaging on the final results. The mode of transportation used by the customer in the traditional business model also affects global emissions and energy consumption. The customer walking to the store is by far the best option in the traditional network; however, the e-commerce option performed comparatively better despite all transportation modes tested. A novel economic indicator, ESAL, is used to compare different transportation modes based on the level of stress exerted on the pavement. The two networks are compared on the basis of cost accounting; consistent with its energy and environmental advantages, the e-commerce network also exerts lesser economic impact, by $1.17, for the functional unit tested. [source] An Economic Analysis of Academic Dishonesty and Its Deterrence in Higher EducationJOURNAL OF LEGAL STUDIES EDUCATION, Issue 2 2008Stephen K. Happel [source] A Spatial Economic Analysis of Urban Land Use and Obesity,JOURNAL OF REGIONAL SCIENCE, Issue 3 2005Andrew J. Plantinga Households maximize utility defined over housing, weight, and food subject to a fixed time budget allocated to commuting, calorie expenditure, and work. Our model explains the observed correspondence between high obesity rates and low development densities, but implies that these are determined endogenously in a spatial market equilibrium. We study the sorting of residents by attributes such as income, initial weight, and weight preferences, and examine the impacts on weight and density of urban design modifications that lower the costs of calorie expenditure. [source] When Insurers Go Bust: An Economic Analysis of the Role and Design of Prudential Regulation by Guillaume Plantin and Jean Charles RochetJOURNAL OF RISK AND INSURANCE, Issue 3 2008Article first published online: 4 AUG 200 No abstract is available for this article. [source] An Economic Analysis of Auto Compensation Systems: Choice Experiences From New Jersey and PennsylvaniaJOURNAL OF RISK AND INSURANCE, Issue 4 2003Joan T. Schmit Nearly since the first automobile traveled on U.S. soil, questions about how best to compensate people injured by their use have been raised. As early as in 1932, in fact, the tort system of imposing costs on negligent drivers was strongly criticized, and a system of compensation without regard to negligence recommended. Yet despite various efforts to identify and implement improved systems during the past more than 70 years, no clear best compensation mechanism has been found. Current discussions have focused on the "choice" system, under which insureds are allowed to select either a tort system or a no-fault system of compensation at the time of insurance purchase. New Jersey and Pennsylvania, which implemented very similar choice programs in 1989 and 1990, respectively, offer an opportunity to observe the effects of choice on outcomes such as: use of attorneys, speed of payment, and consistency (equity) of payment. Our results indicate outcomes consistent with expectations in New Jersey (NJ), which switched from no-fault to choice, but inconsistent with expectations in Pennsylvania (PA), which switched from tort to choice. Furthermore, analysis of tort versus no-fault selectors postchoice in New Jersey and Pennsylvania does not offer clear evidence of no-fault's lower administrative costs and speedier, more equitable payment in these jurisdictions. [source] An Economic Analysis of Freshwater Prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, Farming in Mymensingh, BangladeshJOURNAL OF THE WORLD AQUACULTURE SOCIETY, Issue 1 2008Nesar Ahmed This paper deals with production systems, cost structure, and profitability of freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, farming in a new area of Mymensingh district in the north-central part of Bangladesh. In the study area, prawn farming practice is still extensive, and only a few farmers (20%) cultivate semiintensively. The costs and returns of extensive and semiintensive farming systems are compared. All farmers in different farming systems made a profit, with seed and feed dominating variable costs. Considerable variation in production costs and profitability was observed. Based on the Cobb,Douglas production function model, return to scale indicates that there is scope to increase production and income from prawn farms in extensive and semiintensive systems by applying more inputs (i.e., seed, feed, and fertilizer). [source] Economic Analysis of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) Production in TanzaniaJOURNAL OF THE WORLD AQUACULTURE SOCIETY, Issue 4 2006Aloyce R Kaliba In Tanzania, Nile tilapia culture is a promising aquaculture enterprise. Information on production costs could assist fish farmers in economic and financial planning. Economic profitability of small-scale Nile tilapia production in Tanzania is analyzed using a model that simulates individual fish growth and takes into account fish population dynamics in the pond. The results suggest that the current practiced mixed-sex tilapia culture without predation is not economically sustainable. Extension efforts should be geared toward developing a Nile tilapia production system that is based on a hand-sexed all-male tilapia. Meanwhile catfish can be introduced in ponds to control overcrowding in mixed-sex tilapia culture without predation. Studies to determine optimal pond sizes, availability of feed, and a quality fingerling supply chain are also fundamental for developing a sustainable Nile tilapia production system in Tanzania. Under improved Nile tilapia production systems, returns are high enough to justify investment through borrowed capital from formal institutions. [source] Regulatory Failure and the Collapse of Japan's Home Mortgage Lending Industry: A Legal and Economic AnalysisLAW & POLICY, Issue 3-4 2000Curtis Milhaupt This article analyzes the dynamics of contemporary cooperation and conflict in Japanese financial regulation through the prism of the "jusen problem," the collapse of Japan's home mortgage lending industry in the 1990s. The jusen problem is one of the most striking examples of regulatory failure, strategic interest group bargaining, and large-scale dispute resolution in Japanese history. [source] Economic Analysis Of The Droit De Suite, The Artist's Resale RoyaltyAUSTRALIAN ECONOMIC PAPERS, Issue 4 2003J. D. Stanford Interest in the Droit de Suite, the artist's resale royalty, has been re-kindled by the decision of the European Union to introduce such a scheme to apply from 2006. The general nature of the Droit de Suite as an extension of copyright is discussed. The specific proposals for a Droit de Suite in Australia are analysed. Economic arguments support the sceptical view of the Droit de Suite. It is argued that the introduction of the Droit de Suite would be predicted to reduce sales of new paintings, that selling activity would move to jurisdictions which do not have a Droit de Suite and that artists would prefer to alienate their Droit de Suite by sale of a painting. The economic analysis is supplemented by an empirical study of art auction prices of 72 artists in Australia over the period 1973,1989 which reveals that the works few artists achieve a capital gain on sale in the secondary market re-inforcing the view that, if implemented, a Droit de Suite would provide payments to only a small number of artists who are likely to be in good economic circumstances. The burden of the Droit de Suite is shown to fall on the collector when selling paintings. The effect of the imposition of the Droit de Suite will be to lower the gain to collectors of paintings. It is concluded that the Australian proposal for the Droit de Suite is based on an inadequate analysis of the art market and would require a registration procedure for art works incurring heavy costs in relation to the funds available for distribution. [source] A Preface to the Economic Analysis of Disease TransmissionAUSTRALIAN ECONOMIC PAPERS, Issue 1 2000Mark Gersovitz Infectious diseases are transmitted from person to person or from vectors such as mosquitos to people. The uninfected take precautions against these diseases and the infected try to mitigate their symptoms and to get cured. In doing so, people may weigh the costs of illness, prevention and therapy. They may also (altruistically) weigh the costs of people whom their own behavior puts at risk, for instance their sexual partners, or they may act entirely selfishly. Some of these behaviours may therefore lead to externalities and a corresponding rationale for government interventions. A recent literature uses economics to investigate the implications of rational choice by individuals about their response to infectious diseases. It analyzes decisions about prevention, vaccination, testing, therapies and government intervention. This paper reviews this literature with an emphasis on examples from the HIV/AIDS epidemic. [source] An Economic Analysis of the Returns to Canadian Swine Research: 1974,97CANADIAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, Issue 2 2001Greg Thomas This paper reports a new set of estimates of the returns to swine research in Canada. These estimates are obtained using Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Canadian Regional Agricultural Model (CRAM). Positive Mathematical Programming is incorporated into the model for use in this study. The CRAM allows the effects of supply shifts from technological change in the hog industry to interact with product and factor market conditions in the rest of Canadian agriculture. Extensive sensitivity analysis is conducted to examine the robustness of the return estimates under variations in some of the key assumptions employed in the analysis. The costs of public and private sector swine research are estimated. Public sector research costs are inclusive of the marginal excess burden of taxation. Overall, the estimated benefits from Canadian swine research are high relative to the estimated costs for the time period considered. Previous estimates of the returns to Canadian swine research were obtained by Huot et al. (1989) with a partial equilibrium model that did not allow for intra-sectoral resource use adjustments. The estimated returns obtained in the present study are generally higher than those obtained by Huot et al. For example, the estimates obtained from the direct application of the econometrically estimated supply function in this study gave an internal rate of return of about 124% and a benefit-cost ratio of 22.4 to 1. Huot et al reported comparable estimates of about 43% for the internal rate of return and 6,7 to 1 for the benefit-cost ratio. The differences in returns are not solely attributable to the use of a multi-market versus a single-market partial equilibrium approach. There are also differences in the estimates of the marginal excess burden of taxation between the two studies. L'analyse que void présente une nouvelle série d'estimations quant au rendement de la recherche porcine au Canada. Ces estimations dérivent du Modèle d'analyse régionale de l'agriculture du Canada (MARAC) du ministère canadien de l'Agriculture et de l'Agroalimentaire. Aux fins de la présente étude, on avait intégré au modèle une programmation mathématique positive. Le MARAC autorise l'interaction entre les retombées d'une modification de l'offre attribuable au virage technologique de l'industrie porcine et les conditions du marché des produits et des facteurs dans le reste de l'agriculture canadienne. Les auteurs ont effectué une analyse de sensibilité poussée en vue d'établir la robustesse de leurs estimations quand variaient quelques-unes des principales hypotheses de l'analyse. On a estimé le coût de la recherche sur les pores poursuivie par les secteurs public et privé. Dans le secteur public, le coût de la recherche incluait une charge fiscale légérement excessive. Dans l'ensemble, la recherche sur les porcs entreprise au Canada a rapporté beaucoup comparativement à ce qu'elle a coûté pendant la période à l'étude. Les estimations antérieures, établies par Huot et ses collaborateurs (1989), venaient d'un modèle àéquilibre partiel ne permettant aucun ajustement pour l'utilisation intra-sectorielle des ressources. Les revenus estimés ici sont généralement plus élevés que ceux de Huot et de ses collaborateurs. Ainsi, une application directe de l'offre estimée par des méthodes économétriques à l'analyse donne un taux de rendement interne d'environ 124 % et un indice de rentabilité de 22,4 pour 1. À titre de comparaison, Huot et ses collaborateurs rapportent des résultats d'environ 43 % pour le taux de rendement interne et de 6 à 7 pour 1 en ce qui concerne l'indice de rentabilité. Pareil écart ne résulte pas uniquement du choix d'un modèle àéquilibre partiel reposant sur plusieurs marchés au lieu d'un seul; on relève aussi des variations dans l'estimation du léger excès de la charge fiscale entre les deux études. [source] Second law analysis of hydrogen liquefiers operating on the modified Collins cycleINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH, Issue 11 2001M. T. Syed Abstract Hydrogen liquefaction systems have been the subject of intense investigations for many years. Some established gas liquefaction systems, such as the precooled Linde,Hampson systems, are not used for hydrogen liquefaction in part because of their relatively low efficiencies. Recently, more promising systems employing the modified Collins cycle have been introduced. This paper reports on second law analyses of a hydrogen liquefier operating on the modified Collins cycle. Two different modifications employing the cycle in question were attempted: (1) a helium-refrigerated hydrogen liquefaction system and (2) a hydrogen-refrigerated hydrogen liquefaction system. Analyses were carried out in order to identify potential areas of development and efficiency improvement. A computer code capable of computing system and component efficiencies; exergy losses; and optimum number and operating conditions of compressors, expanders, aftercoolers, intercoolers, and Joule,Thomson valves was developed. Evaluation of the thermodynamic and transport properties of hydrogen at different temperature levels was achieved by employing a hydrogen property code developed by researchers at the National Bureau of Standards (currently NIST). A parametric analysis was carried out and optimal decision rules pertaining to system component selection and design were reached. Economic analyses were also reported for both systems and indicated that the helium-refrigerated hydrogen liquefier is more economically feasible than the hydrogen-refrigerated hydrogen liquefier. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The economic burden of depression and the cost-effectiveness of treatmentINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF METHODS IN PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH, Issue 1 2003Philip S. Wang Abstract Cost-of-illness research has shown that depression is associated with an enormous economic burden, in the order of tens of billions of dollars each year in the US alone. The largest component of this economic burden derives from lost work productivity due to depression. A large body of literature indicates that the causes of the economic burden of depression, including impaired work performance, would respond both to improvement in depressive symptomatology and to standard treatments for depression. Despite this, the economic burden of depression persists, partly because of the widespread underuse and poor quality use of otherwise efficacious and tolerable depression treatments. Recent effectiveness studies conducted in primary care have shown that a variety of models, which enhance care of depression through aggressive outreach and improved quality of treatments, are highly effective in clinical terms and in some cases on work performance outcomes as well. Economic analyses accompanying these effectiveness studies have also shown that these quality improvement interventions are cost efficient. Unfortunately, widespread uptake of these enhanced treatment programmes for depression has not occurred in primary care due to barriers at the level of primary care physicians, healthcare systems, and purchasers of healthcare. Further research is needed to overcome these barriers to providing high-quality care for depression and to ultimately reduce the enormous adverse economic impact of depression disorders. Copyright © 2003 Whurr Publishers Ltd. [source] Principles of pharmacoeconomics and their impact on strategic imperatives of pharmaceutical research and developmentBRITISH JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY, Issue 7 2010József Bodrogi The importance of evidence-based health policy is widely acknowledged among health care professionals, patients and politicians. Health care resources available for medical procedures, including pharmaceuticals, are limited all over the world. Economic evaluations help to alleviate the burden of scarce resources by improving the allocative efficiency of health care financing. Reimbursement of new medicines is subject to their cost-effectiveness and affordability in more and more countries. There are three major approaches to calculate the cost-effectiveness of new pharmaceuticals. Economic analyses alongside pivotal clinical trials are often inconclusive due to the suboptimal collection of economic data and protocol-driven costs. The major limitation of observational naturalistic economic evaluations is the selection bias and that they can be conducted only after registration and reimbursement. Economic modelling is routinely used to predict the cost-effectiveness of new pharmaceuticals for reimbursement purposes. Accuracy of cost-effectiveness estimates depends on the quality of input variables; validity of surrogate end points; and appropriateness of modelling assumptions, including model structure, time horizon and sophistication of the model to differentiate clinically and economically meaningful outcomes. These economic evaluation methods are not mutually exclusive; in practice, economic analyses often combine data collection alongside clinical trials or observational studies with modelling. The need for pharmacoeconomic evidence has fundamentally changed the strategic imperatives of research and development (R&D). Therefore, professionals in pharmaceutical R&D have to be familiar with the principles of pharmacoeconomics, including the selection of health policy-relevant comparators, analytical techniques, measurement of health gain by quality-adjusted life-years and strategic pricing of pharmaceuticals. [source] Economic analysis of China's health care system: turning a new pageHEALTH ECONOMICS, Issue S2 2009Winnie Yip First page of article [source] Economic analysis of small photovoltaic facilities and their regional differencesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH, Issue 3 2004M. Varela Abstract Small grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) facilities in Spain receive either a premium of 0.36, kWh,1 over the average price on the power market or a fixed price of 0.40, kWh,1. However, legislation on this matter (Royal Decree 2818/98) requires a periodic review of these figures. The basis of on-going revision of these prices has been their profitability. However, the economic success of such PV facilities is clearly affected by the amount of solar radiation at the site where they are located. Since Spain is between latitudes 44 and 36° in the northern hemisphere, the feasibility of these systems must be analysed for different regions. Two different models have been used to produce the required input data for such an analysis: a model that generates typical solar radiation years and temperatures taken from satellite images and an empirical model for the prediction of daily power produced by a grid-connected photovoltaic system. From the results of this regional economic analysis, it may be concluded that the existing prices are insufficient in and of themselves to make these small grid-connected systems profitable anywhere in Spain. To guarantee the economic feasibility of these PV installations in any given location, the fixed price paid for the electricity should be around 0.93, kWh,1. Nevertheless, if the Government were to double the current fixed price, in consideration of the slow increase in the PV market in recent years, this would mean that small grid-connected installations would become profitable in at least 77% of the Spanish territory. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Heating and cooling energy recovery for an HVAC system: Economic analysis for the Italian climateINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH, Issue 8 2001Adolfo Palombo Abstract In this paper the economic analysis of the energy recovery in all-outdoor-air HVAC systems for the Italian climate is performed. The energy recovery device considered here is the same for both heating and cooling periods. During the summer season, the energy saving is achieved by evaporative cooling. The performances of the hybrid innovative HVAC system and the traditional system are calculated hour by hour by following the test reference year (TRY) profile. Such analysis is carried out taking into account simultaneously, the trend of some climatic indexes computed in order to (i) better understand the influence of climate on the HVAC system behaviour, (ii) obtain a swift feasibility analysis of the energy recovery system and (iii) perform a rough operating cost estimate of the traditional HVAC system. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Economic analysis for clinical practice , the case of 31 national consensus guidelines in the NetherlandsJOURNAL OF EVALUATION IN CLINICAL PRACTICE, Issue 1 2007Louis W. Niessen MD Abstract Rationale, aims and objective, Evidence on the cost-effectiveness of health interventions in the development of practice guidelines has become of interest in many countries. Challenges are the quality of economic data, the use of cost-effectiveness criteria, and the consensus process. Our paper aims to assess the quality and use of economic information in the formulation of consensus guidelines in a Dutch pilot programme and to recommend improvements. Methods, ,Retrospective qualitative review of economic evaluations and formulated recommendations, using a checklist based on international standards. Results, The national programme to support the development of guidelines with economic analysis in multidisciplinary consensus groups run from 1998 to 2002. It has included 31 medical guidelines, addressing 23 conditions across seven International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-disease groups. Experts in health technology assessment have participated in the guidelines groups. Economic information in all guidelines varies by all criteria in the level of evidence used. Information on quality-adjusted life years gained is limited as is statistical analysis in most studies. Highest cost-effectiveness ratios reported are between ,20 000 and ,30 000. However, there is no uniformity in the definitions of acceptable cost-effectiveness ratios. Conclusions, Economic recommendations can be included in guidelines. Interaction between clinicians and health economists promotes a balance between medical and economic arguments. Among panellists there appears to be agreement on the level of the cost-effectiveness ratios that is acceptable. It is recommended that economic analysis is used to strengthen the evidence-base of guidelines. An evidence-grading system should include the quality of economic evaluation. Roles of policymakers and providers need to be defined. [source] Economic analysis of Campylobacter control in the dutch broiler meat chainAGRIBUSINESS : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 2 2007Marie-Josée J. Mangen The goal of the CARMA (Campylobacter risk management and assessment) project was to advise the Dutch government on the effectiveness and efficiency of interventions aimed at reducing campylobacteriosis cases in the Netherlands. The burden of disease, expressed in Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) and the corresponding cost-of-illness, were estimated using data from epidemiological studies. With the help of a risk assessment model, the reduction in the incidence of Campylobacter infections due to a set of possible interventions in the broiler meat (chicken) chain was modeled. Separately, costs related to the implementation of these interventions in the broiler meat chain were estimated. For each intervention to be modeled, the net costs of an intervention,additional costs in the broiler meat chain minus reduced cost-of-illness,were related to the reduced burden of disease. This resulted in a cost-utility ratio, expressing the relative efficiency of several policy options to reduce Campylobacter infections. [EconLit Citations: Q180, I180] © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Agribusiness 23: 173,192, 2007. [source] Economic analysis of different options in integrated pest and soil fertility management in maize systems of Western KenyaAGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, Issue 5 2010Hugo De Groote Abstract The major biotic constraints to the production of maize, the major staple food in Western Kenya, are field pests such as,Striga,and stem borers, and low soil fertility. To counter these constraints, new cropping systems have been developed, including "push-pull," rotations with promiscuous soybean varieties and green manure crops, and imidazolinone resistant- (IR-) maize. To analyze the technical and economic performance of these technologies, both with and without fertilizer, on-farm researcher-managed long-term trials were implemented over six seasons in two sites each in Vihiga and Siaya districts of Western Kenya. The economic results, based on marginal analysis using a multioutput, multiperiod model, show that the new cropping systems with fodder intercropping (push-pull) or soybean rotations were highly profitable. Push-pull is more profitable but requires a relatively high initial investment cost. Green manure rotation, IR-maize, and fertilizer all increased yields, but these investments were generally not justified by their increased revenue. We argue that research on rotation and cropping systems to tackle pest and soil fertility problems in Africa deserve more attention. This will require increased collaboration between agronomists and economists to set up long-term experiments with new cropping systems to develop proper economic models. [source] Policy dependency and reform: economic gains versus political painsAGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, Issue 2-3 2004David R. Harvey Abstract Economic analysis condemns market intervention in favour of farmers as inefficient and ineffective, and therefore worthy of radical reform. Practical experience, however, indicates that such lessons are hard to learn and implement. Economic analysis tends to ignore the path dependencies generated by the policy evolution process. Without reform strategies that take full account of these dependencies, policy reform will continue to be reluctant, slow and frequently counter-productive. This paper reconsiders the evolution of farm policies and the economic assessment of their costs and benefits. In so doing, it re-phrases conventional economic arguments in terms which seem to accord better with sensible intuition, which may prove more accessible and credible to policymakers and advisors. The difficulties of reconciling economic efficiency with political acceptability are identified. The paper concludes with a substantial challenge to the agricultural economics profession. [source] The economics of soil productivity: local, national and global perspectivesLAND DEGRADATION AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 6 2004D. J. Knowler Abstract Soil degradation is a mounting problem on many smallholder lands in developing countries. Economic analysis has been an important tool in addressing this problem, beginning with assessments of the financial attractiveness of investing in soil conservation works. Data compiled from 67 studies of the financial attractiveness of conservation technologies suggest that many can provide positive net returns at the farm level (64·2,per,cent). While such studies have made a valuable contribution, economists have been exploring additional applications of economics to the problem, such as the development of new perspectives under the guise of ecological economics. As a result, this paper argues it is an opportune time to assess progress in the field of economic analysis of soil degradation and to consider the policy ramifications of this research. Key issues are grouped into farm-level considerations, national policy linkages and global issues. A number of policy implications emerge. Clearly, devising effective incentives at the farm or community (collective action) level must be a priority. As part of this effort, even more attention should be paid to the influence of macroeconomic and sectoral policies on soil productivity. Since soil degradation is also a problem with global ramifications, there is a clear rationale for intervention at the international level via mechanisms such as international transfers. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Economic analysis of strategies in the prevention of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug-induced complications in the gastrointestinal tractALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 3 2004A. Lanas Summary Background :,It is unclear what the best therapeutic approach is in patients who require non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. In clinical practice, choice of prescriptions are often based on drug costs. Aim :,To evaluate costs per upper gastrointestinal bleeding avoided with different prevention strategies. Methods :,Two major strategies have been considered (coxibs vs. non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs plus generic/brand gastroprotective agent). The number of patients needed to treat to prevent a bleeding event, the cost of the drug and duration of treatment were used to estimate costs. Results :,Based on hospitalization costs of a bleeding event, no therapeutic strategy is cost-effective in patients without risk factors. All strategies (including omeprazole + coxib) are cost-effective in patients with bleeding ulcer history. With other risk factors, all strategies are cost-effective but prevention of events is twice as expensive in patients <75 years of age. No strategy shows superiority unless the cheapest generics are prescribed or a 50% reduction in the incidence of lower gastrointestinal complications with coxibs is confirmed. Conclusions :,Current prevention strategies to reduce serious non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug-associated gastrointestinal events are only cost-effective in patients with risk factors. No strategy shows superiority, but coxib strategy would be more cost-effective if it were associated with a reduction of events of the lower gastrointestinal tract. [source] Banking a hemi-abdominal DIEP flap: A pilot report of indications, technique, and utility,,MICROSURGERY, Issue 4 2009Sachin M. Shridharani M.D. We present a pilot report of "banking" the contralateral hemi-abdominal deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap under the abdominal closure in patients undergoing unilateral autologous breast reconstruction when a hemi-abdominal flap suffices. Four patients undergoing unilateral autologous breast reconstruction with a hemi-abdominal DIEP or superficial inferior epigastric artery flap had their contralateral hemi-abdominal flap left in position, or "banked," under their abdominal closure to be used in case of failure. This novel method may be of assistance when a free microvascular hemi-abdominal flap is felt to be threatened or suspect. It provides a life-boat for the younger and experienced surgeon alike, and most importantly, for the breast cancer survivor. Economic analysis of the technique reveals that the contralateral hemi-abdominal flap should be banked more often than intuition alone would suggest. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. Microsurgery 2009. [source] A welfare analysis of spectrum allocation policiesTHE RAND JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS, Issue 3 2009Thomas W. Hazlett Economic analysis of spectrum policy focuses on government revenues derived via competitive bidding for licenses. Auctions generating high bids are identified as "successful" and those with lower receipts as "fiascoes." Yet spectrum policies that create rents impose social costs. Most obviously, rules favoring monopoly predictably increase license values but reduce welfare. This article attempts to shift analytical focus to efficiency in output markets. In performance metrics derived by comparing 28 mobile telephone markets, countries allocating greater bandwidth to licensed operators and achieving more competitive market structures are estimated to realize efficiencies that generally dominate those associated with license sales. Policies intended to increase auction receipts (e.g., reserve prices and subsidies for weak bidders) should be evaluated in this light. [source] Mud crab pen culture: replacement of fish feed requirement and impacts on mangrove community structureAQUACULTURE RESEARCH, Issue 8 2010Jurgenne H Primavera Abstract Brackishwater pond culture has been a major factor in mangrove loss in Southeast Asia, hence, the need to develop environment-friendly technologies such as mud crab Scylla (Portunidae) culture in mangrove pens exists. This study evaluated the effects of mud crab netpen systems in central Philippines on mangrove macroflora, and the replacement of dietary fish with low-cost pellets. Wild or hatchery-sourced Scylla olivacea and Scylla serrata were stocked at 0.5,0.8 m,2 in 167,200 m2 nylon netpens (2.3 cm stretched mesh) in Avicennia -dominated mangrove habitats. The feeding treatments were: (A) Zarraga: (1) no feeding (natural productivity), (2) no feeding for 1 month+supplementary feeding, (3) fish biomass and (4) low-cost pellets, and (B) Batan: (1) fish biomass and (2) pellets+fish biomass. Feeds were given ad libitum twice daily. Growth and survival rates of S. olivacea in Zarraga pens were not significantly different among treatments, although crabs fed fish biomass had the highest survival, body weight and production. Similarly, growth and survival of S. serrata were not significantly different between the Batan treatments. Economic analysis of the latter gave a 38.5% return on investment (ROI) and 2.6 years payback period (PP) for pellets+fish biomass treatment compared with 27.5% ROI and 3.6 years PP for fish alone. Sensitivity analysis showed an improved economic performance of the pellets+fish biomass treatment by increasing the survival rate. Evaluation of mangrove community structure showed that crab culture reduced species diversity, numbers and biomass of seedlings and saplings, but not of mangrove trees. Therefore, mud crab pen culture is recommended for mangrove sites with mature trees, but not seedlings and saplings, and low-cost pellets can reduce dependence on fish biomass. [source] |