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Main Driving Force (main + driving_force)
Selected AbstractsPermanent and Transitory Driving Forces in the Asian-Pacific Stock MarketsFINANCIAL REVIEW, Issue 1 2002Ali F. Darrat This paper uses weekly data from November 1987 through May 1999 to examine whether U.S. or the Japan stock market (or both) is the main driving force behind major movements in eleven emerging Asian-Pacific stock markets. We find a robust cointegrating relation linking each of the emerging market with the two matured markets of the U.S. and Japan. The results also show that the U.S., rather than Japan, is the main permanent force driving the equilibrium relations across all Asian-Pacific markets. In contrast, the effect of the Japanese market on the Asian-Pacific region is only transitory. Therefore, strategic asset portfolios in the Asian-Pacific region should include Japanese stocks to diversify any country specific risks. As to U.S. investors, the persistent influence of the U.S. market may limit long-run diversification gains from Asian-Pacific stocks. [source] William Warham and English heresy policy after the fall of WolseyHISTORICAL RESEARCH, Issue 197 2004Craig D'Alton This article examines actions against heresy and heretics in England in the wake of the 1529 fall of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. It charts the brief re-emergence of William Warham, archbishop of Canterbury, as the main driving force, arguing that the lord chancellor, Sir Thomas More, did not assert control over heresy policy until late 1531. Warham's policy combined anti-heresy activity with attempts at clerical reform. Moreover, he sought to publicize and publicly refute the errors of the heretics, eschewing show trials and burnings. This policy ultimately failed, and was replaced with more direct action which saw several key heretics handed over for burning. [source] Complexation of sulfonamides with ,-cyclodextrin studied by experimental and theoretical methodsJOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES, Issue 7 2010Ariana Zoppi Abstract The complex formation between three structurally related sulfonamides (sulfadiazine (SDZ), sulfamerazine (SMR), and sulfamethazine (SMT)) and ,-cyclodextrin (,-CD) was studied, by exploring its structure affinity relationship. In all the cases, 1:1 stoichiometries were determined with different relative affinities found by phase solubility (SDZ:,-CD,>,SMR:,-CD,>,SMT:,-CD) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) (SMT:,-CD,>,SMR:,-CD,>,SDZ:,-CD) studies. The spatial configurations determined by NMR were in agreement with those obtained by molecular modeling, showing that SDZ included its aniline ring into ,-CD, while SMR and SMT included the substituted pyrimidine ring. Energetic analyses demonstrated that hydrophobicity is the main driving force to complex formation. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 99:3166,3176, 2010 [source] Spatial structure along an altitudinal gradient in the Italian central Alps suggests competition and facilitation among coniferous speciesJOURNAL OF VEGETATION SCIENCE, Issue 3 2008Emanuele Lingua Abstract Questions: What is the structure of the anthropogenic upper forest-grassland ecotone and are there differences in the spatial relationships between the tree species involved? Location: Valfurva Valley, Italian central Alps. Methods: We conducted a spatial distribution and structure analysis in three 1-ha permanent plots along an altitudinal gradient, from the treeline to the sub-alpine forest. We reconstructed the age structure from cores from each individual with diameter > 4 cm at 50 cm height. Results: All tree species and age classes examined had a clumped structure. The cluster tendency was more evident at the treeline where the environmental conditions are more severe. In the sub-alpine forest there was a repulsion between Pinus cembra and Pinus mugo but at the treeline P. cembra was frequently found downslope from P. mugo. Conclusions: Although human influence has been the main driving force in shaping the present forest structure, in the last few decades natural dynamics have become the predominant force acting on forest structure and processes, showing a higher magnitude as altitude increases. Our results emphasize the existence of facilitating and interfering mechanisms between different species. P. cembra seems to be favoured compared to the other tree species. [source] Microstructure and Molecular Interaction in Glycerol Plasticized Chitosan/Poly(vinyl alcohol) Blending FilmsMACROMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS, Issue 10 2009Songmiao Liang Abstract Exploring some basic interactions in blending systems is of great significance for designing a blend with controlled structure and properties. This work attempts to analyze microstructure and molecular interaction in glycerol plasticized chitosan/poly(vinyl alcohol) blends by atomic force microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. Our results show that the blending films are aggregated by spherical chitosan/poly(vinyl alcohol) blending nanoparticles. The size and aggregation behavior of these particles are closely related to glycerol content. The presence of glycerol gives rise to a continuous closing in Tg of poly(vinyl alcohol) and chitosan components, suggesting an improved miscibility of the blend. Strong hydrogen bonding interaction in the blend is observed and further distinguished by peak resolution. Moreover, more interesting evidence on the effect of glycerol in the blends is provided by monitoring the structure evolution of the blend at different blending steps using atomic force microscopy. The formation of strong hydrogen bonding network among glycerol molecules and polymer matrix was considered as the main driving force to result in the changes in the microstructure and miscibility of the blend. [source] Oil demand in North America: 1980-2020OPEC ENERGY REVIEW, Issue 4 2001Salman Saif Ghouri This paper first analyses price and income elasticity of oil demand in the United States, Canada and Mexico for the period 1980-99. Economic activity is the main driving force that influences oil consumption in each country. Changes in oil consumption generally lagged by a few years before the full impact of changes in oil prices was realized. Consumers in the short run are constrained by technological and other barriers and, therefore, less sensitive to changes in oil prices; however, they are more responsive in the long run , though response is still inelastic. The use of advanced technology facilitated these countries to use less oil over time. The paper then looks at demand over the next 20 years. The best-fitting model predicts that, by the end of 2020 (reference case), the USA, Canada and Mexico will respectively consume 24,900, 2,596 and 2,321 thousand barrels daily, compared with 19,519, 1,943 and 1,970 thousand b/d in 1999. The model forecasts economic slowdown during 2000/2002. The USA and Canada are expected to recover quickly, while Mexico will take longer. [source] Inside Back Cover (Phys. Status Solidi A 5/2010)PHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI (A) APPLICATIONS AND MATERIALS SCIENCE, Issue 5 2010J. H. Leach The Feature Article by Morkoç and co-workers (pp. 1091,1100) centers around the not so intuitive phenomena in two types of GaN based devices, namely InGaN based LEDs and InAlN barrier GaN heterojunction FETs. In terms of the LEDs, the paper uncovers that the quantum efficiency degradation observed at high current injection levels is not necessarily of Auger recombination origin. Furthermore, nearly similar behavior of LEDs on c-plane and mplane suggests that the main driving force for the efficiency degradation is not polarization induced field either. The data along with their interpretation should set the stage for an accurate physics- based model to be developed. In terms of the FETs, the authors show that there is an optimum sheet density, which depends on drain bias or the electric field in the channel, at which the LO phonon lifetime is shortest, the velocity is highest, and the device degradation is least. The average optimum density is near 7 × 1012 cm,2 which challenges the proverbial notion that the higher the sheet density the better it is. Another outcome of this discussion is that heat dissipation takes the route of hot electrons giving off heat to LO phonons which in turn give it to LA phonons when they decay. Naturally, the shortest LO phonon lifetime is best for heat removal and thus the devices are more reliable in addition to electrons traversing at the highest velocity. [source] Herb layer changes (1954-2000) related to the conversion of coppice-with-standards forest and soil acidificationAPPLIED VEGETATION SCIENCE, Issue 2 2009Lander Baeten Abstract Question: Did the composition of the herb layer of a deciduous forest on loamy soils sensitive to soil acidification change between 1954 and 2000? How are these change related to the abandonment of traditional coppice-with-standards forest management and increased soil acidification? Location: Central Belgium (Europe). Methods: Twenty semi-permanent phytosociological quadrats from an ancient deciduous forest (Meerdaal forest) were carefully selected out of a total of 70 plots dating from 1954 and were revisited in 2000. Species composition and soil pH H2O were recorded using an analogous methodology. The studied period coincides with a period of forest conversion from coppice-with-standards towards a high forest structure and with an increase in acidifying and eutrophying deposition. Results: Between 1954 and 2000, species composition of the herb layer changed significantly. Redundancy analysis pointed to increased shade resulting from shifts in cover and species composition of the shrub and tree layer as the main driving force. Soil acidity increased and the majority of plots entered the aluminium buffer range, which potentially affected herb layer composition. Observations at the species level, especially a strong decrease in cover of the vernal species Anemone nemorosa supported this hypothesis. Conclusions: Our results show significant shifts in the forest herb layer in less than five decades. These shifts were related to an alteration in the traditional forest management regime and increased soil acidity. Whereas the effect of a changed management regime can be mitigated, soil acidification is less reversible. Testing the generality of these patterns on more extensive data sets is certainly needed. [source] Environmental performance of lignocellulosic bioethanol production from Alfalfa stemsBIOFUELS, BIOPRODUCTS AND BIOREFINING, Issue 2 2010Sara González-García Abstract A ,well-to-wheel' analysis was conducted for bioethanol obtained from alfalfa stems by means of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. This analysis was compared with two blends of conventional gasoline with bioethanol (E10 and E85), all used in a mid-size car. A biochemical process including enzymatic hydrolysis and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation was considered. The life cycles of the fuels include gasoline production, alfalfa agriculture, lignocellulosic bioethanol production, blend production, and finally the use of fuels. The production of the alfalfa plant has two products: high-protein leaves for animal feed (the main driving force) and high-fiber stems. In this study, we assumed two allocation procedures based on mass and protein content, the latter reflecting the greater value of the leaves. According to the results, the use of bioethanol-based fuels leads to reduced global warming potential. A reduction in fossil fuel extraction of up to 72% could be achieved when pure bioethanol is used as transport fuel. On the contrary, bioethanol fuels are not the most suitable option when assessing acidification, eutrophication, and photochemical oxidant formation impact categories, mainly due to the higher impact from the upstream processes (specifically agricultural activities). LCA methodology helped to identify the key areas in the bioethanol production where researchers and technicians need to work to improve the environmental performance, paying special attention to enzyme production, onsite energy generation and distillation processes as well as agricultural activities. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd [source] Determinants and effects of foreign direct investment: evidence from German firm-level data*ECONOMIC POLICY, Issue 41 2005Claudia M. Buch SUMMARY FDI Firm-level evidence Foreign direct investment is an essential aspect of ,globalization' yet its empirical determinants are not well understood. What we do know is based either on poor data for a wide range of nations, or good data for the US and Swedish cases. In this paper, we provide evidence on the determinants of the activities of German multinational firms by using a newly available firm-level data set from the Deutsche Bundesbank. The specific goal of this paper is to demonstrate the relative role of country-level and firm-level determinants of foreign direct investment. We focus on three main questions: First, what are the main driving forces of German firms' multinational activities? Second, is there evidence that sector-level and firm-level factors shape internationalization patterns? Third, is there evidence of agglomeration effects in the foreign activities of German firms? We find that the market access motive for internationalization dominates. Firms move abroad mainly to gain better access to large foreign markets. Cost-saving motives, however, are important for some manufacturing sectors. Our results strongly suggest that firm-level heterogeneity has an important influence on internationalization patterns , as stressed by recent models of international trade. We also find positive agglomeration effects for the activities of German firms that stem from the number of other German firms that are active on a given foreign market. In terms of lessons for economic policy, our results show that lowering barriers to the integration of markets and encouraging the formation of human capital can promote the activities of multinational firms. However, our results related to the heterogeneity of firms and agglomeration tendencies show that it might be difficult to fine-tune policies directed at the exploitation of synergies and at the creation of clusters of foreign firms. , Claudia M. Buch, Jörn Kleinert, Alexander Lipponer and Farid Toubal [source] Interpretation of observed fluid potential patterns in a deep sedimentary basin under tectonic compression: Hungarian Great Plain, Pannonian BasinGEOFLUIDS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 1 2001J. Tóth Abstract The , 40 000 km2 Hungarian Great Plain portion of the Pannonian Basin consists of a basin fill of 100 m to more than 7000 m thick semi- to unconsolidated marine, deltaic, lacustrine and fluviatile clastic sediments of Neogene age, resting on a strongly tectonized Pre-Neogene basement of horst-and-graben topography of a relief in excess of 5000 m. The basement is built of a great variety of brittle rocks, including flysch, carbonates and metamorphics. The relatively continuous Endr,d Aquitard, with a permeability of less than 1 md (10,15 m2) and a depth varying between 500 and 5000 m, divides the basin's rock framework into upper and lower sequences of highly permeable rock units, whose permeabilities range from a few tens to several thousands of millidarcy. Subsurface fluid potential and flow fields were inferred from 16 192 water level and pore pressure measurements using three methods of representation: pressure,elevation profiles; hydraulic head maps; and hydraulic cross-sections. Pressure,elevation profiles were constructed for eight areas. Typically, they start from the surface with a straight-line segment of a hydrostatic gradient (,st = 9.8067 MPa km,1) and extend to depths of 1400,2500 m. At high surface elevations, the gradient is slightly smaller than hydrostatic, while at low elevations it is slightly greater. At greater depths, both the pressures and their vertical gradients are uniformly superhydrostatic. The transition to the overpressured depths may be gradual, with a gradient of ,dyn = 10,15 MPa km,1 over a vertical distance of 400,1000 m, or abrupt, with a pressure jump of up to 10 MPa km,1 over less than 100 m and a gradient of ,dyn > 20 MPa km,1. According to the hydraulic head maps for 13 100,500 m thick horizontal slices of the rock framework, the fluid potential in the near-surface domains declines with depth beneath positive topographic features, but it increases beneath depressions. The approximate boundary between these hydraulically contrasting regions is the 100 m elevation contour line in the Duna,Tisza interfluve, and the 100,110 m contours in the Nyírség uplands. Below depths of ,,600 m, islets of superhydrostatic heads develop which grow in number, areal extent and height as the depth increases; hydraulic heads may exceed 3000 m locally. A hydraulic head ,escarpment' appears gradually in the elevation range of ,,1000 to ,,2800 m along an arcuate line which tracks a major regional fault zone striking NE,SW: heads drop stepwise by several hundred metres, at places 2000 m, from its north and west sides to the south and east. The escarpment forms a ,fluid potential bank' between a ,fluid potential highland' (500,2500 m) to the north and west, and a ,fluid potential basin' (100,500 m) to the south and east. A ,potential island' rises 1000 m high above this basin further south. According to four vertical hydraulic sections, groundwater flow is controlled by the topography in the upper 200,1700 m of the basin; the driving force is orientated downwards beneath the highlands and upwards beneath the lowlands. However, it is directed uniformly upwards at greater depths. The transition between the two regimes may be gradual or abrupt, as indicated by wide or dense spacing of the hydraulic head contours, respectively. Pressure ,plumes' or ,ridges' may protrude to shallow depths along faults originating in the basement. The basement horsts appear to be overpressured relative to the intervening grabens. The principal thesis of this paper is that the two main driving forces of fluid flow in the basin are gravitation, due to elevation differences of the topographic relief, and tectonic compression. The flow field is unconfined in the gravitational regime, whereas it is confined in the compressional regime. The nature and geometry of the fluid potential field between the two regimes are controlled by the sedimentary and structural features of the rock units in that domain, characterized by highly permeable and localized sedimentary windows, conductive faults and fracture zones. The transition between the two potential fields can be gradual or abrupt in the vertical, and island-like or ridge-like in plan view. The depth of the boundary zone can vary between 400 and 2000 m. Recharge to the gravitational regime is inferred to occur from infiltrating precipitation water, whereas that to the confined regime is from pore volume reduction due to the basement's tectonic compression. [source] Always Poor or Never Poor and Nothing in Between?GERMAN ECONOMIC REVIEW, Issue 2 2010Duration of Child Poverty in Germany Child poverty; duration analysis; unobserved heterogeneity Abstract. This paper analyses the duration of child poverty in Germany. Observing the entire income history from the individuals' birth to their coming of age at age 18, we are able to analyse dynamics in and out of poverty for the entire population of children, whether they become poor at least once or not. Using duration models, we find that household composition, most importantly single parenthood, and the labour market status as well as level of education of the household head are the main driving forces behind exit from and re-entry into poverty and thus determine the (long-term) experience of poverty. [source] Services and functions provided by European city tourist offices: a longitudinal studyINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TOURISM RESEARCH, Issue 1 2003Karl W. Wöber Abstract Tourism has become a major source of employment, revenue, international awareness and opportunity in European cities. As competition among European cities grows, the efficiency of management in city tourism organisations (CTOs) becomes increasingly important. This article reports on a longitudinal study of 50 European CTOs over the 4-year period from 1995 to 1999. The aim of the study is to examine the changes in functions provided by European CTOs during the given period of time. Findings reveal that five identifiable function categories can characterise the changes that happened during the given period of time: hotel booking service, commerce, conventional information dissemination, advanced information product and relationship management. It is argued that information technology and role change are the main driving forces of these changes. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Household level tree planting and its implications for environmental management in the northwestern highlands of Ethiopia: a case study in the Chemoga watershed, Blue Nile basinLAND DEGRADATION AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 4 2003W. Bewket Abstract The unsustainable exploitation and destruction of forests is a serious environmental concern in the developing countries of Africa. One of its main driving forces is the growing population causing a growing demand for fuelwood. In Ethiopia, as in many developing countries, there is a heavy dependence on and a growing demand for fuelwood. This dependence has been contributing to a widescale deforestation, as stated in various reports. Contrary to these reports, a study in the Chemoga watershed found a slightly increased forest cover during the past four decades, which was ascribed to households' tree planting practices. The objective of this study was to examine household level tree planting activities in reference to biofuel consumption patterns in four sample villages in the watershed. The results indicate that fuelwood and cattle dung accounted for nearly 100 per cent of the domestic energy consumption, with cattle dung contributing 34 per cent of the total. Fuelwood and dung combined, per capita biofuel consumption was estimated at 511,kg,yr,1, but with variations between the villages and socio-economic groups. Supply appears to have influenced the quantity of biofuels used. The scarcity of wood for fuel and other uses has forced households to plant trees. This has contributed to the increased forest cover of the watershed at the present as compared to that four decades ago. Number of trees planted showed variation between the villages and socio-economic groups, which is attributable to physical and human factors. In promoting tree planting, agroforesters and environmental management planners should therefore take into account local level biophysical and socio-economic realities. This agroforestry practice is a good short-term solution to the problem of fuelwood shortage, and also has many positive implications for environmental management and agricultural production. Thus, it has to be encouraged. Spatially aggregated, local level agroforestry practices contribute positively towards global ecosystem health. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] ESTIMATED DYNAMIC STOCHASTIC GENERAL EQUILIBRIUM MODEL OF THE TAIWANESE ECONOMYPACIFIC ECONOMIC REVIEW, Issue 2 2009Wing Leong Teo Several versions of the model with different representations of Taiwanese monetary policy are estimated using Bayesian techniques. The major findings are that: (i) monetary policy in Taiwan is best described by a money supply growth rate rule; (ii) the Taiwanese economy is more flexible than the Euro area economy; and (iii) export price mark-up and investment-specific technology shocks are the main driving forces of output growth fluctuations in Taiwan. [source] The Electronics Industries of the Asia,Pacific: Exploiting International Production Networks for Economic DevelopmentASIAN-PACIFIC ECONOMIC LITERATURE, Issue 1 2001Mike Hobday Although the electronics industry has been one of the main driving forces behind the export-led growth of the newly industrialising economies (NIEs) of the Asia,Pacific, there has until recently been little empirical research showing how the various NIEs managed to enter international markets and gain technology. This paper describes the overall characteristics of the electronics sector in the NIEs, highlighting the main organisational innovations which have enabled local firms to enter international markets and acquire foreign technology. The OEM (original equipment manufacture) system, prevalent in East Asia, is contrasted with the TNC (transnational company)-led growth dominant in Southeast Asia. The paper also discusses the emerging ,contract electronics manufacturing', or CEM, which could threaten traditional OEM and TNC-subsidiary production in the NIEs. The electronics sector proves to be a rich source of empirical material, both for understanding the processes of economic development and for illustrating the role of latecomer enterprise in engaging with and exploiting international production networks. [source] China's Macroeconomic Development: Stages and Nonlinear ConvergenceCHINA AND WORLD ECONOMY, Issue 1 2006Pingyao Lai E20; E30; E61; F43 Abstract The central theme of this paper is that China's macroeconomic development can be divided into three distinct stages with significant trend changes. Market-oriented reform and opening to the outside world provide main driving forces for the convergence. However, the gradual reform and some inappropriate policies have caused serious ups and downs in China's macroeconomic performance. (Edited by Zhinan Zhang) [source] | ||||||||||||||||