Design Digestion: work in progress

Enough of taste and mastication. It is time to look beyond the momentary, tasteful consumption of designed objects, in order to make account of the various meanings that are generated through their more drawn-out engagements. It seems to us that the discourses around consumption that have abounded in Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences in the last 40 years have simultaneously limited their focus on one aspect of our relationship with designed objects, services, images &c., and confused such a limited focus with all characteristics of this relationship: the term “consumption” seems to refer to everything from desire through acquisition to use. Under the auspices of discourses of consumption, objects, once consumed, are destined only for the rubbish tip. Is there any wonder that consumer culture is one that prioritizes taste and waste? The long, alimentary process in-between seems to be largely forgotten. We will offer a furthering of the biological metaphor beyond the mouth—the site of consumption—by stating that after the initial burst of taste that consuming designed objects gives, there is a more prolonged digestion. Digestion takes time; it breaks down the thing(s) digested and thus broken, the digested bits are used by our systems in various ways. In this paper we will focus on this process, in order to outline the beginnings of a theory of digestion; an outline that is based-upon an analysis of the rituals, practices and other experiences that people have with designed objects. It is important for us that such an account is not merely reflective and analytical of the culture in which design operates. Once we have articulated this theory of digestion, it is our intention to use it to generate real design outcomes in a commercial setting. The move from, and relationship between, the theoretical/analytical and the creative/synthetic is an important one

A discrete martingale model of pension fund guarantees in

In this paper we present a solution to the problem of pricing guarantees of minimum returns on pension fund contributions. These guarantees exist by law in Colombia and cover all pension fund contributions made to the country's private pension fund administration companies (AFPs). As of September 1997, the funds were collecting contributions of 2.5 million affiliates with an accumulated capital of 1.8 billion dollars starting from zero in 1994. Two types of guarantees exist: on obligatory contributions and on voluntary contributions. The solutions are based on a discrete martingale approach . We show that both guarantees are equivalent to an ''option to exchange.'' However, in the case of voluntary contributions a ceiling on the payoff s must be added. Using a discrete martingale framework and a binomial solution we develop all aspects of the model that are necessary for its practical application in the context of the pension fund guarantees. Binomial formulas are obtained for both forms of guarantees. Besides solving the problem of pricing the guarantees offered by insurance fund, the contributions in terms of options theory of this paper are: i) we adapt the binomila model of options to exchange to relate the relevant parameters of the same to a continuous-time lognormal process; ii) we provide a binomial solution to the problem of an option to exchange with a ceiling. We then investigate the incentives that the current fixed-price system introduces and propose possible systems of incentives that can be used to encourage higher-risk investment by the AFP's and a shift of the fund's portfolio to risky equity and debt. Given the country's effort to encourage capital markets development and the financing of the real sector via private financial markets, this strategy appears to be desirable from the social and economic point of view.Pension funds, guarantees, options pricing, Colombia, Latin America

Returns to Mobility in the Transition to a Market Economy

In spite of ongoing dramatic changes in labor market structure, transitional economies display rather low worker flows across sectors and occupations. Such low mobility can be explained by low returns to job changes as well as by market segmentation in the allocation of job offers. We develop an econometric model which enables us to characterize intertemporal changes in probabilities of dismissal, remuneration, and offer arrival rates on the basis of information on observed transitions and wage payments. The model is estimated using data from the Polish Labor Force Survey. Our results indicate a significant degree of segmentation in the allocation of job offers and more stability in public sector versus private sector jobs. Our model can also be used for policy experiments. In particular, we infer that reductions of 10 per cent in the generosity of unemployment benefits will not significantly boost outflows from the unemployment state. These findings support explanations for low mobility in transitional economies, which are based on informational failures, and high costs of moving from public to private enterprises for those with high levels of job tenure and labor market experience in the public sector.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/39604/2/wp217.pd

The Finnish Development Cooperation in the Water Sector

This report evaluates Finland's participation in the water and sanitation sector from 1995 through 2009. Drawing from previous assessments as well as original research, the authors evaluate the country's performance in the water sector of its partner countries Ethiopia, Kenya, Nepal and Vietnam through an evaluation matrix. Most of the projects in these countries are water and sanitation for rural and small towns, though a few more recent projects in Ethiopia and Nepal focus on water resource management. The evaluation urges the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland (MFA) to better globally disseminate information on a few of its projects that they consider to be "jewels in the crown", particularly Community Development Funds in Ethiopia and Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (Support) Programme in Nepal. Scaling up and replication present important challenges

Homogenization of cocoa beans fermentation to upgrade quality using an original improved fermenter

Cocoa beans (Theobroma cocoa L.) are the main components for chocolate manufacturing. The beans must be correctly fermented at first. Traditional process to perform the first fermentation (lactic fermentation) often consists in confining cacao beans using banana leaves or a fermentation basket, both of them leading to a poor product thermal insulation and to an inability to mix the product. Box fermenter reduces this loss by using a wood with large thickness (e>3cm), but mixing to homogenize the product is still hard to perform. Automatic fermenters are not rentable for most of producers. Heat (T>45°C) and acidity produced during the fermentation by microbiology activity of yeasts and bacteria are enabling the emergence of potential flavor and taste of future chocolate. In this study, a cylindro-rotative fermenter (FCR-V1) has been built and coconut fibers were used in its structure to confine heat. An axis of rotation (360°) has been integrated to facilitate the turning and homogenization of beans in the fermenter. This axis permits to put fermenter in a vertical position during the anaerobic alcoholic phase of fermentation, and horizontally during acetic phase to take advantage of the mid height filling. For circulation of air flow during turning in acetic phase, two woven rattan with grid have been made, one for the top and second for the bottom of the fermenter. In order to reduce air flow during acetic phase, two airtight covers are put on each grid cover. The efficiency of the turning by this kind of rotation, coupled with homogenization of the temperature, caused by the horizontal position in the acetic phase of the fermenter, contribute to having a good proportion of well-fermented beans (83.23%). In addition, beans'pH values ranged between 4.5 and 5.5. These values are ideal for enzymatic activity in the production of the aromatic compounds inside beans. The regularity of mass loss during all fermentation makes it possible to predict the drying surface corresponding to the amount being fermented. (Résumé d'auteur

A New World Order: Explaining the Emergence of the Classical Gold Standard

The classical gold standard only gradually became an international monetary regime after 1870. This paper provides a cross-country analysis of why countries adopted when they did. I use duration analysis to show that network externalities operating through trade channels help explain the pattern of diffusion of the gold standard. Countries adopted the gold standard sooner when they had a large share of trade with other gold countries relative to GDP. The quality of the financial system also played a role. Support is found for the idea that a weak gold backing for paper currency emissions, possibly because of an unsustainable fiscal position or an un-sound banking system, delayed adoption. A large public debt burden also led to a later transition. Data are also consistent with the idea that nations adopted the gold standard earlier to lower the costs of borrowing on international capital markets. I find no evidence that the level of exchange rate volatility or agricultural interests mattered for the timing of adoption.

Crisis and innovation in Japan: a new future through techno-entrepreneurship?

This paper looks at the profound transitions Japan is currently experiencing, focusing on 'techno-entrepreneurship' and ideological currents of nationalism and internationalism. After a brief examination of Japan's financial crisis, it focuses on manufacturing, both in large firms - with a case study of electric-electronics giant Hitachi - and small firms. It then looks at policy attempts to strengthen the science and technology base, and reforms to the bureaucracy itself. While rejecting some of the more simplistic 'systemic failure' explanations of Japan's 'lost decade', it argues that past success made incremental reform problematic, and conversely that multiple transitions have complicated subsequent attempts at reform. A reversion to learning from abroad (notably the US) and openness to inward investment mark a modification of 'techno-nationalism', though not its disappearance.Asian Crisis, Japanese political economy, transition, techno-entrepreneurship, science and technology

Endogenous Constitutions

We present a theory of the choice of alternative democratic constitutions, a majoritarian or a consensual one, in a n unequal society. A majoritarian democracy redistributes resources from the collectivity toward relatively few people, and has a relatively small government and low level of taxation. A consensual democracy redistributes resources toward a broader spectrum of social groups but also have a larger government and a higher level of taxation. A consensual system turns out to be preferred by the society when ex ante income inequality is relatively low, while a majoritarian system is chosen when income inequality is relatively high. Moreover, we obtain that consensual democracies should be expected to be ruled more often by center-left coalitions. Finally, our model also provides a new rationale, based on the endogeneity of the political system, of the positive or absent (rather than negative) association between equality and redistribution transpiring from the cross-sectional evidence of developed countries presented in some recent studies. Some historical and empirical evidence supporting our results is provided.Endogenous Constitutions; Consensual Democracy; Majoritarian Democracy; Inequality; Heterogeneity; Redistribution

- SEQUENTIAL DECISIONS IN THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS PROBLEM

This paper studies the sequential mechanisms which mimic matching procedures formany-to-one-real-life matching markets. We provide a family of mechanisms implementing thestudent´ optimal allocation in subgame perfect equibrium.Matching, Implementation, Mechanism Design