Does Price Asymmetry Exist In Commodity and Energy Markets?

Recent increases in the price of crude oil have led to a rise in the prominence of corn-based ethanol as an alternative source of energy. As a result linkages have been established between commodity and energy prices. The aim of this study is to determine if soybeans, corn, wheat, oil, and ethanol adjust their prices asymmetrically depending on whether their actual price is over- or under-predicted with respect to one another. This study’s goal of determining if asymmetric price relationships exist is accomplished by using monthly time series price data incorporated into a distributed lag error correction model distinguishing between positive and negative price difference and positive and negative values of the error correction term. The primary results of this study found that asymmetric price changes do occur in the commodity and energy markets. Interestingly, in all the asymmetric price adjustments that were found, with only one exception in the soybean-corn relationship, prices will adjust downward when the actual price of one variable is above its equilibrium price as determined by the price of another study variable and consequently would be expected to exhibit a downward adjustment in price in the following month.asymmetric price adjustment, grain prices, crude oil prices, ethanol prices, error correction model, Agribusiness, Agricultural Finance, Demand and Price Analysis, Marketing, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, Q11, Q13, Q42,

From Marriage to Political Leadership: Lessons in Social Competencies from the Igbo Conception of Marriage

Owing most probably to Western-style modernization, marriage is increasingly understood to be a business strictly for married couples. However, I argue that this is an error, as many inexperienced couples are left to their own devices, and thereby often fail to utilize marriage to acquire the social competencies that are crucial to wider social responsibilities, including political leadership. The modern atomic conception of marriage is influenced by the Kant-inspired Western conception of moral autonomy. Nevertheless, I reject this conception as excessively absolutist, and argue that moral autonomy can be tempered by lack of experience, human desire and circumstantial pressures in life. Many African societies view marriage as a union of societies rather than that of individuals, and I argue that the moral support offered by the extended family and the community at large is ultimately geared to inculcate in the spouses inter-personal and social skills of restraint, prudence, tolerance, constructive criticism and other virtues desperately needed to execute societal responsibilities. Key WordsIgbo marriage, social responsibilities, social competencies, social atomism, political leadershi

Critique of Nkrumah’s Philosophical Materialism

Kwame Nkrumah invokes the doctrine of emergentism in the hope of reconciling theism - a tenacious part of the African worldview - with materialism. However, in this article I seek to show that this reconciliation is not only ultimately unsuccessful, but is actually impossible. Towards this end, I identify weaknesses in what I call the six argumentative pillars of Nkrumah’s theory of emergentism (which he calls “philosophical materialism”), namely, his arguments regarding the origin of the cosmic material, the primary reality of matter, idealism, categorial convertibility, dialectic change, and the self-motion of matter. The article should provide not only alternative perspectives to Nkrumah’s metaphysics, but also highlight some broader metaphysical implications for both strong and weak emergentism. Key WordsPhilosophical materialism, consciencism, emergentism, cosmic material, categorial conversion, dialectical change, self motion of matte

Pemanfaatan Limbah Tomat sebagai Agen Dekomposer Pembuatan Kompos Sampah Organik

Kurangnya pengetahuan terhadap tomat menyebabkan masyarakat memandangnya hanya sebagai buah atau sayur dan dijual begitu saja tanpa ada produk turunan. Sehingga limbah tomat yang busuk hanya dibuang begitu saja tanpa ada proses pengolahan. Oleh karena itu, diperlukan metode pengolahan sampah yang efisien dan ramah lingkungan seperti pengomposan. Penelitian ini dilakukan dengan memanfaatkan kulit pisang dan limbah tomat sebagai agen dekomposer untuk dijadikan kompos yang lebih bermanfaat. Tujuan dari penelitian ini untuk mengetahui kematangan kompos secara fisik (warna, bau, tekstur dan suhu) dan kimia (pH, N, P, K dan C/N rasio) berdasarkan SNI: 19-7030-2004. Penelitian ini diawali dengan pembuatan ekstrak limbah tomat. Pengomposaan dimulai dengan komposisi P1 (kulit pisang 1 kg), P2 (kulit pisang 1 kg + limbah tomat 100g) dan P3 (kulit pisang + kotoran sapi), dimana penelitan dilakukan 2 kali pengulangan. Proses pengomposan dilakukan selama 8 minggu. Pengecekan pH, suhu, warna, bau dan tekstur dilakukan setiap hari. Selanjutnya dilakukan uji kualitas kompos dengan parameter Nitrogen (N), fosfor (P), kalium (K) dan C/N rasio dilakukan pada minggu ke-6 dan minggu ke-8. Hasil pengomposan secara fisik menunjukkan warna kehitaman, tidak berbau, tekstur terurai seperti tanah dan suhu mendekati suhu tanah (P1:27,71oC, P2:28,43oC dan P3:28,36oC). Sedangkan untuk parameter kimia secara berturut-turut yaitu pH (P1:10,2, P2:10,1 dan P3:10,2), N (P1:2,28%, P2:2,45% dan P3:2,22%), P(P1:0,38%, P2:0,36% dan P3:0,39%), K(P1:16,24%, P2:15,20% dan P3:12,72%) dan C/N rasio(P1:17,06%, P2:16,73% dan P3:18,88). Berdasarkan SNI: 19-7030-2004, kadar minimum N yaitu 0,4%, P 0,1%, K 0,2% dan C/N rasio 10-20, sehingga kompos yang terbuat dari kulit pisang telah memenuhi standar kompos yang baik kecuali pH

Analisis Faktor-faktor yang Mempengaruhi Permintaan Beras di Kabupaten Wonogiri

The purposes of the research are to knowthe development of demand for rice and rice demand estimation, determine the factors that influence the demand for rice, and knowing the elasticity of demand for rice in Wonogiri. The basic method used is analytical description. The data used is secondary data. Data analysis included analysis of the development of demand, the factors that influence the use of multiple linear regression analysis, the elasticity of demand, and demand estimation using forecast demand. The results showed that the growth of demand for rice in Wonogiri always increase every year and the calculation of estimated demand for rice resulted in a smaller number than the previous year. Variable price of rice, the price of cassava, soybean prices, the price of chicken meat, salted fish prices, and incomes of the population jointly significant effect on demand for rice in Wonogiri. Rice price elasticity of -0.810 means rice demand is inelastic, namely the amount of rice that requested changes with a smaller percentage than the price changes. Cross-price elasticity of -0.623 chicken meat have negative values indicate that the goods are complements to the rice. Income elasticity of 1.605 means rice demand is elastic ie when income increases, the amount of rice demand is also increasing, and rice is the normal goods

Point Coordination Function WLAN Traffic Loadings

The current proliferation of Internet and the advancements in its technology contributed significantly in the gradual shift from wired LANs to wireless LANs (WLANs). WLAN’s ability to provide high capacity links, mobility and low acquisition cost played considerable positive role in its popularity. The operation of WLAN in Nigeria is associated with excessive traffic loading that adversely influence its performance since bandwidth is usually very limited. Achievement of satisfactory performance standard under this condition requires thorough analysis of traffic loadings on WLAN. Therefore, in this work, WLAN performance analysis under traffic loadings is presented. Influence of traffic loadings on WLAN quality of service (QoS) parameters was analyzed using computer simulation modeling technique. It was shown that the operation of WLAN is highly influenced by the intensity of traffic that it supports. The relationships between the network quality of service (QoS) parameters and traffic loading for specified values of resources were determined. A useful control tool was derived from the relationships for the determination of the optimum traffic loadings in a point coordination function (PCF) WLAN

Perancangan Corporate Identity Waroeng Lesehan Bamboe Kota Batu

Waroeng Lesehan Bamboe adalah sebuah rumah makan pesinggahan yang terletak di jalan selecta kota Batu. Rumah makan ini membawa konsep sejuk, alami, dan asri sehingga suasana rumah makan menjadi nyaman dan menarik perhatian konsumen untuk makan disana. Permasalahan yang dihadapi oleh Waroeng Leseh Bamboe adalah rumah makan ini belum memiliki identitas yang jelas sehingga masyarakat belum mengenal ciri khas dari Waroeng Lesehan Bamboe. Perancangan corporate identity terdiri dari sebuah logo baru yang mencerminkan konsep serta filosofi dari Waroeng Lesehan Bamboe, setelah itu logo baru diaplikasikan kedalam Stationary, Merchandise, Seragam, peralatan kantor, buku menu, peralatan meja, dan Signage

The Two-Phase Arterial Blood Flow with or without a Catheter and in the Presence of a Single or Multi Stenosis

We consider the problem of blood flow in an artery with or without a catheter and in the presence of single or multi stenosis whose shape is based on the available experimental data for the stenosis in a human’s artery. The presence of stenosis in the artery, which locally narrows portion of the artery, can be a result of fatty materials such as cholesterol in the blood. The use of catheter is important as a standard tool for diagnosis and treatment in patience whose blood flow passage in the artery is affected adversely by the presence of the stenosis within the artery. The blood flow in the arterial tube is represented by a two-phase model composing a suspension of red cells in plasma. The governing equations for both fluid (plasma) and particles (red cells) are solved subject to reasonable modeling and approximations. The important quantities such as blood velocity, blood pressure gradient, impedance (blood flow resistance), wall shear stress and its surface integrated force are computed in the presence or absence of the catheter, and, in particular, effects of the stenosis, size of the catheter’s radius and the hematocrit due to the red cells-plasma combination of the blood flow are determined

The Two-Phase Arterial Blood Flow with or without a Catheter and in the Presence of a Single or Multi Stenosis

We consider the problem of blood flow in an artery with or without a catheter and in the presence of single or multi stenosis whose shape is based on the available experimental data for the stenosis in a human’s artery. The presence of stenosis in the artery, which locally narrows portion of the artery, can be a result of fatty materials such as cholesterol in the blood. The use of catheter is important as a standard tool for diagnosis and treatment in patience whose blood flow passage in the artery is affected adversely by the presence of the stenosis within the artery. The blood flow in the arterial tube is represented by a two-phase model composing a suspension of red cells in plasma. The governing equations for both fluid (plasma) and particles (red cells) are solved subject to reasonable modeling and approximations. The important quantities such as blood velocity, blood pressure gradient, impedance (blood flow resistance), wall shear stress and its surface integrated force are computed in the presence or absence of the catheter, and, in particular, effects of the stenosis, size of the catheter’s radius and the hematocrit due to the red cells-plasma combination of the blood flow are determined