Dating Breaks for Global Crude Oil Prices and Their Volatility: A Possible Price Band for Global Crude Prices

[[abstract]]This paper applies the structural change testing method of Bai and Perron (1998, 2003) to the problem of locating and identifying significant changes in the global oil market. We use this method to investigate daily WTI spot prices from January 2, 1986 to December 30, 2004 as collected by the DOE. Our empirical results indicate that a significant structural change took place on November 12, 1999. The average WTI price was U$19.02 per barrel before the structural change and U$30 .90 per barrel after the change. This higher price may well reveal clues for revising the current price band as claimed by OPEC. Moreover, the issue of volatility is also examined by following the same method. We find two structural breaks for the price volatility, and price is rather stable in the middle period. This interesting result is valuable in evaluating the current argument regarding the more volatile world crud e oil prices.[[booktype]]紙

AMiBA: Broadband Heterodyne CMB Interferometry

The Y. T. Lee Array for Microwave Background (AMiBA) has reported the first science results on the detection of galaxy clusters via the Sunyaev Zel'dovich effect. The science objectives required small reflectors in order to sample large scale structures (20') while interferometry provided modest resolutions (2'). With these constraints, we designed for the best sensitivity by utilizing the maximum possible continuum bandwidth matched to the atmospheric window at 86-102GHz, with dual polarizations. A novel wide-band analog correlator was designed that is easily expandable for more interferometer elements. MMIC technology was used throughout as much as possible in order to miniaturize the components and to enhance mass production. These designs will find application in other upcoming astronomy projects. AMiBA is now in operations since 2006, and we are in the process to expand the array from 7 to 13 elements.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, ApJ in press; a version with high resolution figures available at http://www.asiaa.sinica.edu.tw/~keiichi/upfiles/AMiBA7/mtc_highreso.pd

Task-Dependent Differences in Operant Behaviors of Rats With Acute Exposure to High Ambient Temperature: A Potential Role of Hippocampal Dopamine Reuptake Transporters

Behavioral or cognitive functions are known to be influenced by thermal stress from the change in ambient temperature (Ta). However, little is known about how increased Ta (i.e., when the weather becomes warm or hot) may affect operant conditioned behavior and the neural substrates involved. The present study thus investigated the effects of high Ta on operant behaviors maintained on a fixed-ratio 1 (FR1) and a differential reinforcement for low-rate responding 10 s (DRL 10-s) schedule of reinforcement. The rats were randomly assigned to three groups receiving acute exposure to Ta of 23°C, 28°C, and 35°C, respectively, for evaluating the effects of high Ta exposure on four behavioral tests. Behavioral responses in an elevated T-maze and locomotor activity were not affected by Ta treatment. Regarding operant tests, while the total responses of FR1 behavior were decreased only under 35°C when compared with the control group of 23°C, those of DRL 10-s behavior were significantly reduced in both groups of 28°C and 35°C. Distinct patterns of inter-response time (IRT) distribution of DRL behavior appeared among the three groups; between-group differences of behavioral changes produced by high Ta exposure were confirmed by quantitative analyses of IRT data. Western blot assays of dopamine (DA) D1 and D2 receptor, DA transporter (DAT) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were conducted for the sample tissues collected in six brain areas from all the subjects after acute high Ta exposure. Significant Ta-related effects were only revealed in the dorsal hippocampus (dHIP). In which, the DAT levels were increased in a Ta-dependent fashion that was associated with operant behavior changes under high Ta exposure. And, there as an increased level of D1 receptors in the 28°C group. In summary, these data indicate that the performance of operant behavior affected by the present high Ta exposure is task-dependent, and these changes of operant behaviors cannot be attributed to gross motor function or anxiety being affected. The regulation of dHIP DAT may be involved in this operant behavioral change under high Ta exposure

The Yuan-Tseh Lee Array for Microwave Background Anisotropy

The Yuan-Tseh Lee Array for Microwave Background Anisotropy (AMiBA) is the first interferometer dedicated to studying the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation at 3mm wavelength. The choice of 3mm was made to minimize the contributions from foreground synchrotron radiation and Galactic dust emission. The initial configuration of seven 0.6m telescopes mounted on a 6-m hexapod platform was dedicated in October 2006 on Mauna Loa, Hawaii. Scientific operations began with the detection of a number of clusters of galaxies via the thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect. We compare our data with Subaru weak lensing data in order to study the structure of dark matter. We also compare our data with X-ray data in order to derive the Hubble constant.Comment: accepted for publication in ApJ (13 pages, 7 figures); a version with high resolution figures available at http://www.asiaa.sinica.edu.tw/~keiichi/upfiles/AMiBA7/pho_highreso.pd

Taiwan’s Severe Energy Security Challenges

[[abstract]]This article illustrates Taiwan’s energy security challenges, describes trends in Taiwan’s energy usage and supply, and finally assesses policy solutions that have been proposed by Taiwan’s government.[[booktype]]電子

Chinese Gasoline and Diesel Demand

[[abstract]]This paper uses panel data analysis to examine those provisional gasoline and diesel demand from 1999 to 2006 in China. It is found that per capita GDP and per capita car have significant impacts on the gasoline consumption, and those variables of the gasoline price and diesel price and the per capita GDP have significant impacts on the diesel consumption. Since per capita GDP is still going up even in current world recession period, we expect Chinese gasoline and diesel consumption will still gain up. While the finding of more price sensitive characteristics for the diesel consumption indicates that it is much easier to restraint the diesel consumption as price goes up.[[sponsorship]]Department of Industrial Economics, Tamkang University[[conferencetype]]國際[[conferencetkucampus]]淡水校園[[conferencedate]]20090313~20090314[[booktype]]紙本[[iscallforpapers]]Y[[conferencelocation]]Taipei, Taiwa

A Quantile Inferene of Environmental Kuznets Hypothesis: Enconomic Growth and Co2 Emission

[[sponsorship]]Department of Industrial Economics, Tamkang University; Department of Economics, Tamkang University[[conferencetype]]國際[[conferencetkucampus]]台北校園[[conferencedate]]20060324~20060324[[booktype]]紙本[[iscallforpapers]]Y[[conferencelocation]]臺北市, 臺

Analysis of Chinese Oil Demand

[[abstract]]By implementing the parametric and nonparametric quantile regression method, we find cubic form relationship between oil consumption growth rate and regional GDP growth rate. Moreover, the higher GDP growth rate results in more diesel and gasoline consumption, while less fuel oil consumption in China, which indicating the increasing consumption of transportation fuels verifies the trend of more motor vehicle population in China. This trend is more likely to push up the diesel and gasoline price in the world.[[sponsorship]]世新大學經濟系[[conferencetype]]國內[[conferencedate]]20081004~20081004[[booktype]]紙本[[iscallforpapers]]Y[[conferencelocation]]臺北市, 臺