Modelling repeated epidemics with general infection kernels : this thesis is presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Information Science in Mathematics at Massey University

This thesis is on mathematical modelling in epidemiology, exploring the generic characteristics of diseases in two different population structures. Integral equations are used, to model the epidemics in each generation (of the epidemic). Difference equations are then used to model the change in the populations between epidemics. Initially, single dimension populations are modelled, where the entire population is considered to be one class. Then the population is split into two classes and a similar analysis is performed, with critical differences noted between the two structures. An analytical approach is taken, with numerical examples. The work in this thesis is not specific to one disease, the main focus is to develop a stepped process between generations of the epidemic and analyse the behaviour

Independence-friendly cylindric set algebras

Independence-friendly logic is a conservative extension of first-order logic that has the same expressive power as existential second-order logic. In her Ph.D. thesis, Dechesne introduces a variant of independence-friendly logic called IFG logic. We attempt to algebraize IFG logic in the same way that Boolean algebra is the algebra of propositional logic and cylindric algebra is the algebra of first-order logic. We define independence-friendly cylindric set algebras and prove two main results. First, every independence-friendly cylindric set algebra over a structure has an underlying Kleene algebra. Moreover, the class of such underlying Kleene algebras generates the variety of all Kleene algebras. Hence the equational theory of the class of Kleene algebras that underly an independence-friendly cylindric set algebra is finitely axiomatizable. Second, every one-dimensional independence-friendly cylindric set algebra over a structure has an underlying monadic Kleene algebra. However, the class of such underlying monadic Kleene algebras does not generate the variety of all monadic Kleene algebras. Finally, we offer a conjecture about which subvariety of monadic Kleene algebras the class of such monadic Kleene algebras does generate.Comment: 42 pages. Submitted to the Logic Journal of the IGPL. See also http://math.colgate.edu/~amann

This is Bangalore calling: hang up or speed dial? what technology-enabled international trade in services means for the U.S. economy and workforce

The U.S. service sector is in the midst of a transformation similar to the one undergone by the manufacturing sector. Some jobs are moving to other countries, some are disappearing, some are being born. But the service-sector transformation is likely to be different. Technological advances and globalization are making it possible, but these factors reinforce each other in such a way that the gains to the U.S. economy are likely to be greater than with manufacturing, and the transition costs more widespread. Thus, superior and better coordinated domestic and international policies are needed to address the challenges and opportunities.Service industries

Protection and Retaliation: Changing the "Rules of the Game"

macroeconomics, trade protection, trade policy

Globalization and Productivity in the United States and Germany

This paper investigates the impact of globalization on productivity growth and the procyclicality of productivity growth in manufacturing industries in the United States and Germany. For U.S. industries, the analysis suggests that changes in international demand affects productivity growth differently from changes in exposure to international competition. An increase in foreign demand for U.S. exports raises trend productivity growth, but to a lesser degree than does a similar demand shock from domestic buyers. On the other hand, whereas an increase in U.S. imports reduces trend productivity growth of U.S. industries, a loss of market share to imports is associated with gains to productivity growth. For Germany, neither international demand shocks nor exposure to international competition seem to be associated with productivity growth rates, perhaps because German industries experienced a smaller increase in exposure to international competition over the time period. Comparing the U.S. and German results suggests that "going global" may affect productivity growth rates more than simply "being global". As for the procyclical characteristics of productivity growth, the U.S. and German measures evidence different procyclical behavior. For many industries, both U.S. and German labor productivity growth rates exhibit some degree of procyclicality. For German industries, this procyclicality of productivity growth disappears with broader measures of productivity growth that include utilization of capital and intermediates inputs. For U.S. industries, the degree of procyclicality increases when productivity growth is measured on these broader bases. Moreover, in the United States, procyclicality appears to be accentuated by export demand growth and dampened by import demand growth.

Transatlantic Issues in Electronic Commerce

The global and dynamic e-commerce marketplace will increasingly impact the nature of national and international economic and government relations. This paper highlights three areas where the United States and European Union (EU) governments differ in their approaches as to how best to serve their domestic constituencies: treatment of trade flows, approach to tax regimes, manner of protecting personal data. Because the Internet marketplace is global but policy jurisdictions remain local, policy conflicts can develop. Policymakers on both sides need to harness technology and promote incentives for the private sector to help solve problems caused by the jurisdictional overlap. In addition to cross-border jurisdictional overlap, problems within a country can develop from issue convergence and policy overlap. That is, because the e-commerce marketplace is so integrated, the policy toward handling one issue, even within the national context, has implications for the policy set that is available to policymakers on other issues. Therefore, policies within a country must be more carefully meshed with each other with an eye toward consistency in the face of the forces of electronic commerce.transatlantic issues, electronic commerce

Electronic Commerce in Developing Countries

Electronic commerce and its related activities over the internet can be the engines that improve domestic economic well-being through liberalization of domestic services, more rapid integration into globalization of production, and leap-frogging of available technology. Electronic commerce integrates the domestic and global markets from its very inception. Negotiating on trade issues related to electronic commerce will demand self-inspection of key domestic policies, particularly in telecommunications, financial services, and distribution and delivery. Technical aspects of electronic commerce, its complexity and the characteristic of network externalities should change the way that developing countries approach the external negotiating process to depend more on cooperative effort through their regional forums (APEC, FTAA). Second, since electronic commerce is characterized by “network externalities,” developing countries should take advantage of the technical leadership coming out of the private sector in the most advanced countries (and their own private sector, even if nascent) and “draft” in behind. E-commerce is not a service, nor a good, but something that is comprised of both. In the context of WTO commitments, embracing this idea could lead to a liberalizing bias in favor of electronic delivery of goods and services as compared to delivery by a scheduled mode. Rather than view this outcome with alarm, developing countries should encourage it as a positive force that furthers the development both of electronic commerce, as well as engenders deeper liberalization and deregulation throughout the economy.

Breaking Up is Hard to Do: Global Co-Dependency, Collective Action, and the Challenges of Global Adjustment

Leistungsbilanz, Zahlungsbilanzungleichgewicht, Vereinigte Staaten, Current account balance, Balance of payments imbalances, United States

Globalization of IT Services and White Collar Jobs: The Next Wave of Productivity Growth

Businesses throughout the US economy continue to transform even after the technology boom has faded. The key sources of this continuing transformation are investment in the information technology (IT) package (hardware, software, and business-service applications) and reorientation of business activities and processes to use both information and technology effectively.