IMPACTS OF LARGE SCALE EXPANSION OF BIOFUELS ON GLOBAL POVERTY AND INCOME DISTRIBUTION

This paper analyzes the impact of expansion in biofuels on the global economy, income distribution and poverty. It utilizes simulation results of two World Bank models: a global computable general equilibrium (CGE) model integrated with biofuels, land-use, and climate change modules, and a global income distribution model that utilizes household survey data of 116 countries. The first model simulates the effects over time of large scale expansion of biofuels on resource allocation, output prices, commodity prices, factor prices, and household income of the different countries and regions in the world. The second model uses these results recursively to calculate the impact on global income distribution and poverty. The results from the CGE model indicate that large scale expansion of biofuels lead to higher world prices of sugar, corn, oilseeds, wheat, and other grains, which lead to higher food prices. The increase in food inflation is higher in developing countries than in developed countries. The expansion of biofuels results in higher wages of unskilled rural labor relative to wages of the other labor types which are skilled urban, skilled rural, and unskilled urban, especially in developing countries. These positive wage effects on unskilled rural labor trigger movement of unskilled urban labor towards rural and agriculture. This is because production of feedstock in developing countries is relatively intensive in the use of unskilled rural labor. The effects of large scale expansion of biofuels on poverty vary across regions. But overall there is a slight increase in global poverty. The increase largely comes from South Asia (particularly India) and Sub-Saharan Africa. Significant number of countries in Sub-Saharan Africa show higher poverty with large scale expansion of biofuels. However, poverty declines in East Asia and Latin America regions. Overall, there is a slight increase in the GINI coefficient. There is a slight increase in the GINI coefficient in Sub-Saharan Africa and East Asia. There is a small reduction in the GINI coefficient in the rest of the regions.Agricultural and Food Policy, Environmental Economics and Policy, Food Security and Poverty, International Relations/Trade, Land Economics/Use, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

The cholesterol-raising diterpenes from coffee beans increase serum lipid transfer protein activity levels in humans

Cafestol and kahweol–diterpenes present in unfiltered coffee— strongly raise serum VLDL and LDL cholesterol and slightly reduce HDL cholesterol in humans. The mechanism of action is unknown. We determined whether the coffee diterpenes may affect lipoprotein metabolism via effects on lipid transfer proteins and lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase in a randomized, double-blind cross-over study with 10 healthy male volunteers. Either cafestol (61–64 mg/day) or a mixture of cafestol (60 mg/day) and kahweol (48–54 mg/day) was given for 28 days. Serum activity levels of cholesterylester transfer protein, phospholipid transfer protein and lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase were measured using exogenous substrate assays. Relative to baseline values, cafestol raised the mean (±S.D.) activity of cholesterylester transfer protein by 18±12% and of phospholipid transfer protein by 21±14% (both P<0.001). Relative to cafestol alone, kahweol had no significant additional effects. Lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase activity was reduced by 11±12% by cafestol plus kahweol (P=0.02). It is concluded that the effects of coffee diterpenes on plasma lipoproteins may be connected with changes in serum activity levels of lipid transfer proteins

Allelomimesis as universal clustering mechanism for complex adaptive systems

Animal and human clusters are complex adaptive systems and many are organized in cluster sizes $s$ that obey the frequency-distribution $D(s)\propto s^{-\tau}$. Exponent $\tau$ describes the relative abundance of the cluster sizes in a given system. Data analyses have revealed that real-world clusters exhibit a broad spectrum of $\tau$-values, $0.7\textrm{(tuna fish schools)}\leq\tau\leq 2.95\textrm{(galaxies)}$. We show that allelomimesis is a fundamental mechanism for adaptation that accurately explains why a broad spectrum of $\tau$-values is observed in animate, human and inanimate cluster systems. Previous mathematical models could not account for the phenomenon. They are hampered by details and apply only to specific systems such as cities, business firms or gene family sizes. Allelomimesis is the tendency of an individual to imitate the actions of its neighbors and two cluster systems yield different $\tau$ values if their component agents display different allelomimetic tendencies. We demonstrate that allelomimetic adaptation are of three general types: blind copying, information-use copying, and non-copying. Allelomimetic adaptation also points to the existence of a stable cluster size consisting of three interacting individuals.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, 2 table

A Process for ADM-300 Radiation Detector Modernization for Military Applications

An investigation to re-evaluate the current use in military applications of the ADM-300 Multi-Functional Survey Instrument and its requirements are provided. This paper outlines a method to upgrade the ADM-300 due to its eventual obsolescence using newly developed requirements that meet the original justification for use in the USAF in 1992. The capabilities and features of various detectors are analyzed and compared to the ADM-300. Response curves are generated using Monte Carlo simulations. The detectors are prioritized based on their performance to create metrics. A metanalysis of the metrics is conducted to limit bias within the process and justify their application in various military scenarios. The Colibri platform is the recommended replacement for the ADM-300 based on the method presented

Pengaruh Partisipasi Penyusunan Anggaran terhadap Kinerja Manajerial dengan Gaya Kepemimpinan, Motivasi dan Job Relevant Information sebagai Variabel Intervening

This study aimed to determine (1) the effect of budgetaryparticipation on managerial performance in the preparation of thebudget, (2) the effect of leadership style on the relationship betweenbudgetary participation and managerial performance, (3) the effect ofmotivation on the relationship between budgetary participation andmanagerial performance, and (4) the effect of job relevantinformation on the relationshipbetween budgetary participation andmanagerial performance. The subjects of this study are all managersin bank Riau Kepri. The data was collected by distributingquestionnaires to 138 respondents, but only 85 respondents who fillout the questionnaires. The analysis tool is using Partial Least Square(PLS) program version 2.0. The result show that budgetaryparticipation has positive and significant effect on managerialperformance. Furthermore, job relevant information has positive andsignificant effect with budgetary participation and the managerialperformance. The data of this study failed to support the mediatingrate of leadership style and motivation on the relationship betweenbudgetary participation and the managerial performance

Buonamico, the Latinist

Buonamico, a contemporary of Grand Master Brother Nicholas Cottoner (1663-1680), has left us a good number of Latin poems which I shall have the honour of discussing in this welcome collection of articles in honour of our writer. My interests shall fall on some of the Latin poems, prose and inscriptions Buonamico composed, with a view to illustrating the quality of the Latin he used and the prosody he employed in the poems. The poems under discussion can be broadly divided into three parts: 1. Those which belong to the Gaudia Melitensia sive Divi Pauli Apostoli gesta in Melita Insula totidem epigrammatis celebrata; 2. the Kalendae Maiae dedicated to Grand Master Nicholas Cottoner; and 3. the shorter poems and inscriptions dedicated to various individuals or referring to other decorative objects.peer-reviewe

Pengaruh Faktor-faktor Individual sebagai Determinan Corporate Entrepreneurship pada Perusahaan Keluarga di Jawa Timur

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk meneliti tingkat corporate entrepreneurship pada Perusahaan keluarga di Jawa Timur, mendeskripsikan faktor-faktor individual terkait dengan corporate entrepreneurship, meneliti pengaruh faktor individual terhadap corporate entrepreneurship, Pada penelitian ini yang dipakai adalah penelitian dengan pendekatan kuantitatif. Teknik pengambilan sampling yang digunakan adalah purposive sampling.Teknik analisis yang digunakan adalah statistik deskriptif, analisis faktor dan analisis regresi linier sederhana dengan bantuan program SPSS. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa Perusahaan-Perusahaan keluarga di Jawa Timur telah sering melaksanakan praktek corporate entrepreneurship,Hasil penelitian ini juga menujukan bahwa faktor-faktor individualberpengaruh signifikan terhadap corporate entrepreneurship