Trade Policy Options for a Food-Security Commodity in Southern Africa: A Case Study of Maize in Zambia

We examine the performance of maize import policy options in one of the poorest countries in Southern Africa. The results are shaped by unique features of Zambia’s maize market: production that is limited by risk and highly variable returns, and local marketing margins that increase with imports and limit consumer trade gains. Results suggest that the market-stabilizing protection with the variable import levy (VL) may improve welfare, compared free trade or the current tariff regime. The VL also redistributes benefits to farmers and rural residents and away from urban consumers. Tax revenues could be used to fund transportation improvements or an urban consumer subsidy. Also, we estimate that market-led improvements in transport infrastructure, which would be conducive to more open trade policies, may be 25 years away.Maize Policy; Zambia; Food Security; Variable Levy

INTERNATIONAL PRICE TRANSMISSION IN THE U.S.-JAPAN SOFTWOOD TRADE

This article explores the supposition that international price margins in the U.S. Pacific Northwest-Japan softwood trade are influenced by nontariff trade barriers and inelastic supplies of international transportation services. Furthermore, it pursues the hypothesis that a regime separation occurs in the log trade with the existence and extent of rent creation related to conditions in the export market. Estimated price spreads which depend on trade volume serve as evidence. These factors magnify elasticities that measure the response of Japan's prices to changes in U.S. prices. Moreover, U.S. supplies on this market are more price-inelastic than its sheer size would suggest.International Relations/Trade,

On the propagation of oceanic waves driven by a strong macroscopic flow

In this work we study oceanic waves in a shallow water flow subject to strong wind forcing and rotation, and linearized around a inhomogeneous (non zonal) stationary profile. This extends the study \cite{CGPS}, where the profile was assumed to be zonal only and where explicit calculations were made possible due to the 1D setting. Here the diagonalization of the system, which allows to identify Rossby and Poincar\'e waves, is proved by an abstract semi-classical approach. The dispersion of Poincar\'e waves is also obtained by a more abstract and more robust method using Mourre estimates. Only some partial results however are obtained concerning the Rossby propagation, as the two dimensional setting complicates very much the study of the dynamical system

QUALITY DIFFERENCES AND PRICE RESPONSIVENESS OF WHEAT CLASS DEMANDS

Price responsiveness and preferences for wheat classes are measured using a Case function specification. Results indicate there have been numerous changes in market shares of wheat classes from different exporters in specific markets. In general, quality differentials are important in some international markets; in others, relative prices are more important in determining market shares.Crop Production/Industries,

Map it @ WSU: Development of a Library Mapping System for Large Academic Libraries

The Wayne State University Library System launched its library mapping application in February 2010, designed to help locate materials in the five WSU libraries. The system works within the catalog to show the location of materials, as well as provides a web form for use at the reference desk. Developed using PHP and MySQL, it requires only minimal effort to update using a unique call number overlay mechanism. In addition to mapping shelved materials, the system provides information for any of the over three hundred collections held by the WSU Libraries. Patrons can do more than just locate a book on a shelf: they can learn where to locate reserve items, how to access closed collections, or get driving maps to extension center libraries. The article includes a discussion of the technology reviewed and chosen during development, an overview of the system architecture, and lessons learned during development

Implications of MTBE Bans for the Iowa Economy

The growth of ethanol originates with a number of government regulatory decisions in the gasoline additives market. The ban on lead-based octane additives as a carcinogen during the 70\u27s and the requirement of oxygenated fuels in major U.S. cities in an effort to reduce smog has boosted the ethanol industry. Now a third regulation may also increase ethanol demand during the current decade. Methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), the oxygenated chemical of the petroleum industry, appeared in the drinking water in California and other states that use reformulated fuels. California banned MTBE from gasoline effective at the end of 2002 after the U.S. EPA issued a health advisory against drinking water with MTBE. California\u27s request for a waiver from the federal oxygen requirement for reformulated fuel, which would avoid reliance on ethanol, was denied by the EPA. Ethanol has an assured share of the California reformulated gas market since it is the only remaining oxygen containing additive. Other urban states on the East Coast also face an MTBE ban. Based on the EPA\u27s recent ruling, these states are unlikely to get an oxygen waiver and they will also require ethanol

Developing an experimental system identification method to extract air flow rates from room temperature measurements

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston UniversityThis thesis develops a system identification method which is capable of determining individual room air change rates by utilizing a combined low order physical modeling and experimental approach. Important aspects of this work include the development of the low order model, insight into the dominant thermal dynamics, development of the system identification method, and experiments which confirm the method. The low order model is shown to capture the dominant dynamics of the room air temperature response to a step change in the supply air flow rate with minimum levels of model complexity. Such a combined modeling and experimentally based system identification method is advantageous because it can be used to determine air flow rates for rooms throughout the building without utilizing numerically intensive CFD to model air flow or the more labor intensive methods of room-by-room air flow measurements. The energy used in operating a large buildings HVAC system scales with the air flow rate in the building, since a higher air volume results in higher energy expenditure for the fans to push the air and for the heating and cooling coils to condition the air. Older buildings, designed when energy costs were lower, typically utilize high air flow rates since this is the easiest way to meet ventilation and thermal requirements. However, HVAC energy usage can be reduced by minimizing these air flow rates while still meeting ventilation requirements. In order to achieve this, a tool capable of determining the air change rates on a room-by-room basis is required. This air change rate calculation method needs to be capable of performing the task without any pre-knowledge of the building and HVAC layout, since as buildings age their layouts can change, floor plans can be lost, and HVAC equipment can fall into disrepair. [TRUNCATED