Condorcet choice functions and maximal elements

Choice functions on tournaments always select the maximal element (Condorcet winner), provided they exist, but this property does not hold in the more general case of weak tournaments. In this paper we analyze the relationship between the usual choice functions and the set of maximal elements in weak tournaments. We introduce choice functions selecting maximal elements, whenever they exist. Moreover, we compare these choice functions with those that already exist in the literature.Thanks are due to José Alcalde, J.V. Llinares and M.C. Sánchez, for helpful comments. The comments and suggestions of a referee’s report have improved the work; we are most grateful to her/him. Financial support from the Spanish DGICYT, under project BEC2001-0781, Fundación Séneca (PI74/00826/FS/01) and from the IVIE is acknowledged.     

Broadcasting standardisation: An analysis of the linguistic normalisation process in Murcian Spanish

The samples used from radio programme recordings have been demonstrated to be very useful sources for the study of styles and the analysis of linguistic variation and change. The aim of this paper is to show the results of a longitudinal study of Murcian speech carried out following a real-time approach with a retrospective trend design in order to detect and measure the apparent increasing diffusion of standard Castilian features from northern Peninsular Spanish over Murcian Spanish, a traditionally non-standard region. For this purpose, following the methodology used in similar studies, we focussed on the quantification of the level of standardisation of people interviewed in radio broadcasts in the last twenty-six years. In this way, the correlation of linguistic variables with social variables (groups) and time intervals, allowed us to compare and analyse the sociolinguistic behaviour of the different social groups in terms of standardisation (adoption of Castilian Spanish features) or non-standardisation (maintenance of local Murcian features) and trends.     

香港1997年後的政商關係:一個三維範型分析(英文)

本文提出香港97年回歸後政商關係三種互勤模式:社團主義模式、直選或多元模式、及委任或諮詢模式。在宏觀層面,立法會的功能團體選舉屬社團主義模式;由分區直接選舉選出來的議員則屬直選或多元模式;而委任非官守成員到行政會議則代表著委任或諮詢模式。親商派、獨立派及建制派議員或成員在立法會及行政會議的數目分佈一直多於反商派,這使商界自回歸以來迄今都處於優越地位,其利益在現行政治及行政架構下得到充分保障。     

Comparison of sample size formulae for 2 × 2 cross‐over designs applied to bioequivalence studies

We consider the comparison of two formulations in terms of average bioequivalence using the 2 × 2 cross‐over design. In a bioequivalence study, the primary outcome is a pharmacokinetic measure, such as the area under the plasma concentration by time curve, which is usually assumed to have a lognormal distribution. The criterion typically used for claiming bioequivalence is that the 90% confidence interval for the ratio of the means should lie within the interval (0.80, 1.25), or equivalently the 90% confidence interval for the differences in the means on the natural log scale should be within the interval (?0.2231, 0.2231). We compare the gold standard method for calculation of the sample size based on the non‐central t distribution with those based on the central t and normal distributions. In practice, the differences between the various approaches are likely to be small. Further approximations to the power function are sometimes used to simplify the calculations. These approximations should be used with caution, because the sample size required for a desirable level of power might be under‐ or overestimated compared to the gold standard method. However, in some situations the approximate methods produce very similar sample sizes to the gold standard method. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

‘Expressive-Instrumental Traits and Sexist Attitudes among Spanish University Professors’

In this study we analyze the link between Instrumental/Expressive traits and sexist attitudes. The sample is made up of 496 male and female Spanish university professors (230 women and 266 men). In addition to collecting sociodemographic information from the participants, the following scales were administered: the Personal Attributes Questionnaire by Spence and Helmreich (PAQ, 1978); the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory [ASI, Glick and Fiske: 1996, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 70, pp. 491–512]; and the Neosexism Scale [Tougas et al.: 1995, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 21(8), pp. 842–849]. The data reveal that while the participants in our study subscribe less to sexist attitudes than the general population, the men continue to hold more hostile and benevolent sexist attitudes than do the women in our study. Surprisingly, however, we find that both female and male professors are less favorable toward affirmative action aimed at increasing women’s presence in the public sphere than the general population. As expected, women and men are equally instrumental, although women continue to show a greater number of expressive traits than men. Conversely, men score higher on instrumentality/expressiveness, which correlates positively with instrumentality and negatively with expressiveness. We also find some significant differences in levels of instrumentality and expressiveness when comparing the male and female professors and taking field of study into account. Lastly, we find negative correlations between expressiveness and Hostile Sexism (HS) and between masculinity and HS among women, and between expressiveness and Benevolent Sexism (BS) among men. To conclude, we offer some insight into the potential implications of these results.     

Occupational Segregation and the Female–Male Wage Differentials: Evidence for Spain

Using matched employer–employee data from the Spanish labour market in 2010, we analyse the effects of industrial, establishment and occupational segregation on the gender wage differential, disaggregating the latter contribution by different groups of workers belonging to different occupational areas and responsibility levels. These workers are employed in 61 occupations within 26,492 establishments in 51 different industries. Since the matched employer–employee data exhibit a particular type of grouped structure, which contrasts the statistical properties of such data with the random sample case, we estimate the effects of each type of gender segregation on the wage gap using a robust specification. We find that the major part of the contribution of gender segregation is not explained by differences in the observable characteristics. Furthermore, the estimations show that the educational female advantage has helped to narrow the gender wage gap caused by occupational segregation within each establishment only for those groups of workers with the lowest educational requirements.     

The impact of venture capital on investee companies: evidence from Spain

This paper examines the impact of venture capital investors on the financial structure of investee companies and the factors relevant to their capital structure, differentiated according to the investor’s public or private nature. This paper contributes to our understanding of the beneficial effects of such investors in response to the funding needs of SMEs and the decisions taken in this respect. The empirical analysis shows that, on average, these investee companies have a lower level of short-term debt than the average Spanish company. It is suggested that the debt structure is related to the growth opportunities presented, the business sector, the geographic location and the duration of the venture capital participation. These results, which are more significant in the case of companies receiving funds from public investors, highlight the effectiveness of the economic function of venture capital.     

影子银行体系发展对货币政策效果的冲击研究——基于信贷配给视角

基于均衡信贷配给理论及影子银行体系,理论分析二元结构信贷配给下影子银行对货币政策实施效果的影响机理。选取我国2007—2015年的月度数据,运用结构向量自回归(SVAR)模型进行验证。研究发现,不同类型影子银行业务的流动性供给对商业银行主导的信贷配给有不同程度的弱化;扩张性货币政策下影子银行体系对经济有正效应,对扩张性货币政策实施效果起到正向促进作用;紧缩性货币政策下影子银行体系对经济的正向刺激作用显著,抑制紧缩性货币政策的实施效果。相比较于扩张性货币政策,紧缩性货币政策下影子银行体系对经济贡献度更高,对紧缩性货币政策实施效果的冲击更显著。     

Qui donnera effet à la convention du travail maritime de l'OIT, 2006?

La convention du travail maritime, 2006, qui entrera en vigueur le 20 août 2013, regroupe des dizaines de normes de l'OIT adoptées depuis les années 1920. Elle a été décrite comme le «quatrième pilier» de la réglementation internationale maritime, aux côtés de trois grandes conventions de l'OMI sur la sécurité en mer et la prévention de la pollution marine. Selon les auteurs, le défi consistera à l'appliquer au moyen des mécanismes réglementaires existants, soit la mise en ?uvre par l'Etat du pavillon et le contrôle par l'Etat du port. Techniquement, la responsabilité repose sur les premiers, mais la prolifération des pavillons de complaisance donne à penser que ces derniers joueront également un rôle crucial, tout comme, dans ces deux cas, la formation des inspecteurs.