Performance monitoring of three ecoroofs in Portland,Oregon

Ecoroofs, also known as green roofs, are becoming widely installed with relatively little data collected on their in situ performance. For this study, three large ecoroof portions (280–500 m²) located on two different buildings in Portland, OR, USA were instrumented and monitored continuously for more almost 3 years. For the Broadway Building, a student dormitory on the campus of Portland State University, measurement of ecoroof energy conservation and rainwater discharge abatement helped qualify the building for its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design silver award. Using an electromagnetic flowmeter, stormwater discharge was monitored and compared to rainfall. Over a 3-year period, rainwater discharge was reduced by about 25%. Rooftop heat flux was simultaneously measured using an array of temperature sensors. When compared to a rock ballast roof exposed to the same weather conditions, the ecoroof heat flux was reduced by 13% in winter and 72% in summer. Retrofit ecoroof installations on the Multnomah County Building, an office building, were also monitored for almost 3 years for two separate ecoroof sections with different plantings, using similar electromagnetic flow meters and a rain gauge. Overall reductions of rainwater discharge were 12% and 17% for those two ecoroofs. For all three ecoroofs, discharge reductions varied widely by month due to seasonal differences in the amount of rainfall. Based on the measurements taken in this study, ecoroofs in Portland, OR, USA appear to offer some performance advantages.     

Some statistical aspects of methods for detection of turning points in business cycles

Methods for online turning point detection in business cycles are discussed. The statistical properties of three likelihood-based methods are compared. One is based on a Hidden Markov Model, another includes a non-parametric estimation procedure and the third combines features of the other two. The methods are illustrated by monitoring a period of the Swedish industrial production. Evaluation measures that reflect timeliness are used. The effects of smoothing, seasonal variation, autoregression and multivariate issues on methods for timely detection are discussed.     

Headquarters′ monitoring mechanisms,subsidiaries’ financial slack,and the contingent role of subsidiaries′ external embeddedness

Within MNCs’ foreign subsidiaries financial slack, i.e., uncommitted financial resources in excess of those needed for current operations, may incur costs for headquarters. These costs may emanate from subsidiaries' decision to forego investment opportunities and stockpile cash instead, which, in turn, may lead to fewer resources being available for redistribution within the organization. From an agency theory perspective, headquarters can minimize these costs through monitoring mechanisms. While agency theory is considered theoretically appropriate for the study of the headquarters-subsidiary relationship, it reflects a rather undersocialized manifestation of human behaviour, which in turn limits its applicability. In this paper, we attempt to address this limitation by suggesting and empirically exploring that the effect of monitoring mechanisms is dependent (1) on the different types of monitoring used, and (2) on subsidiaries' external embeddedness. Drawing on empirical evidence from 94 subsidiaries of foreign multinationals operating in Greece, we provide some initial evidence on the differential impact of monitoring through expatriates and monitoring through bureaucratic processes. Most importantly, we show that subsidiaries' structural embeddedness moderates both associations. In doing so, we reveal that whether subsidiaries behave opportunistically or as good citizens is partially determined by the social context in which they are embedded. An unexpected finding concerns the positive effect of the origin of the CEO on subsidiaries' financial slack for expatriates compared to local managers. This finding underscores the importance of the CEO identity, and highlights the need for future research exploring its effect on subsidiaries' performance.     

中国居民消费价格指数间的关系与选择

居民消费价格是宏观经济监测的重要内容之一,其指数间的关系与选择具有重要意义。通过与国外发达国家的比较,从我国目前价格指数编制和选择使用的现状及存在的问题出发,研究环比、同比和定基价格指数以及环比“折年率”之间的相互转化情况和它们各自在经济监测中的特征。重点研究了基于X-12-ARIMA模型的环比价格指数的季节调整和同比价格指数相对环比价格指数对物价监测的时滞性。同时验证了研究中同比向定基指数转化的合理性。由此对我国居民价格实时监测的指数选择提供政策建议,也为我国价格指数的编制提出建议。     

Spatially Clustered Outbreak Detection Using the EWMA SCAN Statistics with Multiple Sized Windows

Spatio-temporal surveillance methods for detecting outbreaks of disease are fairly common in the literature with the SCAN statistic setting the benchmark. If the shape and size of the outbreaks are known in advance, then the SCAN statistic can be trained to efficiently detect these, however this is seldom true. Therefore, we want to devise plans that are efficient at detecting a number of outbreaks that vary in size and shape. This article examines plans which use the exponential weighted moving average statistic to build temporal memory into plans and tries to develop robust plans for detecting outbreaks of unknown shapes and sizes.     

动态因子模型及其应用研究综述

动态因子模型（DFM）的基本职能是对高维数据进行降维处理,即从高维数据集中提取变量间的协同变动信息。在理论上,本文系统梳理了DFM的模型形式设定、估计方法以及结构化建模技术的发展历程和研究前沿。在应用方面,本文总结了DFM在预测、构建经济周期指标和通胀指数、以及经济结构分析中的应用研究。最后,归纳出了DFM计量分析的研究脉络和未来的发展方向。     

银行贷款、商业信用融资及我国上市公司的公司治理

本文讨论了银行贷款以及商业信用融资对我国上市公司公司治理的影响.通过对1995到2000年间上市公司CEO更换的研究,我们得到两个结论:第一,在经营业绩为负的公司中,银行贷款与强制性CEO更换存在负向关系,而商业信用融资与强制性CEO更换存在正向关系;第二,在盈利能力一般的公司中,商业信用融资与强制性CEO更换仍为正向关系,但银行贷款与强制性CEO更换却不存在明显的关系.以上结果表明,商业信用融资在CEO强制性更换中起到了积极的作用,改善了上市公司的公司治理,而银行贷款却没有起到相应的作用,甚至有负面的作用.     

监视居住适用条件立法完善分析

监视居住制度存在内在缺陷,各种完善方案也存在缺陷。借鉴国外经验,从实现立法宗旨角度看,监视居住宜分解为限制居住和住地逮捕。基于此,监视居住适用条件设置应该按照限制居住和住地逮捕两种措施分别设置。     

Advances in monitoring and evaluation in low- and middle-income countries

Data to inform and improve health care systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) has been facilitated by the development of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems. The drivers of change in M&E systems over the last 50 years have included a series of health concerns that have animated global donors (e.g., family planning, vaccination campaigns, and HIV/AIDS); the data requirements of donors; improved national economies enabling LMICs to invest more in M&E systems; and rapid advances in digital technologies. Progress has included the training and expansion of an M&E workforce, the creation of systems for data collection and use, and processes for assessing and ensuring data quality. Controversies have included the development of disease-specific systems that do not coordinate with each other, and a growing burden on health care deliverers to collect data for a proliferating number of health and process indicators. Digital technologies offer the promise of real time data and quick adaptation but also raise ethical and privacy concerns. The desire for speed can cast large-scale evaluations, considered by some to be the gold standard, in an unfavorable light as slow and expensive. Accordingly, there is a growing demand for speedy evaluations that rely on routine health information systems and privately collected “big data” from electronic health records and social media.