Governance choices and policy outcomes in the Latin American and caribbean electricity sector

The paper first provides, for Latin America and the Caribbean, country-specific synthetic quantitative measures of the degree of adoption of governance reforms in the electricity sector, focusing on four key dimensions (market structure, private sector participation (PSP), regulatory autonomy and operational organization). These measures are then correlated with standard policy performance outcomes measures. The findings suggest that, the reforms, considered jointly, were statistically significantly associated with higher technical and process quality but not with social or service improvements. Considered individually, increased regulatory autonomy enjoyed the highest positive correlation with desirable outcomes, but PSP has no significant correlation with any of the outcomes. In sum, as of 2018, governance reforms, considered jointly, had still not delivered on some promised payoffs, notably in addressing energy poverty, although the sensitivity analysis suggests that, for some indicators, the relationships are stronger for larger than for smaller countries.     

中美典型高压页岩气藏钻井提速技术对比与启示

美国Haynesville高压页岩气气藏与中国长宁—威远国家级页岩气示范区下志留统龙马溪组高压页岩气藏的地质、钻井条件最为类似,前者的钻井提速技术思路对于我国页岩气快速钻井也具有重要的参考借鉴意义。为了实现我国页岩气藏的钻井提速,通过对比中国和美国典型高压页岩气藏钻井提速技术,分析探讨了上述两个气藏在钻井提速技术方面的异同点。研究结果表明:①目前美国Haynesville等页岩气藏已将水平段井眼尺寸从215.9 mm缩小到171.5 mm或161.1 mm,单井钻井投资降低超过25%,节能减排优势明显;②美国同行采用的"高效钻头+配套井下提速工具+钻井参数优化软件/装备"的硬研磨性难钻地层系统化钻井提速技术,值得国内重视、借鉴、攻关、应用;③"控压钻井+降密度"钻井技术能够在高压页岩层段钻井提速中起到至关重要的提速应用效果。结论认为,应积极在国内国家级页岩气示范区开展缩小井身结构尺寸及其相关的钻井配套装备、工具、软件的应用探索试验;在目的层段值得持续探索、优化、应用控压钻井技术。     

局部地区城市化及其与经济发展关系研究——以美国49个州为例

本文选取高度城市化国家美国为研究对象，对美国及其国内49个州的经济及城市化发展过程以及两者在发展过程中的相关关系进行分析，发现地区城市化发展特征差异明显，经济发展影响着城市化发展，相对的经济位置决定城市化水平的高低；但经济水平不是决定城市化发展的唯一因素，且经济发展对城市化的影响存在不同的阶段，传统的城市化理论已经在局部地区城市化发展中不再适用。     

Efficiency determinants of container terminals in Latin American and the Caribbean

Extensive use of containerized cargo has caused technological changes in the maritime industry and consequently port transformations. To face these new challenges, port reform processes were designed, coming to Latin America in the 90s. The main objectives were the modernization of ports and the promotion of competition and efficiency. However, there still seems to be potential for improving port efficiency. To assess the potential of this margin, this article analyses the evolution of the efficiency of the main container terminals in Latin America and the Caribbean, and determinants of inefficiency. One question this paper seeks to answer is whether increases in efficiency resulting from port modernization subsequent to reforms in Latin America and the Caribbean have been maintained over time. In addition, and in order to contribute to the definition of economic policies, the main objective of this paper is to analyse the factors that are currently influencing container ports inefficiency – specifically inter-port and intra-port competition. The estimation of a Stochastic Production Frontier shows an average level of technical efficiency of 83% in the 2000–2010 period, and a technological change of 5%. These results show that port efficiency has evolved positively, although affected by the economic crisis. Our findings also indicate that container terminals located in Mercosur countries, and ports with three or four container terminals, are the most efficient, and that transhipment ports are less efficient than other type of ports. According to our findings, LAC decision-makers should consider promoting inter-port competition and strengthening intra-port competition.     

1920—1940年代美国建筑教育史概述 ——兼论其对中国留学生的影响*

20世纪20至40年代是中国近代留学生在美国建筑院校学习的主要时期,当时的美国教育体系对于留学生后来在中国创办的建筑院校具有很大影响.本文试图在理清早期美国建筑教育历史的基础上,初步构建该时期美国教育状况的整体图景,阐释当时多种教学思想和方法相互交织渗透的情况,并审视其中直接影响中国留学生的几所学校,为进一步深入研究这些建筑教育体系多层次多角度交织影响中国教育的具体情况奠定基础.     

基于三方博弈的保障性住房选址机制研究--博弈失衡与角色重构

本文在对我国保障性住房空间布局的问题和建设模式综合分析的基础上,从三方博弈的角度,探讨了低收入居民的社会需求、开发商的经济诉求和政府对综合效益的平衡,指出我国保障性住房边缘化集中布局、职住分离、公共服务设施缺乏等问题根本上是源于因为政府主导、开发商偏向和低收入居民话语权缺失而失衡的三方选址博弈机制。最后通过借鉴美国保障性住房建设中角色激励的经验,提出了拓宽社会投资渠道、对开发商采用制度激励、强化公众参与和城市规划引导和控制能力等重构策略。     

Incidence of adenoviruses in raw and treated water

Adenoviruses are of major public health importance and are associated with a variety of clinical manifestations, i.e. gastroenteritis, eye infections and respiratory infections. The importance of water in the epidemiology of adenoviruses and the potential health risks constituted by adenoviruses in water sources and supplies are widely recognised. This study was conducted to assess the incidence of human adenoviruses in raw and treated water systems. Various raw and treated water were routinely monitored for the presence of adenoviruses, over a 1-year period (July 2000-June 2001). The supplies were derived from acceptable quality surface water sources using treatment processes, which conform to international standards for the production of safe drinking water. Adenoviruses were detected by firstly amplifying the viruses in cell cultures and then amplifying the extracted nucleic acids of these viruses using molecular techniques (nested PCR). The results indicated human adenoviruses present in 13 (12.75%) of the raw and 9 (4.41%) of the treated water samples tested. The combination of cell culture and nested PCR has proved to be a quick and reliable method for the detection of adenoviruses in water environments.     

An overview of the nutritional value of beef and lamb meat from South America

The southern region of South America, a subtropical and temperate zone, is an important region for the production of beef and lamb meat, which is mainly produced in extensive pasture-based systems. Because of its content in highly valuable nutrients such as iron, zinc, selenium, fatty acids, and vitamins, meat is a unique and necessary food for the human diet in order to secure a long and healthy life, without nutritional deficiencies. Beef and lamb production systems based on temperate or tropical grasslands show interesting and, in some cases, a differential content in minerals, fatty acids and vitamins. This review deals with the distinctive aspects of the nutritional quality of beef and lamb meat produced in this region in terms of nutritional composition and the bioavailability of key nutrients related to its contribution for a healthy diet for all ages.     

Sustainability impact assessment of trade policy and its application in the context of Latin America

This paper gives a panoramic view of the state of the art of sustainability impact assessment (SIA) of trade policy in Latin American countries. Whereas in developed countries, such as the USA, Canada and the European Union, SIA is quite consolidated, in Latin America the practice is in its infancy, and it has mainly been driven by non-governmental and international organisations. Its value is indisputable, particularly in terms of the insights into the trade-development relationship, the opportunities for defining relevant monitoring processes, and the participation process it encompasses. The paper argues for the prompt implementation of specific, and regionally relevant, SIA processes in Latin America.     

中美煤矿事故调查报告的对比研究

为找出中美煤矿事故调查报告的异同,给我国事故调查报告的编写提供具体建议,以中美两国正式发布的事故调查报告为研究基础,系统调研事故调查相关文献,对事故调查报告编写依据进行分析,并以中国金山沟煤矿"10·30"特别重大瓦斯爆炸事故和美国Upper Big Branch煤矿事故调查报告为例,从报告的结构内容和原因2方面进行具体分析。结果表明,中国应该出台统一的煤矿事故调查报告编写标准,实现事故调查报告标准化;美国事故调查报告不包含责任追究部分,原因分析部分所占篇幅多;美国事故调查进行原因分析时与中国所站角度不同,美国仅对事故单位进行分析,中国除此外还分析相关单位问题。