Marginal cost and congestion in the Italian electricity market: An indirect estimation approach

In this paper we construct an indirect measure of the supply marginal cost function for the main generators from the observed bid data in the Italian electricity market in the period 2004–2007. We compute the residual demand function for each generator, taking explicitly into account the issue of transmission line congestion. This procedure allows recovering correct zonal Lerner index and the implied measure of the marginal cost function. We find evidence of a stable U-shaped marginal cost function for three main Italian generators, but a flat function for ENEL, the former national monopolist. The policy relevance of our approach lies in the possibility to offer some empirical knowledge of the marginal cost function of each generator to the regulator to design appropriate policy measures geared to the promotion of competitive market conditions. We propose a new market surveillance mechanism, which is based on the principle of sanctioning excessive deviations from the estimated measure of the marginal cost function presented in this work.     

当心新的"信息化陷阱"——合理规划、慎重选择"信息化"切入点

信息化巳成为当今的一大热点，文章以客观的角度分析了企业信息化应用的现状，阐述了如何合理规划、选择“信息化”切入点，对待实施信息化的企业具有重要的意义。     

The Influence of Immigration on Global City Housing Markets: The Canadian Perspective

Current demographic trends in Canada include population aging and declining household growth. These trends generally result in falling housing demand and stable or declining house prices. Housing markets in Canada's major cities, however, have been characterized by increases in demand and prices in recent years; due in large part to the influence of arriving immigrants. The destinations of 76 percent of international immigrants to Canada are the three global cities—Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal—where they have a very significant effect on housing demand, particularly as under current immigration policy many of those arriving come with considerable wealth. Their influence, however, is much broader and includes the growth of exclusive, prosperous immigrant neighbourhoods, new architectural designs and other neighbourhood changes. Not all immigrants, however, arrive with wealth. Many are poor, live in less attractive neighbourhoods and pay unrealistic amounts of their inadequate incomes for poor quality housing. Some end up homeless on the street. The role of immigrants in housing markets is an important consideration for urban and housing policy.     

用于多峰函数优化的小生境差分演化算法

针对监控视频图像的特点,提出了一种有效的实时视频降噪算法。首先结合多帧图像采用基于Non—localmeans的运动检测方法自适应地区分图像的运动区域和静止区域,对静止区域采用时域加权均值滤波,对运动区域采用空域ANL滤波。充分利用了视频的时域、空域信息,在去除视频序列噪声的同时很好地保护了图像的细节。实验结果表明,提出的算法在不造成运动拖影的前提下,能够显著提高视频的信噪比和图像的主观质量。     

一种高效挖掘冠心病医案关联规则的仿真研究

研究中医冠心病医案,高效挖掘有益信息规则问题,由于中医医案数据量大、关联性强,针对传统的关联规则挖掘算法处理中医医案数据时存在效率低、收敛速度慢及漏报规则等问题,提出一种小生境技术和基因表达式编程相结合的挖掘关联规则的方法。通过惩罚函数设置支持度阈值,利用小生境技术执行小生境演化、融合算法,结合基因表达式编程算法操作简单、鲁棒性强的优势搜索强关联规则,有效避免了算法早熟,解决了规则冗余。针对治疗冠心病的中医医案进行了验证性实验,实验结果表明,改进算法在提取有效信息的效率上有较大的提高,挖掘结果对冠心病中医临床诊治具有一定的参考价值。     

Local distributions of electricity demand

A simple model for how electricity use might be distributed over space is developed and solved. The model depends on a simple characterization of “heat islands”, and considers summer cooling use in particular. Various technological changes to allow for electric grid use of renewable energy and other technologies, such as energy efficiency and hydrogen or electric vehicles, change the outcome of this model, and produce a “saddle”, not necessarily a “duck curve”. Inequality in income and wealth drives these results, and policies to ameliorate or remove these effects will have to be and be seen as fair to those of various income levels and locations.     

Evaluation of two alternative carbon capture and storage technologies: A stochastic model

In this paper we evaluate two alternative CCS technologies at a coal-fired power plant from an investor's point of view. The first technology uses CO₂ for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) paired with storage in deep saline formations (DSF) and the second merely stores CO₂ in DSF. The paper updates and improves on an earlier publication by Tzimas et al. (2005). For projects of this type there are many sources of risk, three of which stand out: the price of electricity, the price of oil and the price of carbon allowances. In this paper we develop a general stochastic model that can be adapted to other projects such as enhanced gas recovery (EGR) or industrial plants that use CO₂ for either EOR or EGR with CCS. The model is calibrated with UK data and applied to help understand the conditions that generate the incentives needed for early investments in these technologies. Additionally, we analyse the risks of these investments. Investments with EOR and secondary DSF storage can only be profitable (NPV > 0) when there is a high long-term equilibrium price for oil of more than $56.38/barrel. When the investment decision can be made at any time, i.e. there is an option value, then the trigger value for optimal investment is significantly higher.     

Prices

Assessed or estimated prices and values for the major types of crude oils traded on spot markets. Updated on a monthly basis. Official sales prices (except as otherwise noted) and are generally market-related, subject in some cases to retroactive adjustment. Updated on a monthly basis.     

Media Niche of Electronic Communication Channels in Friendship: A Meta‐Analysis

The current landscape of communication technologies is characterized by a wide variety of choices. As each medium provides different affordances, each may occupy a different niche and be used in different relationships. Drawing on the theory of the niche, we did a meta‐analysis involving 27 effect sizes from 22 independent samples to test the correlation between media selection/use and friendship closeness. Results showed that the 5 communication channels filled 2 different friendship closeness niches. Mobile phone calls and texting had stronger positive correlations with friendship closeness than instant messaging, social network sites, and online gaming. Culture, but not gender, moderated some of these correlations: Friendship closeness had a stronger positive association with SNS use and online gaming in collectivist cultures.     

Territorial targeting in EU private law

In a series of rulings given in the last few years, the Court of Justice of the European Union (EU) has made use of the concept of targeting by a trader of a particular territorial market as a device for determining the scope of European legislation on private law. The concept is of particular importance in the context of trading activities conducted by means of the Internet, though its significance is not confined to such activities. In particular, the European Court has used the concept of targeting for the purpose of restricting the substantive ambit of intellectual property rights created or harmonised by EU legislation. On the other hand, it has avoided use of the concept of targeting in the context of EU legislation allocating jurisdiction between the courts of the Member States, even in respect of disputes involving intellectual property, except where a legislative text specifically invokes such a concept. The instant paper endeavours to review the position as currently established by the European case-law, and to predict the likely further developments.