Climate change coalition formation and equilibrium strategies in mitigation games in the post-Kyoto Era

This paper analyzes the formation of country coalitions in the context of international negotiations on climate change mitigation and simulates the emergence of an equilibrium solution in this game-theoretic framework, while accounting for the interplay with external influences. Coalition formation is gauged through clustering analysis on multiple factors including natural, economic, and social factors, RCPs, and other aspects. Projected emission is found to be the main determinant in forming coalitions, and the USA, EU, China?+?India, and the rest of the world constitute the four-coalition configuration that is stable across different scenarios. Under this base configuration, the Regional Integrated Climate-Economy model for Coalition Game model is implemented to assess the sensitivity of equilibrium solutions to parameter uncertainties, sanctions on non-mitigation, and adjustments in coalition composition. The main conclusion of the game simulations is that no coalition would adopt a mitigation strategy at the Nash equilibrium if no penalty is in place. The Nash equilibrium remains stable even when the climatic and economic parameters are disturbed. As an alternative to the conventional game, an external sanction is imposed on coalitions that choose not to mitigate climate change; in this scenario, climate change mitigation propagates across coalitions according to various sanction levels. The paper also shows that a social welfare compensation between two coalitions may alter the equilibrium game strategy depending on whether the compensation outweighs the welfare loss from mitigation.     

Simultaneous determination of thirteen beta-blockers and one metabolite by gradient high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode-array UV detection

A new rapid and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method has been developed for the simultaneous identification and quantification in human plasma of the 13 most commonly prescribed beta-blockers and one active metabolite-atenolol, sotalol, diacetolol, carteolol, nadolol, pindolol, acebutolol, metoprolol, celiprolol, oxprenolol, labetalol, propranolol, tertatolol and betaxolol. It involves liquid-liquid extraction procedures followed by liquid chromatography coupled to photodiode-array UV detection with a fixed wavelength at 220 nm for quantification. Compounds were separated on a 5 microm Hypurity C(18) (ThermoHypersil) analytical column (250 mm x 4.6 mm, i.d.) using a gradient of acetonitrile-phosphate buffer pH 3.8 at a flow rate of 1.0 ml/min. The total analysis time was 26 min per sample. Extraction recoveries were between 74 and 113% for the polar compounds and between 20 and 56% for the most apolar compounds. Calibration lines were linear in the range from 25 to 1000 ng/ml for all compounds excepted carteolol and nadolol (50-1000 ng/ml), all of them with coefficients of determination (r2 values) >/=0.994. Limits of detection (LODs) ranged from 5 to 10 ng/ml. Intra-assay and inter-assay precision and accuracy were studied at two concentration levels (100 and 500 ng/ml). The intra-assay coefficients of variation (CVs) for all compounds were 相似文献   

A fatal dichlorvos poisoning: concentrations in biological specimens

Abstract:  A 54-year-old man was found dead with a bottle containing a brownish fluid near him. A toxicological screening was carried out in blood, urine, and stomach content. Only dichlorvos (2,2 dichlorovinyl O-O dimethylphosphate or DDVP) was found. A simple and rapid method, using DDVP-D₆ as an internal standard, was developed for the determination of DDVP by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The method was linear from 1 to 10 mg/L. Intraday and interday precisions were all <15%. DDVP concentration in cardiac blood was approximately four times higher than in peripheral blood. A high concentration was found in the heart showing a cardiac tropism of DDVP, kidney and lung concentrations being much lower. No DDVP was found in liver. DDVP stomach content was 38 g. The amount presumed ingested was 82 g, c . 1000 mg/kg of body. The oral LD₅₀ for DDVP ranges between 20 and 1090 mg/kg in animals but is not known for humans.     

Territorial Administration and Political Control: Decentralization in France

This paper, which is based on recent field research, suggests an interpretative model of territorial government in France. Relations between national and local authorities as well as policy- making processes suggest that the centralized state has faced a major decline of its hegemony and that decentralization reforms have induced a polycentric dynamic. Seven basic characteristics and three key properties of the model are discussed. The emerging model fits neither a new localism nor a new centralist pattern. It is the product of ongoing and incremental trade-offs between centrifugal and centripetal rationales. This complexity reflects a situation that is under the rather conservative, as well as tight, control of national politicians who hold multiple local elected mandates.     

Les sociétés d‘État au Québec: un outil indispensable

Sommaire: Depuis quelques années, l'intervention de l'État connaît une progression phénoménale sous diverses formes, l'une étant la création de sociétés d'État. Quoiqu'on remette souvent leur existence en question ou encore qu'on les critique, leurs agissements n'en ont pas moins été justifiés à plus d'une occasion. L'auteur, lui-même à la tête d'une des plus importantes sociêtês d'État canadiennes, donne son point de vue sur le rôle économique des sociétés d'État à vocation industrielle et commerciale ainsi que sur leur contribution au développement éonomique du Québec. Il retrace d'abord la raison d'être des sociétés d'État, propose certains éléments du bilan général qu'on pourrait en dresser et formule les limites et les conditions de leur utilisation efficace. Confirmant le rde fondamental des sociétés d'État à vocation industrielle et commerciale, surtout dans le contexte économique québécois, l'auteur précise que celles-ci ont contribuéàélargir la base industrielle du Québec, à l'enrichir d'un savoir-faire important en matière financière, industrielle, commerciale et technique, à développer son potentiel économique et à offrir des occasions de carrière dans la grande entreprise. Il conclut enfin qu'une meilleure performance économique repose sur la concentration et la concertation. Il importe peu, selon lui, que les groupes industriels, financiers et commerciaux soient publics, privés ou mixtes; l'important, c'est qu'il y ait des groupes puissants. Abstract: For some years now, government intervention has increased tremendously in various forms, one of which is the creation of crown corporations. Although we have often criticized crown corporations or questioned their very existence, nevertheless their actions have been justifiable on more than one occasion. The writer, who is himself at the head of one of the largest crown corporations in Canada, expresses his opinion on the economic role played by commercial and industrial oriented crown corporations, and on their contribution to the economic development of Quebec. He goes back over the raison d'être of crown corporations, and puts forward ideas for an eventual general assessment. He also speaks of their limitations, and the conditions necessary for their effective use. While reiterating the essential role of industrial and commercial oriented crown corporations, especially within the economic context of Quebec, the writer highlighted their contribution towards broadening Quebec's industrial base, and enriching the province with their considerable financial, industrial, commercal and technical expertise. They also offer career opportunities with large companies and are active in the development of the province's economic potential. Finally, the writer concludes that improved economic results depend on concentration and concertntion. He considers that it is of little importance whether industrial, financial and commercial groups are public, private or mixed; what counts is how powerful they are.     

Assessing information technologies and telecommunications services: the case of developing countries

The great challenge for policy research is to explain the complex set of interrelations among policy areas that were previously thought to be reasonably discrete and separable, and thereby to provide a better understanding of the environment in which informed policy decisions must be made (Melody 1990a: 16).     

检察院在民商事诉讼中的角色

检察院对民商事诉讼的干预程度与其提起诉讼或参加诉讼所追求的目标紧密相关。检察院是公共秩序的守护者、弱势群体的保护者,是法律和整体利益的律师,而不是私人当事人的代理人。     

Study of the diagnostic value of iron in fresh water drowning

The aim of our study was to test the diagnostic value of iron (Fe) in fresh water drowning by investigating the postmortem levels of hemodilution in drowning cases compared to control cases. Twenty-six typical fresh water drowning cases were selected from 128 immersion cases autopsied in our Department of Forensic Pathology between 1998 and 2004. The exclusion criteria were a long postmortem interval and other causes of death than drowning. For all selected cases, the diagnosis of drowning was based on the presence of autopsy findings and positive diatom test. A control population of 12 cases was also selected. For each drowning and control case, iron blood levels were measured in the left ventricle (LV) and right ventricle (RV) of the heart. The mean difference of iron concentration (RVFe-LVFe) between the drowning group and the control group was statistically compared. Furthermore, iron measurements were performed in 19 drowning cases showing advanced putrefaction. The mean difference of iron concentration was significantly higher in the drowning cases compared with controls (P<0.001). All drowning cases showed hemodilution. No overlap was found in the RVFe-LVFe levels between the two groups. Resuscitation attempts seemed to have no effect on the results. In cases of drowning showing advanced putrefaction, the iron test was not reliable because biochemical iron measurement was often prevented by no sufficient blood in the heart or postmortem clots. In conclusion, according to our results, iron seems to be a good biochemical marker in fresh water drowning with a short postmortem interval.