The economic policy of acquiring foreign currency in wartime: The example of Croatia

This paper attempts to describe the methods employed by the Croatian government in order to acquire the foreign currency which was essential for strategic imports during the period 1991–1995. The starting point for this was the fact that foreign currency was in the hands of Croatian households, export companies, and Croatian companies abroad. The Croatian central bank gained access to households’ foreign currency principally by gaining their confidence. It gained access to companies’ currency by means of “export rights”, and perhaps also as a result of the integration of political and economic positions which was a relic of the former Yugoslavia.     

基于CFD与近似模型的坦克百叶窗优化方法

建立了一种基于百叶窗三维CFD（ComputationalFluidDynamics）模型与近似模型的百叶窗结构优化方法。通过试验设计DOE（DesignOfExperiment）以及CFD计算分析,得到空气流经百叶窗后的压力降。将目标函数所包含的百叶窗性能参数通过加权后,应用iSIGHTFD软件构建响应面近似模型,以序列二次规划算法对百叶窗最优结构求解,其最终结果显示,目标函数较原模型减少8．43％。该方法简单,能直接用于一般百叶窗结构优化设计。     

AFM探针针尖曲率半径显微测量方法

探针针尖曲率半径是影响原子力显微镜分析与观测精度的关键要素之一,微小光学零件采用的精密测量技术不适于分析非透明探针针尖曲率半径。以高分辨率扫描电子显微镜图像为分析对象,采用灰质化、滤波降噪等图像预处理和Canny边缘检测技术获取针尖轮廓,对轮廓坐标采样后利用非线性高阶多项式函数拟合轮廓曲线,根据扫描电镜图像的度量标尺换算得到针尖实际曲率半径。结果表明：该方法对AFM探针针尖曲率半径的测量偏差不超过15％,具有较高测试精度和广泛应用前景。     

An economic lot‐sizing problem with perishable inventory and economies of scale costs: Approximation solutions and worst case analysis

The costs of many economic activities such as production, purchasing, distribution, and inventory exhibit economies of scale under which the average unit cost decreases as the total volume of the activity increases. In this paper, we consider an economic lot‐sizing problem with general economies of scale cost functions. Our model is applicable to both nonperishable and perishable products. For perishable products, the deterioration rate and inventory carrying cost in each period depend on the age of the inventory. Realizing that the problem is NP‐hard, we analyze the effectiveness of easily implementable policies. We show that the cost of the best Consecutive‐Cover‐Ordering (CCO) policy, which can be found in polynomial time, is guaranteed to be no more than (4 + 5)/7 ≈ 1.52 times the optimal cost. In addition, if the ordering cost function does not change from period to period, the cost of the best CCO policy is no more than 1.5 times the optimal cost. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2005.     

The nexus between military expenditures and economic growth in the BRICS and the US: an empirical note

This empirical note re-examines the causal linkages between military expenditures and economic growth for the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) and that for the USA during the period 1988–2012. Results of Granger causality tests show that military expenditures influence economic growth in the USA, economic growth influences military expenditures in both Brazil and India, a feedback between military expenditures and economic growth in Russia, and no causal relation exists between military expenditures and economic growth in China and South Africa. The findings of this study can provide important policy implications for the BRICS countries and also for the USA.     

The impact of political instability on the economic growth of ECOWAS member countries

This study contributes to the literature on political instability and economic growth by specifically investigating the impact of political instability on the economic growth of member countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). West Africa is regarded as the riskiest sub-region within the African continent. To achieve this objective, this study employed panel data techniques (fixed effects and generalised method of moments) on a sample of 15 ECOWAS member countries for the period 2005–2012. The findings from the analyses showed that terrorism, poor governance, social unrest, youth unemployment, death rate and natural resource rent have negative relationships with economic growth. The findings and policy implications deduced from this study could not have been any timelier considering the recent escalation of instability in West African countries and their fragile growth prospects.     

Is human trafficking the dark side of economic freedom?

Economic freedom has increased living standards worldwide. Concurrent with such gains are rising concerns about potential human costs associated with free markets. This paper uses data on human trafficking and anti-trafficking policies, in conjunction with a measure of economic freedom, to examine whether free markets exacerbate or attenuate the incidence of human trafficking and policies designed to combat it. We do not find evidence suggesting that economic freedom is associated with human trafficking. In addition, our results suggest that economically free countries are more likely to enact and enforce policies to fight human trafficking.     

The growth in military expenditure in Germany 1951–2011: did parties matter?

We examine whether government ideology was correlated with the growth in military expenditure in Germany over the period 1951–2011. Using various measures of government ideology, the results do not show any effect. The exception is an ideology measure based on the Comparative Manifesto Project (left-right scale): using this measure, the results show that the growth in military expenditure increased by about 2.4 percentage points, when the ideology variable (right-wing) increased by one standard deviation. This effect, however, is based on observations until the early 1960s and cannot be generalized. The major political parties agreed on how to evaluate international risks and threats. Government ideology retired to the background. We conjecture that the consensus among the major parties will persist – even if military spending needs to be increased in response to new international risks and threats.     

Military expenditure and economic development in China: an empirical inquiry

Increases in military spending have a big impact on the socioeconomic conditions in any country. However, there is no consensus as to whether the rising military expenditure is beneficial or detrimental to economic growth. The present study chose China as a case study to empirically examine a complex relationship between military expenditure and economic development. The findings from the Johansen cointegration test indicated that there existed a long-run relationship between China’s military spending and economic growth. Furthermore, the Granger causality test detected a unidirectional causality from economic development to military expenditure. These results were further confirmed by the findings from the impulse response function. This means that China represents an example of a developing economy where the size of military expenditure expands in the process of economic transformation.     

上海合作组织框架下中国新疆与周边国家恐怖主义犯罪及打击对策

在环新疆经济圈新疆主体功能区的建设中,恐怖主义犯罪对该经济圈的建设构成重大威胁。本文就上海合作组织框架下新疆及周边国家的恐怖主义犯罪活动对环新疆经济圈的危害,以及如何有效打击该地区的恐怖主义犯罪进行了分析并提出相应的对策。