The Phillips Curve, the Persistence of Inflation, and the Lucas Critique:Evidence from Exchange-Rate Regimes: Comment

The purpose of this comment is to demonstrate that their theoretical result concerning the first order derivative of relative inflation persistence with respect to the degree of accommodation is incorrect. As a consequence, the sign of the first derivative becomes ambiguous. We provide an economic explanation of this result, elaborating on the three distinct transmission mechanisms in the AS (relative) model. Moreover, we propose an economically meaningful modification of the original AS model that restores a strictly positive relation between exchange rate accommodation and relative inflation persistence.international economics and trade ;

Hoefdieren in de Manteling van Walcheren

In het natuurmonument de Manteling van Walcheren bevinden zich damherten en reeën. Beide soorten maken gebruik van buiten het natuurgebied gelegen landbouwgronden. In een aantal gevallen leidt dit tot klachten over schade en verkeersgevaarlijke situaties. Vanwege de verwachte invloed van met name de damherten op natuurwaarden binnen het reservaat, op de omringende landbouwgebieden en op de verkeersveiligheid, wordt voorgesteld om de populatie damherten getalsmatig te blijven beheren. Wat betreft de mogelijke invloed op de natuurwaarden in de Manteling bestaat er voor reeën geen aanleiding tot beheer. Voor de aspecten verkeersveiligheid en schade aan de landbouw ligt dit anders. Het rapport bevat een aantal suggesties om dit beheer te realiseren

Niet óf de otter komt, maar hoe snel

Tussen 2002-2008 zijn er 31 otters in Nederland uitgezet nadat de soort rond 1988 is uitgestorven. Inmiddels weet de populatie zich goed staande te houden in de Kop van Overijssel en Zuidwest-Frieslan

Sediment-moss interactions on a temperate glacier: Falljökull, Iceland

Full text of this article can be found at: http://www.igsoc.org/annals/ Copyright IGS. DOI: 10.3189/172756408784700734We present the results of preliminary investigations of globular moss growth on the surface of Falljökull, a temperate outlet glacier of the Vatnajökull ice cap, southern Iceland. Supraglacial debris has provided a basis for moss colonization, and several large (>500 m2) patches of moss growth (Racomitrium spp.) are observed on the surface of the glacier. Each area of moss-colonized supraglacial debris shows a downslope increase in sphericity and moss cushion size and a decrease in percentage surface coverage of moss-colonized and bare clasts. It is suggested that moss growth on supraglacial debris allows preferential downslope movement of clasts through an associated increase in both overall mass and sphericity. Thermal insulation by moss cushions protects the underlying ice surface from melt, and the resulting ice pedestals assist in downslope sliding and toppling of moss cushions. The morphology and life cycle of supraglacial globular mosses is therefore not only closely linked to the presence and distribution of supraglacial debris, but also appears to assist in limited down-glacier transport of this debris. This research highlights both the dynamic nature of the interaction of mosses with supraglacial sedimentary systems and the need for a detailed consideration of their role within the wider glacial ecosystem.Peer reviewe

Ongewervelde fauna van uiterwaarden: een literatuurstudie naar effecten van inundatie en begrazingsbeheer

Deze literatuurstudie geeft inzicht in het potentiële voorkomen van ongewervelden in Nederlandse uiterwaarden in relatie tot bodemgesteldheid, overstroming en begrazing. 886 soorten libellen, dagvlinders, sprinkhanen, zweefvliegen, vliesvleugeligen, loopkevers, wantsen en spinnen (waaronder 36 rodelijst- of I-soorten) kunnen hun volledige levenscyclus volbrengen in de uiterwaarden. Daarvan is 7␜pecifiek gebonden aan het rivierengebied. De soortendiversiteit neemt toe bij afnemende overstromingsfrequentie. Zeldzame soorten worden vooral gevonden in graslandecotopen; kleiige ecotopen onderhouden een hogere biomassa. Begrazing conditioneert het voorkomen van ongewervelden. Er worden aanbevelingen gedaan voor de opzet van begrazingsonderzoek

The reintroduction of the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) into the Netherlands: hidden life revealed by noninvasive genetic monitoring

The last recorded presence of the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) in the Netherlands dates from 1989 and concerned a dead individual. In 2002 a reintroduction programme was started, and between June 2002 and April 2008 a total of 30 individuals (10 males and 20 females) were released into a lowland peat marsh in the north of the Netherlands. Noninvasive genetic monitoring based on the genetic profiles obtained from DNA extracted from otter faeces (spraints) was chosen for the post-release monitoring of the population. To this end, the founding individuals were genotyped before release and spraints were collected in the release area each winter from 2002 to 2008. From June 2002 to April 2008 we analysed the genetic profile of 1,265 spraints on the basis of 7–15 microsatellite loci, 582 of which (46%) were successfully assigned to either released or newly identified genotypes. We identified 54 offspring (23 females and 31 males): the females started to reproduce after 2 years and the males after 4 years. The mating and reproductive success among males was strongly skewed, with a few dominant males fathering two-thirds of the offspring, but the females had a more even distribution. The effective population size (Ne) was only about 30% of the observed density (N), mainly because of the large variance in reproductive success among males. Most juvenile males dispersed to surrounding areas on maturity, whereas juvenile females stayed inside the area next to the mother’s territory. The main cause of mortality was traffic accidents. Males had a higher mortality rate (22 out of 41 males (54%) vs. 9 out of 43 females (21%)). During winter 2007/08 we identified 47 individuals, 41 of which originated from mating within the release area. This study demonstrates that noninvasive molecular methods can be used efficiently in post-release monitoring studies of elusive species to reveal a comprehensive picture of the state of the populatio

Competitive Priorities and Competitive Advantage in Jordanian Manufacturing

The purpose of this research was to explore and predict the relationship between the competitive priorities (quality, cost, flexibility and delivery) and the competitive advantage of firms in the Jordanian Industrial Sector. A population of 88 Jordanian manufacturing firms, registered on the Amman Stock Exchange, was targeted using a cross-sectional survey employing a questionnaire method of data collection. The results of the data analysis indicate a significant relationship between competitive priorities and competitive advantage. The research suggests that recognising and nurturing this relationship provides the master key for a firm to survive in a turbulent environment. Therefore, operational and marketing strategies should place emphasis on competitive priorities such as quality, cost, flexibility and delivery to achieve, develop and maintain competitive advantage. This study is one of the first to examine the relationship between the competitive priorities of Jordanian manufacturing firms and their competitive advantage

Aanrijdingen met wilde hoefdieren in een boslandschap: de Veluwe

Sinds 1993 is er op de Veluwe sprake van een stijgende lijn in het aantal aanrijdingen met Reeën en Wilde zwijnen. In middels bedraagt het aantal aanrijdingen met hoefdieren meer dan 1000 per jaar. Het onderzoek naar de samenhang tussen de aanrijdingen per soort en bepaalde karakteristieken van het verkeer, de biotische en abiotische omgeving en de invloed van jacht leidt tot enkele aanbevelingen

Advies faunapassages oostvariant A-73; een expert view

Een expert view wordt gegeven op de vraag waar welke passagemogelijkheden moeten worden gecreëerd voor welke diersoorten in het oosttracé van de A73. Aangegeven wordt dat er ten minste acht robuustere kunstwerken dienen te worden gemaakt, waarvan één op het niveau van edelhert en de overige kleiner. Er wordt ingegaan op de minimumeisen waaraan de diverse constructies zullen moeten voldoen teneinde een optimaal toekomstig gebruik te bevorderen