This chapter reviews the major contributions over the last two decades to the literature on the Bayesian analysis of stochastic volatility (SV) models (univariate and multivariate). Bayesian inference is performed by tailoring Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) or sequential Monte Carlo (SMC) schemes that take into account the specific modeling characteristics. The popular univariate stochastic vo...

background: the objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of sanitization of lettuce according to the protocols set forth by iranian ministry of health and medical education for reducing populations of total coliform, fecal coliform, and helminth eggs present on lettuce. methods: in the present study, we determined the load of total coliform, fecal coliform, and parasites of lettuce....

Background: In this regard, in Iran a plan was developed and accordingly 52 indicators to measure equity inhealth were developed and announced by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with other sectors.This study aims to obtain a deeper understanding of the development of health equity indicators andidentify their implementation challenges and proposed solutions from the perspective of polic...

We consider a firm that produces a specialty or a branded image good, where consumers derive part of their utility from the eliteness of the brand’s image and exclusivity of the product. Once high valuation consumers have purchased the product, it is optimal for the firm to reduce the price and capture lower valuation consumers. However, this dilutes the exclusivity of the brand, and results in...

in new technologies and ways of doing things, is the basic activity that makes a country prosperous. When markets are imperfect many socially desirable investment opportunities will be passed up. Moreover, the extent to which they are passed up can depend on the distribution of resources and hence the extent of equity. A more equitable society may be more efficient because it allows the relativ...

This paper examines the performance and diversification properties of active Australian equity fund-of-funds (FoF). Simulation analysis is employed to examine portfolio performance as a function of the number of funds in the portfolio. The paper finds that as the number of funds in a FoF portfolio increases, performance improves in a mean-variance setting, however measures of skewness and kurto...

Executive summary. Non-U.S. equities currently account for close to 55% of global market capitalization, thus representing a significant opportunity for U.S. investors. In addition, the portfolio of an investor who combined non-U.S. equities with U.S. equities over the past several decades would have experienced lower average volatility—despite similar realized returns and volatilities in each ...

Ð This paper attempts to integrate the concern for human development in the present with that in the future. In arguing for sustainable human development, it appeals to the notion of ethical ``universalism''Ðan elementary demand for impartiality of claimsÐapplied within and between generations. Economic sustainability is often seen as a matter of intergenerational equity, but the speci®cation o...

Most research in economics studies agents somehow motivated by outcomes. Here, we study agents motivated by procedures instead, where procedures are defined independently of an outcome. To that end, we design procedures which yield the same expected outcomes or carry the same information on others’ intentions while they have different outcomeinvariant properties. Agents are experimentally confi...