當代哲學家紀傑克以他對於政治與文化現象的拉岡式解讀而聞名，但他哲學中的核心母題是什麼？對紀傑克而言，哲學不是使人「安然棲身」的論述，而是跟陌生感與他異性更緊密相關。所以，在紀傑克的眼中，哲學家的工作，不在於提供具體的解決方案，而是在於「新問題的創造」，重塑爭論的框架本身。 　　這篇研究中，筆者使用「系統與他者」這組概念，來彰顯紀傑克的兩大核心母題，其一，便是在有限性的範圍之內主張的自由，其二，則是他對新穎與變化的追索。「他者」使得系統能夠不斷重新定向，並向根本的變化保持開放。 　　「脫節狀態」是紀傑克用以描述主體之基本自由的概念。主體活動不被自然或文化的任一方決定；於是，所有主體所作的系統整合，都是一種與他者建立暫態平衡的嘗試，而所有用以整合的意指活動，都是一種對於他異性的回應，一種安身立命的奠基姿態。 　　簡言之，所謂「象徵界與實在界的不協調性」，在紀傑克的術語中不是消極的意涵，而是積極的意涵：它使得意義建構得以開始，並且是人類自由的根源。透過「系統」與「他者」的互動，思想總是有能力重新定向，藉此維持其鮮活與彈性，而這正是紀傑克式主體在現今政治情境中所致力實現的。 / Contemporary philosopher Slavoj Žižek is well-known for his Lacanian reading on political and cultural phenomena, but what is the central motif of his philosophy? For Žižek, philosophy is not some discourse to make people feel “being at home”, but rather something more related to foreignness and otherness. In Žižek’s eyes, What a philosopher really does is not providing substantial solutions, but rather “inventing new problems”, reshaping the framework of argumentation itself. 　　In this thesis, ”System and other” is the term I introduce to thematize two central motifs in Žižek’s philosophy: the first motif is his tireless assertion of freedom within the realm of finitude, and the second one is his relentless seeking for innovations and changes. “Other” is what enables the system to continuously re-orientate itself, and keep the system open to fundamental changes. 　　Žižek uses “Out-of-jointedness” to describe the fundamental freedom of the subject, neither nature nor culture can determine the subject. Every system organized by the subject is an attempt to create a transient balance with the other, and every totalizing signification is s a response to the otherness, the founding gesture of situating the subject itself into a meaningful context. 　　To sum up, Žižek does not use “Inconsistency between the Symbolic and the Real” as a negative term, but rather a positive term, it is the very starting point of meaning construction, and the ground for human freedom. Through the interaction between ”system and other”, the thought is always ready for re-orientation, therefore the thought is kept alive and flexible, and this is exactly what a Žižekian subject wants to accomplish in the present political situations.

2009年10月22日，美國在臺協會與駐美國臺北經濟文化代表處簽訂臺美牛肉議定書。對於政府開放美國具牛海綿狀腦病風險之牛肉及牛肉製品進口，當時輿論一片譁然。為因應國內輿論壓力，立法院於2010年1月27日修正食品衛生管理法第十一條，禁止美國牛絞肉及內臟進口。同時政府亦實施三管五卡措施對美國牛肉進行進口檢疫，造成國內法與議定書國際義務不符之現象。 臺美牛肉議定書爭議，牽涉到許多面向，包括：臺美牛肉議定書在我國國內法之地位；我國因應臺美牛肉議定書簽訂所為之食品衛生管理法修法及三管五卡措施在WTO法律架構下之評價；我國與美國之貿易關係等。本文從WTO架構出發，以食品安全檢驗暨動植物防疫檢疫措施協定（SPS協定）之規範探討臺美牛肉議定書爭議在WTO法律架構下應如何評價。並以國際法與國內法間關係之角度探討臺美牛肉議定書在我國國內法之地位，同時討論臺美牛肉議定書爭議對臺美貿易關係之影響。第一章為導論；第二章討論WTO架構中關於具牛海綿狀腦病風險牛肉之規範；第三章討論我國牛肉進口之防檢疫措施及臺美牛肉議定書之規範；第四章討論臺美牛肉議定書之相關爭議；最後，第五章針對臺美牛肉議定書爭議提出政策建議並作結。 / On October 22, 2009, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) and the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) signed the US-Taiwan Beef Protocol for the arrangement with regard to the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)-related measures on importing beef and beef products. Due to lack of confidence in the government, the public opinion of Taiwan was strongly against such importation of beef. In order to deal with the roaring public opinion, the Legislative Yuan of the Republic of China (ROC) amended the Act Governing Food Sanitation Article XI on January 27, 2010. According to this amendment, the beef viscera and ground beef produced in the United States are banned from importing into Taiwan. Furthermore, the ROC government then adopted the Regulation Governing the Sanitation of Importing Beef and several sanitary and phytosanitary measures (SPS measures) to implement the amendment. These measures result in a discrepancy between the obligations regulated by domestic law and those by the Beef Protocol. The issue of the Beef Protocol may be discussed from many aspects, including the legal status of the Protocol in domestic law, the evaluation of the SPS measures under the WTO regime, the US-Taiwan relations, etc. This study will start from the introduction of the SPS Agreement, the international food standard of the BSE-risked beef set by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), and the Beef Protocol. Then, the author will discuss the evaluation of the Protocol and other SPS measures of the ROC under the WTO regime and try to figure out the possibility of the use of the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) in order to solve the Protocol issue. This study will also examine the legal status of the Protocol in the ROC domestic law and discuss the impact on the US-Taiwan commercial relations. In the final part of this study, the author will provide several policy recommendations to settle this Protocol issue.

University of Macau / Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities / Department of Government and Public Administration

可轉換公司債兼具了選擇權以及債券的性質，價值又會受到股價之影響，以傳統的方法定價十分不易。由於蒙地卡羅模擬能解決定價問題上狀態變數或許為多維度及路徑相依的問題，Kind 與Wilde 在2004 年提出以蒙地卡羅模擬對可轉債定價，且以最小平方迴歸法估計繼續持有價值，並在僅考慮轉換及還本兩種選擇權及沒有違約風險之下，以數值範例呈現單一迴歸模式無法適當估計繼續持有價值。然而，他們並未進行實證。本研究乃以民國99 年台灣發行的可轉債為研究對象，除考慮發行時的合約條件外，另加上信用評等的考量以將違約機率透過現金流量套入定價過程中，並分別以兩段迴歸及單一迴歸估計繼續持有價值以結合蒙地卡羅模擬，實證結果顯示就可轉債之起始定價的偏差比而言，兩段迴歸得到的結果優於單一迴歸。惟在兩段迴歸之下，超過八成的可轉債其模擬價格依然高於市場價格。實證結果也顯示價性(moneyness)及擔保狀況與定價的偏差有關。 / Convertible bonds (CBs) possess features of both bonds and options, and their prices are affected by the underlying stocks, which make the pricing problem an uneasy task for traditional methods. Since Monte Carlo simulation can handle the problems of path-dependence and multivariate dimensions faced by pricing, Kind and Wilde (2004) suggested to price CBs via least-squares Monte Carlo simulations (LSM), which estimate the continuation values by least squares regression. They also demonstrated that a single regression line could not appropriately estimate the continuation value even only conversion and redemption were allowed and the CB was free of default. So the idea of piecewise regression was recommended to improve the estimation process. However, they didn’t apply piecewise regression to real data. Therefore, piecewise regression together with Monte Carlo simulation were employed to investigate the pricing issue of Taiwan’s CBs. CBs issued on 2010 were selected, besides reviewing the contents of CB’s contracts, default risks based on credit ratings were taken into account to evaluate the discounted cash flows in the pricing procedure. Comparing the estimated model prices of LSM with initial selling prices, the mispricing rates of single regression model and piecewise regression model were obtained for further analysis. Result shows that the modified piecewise regression method performs better in mispricing rate. However, similar to previous findings, 80% of the estimated model prices based on piecewise regressions are still higher than market prices. It also shows that moneyness and guaranteed condition will relate to mispricing rate.

古典及廣義的范氏矩陣普遍存在於數學之中，而且最近有多位作者對於它們的行列式、反矩陣、LU分解及應用等做了各種的研究。在這篇論文中我們主要探討兩個主題：一是廣義范氏矩陣的回顧，二是廣義范氏矩陣的不同分解。在第一個主題，我們僅利用數學歸納法來證明兩種已知型態的廣義范氏矩陣行列式的公式，與之前錢福林及Flowe-Harris的證明方法截然不同。在構成本篇論文主要結果的第二個主題中，我們致力於兩個目標：首先，我們探討某一特殊類的廣義范氏矩陣之轉置矩陣且成功地得到它的LU分解並將其明確地表示出來。更進一步地，我們將LU分解表示成1-帶狀矩陣的乘積並得到它的反矩陣。 其二，我們考慮全正廣義范氏矩陣且在不使用Schur函數的情況下得到它唯一的LU分解，此結果優於Demmel-Koev需用到Schur函數的結果。同時，我們也得到該矩陣的行列式及反矩陣並將Schur函數明確地表示出來。基於上述結果，藉著將Schur函數展開，我們獲得一種計算Kostka數的方法。 / Classical and generalized Vandermonde matrices are ubiquitous in mathematics, and various studies on their determinants, inverses, explicit LU factorizations with applications are done recently by many authors. In this thesis we shall focus on two topics: One is generalized Vandermonde matrices revisited and the other is various decompositions of some generalized Vandermonde matrices. In the first topic, we prove the well-known determinant formulas of two types of generalized Vandermonde matrices using only mathematical induction, different from the proofs of Fulin Qian's and Flowe-Harris'. In the second topic, which constitutes the main results of this thesis, we devote ourself to two themes. Firstly, we study a special class which is the transpose of the generalized Vandermonde matrix of the first type and succeed in obtaining its LU factorization in an explicit form. Furthermore, we express the LU factorization into 1-banded factorizations and get the inverse explicitly. Secondly, we consider a totally positive(TP) generalized Vandermonde matrix and obtain its unique LU factorization without using Schur functions. The result is better than Demmel and Koev's which is involved Schur functions. As by-products, we gain the determinant and the inverse of the required matrix and express any Schur function in an explicit form. Basing on the above result, we obtain a way to calculate Kostka numbers by expanding Schur functions.

研究目的：欲瞭解自閉症類疾患兒童，橫跨幼兒期、學齡前期至學齡期的自閉症狀發展軌跡，探究當中是否存有不同的發展軌跡，並檢視不同發展軌跡的群體在認知功能與適應行為隨時間的變化型態是否有差異，以及不同群體在早期的社會溝通能力或療育經驗上是否有差異。 方法：本研究有37名自閉症類與24位非自閉症類受試者納入分析，共測量三次：時間點一平均生理年齡為2歲半、時間點二為4歲、時間點三為8歲半。於三個時間點皆以自閉症診斷觀察量表評估自閉症狀嚴重度、以及穆林發展量表或魏氏兒童智力量表第四版評估認知功能，在時間點二與時間點三以文蘭適應行為量表第二版評估適應行為；另外，在時間點一以台灣版兩歲期自閉症篩檢工具評估社會溝通能力，以及在時間點一至時間點二之間，以電話訪問的方式紀錄兒童每週參與療育的時數。 結果：由階層式集群分析結果顯示，社交情感嚴重度校正分數可將自閉症類與非自閉症類兒童分群，並於自閉症類兒童中可再分為維持高嚴重度組與退步組。兩組自閉症類兒童於學齡時期在社交情感症狀皆呈現嚴重度明顯上升的趨勢，在認知功能與適應行為隨時間的變化型態相似，不過維持高嚴重度組在認知功能與適應行為有較低的分數（但未達統計顯著）。此外，兩組自閉症類兒童於時間點一的意圖溝通能力即有差異，不過僅共享式注意力可預測日後社交情感症狀發展軌跡之分群。 總結：由結果可見自閉症狀維持高嚴重度組，於認知功能與適應行為有較明顯缺損，推論自閉症類兒童的自閉症狀嚴重度與認知功能及適應行為並非完全獨立的變項。兩組自閉症類兒童於學齡期症狀嚴重度上升，而此趨勢在退步組兒童更為明顯。雖然本研究並未發現早期療育經驗對於社交情感症狀發展的影響，不過共享式注意力對於日後社交情感症狀有預測力。進一步討論此結果在理論與臨床實務上的應用。 / Purposes: the purpose of the study was to plot longitudinal developmental trajectories of autism symptom severity in the children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) from toddler age to school age. And to examine whether these different trajectories are associated with the cognitive function, adaptive behavior, early social communication skill, and early intervention experience. Methods: Thirty-seven children with ASDs and 24 children with developmental delay participated at time 1 (mean chronological age was 2.5 years old), and then followed at time 2 (mean chronological age was 4 years old) and time 3 (mean chronological age was 8.5 years old). The study assessed the autism symptom severity by ADOS and cognitive function by MSEL or WISC-Ⅳ at three time points; adaptive behavior by VABS-II at time 2 and time 3; and early social communication skills by T-STAT at time 1 and also used telephone interviews to record participants’ weekly intervention hours during time 1 to time 2. Results: In hierarchical cluster analysis, social affect calibrated severity score (CSS) could discriminate ASDs and Non-ASDs groups, also could divided ASDs into two groups, called persistent high and worsening groups. The social affect symptom severity increased at school age in both groups. On the other hand, the change of cognitive function and adaptive behavior with time showed similar pattern in the two groups. However, participants in the persistent high group have relatively lower scores of cognitive function and adaptive behavior, although did not rearch statistically significant. Furthermore, two ASDs groups at toddler showed difference in intention communication skills; however, only joint attention could predict social affect trajectory subgrouping. Conclusions: In summery, the study showed that persistent high group has more cognitive and adaptive function impairments than the worsening group in the children with ASDs. It seemed that the autistic symptom are not entirely independent with cognitive function and adaptive behavior. Moreover, the symptom severity increased at school age in both the persistent high and the worsening groups, and this trend was more significant in the worsening group. Additionally, the experience of early intervention showed no significant effects on developmental trajectories of social affect symptom; however, the joint attention was found to be an index to predict the development of social affect symptom in ASDs groups. The theoretical and clinical implications were discussed.

研究目的：在現今高壓力與忙碌的社會中，失眠是很常見的問題。在國外的失眠的相關調查結果顯示，失眠的盛行率會受對於失眠定義之嚴謹程度影響，而有大範圍的變異，其範圍約落在6~48%。當定義符合臨床上之診斷標準時，失眠盛行率約降至6~15%。因此，受失眠之苦的個體中，有一大部分可能未達診斷標準，而為暫時性或急性失眠之患者。然而過去的研究大多將重點聚焦在符合失眠疾患診斷的失眠族群上，針對剩下雖未符合失眠疾患診斷標準，但又飽受失眠症狀困擾之群體，卻是缺乏探討。此外，失眠的縱貫研究中也發現，暫時性失眠個體到最後會有一部份會發展成為慢性失眠。因此，針對這群為數不少，且容易經歷暫時性失眠之個體，若能更加了解其暫時性失眠發生的成因與相關機制，便能及早介入，協助個體不落入慢性失眠的惡性循環中。過去研究發現，暫時性失眠的發生，最常見的促發因素為壓力事件。Drake、Richardson、Roehrs、Scofield與Roth（2004）便發展出福特壓力失眠反應量表（Ford Insomnia Response to Stress Test, FIRST）來測量個體特質上遭遇壓力情境的睡眠脆弱程度；且研究結果也發現個體身心激發程度是和睡眠脆弱特質息息相關的因素之一。由於過去在失眠的相關研究中，少有研究探討暫時性失眠的相關機制，因此，本研究從和暫時性失眠相關的壓力下睡眠脆弱特質出發，探討此脆弱特質與過度激發的關聯性，並欲探討其他會提升激發程度的相關認知與情緒因子，如：失功能信念、情緒反應性、反芻特質、情緒遲惰特質和此特質間的關係。本研究假設個體對於睡眠的失功能信念與對負向事件的情緒反應性可能會透過提高睡前身心的激發程度，而使個體容易經歷壓力下的急性失眠，增加睡眠的脆弱性；即睡前身心激發程度在睡眠的失功能信念與情緒反應性對睡眠脆弱性的關係間扮演一中介作用之角色。另外，也假設睡眠的失功能信念與情緒反應性與睡前身心激發程度間的關係，會分別受反芻特質與情緒遲惰特質調節，即具有高反芻特質與高情緒遲惰特質者，其睡眠的失功能信念與情緒反應性與睡前身心激發程度間的關係更強烈，因此在壓力下，其有較高的睡眠脆弱性，容易經歷暫時性失眠。 研究方法：本研究於大學中招募60位20~35歲之受試者（男：22位；女：38位），經晤談以確認受試者符合收案標準後，將請受試者填寫研究相關問卷（包含：壓力下失眠反應量表、反芻型反應風格短版量表、睡前激發程度量表、睡眠失功能信念及態度簡式量表、情緒反應量表、失眠嚴重度量表、貝克憂鬱量表第二版與貝克焦慮量表）；並在詳細解釋情緒經驗取樣流程後，請受試者回到日常生活環境中進行連續三天的情緒遲惰經驗取樣紀錄。 研究結果：根據執行檢驗中介效果步驟的階層迴歸與Sobel test的分析結果，睡前認知激發程度對擔憂的失功能信念與情緒持續性和睡眠脆弱性間的關係具中介的作用；即對睡眠有過度擔憂的失功能信念、情緒持續性較久皆可能會提高睡前認知激發程度而增加壓力下的睡眠脆弱性。其他失功能信念之向度，如：知覺失眠造成的影響、對睡眠的期待、藥物使用，以及情緒反應性之其他向度，如：情緒敏感度與情緒激發度對睡前認知過度激發狀態無顯著的預測力。另外，根據執行檢驗調節效果步驟的階層迴歸分析結果，反芻特質與情緒遲惰特質分別在失功能信念與情緒反應性對認知激發程度的關係上，皆未有顯著的調節效果。 研究結論：研究結果部分支持身心激發程度為對睡眠的失功能信念與情緒反應性影響壓力下睡眠脆弱性的中介因子之假設。本研究發現過度擔憂睡眠的信念以及情緒持續度較久這兩個因子會分別獨立地提高睡前認知激發程度，顯示睡前認知激發程度分別受認知與情緒因素影響；且相較與睡前的生理激發狀態，睡前的認知激發對於壓力下的失眠反應之影響具有顯著的預測力，顯示認知激發在失眠的前置因子中可能扮演較重要的角色。另外，反芻特質與情緒遲惰特質分別在失功能信念與情緒反應性對認知激發程度的關係上，皆未有顯著的調節效果，此部份不符合研究預期。基於本研究結果，在臨床上對於容易經歷失眠之個體，若能及早調整對於睡眠的擔憂相關的信念，並學習有效調節情緒的方式，皆可有效降低個體睡前的認知激發活動，減少失眠的發生率與改善失眠症狀，避免使其落入失眠慢性化的惡性循環中。

台灣高齡者之吞嚥困難解決方案的市場分析與商機 / It has been suggested that dysphagia affects approximately 8 % of the world’s population. People may be completely unable to swallow or may have trouble in safely swallowing liquids, foods, or saliva. When that happens, eating becomes a challenge. Recent studies have identified elderly people who require the long- term care as being at increased risk for dysphagia due to changes in the swallowing mechanism as aging occurs, it may affect 30% to 40% of the population at 65 years old or more. Taiwan is on course to go from being an “aging society” to an “aged society” and is experiencing a rapid increase in the number of older adults who require long-term care. Dysphagia is a prevalent difficulty among elderly people. Though increasing age facilitates subtle physiological changes in the swallow function, age-related diseases are significant factors in the presence and severity of dysphagia. Among elderly diseases and health complications, stroke and dementia reflect high rates of dysphagia. In both conditions, dysphagia is associated with nutritional deficits and increased risk of pneumonia. Recent efforts have suggested that long-term care organizations or nursing homes are also at risk for dysphagia and are associated deficits in nutritional status and increased pneumonia risk. Swallowing rehabilitation is an effective approach to increase safe oral intake in these populations and recent research has demonstrated extended benefits related to improved nutritional status and reduced pneumonia rates. Living with dysphagia is challenging, but it can be managed. For elderly people with dysphagia, it's important to continue the principle of maintaining hydration, calories and nutrients, especially protein and fluids. Texture-modified foods and thickened liquids can help achieve nutritional and hydration goals. This research provides the market analysis of dysphagia solution and its market opportunities in Taiwan. It concludes with a market plan to assess the viability of such a business opportunity. Well- structured management of dysphagia can not only provide elderly people’s physical, mental and social well-being but also brings the elderly people the pleasures of eating and the dignity during the last few years of their lives.

蛋白激酶CK2（Casine kinase 2）為四單體所構成，針對配受質蛋白之絲胺酸或蘇胺酸位置進行磷酸化，先前研究已經發現在紋狀體腦區之CK2的表現量與活性皆高於大腦中其餘腦區，而紋狀體腦區主要神經細胞為-氨基丁酸神經元（GABAergic neurons）的medium spiny neuron（MSN），會受到來自黑質多巴胺神經細胞（dopaminergic neurons）的調控。此外，DARPP-32（dopamine- and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein, Mr 32 kDA）蛋白亦被發現大量表現於在MSN細胞中，且為CK2之受質蛋白質。雖然CK2已被證實參與多巴胺神經元的神經保護機制，但是否參與MSN細胞對運動行為調控之生理機制仍未清楚。由於已有研究發現施予1-甲基-4-苯基-1,2,3,6-四氢吡啶（MPTP）藥物處理造成黑質-紋狀體腦區受損之老鼠腦內-氨基丁酸（GABA）的生合成酵素─麩胺酸脫羧酵素67（GAD67）表現量與正常老鼠不同，因此本論文研究的主題擬在大鼠實驗模式中利用MPP+造成投射至紋狀體之多巴胺神經細胞受損，探討當多巴胺調控紋狀體神經細胞能力缺失的狀態下，MSN細胞之CK2、DARPP-32和GAD蛋白表現與動物運動行為之相關性。 實驗結果發現，直接於紋狀體給予1-甲基-4-苯基碘化啶 （MPP+ Iodide）皆會造成CK2、DARPP-32以及GAD67之蛋白質含量的減少，多巴胺及其代謝物和GABA等神經化學傳遞物質亦有減少的現象；另外，在MPP+給予前分別操弄CK2或DARPP-32 胺基酸Ser102磷酸化的表現，皆會改變GAD67蛋白質含量與黑質酪胺酸羥化酶（Tyrosine Hydroxylase, TH）蛋白質含量，同時神經化學傳遞物質的含量或代謝亦有改變。由現有之結果推測CK2/DARPP-32/GAD67細胞訊息傳遞機制可能參與巴金森氏症運動行為失常之細胞層面的調控。 / Protein kinase CK2 is a heterotetrameric and serine/threonine protein kinase. Its protein levels and activity are found to be elevated in the striatum when compared to other brain areas. CK2 is known to involve in the neuroprotective effects of dopaminergic neurons, whether it also regulates the neuronal function relative to motor behaviors is still unclear. DARPP-32 protein is known as one of the substrates for CK2 and is highly expressed in the GABAergic medium spiny neurons (MSN) responsible for dopamine stimulation in the striatum. Furthermore, other studies have indicated that the expression of glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 (GAD67) mRNA and protein was different in the striatum of MPTP vs. naïve animals, which is one of the enzymes responsible for the synthesis of neurotransmitter GABA. In the present study, we observed that the parallel changes in protein levels of CK2, DARPP-32 and GAD67 in the striatum and TH in the substantia nigra of MPP+-treated. We also found that manipulation of CK2 or DARPP-32 gene expression aggravated the MPP+-induced neuropathological dificts. The present results suggest that CK2/DARPP-32/GAD67 signaling pathway might involve in the cellular mechanism of motor-deficit in Parkinson’s disease.

本文實證探討黃金期貨報酬率的特性並在標的黃金期貨價格遵循狀態轉換跳躍擴散過程時實現美式選擇權之評價。在這樣的動態過程下，跳躍事件被一個複合普瓦松過程與對數常態跳躍振幅所描述，以及狀態轉換到達強度是由一個其狀態代表經濟狀態的隱藏馬可夫鏈所捕捉。考量不同的跳躍風險假設，我們使用Merton測度與Esscher轉換推導出在一個不完全市場設定下的風險中立黃金期貨價格動態過程。為了達到所需的精確度，最小平方蒙地卡羅法被用來近似美式黃金期貨選擇權的價值。基於實際市場資料，我們提供實證與數值結果來說明這個動態模型的優點。 / This dissertation empirically investigates the characteristics of gold futures returns and achieves the valuation of American-style options when the underlying gold futures price follows a regime-switching jump-diffusion process. Under such dynamics, the jump events are described as a compound Poisson process with a log-normal jump amplitude, and the regime-switching arrival intensity is captured by a hidden Markov chain whose states represent the economic states. Considering the different jump risk assumptions, we use the Merton measure and Esscher transform to derive risk-neutral gold futures price dynamics under an incomplete market setting. To achieve a desired accuracy level, the least-squares Monte Carlo method is used to approximate the values of American gold futures options. Our empirical and numerical results based on actual market data are provided to illustrate the advantages of this dynamic model.