Since petroleum is a kind of exhaustive resource, it can not be regenerated after being consumed. And petroleum is distributed extremely uneven in the world, more than half of petroleum is distributed in the Middle East area. In the recent years, the oil price was so fluctuating and broke the record again and again. However, the productivity of petroleum in Taiwan is very low and we are a price taker. So it turns to be important that how the oil price affects the economy. According to Economics, high oil price often causes the staginflation. In the purpose of this study we examine the long run relationship between oil price and personal income in Taiwan by cointegration theory. And we find that there indeed exists a negative longrun relationship. In addition, we consider a nonlinear model, Threshold Vector Error Correction Model, to test a threhold effect in the long run relationship between variables. Finally we have a result that there is a threshold cointegrating relationship between the oil price and personal income in Taiwan.

本文旨在研究中國物價膨脹對其經濟成長的非線性效果，一個重要卻未有定論的議題。我們採用自 1986 年至 2006 年中國各省官方公佈的國內生產總值、消費者物價指數、與其它解釋變數的數據，透過追蹤資料進行迴歸分析。本文主要發現為中國物價膨脹門檻的估計結果十分顯著且深具頑強性。當物價膨脹率超過 2.5% 此一門檻值，物價膨脹率每超出 1% 將減低經濟成長率 0.61%；而物價膨脹率低於該門檻值時，物價膨脹率每增加 1% 將刺激經濟成長率 0.53%。是故，我們建議中國政府應維持溫和的物價膨脹以利於長期經濟成長。 / This paper investigates a crucial but still open issue about the nonlinear effect of inflation on economic growth in China. We adopt official provincial data set of gross provincial product, consumer price index, as well as other explanatory variables from 1986 to 2006, and regression of panel data is used for analysis. The main finding is that the inflation threshold effect is highly significant and robust in China. Above the 2.5% inflation threshold, every increase of inflation rate by 1% impedes economic growth by 0.61%; below the threshold, such degree of increase stimulates the growth by 0.53%. We suggest China shall keep inflation rate moderate for long-run growth.

nÃo hà / O papel das condiÃÃes iniciais sobre a determinaÃÃo dos nÃveis de renda de longo prazo das economias e, consequentemente, sobre a desigualdade à um tema que ainda permanece em ativo debate. O objetivo do trabalho à realizar uma anÃlise empÃrica, atravÃs do modelo threshold, do processo de convergÃncia de renda entre os municÃpios brasileiros no perÃodo de 1980 a 2000, com o intuito de verificar a existÃncia de clubes de convergÃncia. De maneira geral, o capital humano mostra-se estatisticamente significante para explicar o processo de crescimento econÃmico de todos os grupos de municÃpios. Com relaÃÃo ao capital fÃsico, este se mostrou significantemente negativo, o que demonstra um papel negativo para o investimento pÃblico realizado nos municÃpios brasileiros. / The role of initial conditions on the determination of levels of long-term income economies and, consequently, on the inequality is a theme that still remains in active debate. The goal of the work is to perform an empirical analysis, model threshold, the process of convergence of income between the Brazilian municipalities in the period from 1980 to 2000, in order to verify the existence of clubs of convergence. Generally speaking, human capital is statistically significant to explain the process of economic growth for all groups of municipalities. With respect to physical capital, this proved significantly negative, which shows a negative role for public investment in Brazilian municipalities.

Essay I: In January, 2005, the EU launched the first international emissions trading system (EU ETS), aimed at reducing carbon emissions in a cost-effective way by means of a market-based instrument. In this paper, we use the treatment/control, before/after design of the natural experiment approach to investigate the treatment effect of the EU ETS on the profitability of a sample of Swedish energy firms in 2005 and 2006. We also investigate whether under-cap and over-cap firms respond differently to the EU ETS. The estimation results in general suggest no significant impact in 2005 and a negative significant impact in 2006. The sub-sample analysis suggests that profitability of under-cap and over-cap firms were affected differently by the EU ETS in 2005, but not in 2006. Essay II: The paper empirically explores the possible causes behind electricity price jumps in the Nordic electricity market, Nord Pool. A time-series model (a mixed GARCH-EARJI jump model) capturing the common statistical features of electricity prices is used to identify price jumps. By the model, a categorical variable is defined distinguishing no, positive and negative jumps. The causes for the jumps are then explored through the use of ordered probit models in a second stage. The empirical results indicate that the structure of the market plays an important role in whether shocks in the demand and supply for electricity translate into price jumps. Essay III: Scientific evidence indicates that human development faces multiple and interacting regime-switching environmental thresholds such as climate change, ocean acidification and biodiversity loss. And crossing one or more such thresholds would trigger rapid and large changes in our life-support system with widespread consequences. This paper attempts to study the effects of such thresholds on human well-being in a growth theoretical framework. We derive the accounting prices of pollution stocks such as the concentration of greenhouse gases for the risk of triggering catastrophic events, which are needed for conducting a dynamic cost-benefit analysis. We first analyze a simple model with a single threshold and then extend it to a planar system with correlated double thresholds with a joint probability distribution. the results can be applied for analyzing global climate change and ocean acidification risks, which are highlighted in a Nature article by Rockström et al. (2009). Essay IV: Lump-sum transfers as a means of tackling climate change are mainly perceived as a theoretical construct to achieve the first best Pareto optimum. The previous literature on lump-sum transfers normally focuses on the two polar cases: the absence of lump-sum transfers and perfect or unconstrained lump-sum transfers, leaving the middle way aside. In this paper, we attempt to explore the unmarked part by developing a model where transfer costs are explicitly taken into account. We show that whether the Pareto optimum characterized by the equalization of marginal abatement costs is attainable depends on the formation of transfer costs. When the marginal transfer cost is zero, the separability of equity and efficiency under perfect lump-sum transfers is kept. However, when the marginal transfer cost is positive, the optimum with equalization of marginal abatement costs is neither attainable, nor desirable. We also simulate a policy experiment in China to review the optimal abatement and transfer patterns between China's provinces within a framework of imperfect lump-sum transfers. The highlighted welfare gains is supportive of considering lump-sum transfers as a national climate change policy.

Submitted by Maike Costa (maiksebas@gmail.com) on 2016-04-13T13:50:42Z No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivo total.pdf: 2010347 bytes, checksum: 3a95a7a08d68f7438a013ab7bc0d2bc3 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-13T13:50:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivo total.pdf: 2010347 bytes, checksum: 3a95a7a08d68f7438a013ab7bc0d2bc3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-12-04 / The thesis studies, in three chapters, on the provision of public goods in municipalities. The first chapter puts in competition two alternative specifications, one on the demand side and another on the supply side, to a set of 5285 municipalities data for 2010 in order to test the hypothesis that the relevance of the models that explain the behavior local government spending can depend on the size of the population of the jurisdictions. The econometric methodology uses a combination of Test J proposed by Davidson and MacKinnon (1981), with the threshold suggested by Hansen (2000), as a data screening method to test whether the response of local governments to their constituents is stable between small and large municipalities. Results show that the median voter model applies to smaller cities, with great population size ranging between 13604 and 13661 inhabitants, depending on the congestion function used. Nevertheless, it rejected in 2293 municipalities, for which the model-oriented supply fits better. In the second chapter, these alternative models of determination of public provision in order to measure the impact of the size of cities on the quality of public services applies - via analysis of advertising and rivalry of goods - in 5268 Brazilian municipalities based on the Theory of Clubs. For both models, the results point to the existence of spatial correlation between municipalities, suggesting that spending patterns in a given locality influence on the fiscal decisions of neighbors. Proves the hypothesis that the size of the clubs, and the cost of utilities differentiate the results of the provision of action, supporting the literature on the subject which argues that in smaller jurisdictions proximity of voters with its public officials exerts more pressure and control over their political acts, and that aggregate individual preferences have less heterogeneity and can represent the community as a whole. This result yields a larger congestion effect to the larger cities, which goes against the international literature. Finally, using a set of data that make up Brazilian localities Public Consortia Inter-municipal public services, the third chapter aims to establish empirical evidence for a phenomenon called by Oates (1988) as "zoo-effect." According to this effect, the lowest level of expenditure in smaller towns should not be explained by the smaller clusters, but simply by the fact that certain categories of spending - like a zoo - they need a minimum population size to be provided. Thus, the positive relationship between population size and local spending on public services does not take into account the fact that in the most populous cities, the basket of services offered is broader and more diverse, and for this reason, estimates of existing congestion tend to be overestimated. By spatial statistics confirmed the hypothesis of the zoo effect on municipalities, and that the more diversified the range of services expands the range of services in neighboring areas, which explains the interaction between the municipalities as a way to get better and higher level of public services to its citizens. Evidence shows that the intensity of the effect depends on the urban-rural gradient, with the biggest phenomenon in urban areas due to more substantial economies of scale in these locations. / A tese versa, em três capítulos, sobre a provisão de bens públicos nos municípios brasileiros. O primeiro capítulo coloca em competição duas especificações alternativas, uma do lado da demanda e outra do lado da oferta, para um conjunto de dados de 5285 municípios brasileiros para 2010, a fim de testar a hipótese de que a relevância dos modelos que explicam o comportamento das despesas públicas locais pode depender do tamanho da população das jurisdições. A metodologia econométrica usa a combinação do Teste J, proposto por Davidson e MacKinnon (1981), com o Threshold, sugerido por Hansen (2000), como um método de triagem de dados capaz de testar se a resposta dos governos locais aos seus eleitores é estável entre os municípios de pequeno e de grande porte. Os resultados permitem inferir que o modelo do eleitor mediano aplica-se às cidades menores, com tamanho ótimo populacional variando entre 13604 e 13661 habitantes, dependendo da função de congestionamento utilizada. Não obstante, é rejeitado em 2293 municípios, para os quais o modelo orientado para a oferta apresenta melhor ajuste. No segundo capítulo, aplica-se os referidos modelos alternativos de determinação da provisão pública a fim de mensurar o impacto do tamanho das cidades sobre a qualidade dos serviços públicos - via análise da publicidade e da rivalidade dos bens – em 5268 municípios brasileiros baseado na Teoria dos Clubes. Para os dois modelos, os resultados apontam a existência da correlação espacial entre os municípios, sugerindo que os padrões de gastos em determinada localidade influencia nas decisões fiscais de vizinhos. Comprova-se a hipótese de que o tamanho dos clubes e o custo dos serviços públicos diferenciam os resultados da ação de provisão, corroborando com a literatura sobre o tema a qual defende que em jurisdições menores a proximidade dos eleitores com seus agentes públicos exerce maior pressão e controle sobre seus atos políticos, e que preferências individuais agregadas apresentam menor heterogeneidade e podem representar a comunidade como um todo. Este resultado gera um efeito congestionamento maior para as maiores cidades, o que vai de encontro à literatura internacional. Por fim, usando um conjunto de dados de localidades brasileiras que formam Consórcios Públicos Intermunicipais de serviços públicos, o terceiro capítulo visa estabelecer evidências empíricas para um fenômeno denominado por Oates (1988) como “efeito-zoo”. De acordo com esse efeito, o nível mais baixo de despesas em cidades menores não deve ser explicado pela menor aglomeração, mas simplesmente pelo fato de que certas categorias de gastos - como um zoológico - precisam de um tamanho mínimo populacional para serem fornecidos. Destarte, a relação positiva entre o tamanho da população e o gasto local em serviços públicos não leva em conta o fato de que nos municípios mais populosos, a cesta de serviços ofertados é mais ampla e mais diversificada, e por essa razão as estimativas de congestionamento existentes tendem a ser superestimadas. Através da estatística espacial confirmou-se a hipótese do efeito zoo nos municípios brasileiros, e que a maior diversificação na gama de serviços expande a oferta de serviços em áreas vizinhas, justificando a interação entre os municípios como forma de se obter melhor e maior nível de serviços públicos para seus cidadãos. As evidências apontam que a intensidade do efeito depende do gradiente urbano-rural, sendo o fenômeno maior em áreas urbanizadas, devido às economias de escala mais substanciais nessas localidades.

Disorders of ATP synthase, the key enzyme of mitochondrial energy provision belong to the most severe metabolic diseases presenting mostly as early-onset mitochondrial encephalo-cardio-myopathies. Mutations in four nuclear genes can result in isolated deficiency of ATP synthase, all sharing a similar biochemical phenotype - pronounced decrease in the content of fully assembled and functional ATP synthase complex. The thesis summarises studies on two distinct causes of ATP synthase deficiency. First is TMEM70 protein, a novel ancillary factor of ATP synthase, which represents most frequent determinant of severe inborn deficiency of ATP synthase. TMEM70 is a 21 kDa protein of the inner mitochondrial membrane, facilitating the biogenesis of mitochondrial ATP synthase, possibly through TMEM70 protein region exposed to the mitochondrial matrix, but the proper regulatory mechanism remains to be elucidated. In TMEM70-lacking patient fibroblasts the low content of ATP synthase induces compensatory adaptive upregulation of mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes III and IV, interestingly by a posttranscriptional mechanisms. The second type of ATP synthase deficiency studied was mtDNA m.9205delTA mutation affecting maturation of MT-ATP8/MT-ATP6/MT-CO3 mRNA and thus biosynthesis of Atp6 (subunit a) and Cox3...

Disorders of ATP synthase, the key enzyme of mitochondrial energy provision belong to the most severe metabolic diseases presenting mostly as early-onset mitochondrial encephalo-cardio-myopathies. Mutations in four nuclear genes can result in isolated deficiency of ATP synthase, all sharing a similar biochemical phenotype - pronounced decrease in the content of fully assembled and functional ATP synthase complex. The thesis summarises studies on two distinct causes of ATP synthase deficiency. First is TMEM70 protein, a novel ancillary factor of ATP synthase, which represents most frequent determinant of severe inborn deficiency of ATP synthase. TMEM70 is a 21 kDa protein of the inner mitochondrial membrane, facilitating the biogenesis of mitochondrial ATP synthase, possibly through TMEM70 protein region exposed to the mitochondrial matrix, but the proper regulatory mechanism remains to be elucidated. In TMEM70-lacking patient fibroblasts the low content of ATP synthase induces compensatory adaptive upregulation of mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes III and IV, interestingly by a posttranscriptional mechanisms. The second type of ATP synthase deficiency studied was mtDNA m.9205delTA mutation affecting maturation of MT-ATP8/MT-ATP6/MT-CO3 mRNA and thus biosynthesis of Atp6 (subunit a) and Cox3...

Syftet med fallstudien var att undersöka möjligheterna och nyttan med att implementera en höjdmodell med högre upplösning i SMHI:s översvämningsmodellering som tillämpar den hydrauliska modellen LISFLOOD-FP. SMHI utfärdar översvämningsvarningar och det är därför av vikt att översvämningsmodelleringen håller hög kvalitet. Samtidigt kräver modelleringen tid och resurser från Nationellt Superdatorcentrum i Linköping, NSC. Därför vägdes de potentiella fördelarna med högre upplösning mot förlängd körtid. Fallstudien bestod av två delar där en höjdmodell på två meters upplösning i xy-planet implementerades och jämfördes med den i dagsläget uppställda modellen på fem meters upplösning. Detta gjordes genom att återskapa översvämningstillfällen med dess flöden från S-HYPE och mätningar. I studiens första del hämtades satellitdata från Copernicus från två tidigare översvämningstillfällen för validering av över-svämningsmodelleringen. De tidigare översvämningstillfällena var dels i Emån i Småland år 2012 och dels i Västerdalälven i Dalarna år 2018. Ett index för passning beräknades mellan översvämningskartorna producerade med två respektive fem meters upplösning gentemot satellitbilderna för att kvantifiera överlappande ytor. Därtill beräknades vattendragens lutning för att undersöka om det fanns indikationer på något samband med förändring i index med ökad upplösning på höjdmodellen. Studiens andra del bestod i att undersöka hur höjdmodellens upplösning påverkar vattnets spridning kring översvämningsvallar i modellen. I undersökningen återskapades ett översvämningstillfälle från 2020 i Helige å i Småland. Ett antal delavrinningsområden visade sig instabila för den högre upplösta höjdmodellen och kunde därför endast simuleras med lägre flöden. Erhållna resultat visade dock på att översvämningskarteringen förbättrades med upplösningen två meter vid jämförelse med data från Copernicus. Körtiden ökade dock med över 12 gånger vid simulering av högre upplösning. Vidare visades tröskeleffekter i studiens resultat, då översvämnings-vallen stoppade vattnet i den högre upplösta höjdmodellen men inte i den med lägre upplösning. På grund av stabilitetsproblemet och studiens begränsade omfattning, kunde slutsats inte dras om huruvida SMHI bör implementera en höjdmodell med två meters upplösning i systemet för översvämningsvarningar. Däremot kunde konstateras att stabiliteten i modellen måste öka för att det ska vara möjligt. Slutligen drogs slutsatsen att det förekommer tröskeleffekter mellan de två höjdmodellerna och att prestandan ökar generellt för den högre upplösningen när det kommer till precisionen i översvämningsmodelleringen. / The purpose of this case study was to examine the possibilities and advantages of implementing a DEM with higher resolution in inundation modelling at SMHI, the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute, which uses the hydraulic model LISFLOOD-FP. The institute issues flood warnings and therefore it is of high importance that the innundation modelling gives adequate results. On the other hand, running the models at a higher spatial resolution takes more time and resources. Therefore, potentially improved modelling results were discussed in a context of prolonged runtime. The case study consisted of two parts where a Digital Elevation Model, DEM of two meter resolution was implemented and compared to the five meter DEM that is currently in use. This was done by recreating previous flooding events by using discharge data from S-HYPE. In the first part, satellite data from Copernicus from two previous flooding events in Sweden were used for model validation in comparison with the results from inundation models of SMHI for the different DEM:s. An index was calculated to quantify the overlapping inundation areas. The events were at the river Emån in 2012 and at Västerdalälven in 2018. Moreover, the slope of the rivers within each study area was calculated to investigate correlation between improved flood modelling results for higher DEM resolution and slope of the rivers. The second part of the study investigated flood embankments for the two different DEM:s around Helige å river. A flooding event which took place in 2020 was recreated and the water flow around the built embankments was compared for the two resolutions.  Running the models, it turned out that simulations of several subcatchment areas were unstable with the two meter DEM, and could only be run with lower flow. The obtained results, however, revealed an improved inundation modelling for the DEM with a resolution of 2 m for all study areas in comparison to the data from Copernicus; however the runtime was increased by over 12 times. Moreover, the results also showed threshold effects, where the flooding was impeded by the flooding embankment with the two meter DEM but not at the lower resolution. Due to the stability issue and the limited scope of this study, it cannot be concluded whether SMHI should implement the two meter DEM in their flood warnings system. However, it was concluded that the stability has to be increased to make it feasible. It was also concluded that there are threshold effects between the two DEM:s and that the performance seems to increase overall for the higher resolution when it comes to precision of the modelling.

In the first paper, the effects of trade openness and conflict risk on income inequality are investigated. I obtain that the effect of trade openness on inequality depends on the level of conflict risk. More precisely, there exists a threshold effect: trade openness worsens income inequality in countries where the risk of internal and external conflicts is high. Moreover, I find that countries with higher risk of conflicts are more unequal, and that more ethnically diverse countries increase income inequality. Finally, I obtain that democratic regimes decrease inequality. In the second paper, we analyze the general-equilibrium consequences of property right enforcement in the natural resource sector. Assuming that exclusion requires both private and public enforcement efforts, we compare states that differ by their ability to provide protection services. This ability is referred to as state capacity. We obtain that public protection services can effectively act as either substitutes or complements to private enforcement, and this strongly depends on state capacity. Under low state capacity, an increase in state protection services leads to a drop in national income as labor is drawn away from the directly productive activities. The opposite holds for high-capacity states. As a result, public protection services have an ambiguous effect on national income even though they can unambiguously increase resource rents. In the third paper, we argue that the right to hold dual citizenship can generate important social and economic benefits beyond its political dimension. We assemble a large panel dataset on dual citizenship. We find that in developing countries, dual citizenship recognition increases remittance inflows by US$1.19 billion, GDP and household consumption, and improves child survival. In developed countries, however, dual citizenship recognition decreases remittance inflows by US$1.44 billion, but increases FDI by US$828 billion, raises household consumption, gross capital formation and trade, and provides incentives for skilled workers to move to other countries.

In the first paper, the effects of trade openness and conflict risk on income inequality are investigated. I obtain that the effect of trade openness on inequality depends on the level of conflict risk. More precisely, there exists a threshold effect: trade openness worsens income inequality in countries where the risk of internal and external conflicts is high. Moreover, I find that countries with higher risk of conflicts are more unequal, and that more ethnically diverse countries increase income inequality. Finally, I obtain that democratic regimes decrease inequality. In the second paper, we analyze the general-equilibrium consequences of property right enforcement in the natural resource sector. Assuming that exclusion requires both private and public enforcement efforts, we compare states that differ by their ability to provide protection services. This ability is referred to as state capacity. We obtain that public protection services can effectively act as either substitutes or complements to private enforcement, and this strongly depends on state capacity. Under low state capacity, an increase in state protection services leads to a drop in national income as labor is drawn away from the directly productive activities. The opposite holds for high-capacity states. As a result, public protection services have an ambiguous effect on national income even though they can unambiguously increase resource rents. In the third paper, we argue that the right to hold dual citizenship can generate important social and economic benefits beyond its political dimension. We assemble a large panel dataset on dual citizenship. We find that in developing countries, dual citizenship recognition increases remittance inflows by US$1.19 billion, GDP and household consumption, and improves child survival. In developed countries, however, dual citizenship recognition decreases remittance inflows by US$1.44 billion, but increases FDI by US$828 billion, raises household consumption, gross capital formation and trade, and provides incentives for skilled workers to move to other countries.