The accuracy of real-time forecasts of macroeconomic variables that are subject to revisions may crucially depend on the choice of data used to compare the forecasts against. We put forward a flexible time-varying parameter regression framework to obtain early estimates of the final value of...

In this paper, we develop various calculus rules for general smooth matrix-valued functions and for the class of matrix convex (or concave) functions first introduced by Loewner and Kraus in 1930s. Then we use these calculus rules and the matrix convex function -log X to study a new notion of...

The lack of trust in the maritime industry between all the industry organizations and regulators has created an inspection industry which is heavily controlled by oil majors in order to limit their liability. This report is an introductory part of a PhD project called "The Econometrics of...

In this paper we consider a two-dimensional cutting stock problem encountered at a large manufacturer of window covering products. The problem occurs in the production process of made-to-measure roller blinds. We develop a solution method that takes into account the characteristics of the...

We study the performance of alternative sampling methods for estimating multivariate normal probabilities through the GHK simulator. The sampling methods are randomized versions of some quasi-Monte Carlo samples (Halton, Niederreiter, Niederreiter-Xing sequences and lattice points) and some...

In this paper we investigate how two online services (a portal and a digital library) may influence the adoption of an innovation. It is known from prior surveys that the installation services branch of the Dutch building industry has a relatively slow adoption rate for innovations. We examine...

It is generally believed that index decomposition analysis (IDA) and input-output structural decomposition analysis (SDA) (Rose and Casler, 1996; Dietzenbacher and Los, 1998) are different approaches in energy studies; see for instance Ang, Liu and Chung (2004). In this paper it is shown that the...

We discuss how prior regression on seasonal dummies leads to singularities in periodogram regression procedures for the detection of long memory. We suggest a modified procedure. We illustrate the problems using monthly inflation data from Hassler and Wolters (1995).

Our aim is to give a simple view on the basics and applications of convex analysis. The essential feature of this account is the systematic use of the possibility to associate to each convex object---such as a convex set, a convex function or a convex extremal problem--- a cone, without loss of...

Most maintenance-optimisation models assume an infinite planning horizon and suppose that the failure process is stationary. Hence, information which is not known beforehand and which becomes available on the short term only, must be ignored. We consider in this paper a multi-component system...