Self-Compassion Moderates the Effect of Contingent Self-Esteem on Well-Being:Evidence from Cross-Sectional Survey and Experiment

Contingent self-esteem captures the fragile nature of self-esteem and is often regarded as suboptimal to psychological functioning.Self-compassion is another important self-related concept assumed to promote mental health and well-being.However,research on the relation of self-compassion to contingent self-esteem is lacking.Two studies were conducted to explore the role of selfcompassion,either as a personal characteristic or an induced mindset,in influencing the effects of contingent self-esteem on well-being.Study 1 recruited 256 Chinese college students(30.4%male,mean age=21.72 years)who filled out measures of contingent self-esteem,self-compassion,and well-being.The results found that self-compassion moderated the effect of contingent self-esteem on well-being.In Study 2,a sample of 90 Chinese college students(34%male,mean age=18.39 years)were randomly assigned to either a control or self-compassion group.They completed baseline trait measures of contingent self-esteem,self-compassion,and self-esteem.Then,they were led to have a 12-min break(control group)or listen to a 12-min self-compassion audio(self-compassion group),followed by a social stress task and outcome measures.The results demonstrated the effectiveness of the brief self-compassion training and its moderating role in influencing the effects of contingent self-esteem on negative affects after the social stress task.This research provides implications that to equip with a self-compassionate mindset could lower the risk of the impairment of well-being associated with elements of contingent selfesteem,which involves a fragile sense of self-worth.It may also provide insights into the development of an“optimal selfesteem”and the improvement of well-being.

Estimating the value of a statistical life in China: A contingent valuation study in six representative cities

The value of a statistical life(VSL)is a crucial tool for monetizing health impacts.To explore the VSL in China,this study examines people’s willingness to pay(WTP)to reduce death risk from air pollution in six representative cities in China based on face-to-face contingent valuation interviews(n=3936)from March 7,2019 to September 30,2019.The results reveal that the WTP varied from CNY 455 to 763 in 2019(USD 66-111),corresponding to a VSL range of CNY 3.79-6.36 million(USD 549395-921940).The VSL in China in 2019 is estimated to be CNY 4.76 million(USD 689659).The statistics indicate that monthly expenditure levels,environmental concerns,risk attitudes,and assumed market acceptance,which have seldom been dis‐cussed in previous studies,significantly impact WTP and VSL.These findings will serve as a reference for ana‐lyzing mortality risk reduction benefits in future research and for policymaking.

两期交换经济Contingent资产市场的指标公式

给出了均衡流形的定向，推导出了两期交换经济Contingent资产市场的指标公式，并证明了该资产市场的均衡存在．从而证实了M．Magill“当均衡流形可定向，且Incometransfers矩阵V（p,s）是满秩阵时，可以得到定向映射度的指标公式”的推测．

CONE-DIRECTED CONTINGENT DERIVATIVES AND GENERALIZED PREINVEX SET-VALUED OPTIMIZATION

By using cone-directed contingent derivatives, the unified necessary and sufficient optimality conditions are given for weakly and strongly minimal elements respectively in generalized preinvex set-valued optimization.

Estimation of conservation value of myrtle(Myrtus communis)using a contingent valuation method:a case study in a Dooreh forest area,Lorestan Province,Iran

Background： Around 2000 plant species occur naturally in Lorestan Province of which 250 species are medicinal and myrtle is one of them. Myrtle is a shrub whose leaves and fruits have medicinal value and thus, if managed and harvested properly, could produce sustained economic benefits. In recent years, however, over half of the myrtle site areas was destroyed, due to inappropriate management and excessive harvesting practices. Thus, coming up with a practical harvesting approach along with identifying those factors damaging the sites, seems to be very crucial. Methods： In our investigation, we calculated the conservation value per hectare of myrtle in the Dooreh forest area in Lorestan Province. Using the Contingent Valuation （CV） and Double Bounded Dichotomous Choice （DBDC） methods, we determined the willingness to pay （VVTP） for myrtle conservation. The VVTP was estimated with a Iogit model for which indices were obtained based on a maximum precision criterion. Results： The results showed that 86.67 per cent of people were willing to pay for the conservation of these myrtle sites. Average monthly WTP per family was calculated as $0.79. The annual conservation value in terms of WTP for the preservation of the myrtle sites in Dooreh was estimated as $102,525. Among the variables of the model presented, education had a positive impact, while the amount proposed for payment and family size had a negative impact on the WTP. Conclusions： Our estimate of the value of myrtle conservation should provide justification for policy makers and decision making bodies of natural resources to implement policies in order to conserve the natural sites of this species more effectively.

Contingent convertible lease modeling and credit risk management

The main objective of this study is to determine a lease agreement to finance an investment project and a solution for managing credit risk.This study investigates three types of contingent leases to reduce the costs associated with bankruptcy and compensate for the lessor’s position.A leasing defaultable contract allows the lessor to obtain the rent that will be recovered if the lessee defaults.A leasing convertible contract can be automatically converted into shares when certain default conditions related to the cash flows generated by the firm are met.These conditions are triggered by the ratio of the firm’s value and leasing payments.A Defaultable-Convertible-Leasing contract with a payback option grants the lessor the right but not the obligation to convert the remaining lease payments into stocks or to break up the contract and pick up the rented equipment when the firm reaches the default threshold.These contracts are motivated by contributing to the range of risk-management strategies by adding more flexibility to standard leasing contracts and contingent rents.Closed-form securities pricing solutions are set forward in a dynamic model for firms with existing assets and a growth option financed by shares and a contingent lease.Risk-neutral pricing theory and the backward induction method are used to determine the pricing of corporate securities.Numerical analysis shows that leasing convertible contracts and defaultable-convertible contracts with payback options impact the service value of the leased asset,maturity,and inefficiencies resulting from insolvency and asset substitution.An optimal conversion rate reduces inefficiencies,thus making the leasing convertible contract and defaultable-convertible-leasing contract with payback option a reliable solution to ensure business continuity and loss coverage of the leasers upon default.

Estimating the Outdoor Recreational Value of Lavizan Jungle Park of Tehran Using Contingent Valuation Method (CV)

Natural resources and its condition have always had a key role in economic and social developments of different societies around the world and these resources are considered as natural capital and bankroll of economic growth and development for every country. In the present study, we have evaluated the outdoor recreational value of Lavizan Jungle Park of Tehran and its visitors’ willingness to pay per visit (WTP) by using Contingent Valuation method (CV) and two-dimensional choice questionnaires. We used 125 questionnaires and logit model in order to evaluate the WTP. The purpose of this study is to measure individuals’ willingness to pay for visiting and preserving the environment of Lavizan Park as well as indicating the relationship between influential factors on their WTP. Estimating the value of natural resources is very important in making environmental preservation policies because preserving these natural attractions, as a part of ecotourism, is highly important. JEL Classification: Q29, Q51, C25.

THE TURNPIKE IN DYNAMIC STOCHASTIC ECONOMIC GROWTH MODELS FOR STATE－CONTINGENT CAPITAL STOCKS

A stochastic economic growth model may be transformed into a deterministic economic growth model with an infiaite dimentional Banach space of state-contingent capital stocks [6]. This paper proves that under the framework, the stochastic analogUes of the asymptotic turnpike theorems in the standard deterministic economic growth model [5] will continue tO hold if we assume that essentially smooth programs satisfy uniformly essentially dominant diagonal condition.

Contingent negative variation of mood disorder patients

Studies on brain-evoked potential and contingent negative variation （CNV） in mood disorder remain controversial. To date, no CNV difference between unipolar and bipolar depression has been reported. Brain-evoked potentials were measured in the present study to analyze CNV in three subtypes of mood disorder （mania, unipolar depression, and bipolar depression）, and these results were compared with normal controls. In the mania group, CNV amplitude B was greater than in controls, and the depression group exhibited lower CNV amplitude B and smaller A-S＇2 area, and prolonged post-imperative negative variation latency. The CNV comparison between unipolar and bipolar depression found that the prolonged post-imperative negative variation latency was only in unipolar depression. These results suggest that prolonged post-imperative negative variation latency is a characteristic of unipolar depression, and CNV amplitude change is a state characteristic of mood disorder patients.

Arbitrage-free interval of American contingent claims under proportional transaction cost

In a general continuous-time market model with proportional transaction costs, we derive the range of arbitrage-free prices of American contingent claims. Using a martingale approach, we obtain the upper and the lower hedging price of American contingent claims.

Development of contingent valuation method in evaluating non-market values of resources and environment in China

The contingent valuation method （CVM） is one of the main methods for evaluating non-market values of resources. It originated in the United States and was introduced into China during the 1980s and 1990s. However, application of CVM in China is highly controversial based on three primary aspects： （I） the appropriate guidelines for CVM; （2） the elicitation techniques for willingness to pay （WTP）; and （3） reliability and validity testing of CVM. The major objectives of this paper are to i^eview the recem devel- opments pertaining to guidelines, elicitation techniques, and reliability and validity testing for application of CVM, and to summa- rize the limitations of and measures for improving application of CVM in China. The applicability of CVM in China is discussed to enhance the future development of CVM in China.

The Combined Application of WTP and WTA in Contingent Valuation Methods

The In most contingent valuation (CV) studies, WTP (Willingness to pay) and WTA (Willingness to accept) were often used separately, so protesting or no response or even babbling answers are increasing, and the debate persists over the reliability of CV in economic policy analysis. In order to improve the reliability of CV, WTP and WTA is used syn-chronously to estimate the restoration cost of Maqu grassland ecosystem. Data were partly from questionnaire survey, and partly from interviews and authorities. Before conclusions were derived, we assumed these data that came from interviews and authorities were right. The main result is: If we assumed that the degraded grassland of Maqu needs 10 years to be restored, and divided the restoring period into two stages, then the restoration cost was 0.85 × 108 RMB per year in former 4 years, 0.022 × 108 RMB per year in latter 6 years. The total cost of Maqu grassland restoration was 3.62 × 108 RMB. For all the costs of restoration, WTA occupied 94% and WTP only occupied 6%, suggesting that local grassland degradation was mainly caused by overgrazing and that the overloading livestock must be eliminated in order to achieve restoration successfully. Our research also showed that combining WTP and WTA in contingent valuation is very useful in estimating the cost of environmental improvement projects. Of course, whether these results are right or not, further researches are needed in the future, especially for the actual number of livestock in Maqu grassland.

Altruism and Willingness to Pay for Environmental Goods: A Contingent Valuation Study

This study aims to reexamine the relationship between altruistic orientation and individuals’ willingness to pay (WTP) for environmental goods using contingent valuation. Altruistic motivation is known to be an important determinant of WTP. In the attitudinal scales used in previous research, the context of questions about altruistic motivations is specific to environmental issues. Instead, this study employs other psychological scales that measure altruistic orientation in a more general context, independently from environmental issues. The result is consistent with previous studies, but the impact of altruistic orientation is rather limited. This difference suggests that the context of questions may enhance respondents’ consciousness about the environment and bump up the value of their WTP.

SEVERAL ISSUES ON THE BUILDING OF THE CAS CONTINGENT OF YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

This article analyzes the progress in building the CAS contingent of young R&D professionals, and clarifies policies concerning talent training at the CAS.

STRENGTHEN THE BUILD-UP OF CONTINGENTS IN THE LIGHT OF FUTURE DEVELOPMENT

After 45 years’ of unremitting efforts since the founding of the CAS,contingents of carders, S&T researchers and auxiliary workers in the Academy, which have developed not only in quantity but also in quality,have made important contributions both to the country’s S&T development and to national economic construction. Since the beginning of the reform and opening, the Academy has adopted, through continued exploration and reform,a set of measures to build up the three contingents in the light of new state of S&T reform in the country.

CAS RESEARCH CONTINGENT CONSTRUCTION IN THE PAST 50 YEARS

The achievement of high-level R&D results and the nurture of high-level research professionals are the two principal missions committed to the CAS by our nation. So, the development of a competent research contingent is ever regarded as a top priority in the work agenda of CAS leaders, and this is a topic of vital importance to the Party, the central government and the people.

Blockchain adoption or contingent sourcing? Advancing food supply chain resilience in the post-pandemic era

In the post-pandemic era, food supply chains and firms therein are facing unprecedented severe challenges, because once infection is detected, numerous products must be recalled or abandoned, and both suppliers and retailers in the supply chain suffer enormous loss. To survive under the pandemic, retailers have adopted different sourcing strategies, such as contingent sourcing, which, in turn, affect the upstream suppliers and hence the resilience of the whole supply chain. With the rapid development of digital technologies, retailers nowadays can utilize blockchain as a reliable and efficient way to reduce product risk and hence advance the resilience of food supply chains by improving product traceability and inspection accuracy, and making sourcing transparent. In this paper, we develop a game-theoretic model to investigate the interrelation between the retailer’s decisions on blockchain adoption and sourcing strategies. We consider that a retailer originally orders from a risky supplier while conducting an imperfect inspection to detect infected products before selling. The retailer may speculatively keep on ordering from the risky supplier or adopt contingent sourcing by ordering from an alternative safe supplier. The retailer also has an option to implement blockchain to improve the inspection accuracy and product traceability. We derive the optimal retail prices under different sourcing strategies with and without blockchain adoption and then analyze the incentives for sourcing strategy and blockchain adoption. Then, we identify the conditions of an all-win situation for food retailer, supplier, supply chain resilience, and consumers with/without government subsidy. Finally, we extend to consider the situation that some consumers have health-safety concerns and preferences for blockchain adoption.

Optimality Conditions of the Set-valued Optimization Problem with Generalized Cone Convex Set-valued Maps Characterized by Contingent Epiderivative

In this paper, firstly, a new notion of generalized cone convex set-valued map is introduced in real normed spaces. Secondly, a property of the generalized cone convex set-valued map involving the contingent epiderivative is obtained. Finally, as the applications of this property, we use the contingent epiderivative to establish optimality conditions of the set-valued optimization problem with generalized cone convex set-valued maps in the sense of Henig proper efficiency. The results obtained in this paper generalize and improve some known results in the literature.

Mean-variance Hedging for Pricing European-type Contingent Claims with Transaction Costs

In this paper, a European-type contingent claim pricing problem withtransaction costs is considered by a mean-variance hedging argument. The investor has to paytransaction costs which are proportional to the amount of stock transacted. The writer's hedgingobject is to minimize the hedging risk, defined as the variance of hedging error at expiration, witha proper expected excess return level. At first, we consider the mean-variance hedging problem: forinitial hedging wealth f, maximizing the excess expected return under the minimum hedging risklevel V_0. On the other hand, we consider a mean-variance portfolio problem, which is to maximizethe expected return with initial wealth 0 under the same risk level V_0. The minimum initial hedgingwealth f, which can offset the difference of the maximum expected return of these two problems, isthe writer's price.

New Second-order Contingent Epiderivatives and Set-valued Optimization Problems

In this paper, we introduce the concept of second-order compound contingent epiderivative for set-valued maps and discuss its relationship to the second-order contingent epiderivative. Simultaneously, we also investigate some special properties of the second-order compound contingent epiderivative. By virtue of the second-order compound contingent epiderivative, we establish some unified second-order sufficient and necessary optimality conditions for set-valued optimization problems. All results in this paper generalize the corresponding results in the literature.