Because of the recent soaring petroleum price and growing environmental concerns, biodiesel has become an important alternative fuel. Biodiesel is the mono alky esters made from a vegetable oil, such as soybean or rapeseed oil, or sometimes from animal fats. The escalation in world petroleum...

Using quarterly U.S. census division data for time period 1975-2006, this paper investigates the dynamic relationships among the house prices of nine divisions (regions): Pacific, Mountain, South Atlantic, Middle Atlantic, New England, East South Central, West South Central, West North Central,...

In this study, we apply directed acyclic graphs and search algorithm designed for timeseries with non-Gaussian distribution to obtain causal structure of innovations from an errorcorrection model. The structure of interdependencies among six international stock markets isinvestigated. The...

The paper considers the use of directed acyclic graphs (DAGs), and their construction from observational data with PC-algorithm TETRAD II, in providing over-identifying restrictions on the innovations from a vector autoregression. Results from Sims’ 1986 model of the US economy are replicated...

Investigation into the relations between market fundamentals and US natural gas prices is carried out in the regime-switching framework. To test the hypothesis that US natural gas market may switch between two states of market: bullish market and bearish market, a 2-state regime-switching model...

This paper demonstrates the application of a recently developed methodology, the combination of directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) with Bernanke structural vector autoregression (VAR) models, to model a system of U.S. commodity-related and value-added markets. As an example, the paper applies this...

This paper applies a combined methodology of a recently developed directed acyclic graph (DAG) analysis with Johansen and Juselius' methods of the cointegrated vector autoregression (VAR) model to a monthly U.S. system of markets for soybeans, soy meal, and soy oil. Primarily a methods paper,...

This paper demonstrates the application of a recently developed methodology, the combination of directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) with Bernanke structural vector autoregression (VAR) models, to model a system of U.S. commodity-related and value-added markets. As an example, the paper applies this...

In this dissertation, three related issues of building empirical time series models forfinancial markets are investigated with respect to contemporaneous causality, dynamics,and structural change. In the first essay, nation-wide industry information transmissionamong stock returns of ten sectors...

This dissertation examines several issues regarding the congestion on the UpperMississippi River and Illinois Waterway. Chapter II identifies and measures the impactof lock congestion on grain barge rates on these waterways. Results indicate grain bargerates on both rivers are not affected by...