Factor Substitution and Unobserved Factor Quality in Nursing Homes

This paper studies factor substitution in one important sector: the nursing home industry. Specifically, we measure the extent to which nursing homes substitute materials for labor when labor becomes relatively more expensive. From a policy perspective, factor substitution in this market is important because materials-intensive methods of care are associated with greater risks of morbidity and mortality among nursing home residents. Studying longitudinal data from 1991-1998 on nearly every nursing home in the United States, we use the method of instrumental variables (IV) to address the potential endogeneity of nursing home wages. The results from the IV models are consistent with the theory of factor substitution: higher nursing home wages are associated with lower staffing, greater use of materials (specifically, physical restraints), and a higher proportion of residents with pressure ulcers. A comparison of OLS and IV results suggests that empirical studies of factor substitution should take into account unobserved heterogeneity in factor quality.

Visualizing Quantum Well State Perturbations of Metallic Thin Films near Stacking Fault Defects

We demonstrate that quantum well states (QWS) of thin Pb films are highly perturbed within the proximity of intrinsic film defects. Scanning Tunneling Spectroscopy (STM/STS) measurements indicate that the energy of these states have a strong distance dependence within 4 nm of the defect with the strongest energetic fluctuations equaling up to 100 meV. These localized perturbations show large spatially-dependent asymmetries in the LDOS around the defect site for each corresponding quantum well state. These energetic fluctuations can be described by a simple model which accounts for fluctuations in the confinement potential induced by topographic changes.Comment: Updated Versio

Critical Issues in Higher Education Finance and Policy: Historical, Social, and Institutional Perspectives

This special issue of Educational Considerations is focused on higher education, with particular emphasis on finance and policy issues

Table of contents and editorial information for Vol. 30, no. 1, Fall 2002

Table of contents and editorial information for Vol. 30, no. 1, Fall 200

Educational Considerations, vol. 30 (1) Full Issue

Educational Considerations, vol. 30 (1) Fall 2002 - Full issu

School Finance Policy and The Equity Dilemma In Indiana: A Case Analysis

It is likely that the only solution to Indiana\u27s equity dilemma is the courts

Dislocation core field. I. Modeling in anisotropic linear elasticity theory

Aside from the Volterra field, dislocations create a core field, which can be modeled in linear anisotropic elasticity theory with force and dislocation dipoles. We derive an expression of the elastic energy of a dislocation taking full account of its core field and show that no cross term exists between the Volterra and the core fields. We also obtain the contribution of the core field to the dislocation interaction energy with an external stress, thus showing that dislocation can interact with a pressure. The additional force that derives from this core field contribution is proportional to the gradient of the applied stress. Such a supplementary force on dislocations may be important in high stress gradient regions, such as close to a crack tip or in a dislocation pile-up

Dislocation Core Energies and Core Fields from First Principles

Ab initio calculations in bcc iron show that a screw dislocation induces a short-range dilatation field in addition to the Volterra elastic field. This core field is modeled in anisotropic elastic theory using force dipoles. The elastic modeling thus better reproduces the atom displacements observed in ab initio calculations. Including this core field in the computation of the elastic energy allows deriving a core energy which converges faster with the cell size, thus leading to a result which does not depend on the geometry of the dislocation array used for the simulation.Comment: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.05550

A Demographic Analysis of the Impact of Property Tax Caps on Indiana School Districts

In 2008, the Indiana legislature passed and the governor signed into law House Enrolled Act No. 1001, now referred to as Public Law 146-2008, which capped Indiana school districts’ ability to raise revenues from the local property tax without local voter approval