TB101: The Relevance of Option Value in Benefit-Cost Analysis

This publication represents a review and a critical re-evaluation of the literature dealing with option value. This literature is rich and dynamic and provides a fascinating sequence of articles, comments, and rebuttals. Reevaluation of the concept requires a rather comprehensive review of this literature, which is something that has not been provided to date. The literature review is also important because the work of some authors has been systematically overlooked in the course of the debate. As a result of this oversight, the original formulation of the concept continues to be cited in the literature even though its practical significance is doubtful.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/aes_techbulletin/1085/thumbnail.jp

B793: Estimation of the Cost of Providing Publicly-Supported Outdoor Recreational Facilities in Maine

Federal, state and local government agencies have historically played a significant role in providing outdoor recreational facilities for public use. Public agencies provide campgrounds, picnic areas, hiking trails, access to swimming and boating sites, interpretive facilities and programs, and numerous other types of recreational facilities. Until recently, very little attention was devoted to the costs associated with the provision of these facilities. Public funds were allocated to the construction and operation of the facilities without much concern for the economic consequences of these actions. However, during the last decade several studies have documented the cost of providing publicly supplied outdoor recreational facilities and some of the consequences. These studies have analyzed a wide range of facilities managed by state and federal agencies. The objective of this project is to measure the cost of providing various outdoor recreational facilities in Maine. The project was initiated in the Spring of 1981 following a meeting of personnel from several of the public agencies that provide recreational services and facilities. Several concerns were voiced at that meeting, including the need to revise user fees, uncertainty regarding the level of future agency funding, lack of information about provision costs, the need to document provision costs for legislative bodies, and questions regarding whether users should pay a larger share of the costs of providing the recreational facilities. A cost of provision study of a wide range of public recreational facilities seemed to be a first step in addressing many of these concerns. A cooperative agreement was written in which the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Maine at Orono would perform the study with funding provided by the U.S. Forest Service. Agencies participating in the study include the Maine Bureau of Parks and Recreation, Baxter State Park, Evans Notch Ranger District of the White Mountains National Forest, and Acadia National Park. The actual facilities included in the study are shown in Figure 1.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/aes_bulletin/1124/thumbnail.jp

Electrokinetic transport of heterogeneous particles in suspension

The Smoluchowski equation for electrophoresis predicts that the electrophoretic velocity of a particle is proportional to its zeta potential but not its size, shape, or orientation. Furthermore, the equation predicts that the rotation rate is identically zero. The Smoluchowski equation fails for heterogeneous particles (i.e., those with nonuniform zeta potentials). Recent theories and experiments show that particles with a dipole moment of zeta potential rotate into alignment with an externally applied electric field. For doublets (particles composed of two spheres) the rotation rate depends on (1) whether the spheres are rigidly rocked or freely rotating, and (2) the gap distance between the spheres. The relative configuration of two coagulated spheres is determined by the colloidal forces of the system. The goal of our research is to use measurements of electrophoretic rotation to determine the gap between two spheres of a colloidal doublet and also to determine whether or not the doublet is rigid

Evaluation of Ultrasonic Time-of-Flight Diffraction Data for Selected Control Rod Drive Nozzles from Davis Besse Nuclear Power Plant

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) examined ultrasonic (UT) time-of-flight diffraction (TOFD) data from ten (10) nozzles in the Davis Besse Nuclear Power Plant reactor closure head. The TOFD data was acquired by AREVA after a bare metal visual examination of the pressure vessel head indicated potential leakage in at least one nozzle. A detailed analysis of the UT data shows that Nozzle 4 has three indications consistent with cracking in the penetration tube. One of the indications starts at the wetted side of the weld and progresses to the annulus. In addition, examination of UT data from the annulus region of Nozzle 4 displays an irregular pattern that could be associated with boric acid deposits and leakage/wastage in the interference fit. The review of TOFD data for the other nine nozzles resulted in several indications being detected in the weld region and near the inner diameter (ID) and outer diameter (OD) surfaces of the penetration tube, but no other indications that are consistent with cracking that may have resulted in leakage were observed. A review of the back-wall reflections in the other nine nozzles also did not show strong indications of leakage, although Nozzle 67 displayed an irregularly-shaped region of high ultrasonic transmission near 180 degrees on the interference fit

Constraining Orbital Parameters Through Planetary Transit Monitoring

The orbital parameters of extra-solar planets have a significant impact on the probability that the planet will transit the host star. This was recently demonstrated by the transit detection of HD 17156b whose favourable eccentricity and argument of periastron dramatically increased its transit likelihood. We present a study which provides a quantitative analysis of how these two orbital parameters affect the geometric transit probability as a function of period. Further, we apply these results to known radial velocity planets and show that there are unexpectedly high transit probabilities for planets at relatively long periods. For a photometric monitoring campaign which aims to determine if the planet indeed transits, we calculate the expected transiting planet yield and the significance of a potential null result, as well as the subsequent constraints that may be applied to orbital parameters.Comment: 7 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in Ap

The Predictive Validity of Traditional Admission Criteria for African-American Student-Athletes: An Analysis From One Predominantly White University

A linear regression analysis of data collected at one predominantly white institution found little correlation between admission test scores and college grade point averages for African-American student-athletes