Search, Moral Hazard, and Price Dispersion

We study the effects of insurance coverage on consumer search behavior and the pricing of services covered by insurance, constructing a general equilibrium model of moral hazard in search with an endogenous price distribution. When an insured event occurs, households request quotes from firms, who offer a homogenous service at various prices. We show that lower coinsurance rates reduce the amount of search by households, allowing firms to increase their prices. Hence, moral hazard in search is far more costly than shown in previous models, which ignored equilibrium firm response to changes in consumer search behavior.

Cavitation Scaling Experiments With Headforms: Bubble Acoustics

Recently Ceccio and Brennen [1][2][3] have examined the interaction between individual traveling cavitation bubbles and the structure of the boundary layer and flow field in which the bubble is growing and collapsing. They were able to show that individual bubbles are often fissioned by the fluid shear and that this process can significantly effect the acoustic signal produced by the collapse. Furthermore they were able to demonstrate a relationship between the number of cavitation events and the nuclei number distribution measured by holographic methods in the upstream flow. Kumar and Brennen [4][5] have further examined the statistical properties of the acoustical signals from individual cavitation bubbles on two different headforms in order to learn more about the bubble/flow interactions. All of these experiments were, however, conducted in the same facility with the same size of headform (5.08cm in diameter) and over a fairly narrow range of flow velocities (around 9m/s). Clearly this raises the issue of how the phenomena identified change with speed, scale and facility. The present paper will describe further results from experiments conducted in order to try to answer some of these important questions regarding the scaling of the cavitation phenomena. These experiments (see also Kuhn de Chizelle et al. [6][7]) were conducted in the Large Cavitation Channel of the David Taylor Research Center in Memphis Tennessee, on similar Schiebe headforms which are 5.08, 25.4 and 50.8cm in diameter for speeds ranging up to 15m/s and for a range of cavitation numbers

The sensory acceptance of fibre-enriched cereal foods:a meta-analysis

Improved understanding of the sensory responses to fibre fortification may assist manufacturers and health promotion efforts. The effects of fibre fortification (or modified ingredients) on sensory acceptability of baked cereal foods (bread, cookies, muffins) were estimated by linear random-effects meta-analysis of twenty eligible studies (869 panellists, 34% male). As little as 2 g per 100 g fortification caused moderate–large reductions in overall acceptability, flavour acceptability, and appearance acceptability in most items, with cookies most negatively affected. Fortification of base nonfortified foods with low initial acceptability improved acceptability; however, at higher basic levels, fortification lowered acceptability. Fortification improved texture acceptability of muffins and bread with low base acceptability, but lowered texture acceptability when base acceptability was high. Flavour improvement of muffins with fortification decreased with increasing base food acceptability. Fibre fortification of baked cereal foods lowers acceptability, but food format and base food acceptability affect the magnitude and direction of responses. Refining fibre fortification approaches could improve consumer uptake

Properties of the Nearly Free Electron Superconductor Ag5Pb2O6 Inferred from Fermi Surface Measurements

We measured the Fermi surface of the recently discovered superconductor Ag5Pb2O6 via a de Haas-van Alphen rotation study. Two frequency branches were observed and identified with the neck and belly orbits of a very simple, nearly free electron Fermi surface. We use the observed Fermi surface geometry to quantitatively deduce superconducting properties such as the in-plane and out-of-plane penetration depths, the coherence length in the clean limit, and the critical field; as well as normal state properties such as the specific heat and the resistivity anisotropy.Comment: 2 pages, 1 figure, submitted to Physica C (M2S Proceedings

Space station propulsion requirements study

Propulsion system requirements to support Low Earth Orbit (LEO) manned space station development and evolution over a wide range of potential capabilities and for a variety of STS servicing and space station operating strategies are described. The term space station and the overall space station configuration refers, for the purpose of this report, to a group of potential LEO spacecraft that support the overall space station mission. The group consisted of the central space station at 28.5 deg or 90 deg inclinations, unmanned free-flying spacecraft that are both tethered and untethered, a short-range servicing vehicle, and a longer range servicing vehicle capable of GEO payload transfer. The time phasing for preferred propulsion technology approaches is also investigated, as well as the high-leverage, state-of-the-art advancements needed, and the qualitative and quantitative benefits of these advancements on STS/space station operations. The time frame of propulsion technologies applicable to this study is the early 1990's to approximately the year 2000

Protocol for a national monthly survey of alcohol use in England with 6-month follow-up: 'The Alcohol Toolkit Study'.

Timely tracking of national patterns of alcohol consumption is needed to inform and evaluate strategies and policies aimed at reducing alcohol-related harm. Between 2014 until at least 2017, the Alcohol Toolkit Study (ATS) will provide such tracking data and link these with policy changes and campaigns. By virtue of its connection with the 'Smoking Toolkit Study' (STS), links will also be examined between alcohol and smoking-related behaviour

An adjustment inventory for primary grades

Thesis (M.A.)--Boston Universit