14,796 research outputs found
The Economics of Nested Insurance: The Case of SURE
Traditionally, disaster assistance was available on an ad hoc basis, but the 2008 Farm Act provides a standing disaster assistance program known as Supplemental Revenue Assistance (SURE). This paper introduces a theory of nested insurance to evaluate the impact on of SURE on intensification, acreage and adoption. The results suggest that parameters of a government program like SURE may enhance the adoption and value of crop insurance to the farm sector. A quantitative understanding of the interdependencies between programs like SURE and crop insurance, taking into account the nature of the ad hoc alternative, is important in assessing the welfare impacts on farmers, as well as insurance companies. Both our theory and simulation exercise suggest that insurance increases the volume of production and/or leads to increased intensification (substitution into higher value crops). On the other hand, the gains from insurance and from programs like SURE may be lessened by the presence and probability of ad hoc disaster assistance.Nested insurance, SURE, crops, adoption, ad hoc, disaster assistance, Crop Production/Industries, Risk and Uncertainty,
A Pilot-Scale Evaluation of a New Technology to Control NO(x) Emissions from Boilers at KSC: Hydrogen Peroxide Injection into Boiler Flue Gases Followed by Wet Scrubbing of Acid Gases
Emissions of nitrogen oxides NO(x) are a significant problem in the United States. NO(x) are formed in any combustion process, therefore it is not surprising that NO(x) are emitted from the boilers at KSC. Research at UCF has shown (in the laboratory) that injecting H2O2 into hot simulated flue gases can oxidize the NO and NO2 to their acid gas forms, HNO2 and HNO3, respectively. These acid gases are much more water soluble than their counterparts, and theoretically can be removed easily by wet scrubbing. This technology was of interest to NASA, both for their boilers at KSC, and for their combustion sources elsewhere. However, it was necessary to field test the technology and to provide pilot-scale data to aid in design of full-scale facilities. Hence this project was initiated in May of 1996
The DEEP2 Galaxy Redshift Survey: Redshift Identification of Single-Line Emission Galaxies
We present two methods for determining spectroscopic redshifts of galaxies in
the DEEP2 survey which display only one identifiable feature, an emission line,
in the observed spectrum ("single-line galaxies"). First, we assume each single
line is one of the four brightest lines accessible to DEEP2: Halpha, [OIII]
5007, Hbeta, or [OII] 3727. Then, we supplement spectral information with BRI
photometry. The first method, parameter space proximity (PSP), calculates the
distance of a single-line galaxy to galaxies of known redshift in (B-R), (R-I),
R, observed wavelength parameter space. The second method is an artificial
neural network (ANN). Prior information, such as allowable line widths and
ratios, rules out one or more of the four lines for some galaxies in both
methods. Based on analyses of evaluation sets, both methods are nearly perfect
at identifying blended [OII] doublets. Of the lines identified as Halpha in the
PSP and ANN methods, 91.4% and 94.2% respectively are accurate. Although the
methods are not this accurate at discriminating between [OIII] and Hbeta, they
can identify a single line as one of the two, and the ANN method in particular
unambiguously identifies many [OIII] lines. From a sample of 640 single-line
spectra, the methods determine the identities of 401 (62.7%) and 472 (73.8%)
single lines, respectively, at accuracies similar to those found in the
evaluation sets.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, accepted to Ap
The SseC translocon component in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium is chaperoned by SscA
Background: Salmonella enterica is a causative agent of foodborne gastroenteritis and the systemic disease known as typhoid fever. This bacterium uses two type three secretion systems (T3SSs) to translocate protein effectors into host cells to manipulate cellular function. Salmonella pathogenicity island (SPI)-2 encodes a T3SS required for intracellular survival of the pathogen. Genes in SPI-2 include apparatus components, secreted effectors and chaperones that bind to secreted cargo to coordinate their release from the bacterial cell. Although the effector repertoire secreted by the SPI-2 T3SS is large, only three virulence-associated chaperones have been characterized. Results: Here we report that SscA is the chaperone for the SseC translocon component. We show that SscA and SseC interact in bacterial cells and that deletion of sscA results in a loss of SseC secretion, which compromises intracellular replication and leads to a loss of competitive fitness in mice. Conclusions: This work completes the characterization of the chaperone complement within SPI-2 and identifies SscA as the chaperone for the SseC translocon
Kaon Electromagnetic Production on Nuclei
The formation and excitation of hypernuclei through kaon photoproduction is
reviewed. Basic features of the production process are emphasized. The
possibility of extracting new information on hypernuclear structure and on the
wave function of the bound is discussed. New results are presented
for the quasifree production process . Observables of
this reaction are shown to be sensitive to the -nucleus final state
interaction.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures. Invited talk given at the International
Conference on Hypernuclear and Strange Particle Physics (HYP97), Brookhaven
National Laboratory, USA, October 13-18, 1997. To be published in Nucl. Phys.
A kingdom in decline. Holocene range contraction of the lion (Panthera leo) modelled with Global Environmental Stratification
Aim
We use ecological niche models and environmental stratification of palaeoclimate to reconstruct the changing range of the lion (Panthera leo) during the late Pleistocene and Holocene.
Location
The modern (early 21st century) range of the lion extends from southern Africa to the western Indian Subcontinent, yet through the 20th century this range has been drastically reduced in extent and become increasingly fragmented as a result of human impacts.
Methods
We use Global Environmental Stratification with MaxEnt ecological niche models to map environmental suitability of the lion under current and palaeoclimatic scenarios. By examining modelled lion range in terms of categorical environmental strata, we characterise suitable bioclimatic conditions for the lion in a descriptive manner.
Results
We find that lion habitat suitability has reduced throughout the Holocene, controlled by pluvial/interpluvial cycles. The aridification of the Sahara 6ka dramatically reduced lion range throughout North Africa. The association of Saharan aridification with the development of pastoralism and the growth of sedentary communities, who practised animal husbandry, would have placed additional and lasting anthropogenic pressures on the lion.
Main Conclusions
This research highlights the need to integrate the full effects of the fluctuating vegetation and desiccation of the Sahara into palaeoclimatic models, and provides a starting point for further continental-scale analyses of shifting faunal ranges through North Africa and the Near East during the Holocene. This scale of ecological niche modelling does not explain the current pattern of genetic variation in the lion, and we conclude that narrow but substantial physical barriers, such as rivers, have likely played a major role in population vicariance throughout the Late Pleistocene
Deductibles vs. Coinsurance in Shallow-Loss Crop Insurance
Shallow-loss policies take center-stage in many proposals for the current Farm Bill. We examine the choice of deductible coverage vs. coinsurance to show risk premiums and loss adjustment costs matter little when comparing policies. Thus, policy makers should base decisions more on costs to taxpayers than specific risk management features
Time-Resolved Spectroscopy of Condensed Matter
Contains reports on three research projects.Joint Services Electronics Program (Contract DAAG29-78-C-0020)National Science Foundation (Grant DMR78-23555)National Science Foundation (Grant DMR76-80895
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