Risk and Cost Assessment of Nitrate Contamination in Domestic Wells

This study combines empirical predictive and economics models to estimate the cost of remediation for domestic wells exceeding suggested treatment thresholds for nitrates. A multiple logistic regression model predicted the probability of well contamination by nitrate, and a life cycle costing methodology was used to estimate costs of nitrate contamination in groundwater in two areas of Nebraska. In south-central Nebraska, 37% of wells were estimated to be at risk of exceeding a threshold of 7.5 mg/L as N, and 17% were at risk of exceeding 10 mg/L as N, the legal limit for human consumption in the United States. In an area in northeastern Nebraska, 82% of wells were at risk of exceeding the 10 mg/L as N legal threshold. Reverse osmosis Point-of-Use (POU) treatment was the option with the lowest costs for a household (3–4 individuals), with an average of $4–$164 total regional cost per household per year depending on the threshold for treatment. Ion exchange and distillation were the next most cost-effective options. At the community level (~10,000 individuals), a reverse osmosis Point-of-Entry (POE) treatment system was the most expensive option for a community due to high initial costs and ongoing operation and maintenance costs, whereas the biological denitrification system was least expensive due to economies of scale. This study demonstrates integrated modeling methods to assess water treatment costs over time associated with groundwater nitrate contamination, including quantification of at-risk wells, and identifies suitable options for treatment systems for rural households and communities based on their cost

Asymmetric Wholesale Pricing: Theory and Evidence

Asymmetric pricing is the phenomenon where prices rise more readily than they fall. We articulate, and provide empirical support for, a theory of asymmetric pricing in wholesale prices. In particular, we show how wholesale prices may be asymmetric in the small but symmetric in the large, when retailers face costs of price adjustments. Such retailers will not adjust prices for small changes in their costs. Upstream manufacturers then see a region of inelastic demand where small wholesale price changes do not translate into commensurate retail price changes. The implication is asymmetric – small wholesale increases are more profitable because manufacturers will not lose customers from higher retail prices; yet, small wholesale decreases are less profitable, because these will not create lower retail prices, hence no extra revenue from greater sales. For larger changes, this asymmetry at wholesale vanishes as the costs of changing prices are compensated by increases in retailers’ revenue that result from correspondingly large retail price changes. We first present a formal economic model of a channel with forward looking retailers facing costs of price adjustment to derive the testable propositions. Next, we test these on manufacturer prices in a supermarket scanner dataset to find support for our theory. We discuss the contributions of the results for the asymmetric pricing, distribution channels and cost of price adjustment literatures, and implications for public policy.Asymmetric Pricing, Channel Pricing, Costs of Price Adjustment, Menu Costs, Wholesale Prices, Channels of Distribution, Retailing, Scanner Data

Regulating Legal Assistant Practice: A Proposal That Offers Something for Everyone

The premise of this Article is straightforward: let’s regulate legal assistants, let them handle more lawyer stuff, and everyone will benefit. “Lawyer stuff” means activities that constitute the practice of law. My purpose here is not to add to the extensive scholarship that explains and debates the “practice of law” or its ugly stepchild, the “unauthorized practice of law.” Nor is it my purpose to consider all of the many policy issues surrounding those topics that make for lively bar dinner debate. In an effort to build upon existing scholarship, I offer a regulatory model intended to accommodate the interests of all concerned. More precisely, this proposal balances the public’s interest in being able to choose among legal service providers against other public interests, lawyer interests, and legal assistant interests. The proposal strikes this balance by combining a competency-based legal assistant registration system with the lawyer regulation and legal assistant supervision infrastructure already in place in every state. The proposal will be easy and inexpensive to implement and administer, and it is flexible enough to allow for state-to-state variations

History of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation.

Farming is big business in Louisiana and the Nation. It is essential for the well-being of the United States. The Farm Bureau Federation is the largest voluntary farm organization in the world and has guarded the farming community\u27s welfare during the last sixty years. The Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation was started in 1921 on the Dodson farm near Baton Rouge, Louisiana by a handful of dedicated farmers. Today it has grown into an organization with over 64,000 member families. The purpose of this study was to record as completely as possible the History of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation. The objective of this study was accomplished by taping personal interviews with Farm Bureau leaders and other leaders in Louisiana agriculture. Secondary resource information such as newspapers, reference books, and annual reports from Extension files also provided information. The organization of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation was brought about in the early 1920\u27s due to a need for farmer representation and the need to improve market conditions. For the first twenty years the organization was primarily a marketing organization. From the early 1940\u27s through the early 1960\u27s the L.F.B.F. served primarily as an educational and legislative organization. In 1963 James D. Graugnard was elected L.F.B.F. president and serves to the present in that capacity. The organization now serves its members not only in education and legislative areas but also in areas of marketing, insurance, safety, commmodities, supplies and other vital areas. L.F.B.F. now has millions of dollars in assets. The growth and success of L.F.B.F. is primarily due to the hard work of its members and the fact that the organization is member controlled. Policies that represent the views of L.F.B.F. are developed from the grass roots farmer. This is one reason for the great success enjoyed by Farm Bureau. It is a work that was very difficult to research and prepare, however, the growth and success of L.F.B.F is one of the great success stories in agriculture

Social disorganization and violent crime across nonmetropolitan areas of Kentucky.

This macro-level study examines the effects of social disorganization predictors on violent crime registered in nonmetropolitan areas of Kentucky from 2012 to 2016. The study intends to expand the line of research interested in verifying the applicability of the social disorganization theory (Shaw & McKay, 1942), including its new theoretical developments, to non-urban settings and plans to contribute to the literature willing to provide a better understanding of violent crime in rural areas. In response to Narag et al.’s (2009) call for a theoretical integration of environmental contaminants among the ecological factors that influence variations in crime, the study also examines the effect of potential exposure to lead, seen here as an additional structural disadvantage, which may affect interpersonal violence. The results of a parallel mediation analysis show that for the most part, social disorganization theory has the ability to explain variations in violent crimes occurring in rural areas. Consistent with the theoretical predictions, residential instability, ethnic heterogeneity (percent Blacks), and family disorganization predict higher levels of violent crime. Yet, although poverty has a significant positive indirect effect on violent crime via family disorganization, the total effect of economic disadvantage on violent crime is negative. Exposure to lead contamination in water has only an indirect significant positive effect on violent crime, while potential exposure of lead in old housing does not impact violent crime, as it has been anticipated. Moreover, different from the theoretical expectations, social capital (i.e., church adherence) predicts higher and not lower violent crime rates. The study limitations and the policy implications of the findings are further discussed and recommendation for future research are presented

MANUFACTURE, CHARACTERIZATION, AND APPLICATION OF MULTIWALL CARBON NANOTUBE COMPOSITE CRYLONITRILE-BUTADIENE-STYRENE

Carbon nanotubes have been studied for nearly two decades and their amazing properties continue to spur intense investigation in the area of polymer composites. In terms of potential commercialization, mutiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are currently the most prevalent and economically viable form of nanotubes. Uncovering innovative means to take full advantage of their properties remains a fundamental issue. In this thesis, viability of their use to reinforce polymeric systems is reported. Acrylonitrilebutadiene- styrene (ABS) was used as the host matrix. MWCNTs were introduced to the ABS matrix via melt compounding. The resulting composite was thoroughly rheologically, thermally, and mechanically characterized. Several applications were also experimentally studied. The composites fatigue performance is measured and compared to a typical micron sized carbon fiber. These results indicate that both the nano and micron scale carbon fibers reduce the resistance to fatigue failure. The mechanism of failure in both cases appears to be different and is discussed. The use of microwave energy is investigated for the use of heating purposes. Results show a distinct advantage over conventional heating methods. Microwaves allow for volumetric, fast, selective, and controllable heating of the ABS system

A Proposed Model of Character Progression Taxonomy in Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPG’s)

A novel taxonomy for character progression in Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPG’s) was developed into three main functions: the identification, classification, and nomenclature of character progression types. A conceptual framework was established assessing two existing character progression types, linear character progression and nonstatistic character progression, using the grounded theory research method approach. The framework was then used as a form of reference in order to develop the classification and nomenclature of character progression types. These results are a foundation to determine whether a novel, hybrid approach to character progression could increase the level of player investment in gameplay based on the taxonomy of character progression types. Ultimately, this taxonomy can serve designers’ critical thinking process, enabling them to better accommodate their specific audience of players, potentially reducing player churn rate

Combating Budgetary Complications from the Marcellus Shale: The Case for a Pennsylvania Gas Fund

The relationship between shale gas development and budgetary and microeconomic externalities was studied. The extraction activity in the Barnett shaleformation provided a case study for assessing per-well highway infrastructure damage and water usage. The creation of a predictive model based upon the Barnett was applied to the Marcellus formation. The results showed support for the hypothesis that shale gas development creates negative externalities that amount to unfunded mandates and freerider problems for states and localities. Implications and policy solutions, including the case for a Pennsylvania natural gas fund, are discussed