Essays on Industrial Organization and Environmental Economics

This dissertation consists of three essays on industrial organization and environmental economics. The first essay models the efficient pricing structure when consumers respond to average price rather than marginal price. Regulators have been using increasing block tariffs to regulate important markets such as water and electricity, although such tariffs are not shown to be efficient in the standard literature of industrial organization. In light of recent evidence regarding how consumers respond to complex price schedules, this essay re-examines the regulated non-linear pricing. Results show that increasing per-unit prices (hence increasing block tariffs) may be optimal when consumers respond to changes in average price rather than marginal price. This suggests the equity-efficiency trade-off associated with increasing block tariffs may be less severe than previously believed. The second and the third chapters study the garbage industry. In the United States, waste has been transported across county lines and state borders. Several states and counties have attempted to legalize transboundary waste flow controls in several Congress sessions after their ordinances were overturned by Supreme Court. Using data on intercounty waste flows in California and a random utility model of haulers' decisions about where to deposit waste from each county, the second essay studies the effects of not-in-my-backyard policies and fuel taxes on the spatial and demographic distribution of solid waste. I find that waste is currently more likely to be hauled to disposal facilities in communities with higher percentages of blacks and Hispanics, even after controlling for income, disposal fees, and transport distances. Counterfactual policy experiments show that policies that seek to limit waste flows would reduce intercounty waste transport. However, these policies tend to lead to substitution of waste away from facilities near white residents and toward facilities near Hispanic residents, potentially exacerbating distributional concerns. In the third chapter, I look at the residential mobility hypothesis to explain the uneven distribution of waste by demographics. Forming sound environmental justice policy involves understanding whether the correlation between race and environmental bads results from the disproportionate siting of locally unwanted land uses or nuisance-driven residential mobility. This essay presents evidence of residential sorting using a difference-in-difference strategy. Specifically, I compare changes in population after an opening (and closing) of a trash site between blocks within one mile to faraway blocks. Results show a 11 percent decrease in white population and a 44 percent increase in Hispanic population in a block after a trash site opened within one mile. Closing the site does not change white population immediately while inducing a 11 percent fall in Hispanic population, relative to the operating period

Mosaic Atlas: Interview with Xuan My Ho

Interview with Xuan My Ho, conducted as part of the Mosaic Atlas project. Xuan My Ho identifies as Vietnamese-American. Topics discussed include making mosaics, immigrating from Vietnam, developing as an artist, galleries and materials, including venues in downtown San Jose, Kaleid, and Woodside. As part of the Mosaic Atlas project, SJSU students and faculty from the Anthropology and Geography Departments interviewed people who support and produce art throughout the Bay Area

Streptococcus pneumonia serotype 19A bacteremia in a child fully immunized with 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine

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Trigeminal Neurosensory Deficit and Patient Reported Outcome Measures: The Effect on Life Satisfaction and Depression Symptoms

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Distinctive patterns of macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin resistance phenotypes and determinants amongst Staphylococcus aureus populations in Hong Kong

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Effects of a Short-Term Dance Movement Therapy Program on Symptoms and Stress in Patients With Breast Cancer Undergoing Radiotherapy: A Randomized, Controlled, Single-Blind Trial

Context: Integrated interventions with combined elements of body movement and psychotherapy on treatment-related symptoms in cancer patients are relatively scarce. Objectives: The aim of the present study is to investigate the effectiveness of dance movement therapy (DMT) on improving treatment-related symptoms in a randomized controlled trial. Methods: A total of 139 Chinese patients with breast cancer awaiting adjuvant radiotherapy were randomized to DMT or control group. The intervention included six 1.5-hour DMT sessions provided twice a week over the course of radiotherapy. Self-report measures on perceived stress, anxiety, depression, fatigue, pain, sleep disturbance, and quality of life were completed before and after the three-week program. Results: DMT showed significant effects on buffering the deterioration in perceived stress, pain severity, and pain interference (Cohen d = 0.34–0.36, P  0.05). Conclusion: The short-term DMT program can counter the anticipated worsening of stress and pain in women with breast cancer during radiotherapy.postprin

Adaptation options for agricultural cultivation systems in the South Central Coast under the context of climate change: Assessment Report.

This report highlights the results of consultation meetings and field visits organized by the Department of Crop Production and the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security in Southeast Asia in association with the three offices of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in the South Central Coast provinces of Binh Thuan, Ninh Thuan, and Khanh Hoa, in combination with consultation with the provinces in the conference: “Summing up crops production in the Winter-Spring season in 2018-2019, implementing the Summer-Autumn season, Main rice season in 2019 for the South Central Coast and the Central Highlands” held by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Tam Ky City, Quang Nam Province on 12 April 2019. The meetings underlined the progress made by the provinces on climate change adaptation and mitigation, options for risk reductions in agricultural production, and conversion of crop structure as results of implementing the guidelines of the provinces and the Sector, especially, solutions for reservation and efficient and economic use of water under the context of climate change. This assessment report also reviews some issues related to the agricultural transformation of the region in adapting to risks caused by climate change. They are based on comparative advantages in terms of geographical location and market of key agricultural products. This report also points out shortcomings in using land and unreasonable points in managing and using important natural resources, especially water, and provides recommendations for the agricultural transformation and inter-regional connection with the Central Highlands and the Southeast. The team also introduces climate-related risks maps and adaptation plans (CS MAP) which is applied in the five provinces in the Mekong Delta Region, and hopes this solution’s expansion shall be supported by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the provinces

Changes in nasopharyngeal carriage and serotype distribution of antibiotic-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae before and after the introduction of 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in Hong Kong

This study assessed the changes in serotype distribution and antibiotic resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates in children before and after introduction of the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) in Hong Kong. Nasopharyngeal specimens were collected from 1978 and 2211 children (ages, 2 to 6 years) attending day care centers or kindergartens in period 1 (1999-2000) and period 2 (2009-2010), respectively. Carriage of PCV7 serotypes decreased from 12.8% to 8.6% (P < 0.01). The relative contribution of PCV7 serotypes 14 and 18C had decreased, whereas that for non-PCV7 serotypes 19A, 6A, 6C, 23A, and 15B had increased. In period 2, PCV7 penetration rate (at least 1 dose) for children aged 2, 3, 4, and 5 years was 43%, 35.7%, 26.7%, and 20.4%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, PCV7 use was the only independent variable associated with fewer PCV7 serotype carriages (odds ratio 0.5; P = 0.001). In period 2, high rates of dual penicillin/erythromycin nonsusceptibility were found in serotypes 6B (77.3%), 14 (100%), 19F (100%), 23F (78%), 19A (75%), 6A (87.8%), 6C (59.3%), and 23A (78.9%).postprin

Causes of dural sinus thrombosis in a Chinese community

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Association of the rs3743205 variant of DYX1C1 with dyslexia in Chinese children

<p>Abstract</p> <p><b>Background</b></p> <p>Dyslexia is a learning disability that is characterized by difficulties in the acquisition of reading and spelling skills independent of intelligence, motivation or schooling. Studies of western populations have suggested that <it>DYX1C1 </it>is a candidate gene for dyslexia. In view of the different languages used in Caucasian and Chinese populations, it is therefore worthwhile to investigate whether there is an association of <it>DYX1C1 </it>in Chinese children with dyslexia.</p> <p>Method and Results</p> <p>Eight single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped from three hundred and ninety three individuals from 131 Chinese families with two which have been reported in the literature and six tag SNPs at <it>DYX1C1</it>. Analysis for allelic and haplotypic associations was performed with the UNPHASED program and multiple testing was corrected using false discovery rates. We replicated the previously reported association of rs3743205 in Chinese children with dyslexia (<it>p</it>_{<it>corrected </it>}= 0.0072). This SNP was also associated with rapid naming, phonological memory and orthographic skills in quantitative trait analysis.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our findings suggest that <it>DYX1C1 </it>is associated with dyslexia in people of Chinese ethnicity in Hong Kong.</p