Analyzing Consumer’s Behaviour in Risk and Uncertainty Situations

In the paper we will generalize the Slutsky Equation in risk and uncertainty situations using the compensated and uncompensated demand and some local measures of risk aversion. We will obtain a nonlinear optimization problem of maximizing the expected utility; this problem will be solved using the Kuhn-Tucker method. We use the results to analyze the income and substitution effects of price changes on demand in risk and uncertainty conditions.Compensated demand, risk aversion, Slutsky Equation, uncertainty, uncompensated demand

Modeling and Evaluation of a Coal Power Plant with Biomass Cofiring and CO2 Capture

Coal-fired power plants are the largest source of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions into the atmosphere, with more than 9.5 billion tonnes of CO2 emitted annually. In order to mitigate the emissions of CO2 from coal-fired plants, several measures were proposed, such as increasing the efficiency of the plants, cofiring biomass with coal, and capturing and storing CO2 deep underground. Among these measures, the use of biomass, which is considered one of the most cost-effective renewables and, in addition, carbon neutral, combined with CO2 capture and storage will play an important role toward reducing the fossil-based CO2 emissions. In this study, we investigated in detail the performances of pulverized coal combustion plants with direct cofiring of biomass and integrated with an amine-based postcombustion capture technology. All the systems were modeled and simulated using the process simulation software Aspen Plus. The results indicate that cofiring 10% of biomass in a coal-based power plant only slightly affects the energy performance of the plant, reducing the net efficiency by 0.3% points. The addition of an amine capture system to both the coal-fired and biomass cofiring plants further reduces the efficiency of the plants by more than 10% points. Analyzing the effect of various CO2 capture process parameters on the heat, solvent and cooling water requirements, and on the overall plant performance, it was found that the concentration of amine in the solution is the most important parameter. The results showed that the net electrical efficiency increases for systems using higher amine concentrations. Further, we investigated the effect of systems with lower heat requirement for solvent regeneration on the plant gross/net power output and also analyzed the plant performances under a flexible CO2 capture efficiency

A Comparative Approach to the Development of Ancient Copper Supply Networks in Oman and Obsidian Supply Networks in Ethiopia

This dissertation adopts a comparative framework to the study of ancient raw material supply networks of copper in Oman (ca. 2500 BCE – 1800 CE) and obsidian in Ethiopia (ca. 800 BCE – 825 CE). A Social Network Analysis (SNA) approach is used to reveal the structures of supply networks, charting their diachronic developments and identifying fluctuations in the network positions of individual nodes as well as alterations in network sub-groups. Using formal centrality and centralization measures (e.g. degree, betweenness, closeness) this study reveals largely decentralized networks of production in both study areas. These findings can tentatively be used to argue against the notion of elite control over production. Additionally, the longitudinal dataset reveals remarkable stability in network structures over time. In the absence of evidence of elite control of this economic sector, one must identify the mechanisms that would have engendered the trust necessary for the reproduction of this economic system and for the maintenance of social order. This dissertation turns to social networks, and social relationships themselves, as the mechanisms that integrated economic interactions, bringing about social order and maintaining stability. Counter to both formalist and substantivist economic theories, social network theories conceptualize exchange not in terms of atomized decision-making, driven either by a pursuit of utility maximization or solely by internalized patterns of behavior, but rather in terms of ever-changing interactions embedded within networks of ongoing personal relationships. Where these relationships are concerned, it is not merely economic gains that are the focus of economic interactions, but also social gains, such as a good reputation. These social gains are understood as deterrents against malfeasance, as individuals would have a vested interest to operate fairly to maintain reputations for trustworthiness. A final aim of this dissertation is to understand the spatial dimensions of the productive resources that form the basis of the case studies being investigated. To this end, high-resolution geological resource maps were created for the study regions in Oman and Ethiopia through analysis of Hyperion hyperspectral satellite imagery. Advisor: Michael J. Harrower Second Reader: Glenn M. Schwartz Committee Chair: Benjamin Zaitchik Readers: Marian Feldman, Matthew Peeple

Cellulose-Derivatives-Based Hydrogels as Vehicles for Dermal and Transdermal Drug Delivery

The use of water-soluble polymers of natural, semisynthetic, and synthetic origin for dermal and transdermal drug delivery systems is manifold. Among the most used biopolymers in the formulation of skin preparations, the cellulose ether derivatives as representatives of semisynthetic polymers distinguish through their specific physicochemical properties, by which the pharmacist can select the appropriate cellulose derivative for a particular purpose. The hydrogels containing cellulose derivatives as gelling agents are widely used as water-soluble ointment bases, because they usually associate the characteristics of both conventional and innovative hydrogels, including especially safety, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and a relatively easy way of preparation and low price. The present chapter describes the following issues: the physicochemical properties of water-soluble cellulose derivatives in relationship with their type and grade; physical and chemical properties of cellulose-derivatives-based hydrogels and their compatibility with other auxiliary substances commonly used in the formulation of pharmaceutical hydrogels; the development and manufacturing of these hydrogels on both small and large scales; the characterization of cellulose derivatives hydrogels as pharmaceutical dosage forms through different compendial and noncompendial methods; and well-recognized and novel applications of cellulose-derivatives-based hydrogels for dermal and transdermal drug delivery