Value of Information and Averting Behavior: The Case of Toxic Water Contamination

Little theoretical work has been done previously on the welfare valuation of changes in price and quality when consumers are imperfectly informed. The presence of imperfect information is particularly important in the analysis of averting behaviors. We develop a theoretical welfare measure, called quasi-compensating variation, as a natural extension of compensating variation (CV). We show that this welfare measure offers not only a money metric of the "value of information", but also a means to appropriately evaluate the welfare effects of various policies when consumers are imperfectly informed of water contamination. With a numerical example and our decomposition results (Propositions 2 and 3), we demonstrate that (i) the value of information could potentially account for a large portion of the total welfare gains when regulators simultaneously disseminate accurate information and improve drinking water quality, (ii) the willingness to pay to avoid toxic contamination is strictly larger for imperfectly informed than perfectly informed consumers, and (iii) the distribution of imperfect information among consumers affects the relative performance of the two compelling policy alternatives, "self-protection" and "pollution control".Consumer/Household Economics,

Hydrogen-assisted stabilization of Ni nanowires in solution

We have studied conductance characteristics of mechanically fabricated Ni nanoconstrictions under controlling electrochemical potential and pH of the electrolyte. Conductance histogram showed clear feature peaked at 1-1.5 $G_{0}$ (=$2e^{2}/h$) when the potential of the constriction was kept at more negative potential than -900 mV vs. Ag/AgCl in pH=3.7. Comparable feature also appeared at more positive potential when lower pH solution was used. We have revealed that Ni mono atomic contact or mono atomic wire can be stabilized in solution at room temperature under the hydrogen evolution.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures; to appear in Appl. Phys. Let

Coincidence between transcriptome analyses on different microarray platforms using a parametric framework

A parametric framework for the analysis of transcriptome data is demonstrated to yield coincident results when applied to data acquired using two different microarray platforms. Discrepancies among transcriptome studies are frequently reported, casting doubt on the reliability of collected data. The inconsistency among observations can be largely attributed to differences among the analytical frameworks employed for data analysis. The existing frameworks normalizes data against a standard determined from the data to be analyzed. In the present study, a parametric framework based on a strict model for normalization is applied to data acquired using an in-house printed chip and GeneChip. The framework is based on a common statistical characteristic of microarray data, and each data is normalized on the basis of a linear relationship with this model. In the proposed framework, the expressional changes observed and genes selected are coincident between platforms, achieving superior universality of data compared to other methods

Further investigation of whether correlations amongst data are invalidating the conclusion of a statistically significant trend in Antarctic minke body condition over time

A statistically significant decline in body condition in the Antarctic minke whale over the JARPA period was reported in Konishi et al. (2008). Subsequently, however, questions were raised in the IWC Scientific Committee as to whether the model used had adequately accounted for the data structure in JARPA (de la Mare, 2011), i.e. whether neglect of correlations in the data had led to negative bias in the confidence interval estimated for the decline. Earlier a jack-knife approach with year as the sampling unit was used to account for within-year correlations, and showed that while the confidence interval estimates reported originally had been negatively biased, the estimated decline remained statistically significant at the 5% level. This approach did not, however, take account of possible betweenyear correlations. This paper investigates the possibility that such correlations could have biased these interval estimates appreciably. The results show no sign of appreciable interannual auto-correlation, and indicate that the decline reported by Konishi et al. (2008) remains statistically significant at the 5% level. We suggest that his constitutes sufficient statistical evidence to confirm this significance, so that this matter might now be regarded as resolved by the Scientific Committee

Dirac Mass Matrices in Gauge Field Theory of Horizontal Symmetry

We investigate Dirac mass matrices derived in the gauge field theory of a horizontal symmetry generated by a central extension of the Pauli algebra. Through numerical analyses of the observed data of the charged fermion masses and the flavor mixing matrix of quarks, values of free parameters in the mass matrices are determined and several empirical relations are found among the Yukawa coupling constants. As one specific feature of the theory, we find different orderings in squared mass eigenvalues for the up and down quark sectors.Comment: 11 pages, 1 figur

Collisional stability of localized Yb(3P2{}^3\mathrm{P}_2) atoms immersed in a Fermi sea of Li

We establish an experimental method for a detailed investigation of inelastic collisional properties between ytterbium (Yb) in the metastable ${}^3\mathrm{P}_2$ state and ground state lithium (Li). By combining an optical lattice and a direct excitation to the ${}^3\mathrm{P}_2$ state we achieve high selectivity on the collisional partners. Using this method we determine inelastic loss coefficients in collisions between $^{174}$Yb(${}^3\mathrm{P}_2$) with magnetic sublevels of $m_J=0$ and $-2$ and ground state $^6$Li to be $(4.4\pm0.3)\times10^{-11}~\mathrm{cm}^3/\mathrm{s}$ and $(4.7\pm0.8)\times10^{-11}~\mathrm{cm}^3/\mathrm{s}$, respectively. Absence of spin changing processes in Yb(${}^3\mathrm{P}_2$)-Li inelastic collisions at low magnetic fields is confirmed by inelastic loss measurements on the $m_J=0$ state. We also demonstrate that our method allows us to look into loss processes in few-body systems separately.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figure

RF amplification property of the MgO-based magnetic tunnel junction using field-induced ferromagnetic resonance

The radio-frequency (RF) voltage amplification property of a tunnel magnetoresistance device driven by an RF external-magnetic-field-induced ferromagnetic resonance was studied. The proposed device consists of a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) and an electrically isolated coplanar waveguide. The input RF voltage applied to the waveguide can excite the resonant dynamics in the free layer magnetization, leading to the generation of an output RF voltage under a DC bias current. The dependences of the RF voltage gain on the static external magnetic field strength and angle were systematically investigated. The design principles for the enhancement of the gain factor are also discussed.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figure