Robustness of subjective welfare analysis in a poor developing country - Madagascar 2001

The authors analyze the subjective perceptions of poverty in Madagascar in 2001 and their relationship to objective poverty indicators. They base their analysis on survey responses to a series of subjective perception questions. The authors extend the existing empirical methodology for estimating subjective poverty lines on the basis of categorical consumption adequacy questions. Based on this methodology they calculate the household-specific, subjective poverty lines and compare the poverty profiles derived from different subjective welfarequestions. The results show that the aggregate poverty measures derived from consumption adequacy questions accord quite well with the poverty measures based on objective poverty lines. The subjective welfare analysis can be used in poor developing countries for evaluating socioeconomic and distributional impacts of various policy interventions.Public Health Promotion,Health Monitoring&Evaluation,Health Economics&Finance,Environmental Economics&Policies,Poverty Reduction Strategies,Poverty Assessment,Poverty Lines,Environmental Economics&Policies,Achieving Shared Growth,Poverty Reduction Strategies

Distributed Algorithms for Learning and Cognitive Medium Access with Logarithmic Regret

The problem of distributed learning and channel access is considered in a cognitive network with multiple secondary users. The availability statistics of the channels are initially unknown to the secondary users and are estimated using sensing decisions. There is no explicit information exchange or prior agreement among the secondary users. We propose policies for distributed learning and access which achieve order-optimal cognitive system throughput (number of successful secondary transmissions) under self play, i.e., when implemented at all the secondary users. Equivalently, our policies minimize the regret in distributed learning and access. We first consider the scenario when the number of secondary users is known to the policy, and prove that the total regret is logarithmic in the number of transmission slots. Our distributed learning and access policy achieves order-optimal regret by comparing to an asymptotic lower bound for regret under any uniformly-good learning and access policy. We then consider the case when the number of secondary users is fixed but unknown, and is estimated through feedback. We propose a policy in this scenario whose asymptotic sum regret which grows slightly faster than logarithmic in the number of transmission slots.Comment: Submitted to IEEE JSAC on Advances in Cognitive Radio Networking and Communications, Dec. 2009, Revised May 201

Average and marginal returns to upper secondary schooling in Indonesia

This paper estimates average and marginal returns to schooling in Indonesia using a non-parametric selection model estimated by local instrumental variables, and data from the Indonesia Family Life Survey. The analysis finds that the return to upper secondary schooling varies widely across individual: it can be as high as 50 percent per year of schooling for those very likely to enroll in upper secondary schooling, or as low as -10 percent for those very unlikely to do so. Returns to the marginal student (14 percent) are well below those for the average student attending upper secondary schooling (27 percent).Education For All,Secondary Education,Teaching and Learning,Primary Education,Population Policies

Average and marginal returns to upper secondary schooling in Indonesia

This paper estimates average and marginal returns to schooling in Indonesia using a non-parametric selection model. Identification of the model is given by exogenous geographic variation in access to upper secondary schools. We find that the return to upper secondary schooling varies widely across individuals: it can be as high as 50 percent per year of schooling for those very likely to enroll in upper secondary schooling, or as low as -10 percent for those very unlikely to do so. Average returns for the student at the margin are well below those for the average student attending upper secondary schooling.

Average and Marginal Returns to Upper Secondary Schooling in Indonesia

This paper estimates average and marginal returns to schooling in Indonesia using a non-parametric selection model. Identification of the model is given by exogenous geographic variation in access to upper secondary schools. We find that the return to upper secondary schooling varies widely across individuals: it can be as high as 50 percent per year of schooling for those very likely to enroll in upper secondary schooling, or as low as -10 percent for those very unlikely to do so. Average returns for the student at the margin are well below those for the average student attending upper secondary schooling.returns to schooling, marginal return, average return, marginal treatment effect

On the Source of Energetic Electron Precipitation during Auroral Substorms

Precipitating auroral electrons are believed to originate mainly from parallel electric fields set up at the auroral acceleration region (AAR) extending up to 20,000 km altitude. However, electrons of energy greater than 100 keV are probably generated by acceleration processes beyond the AAR. Observational evidence for the source location of these energetic electrons are hard to come by. In our current work, we present simultaneous magnetically conjugate measurements of energetic electron spectra estimated at the ionosphere using the Poker Flat Incoherent Scatter Radar (PFISR) and measured at the inner plasma sheet by the THEMIS spacecraft. The flux of precipitating electrons of energy greater than 100 keV demonstrate a striking spatio-temporal correlation with that of the inner plasma sheet electrons. This suggests that the source of the energetic electrons lie at or beyond the inner plasma sheet, and that the acceleration processes within the auroral acceleration zone don't contribute substantially to their energization. Using simultaneous THEMIS measurements of wave power, we speculate that the electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) and Chorus waves are likely candidates for electron acceleration within the inner plasma sheet apart from the usual candidates of betatron and fermi acceleration. However, between the ionosphere and the plasma sheet, electrons of energy less than 100 keV show significant differences in their energy spectra after the substorm onset suggesting an active AAR

Anti-Icing Meter Scale Superhydrophobic Heat Exchangers

Frost formation on heat transfer equipment such as air-source heat pump evaporators can result in drastic efficiency penalties. The reduced performance arises due to the insulating nature of ice and the increase in fan power required to pump air through the constricted channels between frosted fins. Furthermore, the need to defrost adds appreciable energy usage to the system. Recently, researchers have developed many variations of superhydrophobic surfaces to demonstrate both thermodynamic and non-thermodynamic frost formation inhibition, often employing hard to scale fabrication techniques, costly manufacturing methods, and unrepresentative surface materials. Many of these studies have focused on frosting delay mechanisms governed by the efficient removal of condensate droplets prior to supercooling and freezing through surface-to-kinetic energy driven coalescence-induced droplet jumping. By developing a simple, scalable, and cost-effective method of coating nanostructured boehmitized aluminum with vapor deposition of a fluorinated silane, we were able to demonstrate frost formation inhibition on decimeter scale heat pump evaporators. Heating mode tests performed in a wind tunnel according to ANSI/AHRI Standard 210/240-2008 showed a 3X slower frost formation rate in cold and dry conditions when compared to regular uncoated or superhydrophilic heat exchangers due to enhanced condensate removal prior to supercooling and frost formation. This study not only provides key insights into the fabrication of highly scalable aluminum and copper based superhydrophobic coatings for meter scale heat exchangers, it serves as a design platform for nanoengineered coatings that can reduce condensation frosting.Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Center (ACRC)Ope