THE IMPACT OF EQUIVALENCE SCALES ON THE ANALYSIS OF INCOME AND FOOD SPENDING DISTRIBUTIONS

This article examines the effects of different income and food spending adult equivalence scales on estimated expenditure elasticities, on the demographic characteristics of the rich and poor, and on the percentage of household income spent on food by various income quintiles. Empirical results are found to be heavily influenced by the choice of equivalence scales. For example, elasticities varied by over 300%, and the demographic characteristics of the poor varied greatly.Consumer/Household Economics, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

ESTIMATING THE VARIANCE OF FOOD PRICE INFLATION

Stochastic index theory views each commodity price change as an independent observation on the rate of inflation that can be estimated by averaging over all prices. Our methodology estimates both the overall rate of inflation and relative price changes along with standard errors.Food prices, Index numbers, Inflation, Demand and Price Analysis,

BOX-COX TRANSFORMATIONS AND ERROR TERM SPECIFICATION IN DEMAND MODELS

This paper analyzes the influence of error-term specification and functional form on a quarterly demand model for beef. The Box-Cox transformation is used to generalize the functional form while the equation error term is postulated to be both heteroskedastic and autoregressive. Results indicated that both functional form and error-term specification can play a major role in elasticity estimation, elasticity behavior, and hypothesis testing.Demand and Price Analysis,

ANALYSIS OF FOOD STAMP PROGRAM PARTICIPATION AND FOOD EXPENDITURES

A two equation model is developed to examine jointly the determinants of household food stamp program participation and program effects on food expenditures. The model is unique in that it postulates that the participation decision is based on a cost-benefit ratio, selected socioeconomic characteristics, and the potential for increasing both food and nonfood expenditures. Data from the 1977-78 USDA Nationwide Food Consumption Survey Supplemental Low Income Sample is used to estimate the model. Findings suggest that households, in making the participation decision place equal value on the potential for increasing their food and nonfood expenditures. However, at the margin, bonus stamp income is found to have more than twice the impact of money income on food expenditures. The model's potential for policy analysis is also examined.Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

AN ALTERNATIVE APPROACH TO DEFINING AND ASSESSING POVERTY THRESHOLDS

This paper introduces a new method for defining poverty lines based on an individual' s self-evaluation of the household's present situation. The proposed method focuses on the minimum household income necessary to purchase food supplies evaluated by society to be barely adequate. The method is especially useful for evaluation and comparing poverty thresholds derived from different methods. It is also valuable for comparing the official U.S. poverty guidelines across households of different sizes. The approach can be extended to include estimation of thresholds differentiated by various household characteristics and comparison of thresholds across these characteristics.Food Security and Poverty,

INFORMATIONAL EFFECTS OF NUTRIENT INTAKE DETERMINANTS ON CHOLESTEROL CONSUMPTION

Nutrient information and dietary data for a sample of U.S. household meal planners are used to estimate the direct and indirect effects of various dietary determinants on cholesterol intake. Holding sociodemographic and household characteristics constant, greater nutrition information translates to significantly lower intake of dietary cholesterol. Evidence supports the hypothesis that schooling promotes better health behavior through greater acquisition and use of health information. Blacks and Hispanics stand to benefit from nutrition education programs to increase their awareness of diet-health relationship. A low-calorie diet decreases the intake of cholesterol more than a low-fat diet.Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Wood Infill Walls in Reinforced Concrete Frame Structures: A Wood/concrete Construction Niche

This thesis investigated light-frame wood/concrete hybrid construction as part of the NSERC Strategic Network on Innovative Wood products and Building Systems (NEWBuildS). A review of eight wood/concrete niche areas identified three with potential to be used in mid- to high-rise structures. Light-frame wood structures of seven or more storeys with wood/concrete hybrid flooring seem to have little feasibility unless a concrete lateral-load-resisting system is provided and material incompatibilities are solved. Non-load-bearing light-frame wood infill walls in reinforced concrete frame structures were recognized to have potential feasibility in mid- to high-rise structures. A full-scale, single frame test apparatus was successfully designed and constructed at the Insurance Research Lab for Better Homes. The frame is statically loaded to accurately replicates realistic horizontal sway and vertical racking deformations of a typical eight storey reinforced concrete frame structure at SLS and ULS. A linear-elastic analysis of the test apparatus was generally able to predict the results during testing. The 2.4m x 4.8m (8 ft. x 16 ft.) infill wall specimen did not satisfy serviceability deflection limitations of L/360 when subjected to representative out-of-plane wind pressures of +1.44/-0.9 kPa. The out-of-plane response was not significantly affected by horizontal sway deflections of +/-7.2mm or vertical racking deflections of +9.6mm. Although a nominal 20mm gap was provided to isolate the wall from the surrounding frame, insulation foam sprayed in the gap facilitated load transfer between them

USDA's Healthy Eating Index and Nutrition Information

A comprehensive model is developed to measure the extent that nutrition knowledge and diet-health awareness, among other factors, influence an individual's Healthy Eating Index (HEI), USDA's measure of overall diet quality. This is the first study that rigorously attempts to examine variation in the index across population groups by controlling for personal and household characteristics and nutrition information levels, as well as test for the endogeneity of nutrition information. Results indicate that one's level of nutrition information has an important influence on one's HEI and that nutrition information and the HEI are simultaneously determined. Other factors explaining variations in HEI's across individuals are income and education levels, race, ethnicity, and age. Evidence supports the hypothesis that higher education promotes more healthful food choices through better acquisition and use of health information.diet quality, Healthy Eating Index, nutrient demand, nutrition knowledge, health inputs, health production, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Calibration of a compact survey probe for pitot pressure, Mach number, and flow angularity measurements

Calibration of compact survey probe for pitot pressure, Mach number, and flow angularity measurement

A Survey of Oyster Resources at Glebe Point in the Great Wicomico River

This survey of oyster resources associated with leased oyster bottom in the Great Wicomico River in the vicinity of Glebe Point (State Rt. 200) was undertaken by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) at the request of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). The study was designed specifically to assess the present and potential value of the two oyster leases adjacent to the bridge crossing the Great Wicomico River at Glebe Point