Price Discrimination and Focal Points for Tacit Collusion: Evidence from the Airline Industry

We use unique data sets with round-the-clock posted fares and a regression discontinuity design to identify price discrimination in advance-purchase discounts. Price discrimination increases fares by 7.6% at 14 days to departure, and by 14% at 7 days to departure. While competition reduces price discrimination, it is unaffected by product variety for a multiproduct monopolist. The results show that the arbitrary thresholds of 7 and 14 days-in-advance serve as focal points for tacit collusion and to implement price discrimination in competitive markets. For round-trip tickets price discrimination depends on the days-in-advance for both the outbound and inbound flights

Automation and Enhancements to the ERAU OSCOM System Space Situational Awareness

OSCOM, Optical tracking and Spectral characterization of CubeSats for Operational Missions, is a system developed at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to produce time-resolved photometry of small satellites using commercial-off-the-shelf hardware. OSCOM has been able to observe resident space objects (RSOs) as small as CubeSats using a Celestron 11” RASA and a CMOS machine vision camera from Allied Vision. By obtaining photometric measurements of satellites, a light curve can be constructed and used to help determine satellite characteristics such as spin rate, satellite state, and even satellite attitude. To enhance the OSCOM system’s ability to observe small satellites, there is ongoing development towards an automated and more capable tracking system. This includes upgrading OSCOM’s tracking software, Auriga, planned development of an automated data analysis software and demonstrating the capabilities of a newly acquired Celestron 14” Edge HD (C14), which can be used for resolved imaging of large satellites and rockets and with a Starizona Hyperstar, and also can be used to observe dimmer RSOs that have low signal to noise ratio when detected by the 11” RASA. This paper discusses the software improvements to the OSCOM system and results acquired from the default C14 and C14 with Hyperstar configurations

Capabilities and Improvements to the OSCOM System

Optical and Spectral characterization of CubeSats for Operational Missions (OSCOM) is a system designed at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University that uses custom software and inexpensive commercial-off-the-shelf equipment to perform space situational awareness tasks for satellites ranging in size from the International Space Station (ISS) to CubeSats and small orbital debris. OSCOM can provide high frame rate photometry of many small satellites, but has also acquired resolved images of the ISS, planes and rockets. The OSCOM systems is portable and can be deployed to various locations to perform simultaneous multi-point observations to help gather additional information from the satellites observed. Currently, improvements to OSCOM’s tracking program, Auriga, are being made to implement a GUI interface, easier selection of satellites and optical tracking. This poster will discuss both completed and planned improvements to Auriga along with examples of photometry of satellites and resolved images of objects taken with the OSCOM system

An Analysis of Dynamic Price Discrimination in Airlines

Prices for the same flight change substantially depending on the time of purchase. This paper uses a unique dataset with round-the-clock posted fares to document significant within-day price variation. Labeling time-variation as discriminatory is difficult because the cost of an unsold airline seat changes with inventory, days before departure and aggregate demand expectations. After controlling for these factors and aggregating hourly fares to have a framework with two consumer types, we are able to identify a component that is largely consistent with dynamic price discrimination. We find higher prices during office hours (when business travelers are likely to buy) and lower prices in the evening (when leisure travelers are more likely to purchase). As the proportion of business travelers increases closer to departure, both price dispersion and price discrimination become larger. We provide an alternative explanation for the observed within-day price differentials which is related to Edgeworth price cycles

Laboratory monitoring and antiviral treatment for chronic hepatitis B among routine care patients in the United States

We investigated factors associated with rates of recommended monitoring of chronic hepatitis B (HBV) patients for viral DNA and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and initiation of antiviral treatment among eligible patients, in a US cohort of patients under routine care. Patients were categorised by treatment indication: definite, equivocal or ineligible. Baseline covariates included demographics, clinical characteristics and specialist care status. \u27Recommended monitoring\u27 was defined ≥1 ALT or HBV DNA test per year. Logit models, univariate then multivariable, were used to evaluate factors associated with monitoring and treatment. Among 3,830 patients, treatment was received by 67.5% (788/1168 patients) in the \u27definite\u27 category, and 34.1% (208/610 patients) in the \u27equivocal\u27 category, of whom 109 moved up to \u27definite\u27 status at some point during follow-up. Sex, age and specialist care were independently associated with receipt of treatment in \u27definite\u27 patients. Routine monitoring rates were high prior to treatment in \u27definite/ treated\u27 patients (ALT: 77%; DNA: 85%) but declined afterwards (ALT 63%; DNA 36%). Rates of monitoring were lower in \u27definite/ untreated\u27 patients (ALT: 48%; DNA: 32%). Among \u27equivocal/ treated\u27 patients, lower age and comorbidity scores were associated with receipt of treatment; ALT monitoring rates were similar before and after treatment initiation (41% and 46%, respectively), while rates of DNA monitoring declined (55% and 29%). Monitoring among \u27treatment ineligible\u27 patients was similar to those in the \u27equivocal\u27 and untreated \u27definite\u27 groups. A large proportion of US HBV patients under routine care did not receive recommended annual laboratory monitoring, especially after initiation of antiviral treatment, and nearly one-third of patients with \u27definite\u27 indications for antiviral therapy remained untreated

The Maine Annex, vol. 1, no. 12

The Maine Annex, published by the students of the University of Maine at the Brunswick Campus, was launched January 10, 1947. Editors introduced the publication as the product of a group of progressive students attending the Brunswick Campus. The goal of the publication, according to editors, was to tell the story of our life on this campus. The four-page, tabloid-sized paper included display advertising from area businesses. This issue contains an editorial lamenting the presence of State Police Officers at the Victory Dance the previous weekend. In addition to approximately 250 women bussed in from surrounding communities, blue uniformed proponents of the law were thicker than ants at a picnic

The Maine Annex, vol. 1, no. 13

The Maine Annex, published by the students of the University of Maine at the Brunswick Campus, was launched January 10, 1947. Editors introduced the publication as the product of a group of progressive students attending the Brunswick Campus. The goal of the publication, according to editors, was to tell the story of our life on this campus. The four-page, tabloid-sized paper included display advertising from area businesses. Amid the coverage in this issue is a retrospective piece discussing the Brunswick Annex campus at Brunswick Naval Air Base

The Maine Annex, vol. 1, no. 8

The Maine Annex, published by the students of the University of Maine at the Brunswick Campus, was launched January 10, 1947. Editors introduced the publication as the product of a group of progressive students attending the Brunswick Campus. The goal of the publication, according to editors, was to tell the story of our life on this campus. The four-page, tabloid-sized paper included display advertising from area businesses. Borrowing from the University of Maine, Orono campus, the Brunswick campus sponsored the election of a student Mayor as part of the spring dance escapades. Promotion of dance night activities includes the promise of plentiful women attending

The Maine Annex, vol. 1, no. 7

The Maine Annex, published by the students of the University of Maine at the Brunswick Campus, was launched January 10, 1947. Editors introduced the publication as the product of a group of progressive students attending the Brunswick Campus. The goal of the publication, according to editors, was to tell the story of our life on this campus. The four-page, tabloid-sized paper included display advertising from area businesses. Front-page interests in this issue revolve around sports, women, and the creation of a student dance band, and attracting women to campus by staging dances