The impact of exogenous shocks on the dynamics and persistence of inflation: a macroeconomic model-based approach for Greece

The paper analyses the dynamic response of inflation to various economic shocks and investigates the sources of inflation persistence through a set of counter factual simulations. Analysis shows that inflation seems to be more persistent in Greece than, on average, in Euro Area. Inflation persistence tends to be higher in response to fiscal shocks than others shocks. Only an indirect tax shock could be classified as “non-persistent” for Greece. Inflation persistence is crucially affected by the degree of competition in product market and it is mainly of intrinsic nature while nominal rigidities and frictions in the labor market do not seem important in explaining the relatively higher persistence of Greek inflation.Inflation persistence,macroeconomic models,impulse response function

We the People: A Needed Reform of State Initiative and Referendum Procedures

Part II of this Comment begins by detailing the history of the ballot initiative and referendum in the United States. Part III next details the different types of initiatives and referenda commonly used in the United States. Part IV discusses the merits of the ballot initiative, discussing both benefits and disadvantages. Part V gives an overview of various state approaches to initiative procedures. Part VI introduces some of the various procedural shortfalls in the initiative process. Part VII discusses Missouri common law and how the courts have helped shape Missouri’s law in the initiative process. Part VIII examines Brown v. Carnahan, a case handed down by the Supreme Court of Missouri in 2012 that clarified many aspects of ballot initiative procedures. Part IX concludes by discussing the future of the ballot initiative in Missouri and detailing steps that could be taken by the Missouri General Assembly to slow the large increase in the number of ballot title challenges in recent years

Force to Debond Brackets from High-fusing and Low-fusing Porcelain Systems

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that porcelain surface finishing, ie, low- and high-fusing porcelain, has an effect on the amount of force required to debond orthodontic brackets. A total of 20 high-fusing and 20 low-fusing porcelain specimens were prepared, polished, and bonded with standard edgewise brackets using a suggested porcelain bonding protocol. The brackets were debonded with a universal testing machine at shear mode. Resin removal was performed using two methods: a multifluted carbide bur with and without the use of Sof-Lex polishing discs. Representative specimens were studied under a scanning electron microscope before and after debonding to assess the surface morphology and potential surface damage. Statistical analysis with a t-test revealed that there was no difference between the two porcelain treatments on the force to debond values and no qualitative differences were observed on the porcelain surface between the two resin clean-up methods. From a clinical perspective, the practitioner can bond ceramic restorations without previous knowledge of the porcelain type used

Shackleton receives 2002 Maurice Ewing medal

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/95614/1/eost14112.pd

Urban Residents\u27 Adoption of Stormwater Best Management Practices: Final Report

The practices and decisions of Lewiston and Auburn residents regarding lawn care have a profound impact on stormwater runoff pollution and local water quality. In order to mitigate the substantial effects of these pollutants on waterways, it is critical for local residents to develop an understanding of best management practices (BMPs) which they feel compelled to implement in order to minimize the effects of stormwater pollution on water quality. With a five-year permit cycle for stormwater runoff put forth by the state, the Androscoggin Valley Stormwater Working Group (AVSWG) is contractually tasked with performing educational outreach in the community regarding the importance of stormwater runoff pollution, and with evaluating these educational outreach efforts to ensure that local residents are adequately understanding the BMPs they can adopt to minimize stormwater pollution. Our research on water pollutants, survey design, and behavioral change theory allowed us to produce a survey aimed at assessing residents’ lawn care decisions and at assessing stormwater pollution awareness and outreach efforts in the Lewiston and Auburn area. The survey we created will be sufficient to meet the upcoming permit requirements and to help determine behavioral trends in relation to the adoption of lawn care BMPs, the effectiveness of previous AVSWG educational outreach efforts, and the existing barriers to the adoption of BMPs. Central to our survey design process was the popular and heavily cited behavioral change theory developed by M. Fishbein and I. Ajzen (2010), the Reasoned Action Approach, which locates behavioral intention as the closest predictor of behavior implementation and identifies attitudes, norms, and behavioral control (both perceived and actual) as primary factors to examine which structure a person’s behavioral intent. To inform our survey construction, we also conducted interviews with local residents and pretested an initial version of the survey on several Bates College faculty members. After making revisions, we have produced a final version of the survey which will be distributed to residents of Lewiston and Auburn door-to-door in the coming month, as well as generated hypotheses as to the effectiveness of the AVSWG’s educational outreach efforts surrounding stormwater pollution. The initial information we have gathered via the framework of the Reasoned Action Approach on residents’ attitudes, norms, and perceived and actual control over their lawn care decisions both allow us to begin analyzing the effectiveness of the AVSWG’s educational outreach efforts, and to begin identifying leverage points which future education and outreach efforts could target. Our research has allowed us to create a set of conceptual tools which the AVSWG may continue to use in the coming years

Investigating Persistence in the US Mutual Fund Market: A Mobility Approach

Performance persistence in the US mutual fund market is investigated, modeling risk-adjusted performance as a Markov Chain. This allows us to explore whether there is a higher probability for funds to remain in their initial ranking, compared to the probability that funds exhibit some kind of movement. We find some degree of inertia due to non-uniformity of transition probabilities across states. Our analysis allows also assesses the proximity of empirical transition matrices to two benchmark matrices, identifying the no-persistence/perfect immobility cases. We find that the observed transition matrices are closer to the no-persistence benchmark and also that performance persistence has decreased over time