ASCA Slew Survey

We are systematically analyzing ASCA GIS data taken during the satellite attitude maneuver operation. Our motivation is to search for serendipitous hard X-ray sources and make the ASCA Slew Survey catalog. During its operational life from 1993 February to 2000 July, ASCA carried out more than 2,500 maneuver operations, and total exposure time during the maneuver was ~415 ksec after data screening. Preliminary results are briefly reported.Comment: Proceedings for "X-ray surveys in the light of new observations", Santander (Spain), 2002 September. 1 pag

Non-pecuniary Work Incentive and Labor Supply

Recognizing that people value employment not only to earn income to satisfy their consumption needs, but also as a means to gain socio-psychological (nonpecuniary) benefits, we show that once nonpecuniary work incentives are incorporated into standard labor supply theory, (i) the wage rate under-estimates (over-estimates) the true value of nonwork/leisure time when work has nonpecuniary benefits (costs), (ii) nonpecuniary benefits can be a substitute for monetary wages as work incentives, (iii) at very low wage rates, work can become a net source of utility, and (iii) the shape of labor supply curve differs from standard theory. We also identify conditions under which a greater nonpecuniary work incentive generates a larger individual labor supply, and examine the effects of non-wage income on labor supply both for paid and voluntary work.Nonpecuniary incentives, Labor supply, Non-wage income, Voluntary work

Non-pecuniary Value of Employment and Individual Labor Supply

Recognizing that people value employment not only to earn income to satisfy their consumption needs but also as a means of community involvement that provides socio-psychological (non-pecuniary) benefits, we show that once the non-pecuniary benefits of employment are incorporated in the standard individual’s utility function, then at very low income levels employment can be a source of utility, inducing individuals to supply labor to the extent possible. We also show the conditions under which a greater non-pecuniary effect of employment generates a larger individual labor supply.Non-pecuniary effects, Employment value, Labor supply

Non-pecuniary Value of Employment and Natural Resource Extinction

We assume that people value employment not only to earn income to satisfy their consumption needs but also as a means of community/social involvement that provides socio-psychological (non-pecuniary) benefits. We show that the latter incentive can encourage full employment harvesting resources and explain why poor resource-based communities may exhaust a natural resource in a finite time even if there is a sustainable path of resource consumption available. We show that communities could sustain their natural resources by using outside-the-community employment and economic diversification, but, to be effective, such policies must ensure that the outside wage rate and the initial capital stock are above certain minimum levels, which will be higher the longer these policies are delayed.Non-pecuniary effects, Employment value, Resource extinction, Sustainability

When is it Optimal to Exhaust a Resource in a Finite Time?

Exhaustion of a natural resource stock may be a rational choice for an individual and/or a community, even if a sustainable use for the resource is feasible and the resource users are farsighted and well informed on the ecosystem. We identify conditions under which it is optimal not to sustain resource use. These conditions concern the discounting of future benefits, instability of social system or ecosystem, nonconvexity of natural growth function, socio-psychological value of employment, and strategic interaction among resource users. The identification of these conditions can help design policies to prevent unsustainable patterns of resource use.Renewable resource management, Sustainability, Finite-time exhaustion, Optimal path, Policy implications

The Optimal Decoupled Liabilities: A General Analysis

The “decoupled” liability system awards the plaintiff an amount that differs from what the defendant pays. The previous approach to the optimal decoupling design is based on the assumption of complete information, which results in an optimal liability for the defendant “as much as he can afford.” This extreme conclusion may hinder the acceptability of the decoupling system. This paper proposes an alternative design based on the assumption that agents in the post-accident subgame have asymmetric information. Our model indicates that the optimal penalty faced by the defendant is generally greater than the optimal award to the plaintiff. When the potential harm is sufficiently large, the optimal penalty can be approximated by a multiple of the harm, but the plaintiff receives only a finite amount of the damages regardless of the loss suffered. Such a decoupling scheme deters frivolous lawsuits without reducing the defendants’ incentives to exercise care. Additionally, this paper derives comparative static results concerning how the trial costs of the plaintiff and defendant affect the optimal design of decoupling.

Bronchial thermoplasty: implementing best practice in the era of cost containment.

Increasing dependence on advanced technologies in the 21st century has created a dilemma between the practice and business of medicine. From information technology to robotic surgery, new technologies have expanded treatment possibilities and have potentially improved patient outcomes and safety. Simultaneously, their escalating costs limit access for certain patients and health care facilities. Nevertheless, medical decisions should not simply be based on cost. Input from physicians and other health care specialists as well as adherence to best practice position statements, are vital to implementing truly cost-effective strategies in medicine. Bronchial thermoplasty (BT), a US Food and Drug Administration approved bronchoscopy procedure in difficult-to-control persistent asthma, is a prime example of a new technology facing cost and implementation challenges. We discuss the specific indications and contraindications for BT and review recent real-world experiences that can provide the foundation for building a comprehensive asthma program that provides BT for difficult-to-control asthma patients who fail national guideline treatment recommendations after an adequate clinical trial of one. We also offer insight into the barriers to implementing a successful BT program and strategies for overcoming them

Characterization of SiGe/Si Heterostructures Formed by Ge+ and C+ Implantation

Formation of SiGe/Si heterostructures by germanium ion implantation was investigated. A germanium‐implanted layer was grown epitaxially in the solid phase by thermal annealing. Two kinds of crystalline defects were observed. One is a misfit dislocation, and the other is a residual dislocation caused by ion bombardment. The p‐n junction formed in the SiGe layer has a leakage current three orders of magnitude larger than that of a pure Si p‐n junction fabricated with an identical process except for the Ge+ implantation. Carbon doping in the SiGe layer improves its crystalline quality and the junction characteristics

Improved Crystalline Quality of Si\u3csub\u3e1-x\u3c/sub\u3eGe\u3csub\u3ex\u3c/sub\u3e Formed by Low-temperature Germanium Ion Implantation

Improvement of crystalline quality in Si1-xGex formed by germanium ion implantation has been found. End‐of‐range defects were drastically reduced in number by lowering the substrate temperature during implantation with doses on the order of 1016 cm−2. This improvement was confirmed by electrical characterization of p‐n junctions formed in the SiGe layer as well as by transmission electron microscopy