A conceptual and empirical framework to analyze the economics of consumer food waste

We develop a microeconomic model to understand food waste of consumers. We capture at-home and away-from home food consumption and distinguish between food purchases and food consumption. We allow the consumer to choose the rate of food waste at home optimally to maximize her utility. We show that consumer purchases can decline or increase with a cut in the rate of consumer waste, depending on the elasticity of food demand. Using the UK data for poultry in 2012, we also show a case where for a price elastic demand food consumption increases with a reduction in the food waste rate, but food purchases (retail sales) increase

Boundary condition for Ginzburg-Landau theory of superconducting layers

Electrostatic charging changes the critical temperature of superconducting thin layers. To understand the basic mechanism, it is possible to use the Ginzburg-Landau theory with the boundary condition derived by de Gennes from the BCS theory. Here we show that a similar boundary condition can be obtained from the principle of minimum free energy. We compare the two boundary conditions and use the Budd-Vannimenus theorem as a test of approximations.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

The flow approach in the Netherlands: an empirical analysis using regional information

In this paper we apply the flow approach to the Dutch labour market using two sets of regional data. From the first set we estimate matching functionsfor unemployed using data on the period 1980-1993. Using the second dataset we compare matching functions forunemployed and employed job seekers using data on the period 1981-1985. We conclude that the efficiency of the Dutch labour market has not worsenedduring the 1980s and that there are no differences in labour market efficiency between regions. Furthermore, weconclude that unemployed and employed job seekers have a different matching technology, while there are no regional differences in the matchingtechnology. Finally, we conclude that the matching function has constant returns to scale