FORWARD CONTRACTING SPECIFICATION THROUGH COLLECTIVE BARGAINING

Game-based bargaining theory is presented to evaluate the potential of and stability of cooperative coalition among producers for enhancing producer returns and managing market price and income risk. Results clarify that collective bargaining can increase and stabilize producer profits when they face a single processor.Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,

DOES GENERIC ADVERTISING WRAP DEMAND CURVATURE?

This paper reconsiders the impacts of generic advertising on commodity prices that may be induced through demand effects. Rather than considering a simple demand shift, we consider the possibility that advertising leads to a change in the curvature of the demand curve. In this case, generic advertising is shown to affect both the level of market prices as well as their volatility. Based on parametric tests, we find that the demand elasticity appears to be affected by the intensity of generic advertising. In addition, we find evidence that generic advertising affects the curvature of the demand curve. We examine the implications of these findings for the price of beef. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that generic advertising enhances price level, while reducing price volatility. The latter result follows from evidence generic advertising increases the convexity of the demand curve with respect to price. The result suggests that generic advertising may provide a mechanism for stabilizing prices. The results also suggest that at any point in time, the effects of generic advertising can be decomposed into a shift and "twist" or curvature change. We present this decomposition and note that it implies the existence of a threshold price. At prices above this threshold, generic advertising will decrease the price elasticity of demand, while below this threshold, generic advertising will increase the price elasticity. This result suggests clearly that the demand effects of generic advertising are price dependent. The extent of this effect deserves further examination though findings in this paper strongly motivate further study.Marketing,

Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) Technology for Biological Treatment of Sewage

The sequencing batch reactor (SBR) has become popular in recent years since Irvine and Davis (1979) described its operation. The SBR achieves the processes in a framework of space compared to the conventional system, which achieves in terms of space. There are generally 5 operational steps in a SBR cycle namely Fill, React, Settle, Draw and Idle. A bench scale SBR was studied at 2 different strategies. The study was conducted at different cycle times (6h, 8h and lOh) and different operational mode based on the ratio of anaerobic and aerobic period (1/2.7, 1/1 and l.7/l). The study was undertaken to investigate the effluent quality, removal efficiency, SVI and kinetic growth coefficient. Results from strategy A (different cycle time) showed that increases in cycle time led to decrease in the removal of TSS, COD and BODs. Best results were obtained for the system with the 6h-cycle time, followed by the 8h-cycle time and lastly was the 10h-cycle time. Six hours cycle time was chosen for strategy B mainly due to the overall better removal efficiency on TSS, COD and BODs. There were 3 operational modes being examined in strategy B, they were 112.7 (longest aerobic period), 1/1 and 1.7/1(shortest aerobic periods). Best results were obtained from the 1/2. 7 operational mode with the longest aerobic period (lowest Li, which was 1. 22 mg/mg.d), followed by 1/1 operational mode and lastly was the 1.711 operational mode. The higher removal efficiency was associated with the longer aerobic period, the kinetic growth coefficient and SVI also increased with the increasing of aerobic period. Therefore, the 6h-cycle time and 112.7 operational mode appeared to be the most reliable option in this study. F or further studies, more work could be done to have a better understanding of the SBR system. For instance, inclusion of an anoxic period in the React step would enhance denitrification process to achieve better effluent quality. Moreover, kinetic growth model can be further explored by thymidine assay

Laboratory studies using diffused oxygen and air for hypolimnion reaeration

The purposes of this research were to study the oxygen transfer rates and the oxygen transfer efficiencies of different types of aerators using different sources of oxygen in different types of water bodies, and to evaluate the number of diffusers required to be installed in a selected lake for hypolimnion aeration. The experiments were conducted using a specially designed column. Four types of aerators, including a cylindrical stone diffuser, a spherical stone diffuser, and 2 ceramic diffusers (types A and B) which differed in pore size, were utilized as the aerators. The water bodies selected for the studies were Rolla tap water, Bray\u27s Lake water, and Frisco Pond water. Air and pure oxygen were the two sources of oxygen studied. The oxygen transfer rates and efficiencies of the ceramic diffusers were found to be greater than those of the stone diffusers. Ceramic diffuser type B was the best aerator tested. For a given type of diffuser, a higher transfer rate was generated when pure oxygen was used instead of air. Hypolimnion aeration of Bray’s Lake using the diffusers studied in this research was feasible. The number of diffuser units required for hypolimnion aeration may be minimized if ceramic diffuser type B were employed when air was used, or if ceramic diffuser type A were operated when pure oxygen was utilized for aeration --Abstract, page ii

Change-Point Estimation of Nonstationary I(d) Processes

We examine the least-squares estimator of change point for nonstationary I(d) data with 0.5least-squares estimator, change point, nonstationary I(d) process, spurious change

Effects of surfactants and Fenton\u27s reagents on extraction and destruction of phenanthrene in spiked sand

In this study, surfactants and Fenton\u27s reagents (Fe(II) and H202) ere proposed to solve contaminated site problems in situ on a lab scale. Phenanthrene is a simple PAHs (polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons). The phenanthrene spiked ottawa sand simulated contaminated soil. HPLC was used for phenanthrene analysis because it provided excellent separation and no interference. Six surfactants (including nonionic and ionic) were tested. The operating conditions were optimized based on process and economic considerations such as reaction time, mixing speed, concentrations of surfactants and concentrations of Fenton\u27s reagents. Surfactants could effectively dissolve phenanthrene from the spiked sand. In the absence of surfactants, Fenton\u27s reactions could efficiently decompose the target compound on the sand surface. Running a sequence of Fenton\u27s reactions was more effective than a single reaction. The combinations of a surfactant and Fenton\u27s reaction were better than the effect of a surfactant only. A model was developed that can qualitatively predict the residual phenanthrene concentration on sand surface as a function of time, mixing speed and concentrations of surfactant and Fenton\u27s reagents. The model was in excellent agreement with the experimental results

Doctor of Philosophy

dissertationLogical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC®) was developed in 1994 to provide a universal vocabulary for reporting laboratory and clinical observations. This dissertation was aimed at determining whether LOINC is meeting its goal when it is used in the real world. Three institutions, Associated and Regional University Pathologist (ARUP), Intermountain Healthcare, and Regenstrief Institute, were invited to participate in this research. These institutions represented three of the seven institutions that provided their catalogue of laboratory test names for creating the first version of laboratory LOINC codes. After obtaining IRB approval, each institution provided 5 years (2003-2007) of laboratory data and their associated local codes and LOINC code mappings. Extensional definitions (EDs) were used to characterize the laboratory data reported by a specific LOINC code. EDs included frequency of testing, mean and standard deviation of the result values, coded variables, etc. To reduce privacy concerns, we distributed parsing and processing programs to each institution and the initial processing of the raw results occurred within the local systems, and only the deidentified EDs were sent to the primary investigator for combined analysis. We used the EDs to evaluate the coverage, correctness, consistency and competence of LOINC. For coverage, we analyzed how many laboratory tests being routinely tested in daily operations could be assigned a correct LOINC code. For correctness, we verified the accuracy of LOINC mappings to local codes. For consistency and usefulness, we detected any inconsistencies in LOINC design and measured the degree of semantic interoperability that could be achieved using LOINC. Besides auditing LOINC code use, we also analyzed the result values that were associated with the LOINC results (i.e. characteristics like the type of result (number, coded value), units of measure, answer set (positive/negative) etc.). We also found that consistent use of result values was important in achieving semantic interoperability when exchanging laboratory data. Our analysis produced the following results: 1. Completeness: LOINC can provide 99% coverage rate for the results in two typical health care institutions and 79% coverage for results from a reference laboratory. 2. Correctness: An error rate of 4.5% existed in mappings at the three institutions. 3. Consistency and usefulness: Several complicated or inconsistent designs for LOINC usage were found, which reduced the semantic interoperability of LOINC

Liberty, Civility, and Professionalism

This address was given at the Orrin G. Hatch Distinguished Trial Lawyer Lecture Series at BYU Law School on November 7, 2008