On the Brun-Titchmarsh Theorem

The Brun-Titchmarsh theorem shows that the number of primes $\le x$ which are congruent to $a\pmod{q}$ is $\le (C+o(1))x/(\phi(q)\log{x})$ for some value $C$ depending on $\log{x}/\log{q}$. Different authors have provided different estimates for $C$ in different ranges for $\log{x}/\log{q}$, all of which give $C>2$. We show that one can take C=2 provided that $\log{x}/\log{q}\ge 8$. Without excluding the possibility of an exceptional Siegel zero, we cannot have $C<2$ and so this result is best-possible in this sense. We obtain this result using analytic methods developed in the study of Linnik's constant. In particular, we obtain explicit bounds on the number of zeroes of Dirichlet $L$-functions with real part close to 1 and imaginary part of size O(1).Comment: 47 Page

The Agricultural Labourer in Worcestershire: Responses to Economic Change and Social Dislocation 1790-1841.

The study of rural history and social unrest in the English countryside has concentrated largely on East Anglia and southern England. Apart from one or two recent studies, the western agricultural counties have been relatively ignored. More importantly, apart from giving some detailed accounts of the lives of rural political activists, many historians have paid less attention to the daily lives of the majority of agricultural labourers. This has led to a general acceptance that most labourers were part of a rural proletariat whose loss of common rights and declining living standards culminated in the Last Labourers’ Revolt of 1830. This thesis seeks to broaden this view by providing a more holistic view of labourers’ lives in Worcestershire in order to determine what social and economic changes had the most impact on rural life in general and on three settlements in particular. The introduction demonstrates how romantic views of the past have influenced some historians’ attitudes. It then determines the empirical basis for this study

SOURCES OF IRREVERSIBLE CONSUMER DEMAND IN U.S. DAIRY PRODUCTS

Irreversible demand is relevant to pricing strategy and demand modeling with weekly data. Competing explanations include loss aversion and stockpiling. Irreversible models for U.S. cheese and table spreads suggest that stockpiling dominates loss aversion. Price smoothing may be an inappropriate strategy in this case. Reversible demand models applied to weekly data may overestimate own-price elasticities.Demand and Price Analysis,

EMPIRICAL TESTS OF THE ARGUMENT THAT CONSUMERS VALUE STABLE RETAIL MILK PRICES

Existing policy allows interstate dairy compacts if they serve a compelling public interest. Compact supporters argue consumers benefit from retail price stability, but no supporting evidence was found. Milk demand systems were estimated using scanner data and four measures of price volatility. Price volatility defined as forecast errors influenced demand, but did not systematically depress demand. Response was more elastic to unanticipated than anticipated price changes, possibly explaining the higher elasticities often observed in scanner data studies.dairy compacts, dairy demand, price instability, scanner data, Demand and Price Analysis,

PRICE DISCOVERY IN THE EGG INDUSTRY

Formula pricing of eggs is typically based on quotations issued by Urner Barry Publications, and egg producers worry that the quotes are systematically lower than equilibrium levels. Egg Clearinghouse, Inc. (ECI) provides a public forum for cash trading, intended to facilitate price discovery. Evidence from 1994-95 does not suggest that Urner Barry understands producer level prices on average, Granger causality tests indicate a feedback relationship between the Urner Barry quotes and ECI prices, with ECI leading during price upswings. Lead times appear to have fallen since the late 1970s and early 1980s, confirming earlier predictions regarding market efficiency.Demand and Price Analysis,

Archival Issues in Network Electronic Publications

published or submitted for publicatio

THE IMPACT OF BSE, FMD, AND U.S. EXPORT PROMOTION EXPENDITURES ON JAPANESE MEAT DEMAND

The study examined Japanese consumer response to the discovery of BSE and discusses implications for the U.S. beef industry following BSE discovery in the U.S. Impacts of FMD and export promotion expenditures were also modeled. Synthetic inverse and ordinary demand systems were used to appropriately specify the demand system.Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Context-Dependent BSE Impacts on Canadian Food-at-Home Beef Purchases

Household-level Canadian scanner data from 2002 – 2005 were used to identify consumer reactions to the early BSE discoveries that severely impacted Canada’s beef industry. In all provinces, consumers reacted to the initial BSE event by purchasing more beef, apparently to support struggling ranchers. Subsequent BSE events, however, met with reduced beef purchases. The results were consistent across three measures of monthly beef purchases: participation, units purchased, and beef expenditure share. Failing to account for the context of individual BSE events would have produced little evidence of consumer reaction, a common finding among prior North American BSE studies.BSE, mad cow disease, food safety, consumer behavior, Canada, Demand and Price Analysis, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, D12, Q11,