PRODUCTION CHOICES FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT SERVICES

ABSTRACT: This article models the production choice decision of local governments for the delivery of services to citizens. fie production choice decision depends on the demand by the local government for contracting out and the supply of external producers. Local governments trade off the potential cost savings of external production against diminished control of the service delivery process. Fiscal, political, and structural constraints affect the willingness of a local government to consider this tradeoff The model is estimated for eight local government services using data from a national sample of local governments. The services represent a cross-section of those provided by local governments, including public works, recreational, and social services. The results indicate the general importance of fiscal forces, resistance by public employees, and cost savings that result from competitive supply markets on the production choice decision.     

Properties of Some Simple Glass/Ceramic Systems

The density, transformation-range behavior, and electrical conductivity of three glass-crystal systems of increasing complexity were measured. The systems studied included glass/alumina composites, spherulitic lithium disilicate crystallized from glass of the same composition, and a commercial glass-ceramic in which the crystallization of lithium metasilicate resulted in changes in the composition of the residual glass.     

SQUID PROTEIN ISOLATE: EFFECT OF PROCESSING CONDITIONS ON RECOVERY YIELDS

Loigo species of squid was investigated as a potential source of protein isolate. The various process parameters which influence extraction of protein (particle size, time, extraction pH, salt concentration, relative amount of solvent to squid tissue and temperature) were investigated. From this study the following parameters were chosen to optimize extraction: pH 11 (sodium hydroxide) or 4% salt concentration (sodium chloride, sodium hexametaphosphate in aqueous extractant); temperature = 22°C; time = 45 min; particle diameter = 2–3 mm; solvent-to-squid ratio = 10:1. Under these conditions, about 85% of the squid protein can be extracted. 65% of the extracted nitrogen is recovered as protein isolate by isoelectric precipitation at pH 5.