Is crime in Mexico a disamenity? Evidence from a hedonic valuation approach

Since Roback’s seminal work (J Polit Econ 90(6):1257–1278, 1982), the literature on hedonic prices has evaluated the role of amenities in equilibrating regional differentials in nominal wages and prices. While these studies generally find evidence for traditional amenities and disamenities in developed countries, there remains little research on how characteristics such as violence affect the equilibrium in less developed countries. This article explores violence and other local characteristics as an amenity or disamenity for Mexico and employs the hedonic wage and rent theory proposed by Roback. This research uses a multilevel estimation technique using data from the Mexican Household Income and Expenditure Survey, along with other information from the municipal and state levels. This article finds evidence to suggest that illegal earning opportunities outweigh crime disamenity by inhabitants of some traditional drug-trafficking regions, because such crime appears to be the modus vivendi in those regions in a way that does not reduce economic performance.     

Information Retrieval and Filtering of Multimedia Mineral Data

Most of the written materials are consisted of Multimedia (MM) information because beside text usually contain image information. The present information retrieval and filtering systems use only text parts of the documents or in best case images represented by keywords or image captions. Why do not use both, text and image features of the documents and in the retrieval or filtering process utilize more completely the document information content? Can such approach increase the effectiveness of retrieval and filtering processes? There is a very little difference between retrieval and filtering at an abstract level. In this paper, we will discuss some possible similarities and differences between them on the application level taking into account the experiments in retrieval and filtering of multimedia mineral information.     

A micromechanical damage model for concrete

The present paper proposes a constitutive theory for concrete based on the geometry of its mesostructure and the actual kinetics of the microcrack evolution. The only material parameters used within the context of the proposed formulation are those associated with the elastic, macroscopic response and the critical stress intensity factors of the constituent phases. The model allows for a rational determination of the response in function of the volume fraction of the coarse aggregate, sieving curve, distribution and size of initial defects, relative strengths of the cement and aggregate, etc.     

Fluid-solid interaction of reactor core components, a preliminary analysis

A simple analytical model is used to examine the mechanical interaction of LMFBR core components with the surrounding coolant. Approximating a subassembly duct by a single degree of freedom oscillator and the coolant by a thin layer of viscous fluid, the problem was reduced to a nonlinear differential equation governing the motion of the oscillator. Approximate analytical and numerical solutions are presented which enable parametric studies useful in LMFBR core design.     

An entropy generation metric for non-energy systems assessments

Processes in non-energy systems have not been as frequent a subject of sustainability studies based on Thermodynamics as have processes in energy systems. This paper offers insight into thermodynamic thinking devoted to selection of a sustainability energy-related metric based on entropy balancing of a non-energy system. An underlying objective in this sustainability oriented study is product quality involving thermal processing during manufacturing vs. resource utilization (say, energy). The product quality for the considered family of materials processing for manufacturing is postulated as inherently controlled by the imposed temperature non-uniformity margins. These temperature non-uniformities can be converted into a thermodynamic metric which can be related to either destruction of exergy of the available resource or, on a more fundamental level of process quality, to entropy generation inherent to the considered manufacturing system. Hence, a manufacturing system can be considered as if it were an energy system, although in the later case the system objective would be quite different. In a non-energy process, a metric may indicate the level of perfection of the process (not necessarily energy efficiency) and may be related to the sustainability footprint or, as advocated in this paper, it may be related to product quality. Controlled atmosphere brazing (CAB) of aluminum, a state-of-the-art manufacturing process involving mass production of compact heat exchangers for automotive, aerospace and process industries, has been used as an example.     

Hydro energy potential of cooling water at the thermal power plant

The hydro energy of the gravity water flow from the coal-fired thermal power plant units to the river in an open cooling system of turbine condensers is determined. On the basis of statistical data for a long time period, the water net head duration curve due to the river annual level change, as well as the reduction of the hydro energy potential due to the thermal power plant overhauls periods, are evaluated in the case study of the Thermal Power Plant “Nikola Tesla B” in Serbia. A small hydro power plant is designed for the utilization of this hydro energy, and the economic benefits of the project are calculated. The internal rate of returns and pay back periods are calculated in dependence of the electricity price and total investment costs. The increase of profitability is assessed, bearing in mind that the plant might be realized as the Clean Development Mechanism project according to the Kyoto protocol. The obtained results show that the project is economically attractive, and it can be carried out with standard matured solutions of hydro turbines available at the market. Even for the relatively low electricity price from small hydro power plants in Serbia of 0.08 €/kW h the internal rate of return and the pay back period are 17.5% and 5.5 years.     

控制气氛下的AgCuTi/TiAl润湿铺展动力学

采用热台原位加热法系统研究了不同保护气体流量对润湿铺展过程、润湿铺展最大半径、润湿铺展动力学以及界面组织结构的影响.保护气体为氩气,保护气体流量分别为5,10,15 mL/s;加热曲线设定最高温度为1273 K,保温时间120 s;采用扫描电镜、能谱分析、光学显微镜等分析了界面组织结构.结果表明,保护气体流量为15 mL/s时,润湿铺展等效半径最大,原始半径0.9 mm的钎料铺展半径达到约1.4 mm.各种保护条件下,AgCuTi/TiAl体系的润湿铺展动力学过程相似,铺展半径与时间之间呈n次幂关系,即rn~kt;润湿铺展中钎料熔敷/TiAl的界面结构为:残余钎料的富银相/AlCuTi三元相层(AlCu₂Ti, AlCuTi, Ti₃Al)/TiAl母材,保护条件对其影响不大.     

Behavior therapy and tricyclic medication in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder: A quantitative review.

A meta-analysis was used to integrate the research literature on the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Antidepressants, such as clomipramine, and behavior therapy have produced appreciable changes in obsessive-compulsive and depressive symptoms. Patients with obsessions who did not suffer from compulsions have responded less to treatment. No follow-up data have been available for clomipramine, but the benefits of behavior therapy have been shown to be stable at follow-up. Ratings of improvement by assessors have been higher than ratings made by patients. The effects of tricyclic medication and exposure therapies have not significantly differed, but both have proven significantly superior to nonspecific treatment programs. There is a need for a large, randomized comparison of clomipramine and exposure that includes adequate follow-up of subjects after treatment has concluded. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Chemical functionalization of diatom silica microparticles for adsorption of gold (III) ions

Diatom silica microparticles from natural diatomaceous earth (DE) silica have been functionalized with 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTMS) and their application for adsorption of gold (III) ions from aqueous solutions is demonstrated. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray Photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses of the MPTMS modified diatom microparticles revealed that the silane layer with functional group (-SH) was successfully introduced to the diatom surface. The adsorption study of Au(III) ions using MPTMS-DE indicated that the process depends on initial gold (III) concentration and pH showing maximum adsorption capacity at pH = 3. The Au(III) adsorption kinetics results showed that the adsorption was very fast and followed a pseudo-second-order reaction model. The Langmuir model was used to provide a sound mechanistic basis for the theoretical of the adsorption equilibrium data. Gold recovery from MPTMS-DE structures was also investigated by using acidified thiourea solution and found to be high (> 95%). These results show that chemically modified DE microparticles can be used as a new, cost effective and environmentally benign adsorbent suitable for adsorption of gold metal ions from aqueous solutions.