Articles tagged with Economics Research
The Scandinavian Journal of Economics has published a special issue celebrating the rise of political economics, an interdisciplinary field that combines public choice, rational choice, and macroeconomics to study government policy. Key findings include models exploring the evolution of economic institutions, efficiency aspects of poli...
A study funded by the Economic and Social Research Council highlights tensions between voluntary organizations supporting refugees and government funding rules. Voluntary groups resist pressures to deliver government policy, citing conflicts with client interests and potential harm to migrants.
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have devised a new process that improves the efficiency of ethanol production, resulting in significant cost savings. The innovative design uses a multi-column system and energy recovery network to reduce steam consumption, leading to an 11% decrease in manufacturing costs.
A new model language has been developed to guide clinical researchers in properly disclosing their financial interests in research, providing guidance on risks and benefits to participants. The language includes specific wording for various types of financial interests, aiming to minimize potential risks to research subjects.
A new study reveals that while more women are studying engineering, they often use it as a launchpad for other careers due to teaching methods and a male-dominated environment. Women value their novelty status but hold traditionally stereotypical views of themselves outside the profession.
A new study by Princeton University researchers found that traditional models underestimating the value of employee stock options. The study takes into account factors such as risk aversion, job security, and vesting periods, revealing a more nuanced picture of option costs.
A new study finds that UK and US Arab activists define themselves as members of multiple communities and express attachment to their countries of origin. They also value the rights and security offered by their adopted lands and advocate for mutual accommodation and respect between different groups.
Class-action lawsuits can significantly slow or halt science's ability to establish links between neurological illness and environmental factors. The authors suggest policy changes to shield scientists and their research, including enhancing privacy protections for patient data.
A study published in PLoS Medicine finds that male circumcision significantly reduces the risk of HIV infection, resulting in cost savings for healthcare systems. The analysis suggests that circumcision could be a cost-effective strategy for preventing HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan countries.
Researchers argue that movie exhibitors can increase profits by adopting variable pricing, which would allow for price differentiation based on event movies, weekends, and holidays. The study suggests that consumers welcome discounts but may resent surcharges, making it easier for exhibitors to implement variable pricing.
A study by Matthias Doepke and Martin Schneider found that even mild inflation can lead to substantial redistribution of nominal assets, with younger, middle-class households benefiting the most. Rich retirees are expected to lose nearly 60% of their household-sector losses due to inflation.
The latest Powertrain System Analysis Toolkit (PSAT V6.1) includes new features and improvements, enabling designers to quickly examine various powertrain configurations and understand their impacts on performance and fuel economy. More than 300 researchers worldwide use PSAT, which has been recognized as an R&D 100 award winner.
Research by Dr David Voas reveals a significant shift in English church attendance, with Pentecostal churches experiencing rapid growth while Methodist numbers decline. The study highlights the role of African immigrants in driving this growth, particularly among predominantly black congregations in London.
A study funded by the Economic and Social Research Council shows that, over time, festivities replace hostilities in divorced families during Christmas. Parents share arrangements with their children and prioritize family connections, redefining divisions during this festive season.
Researchers found that current scenarios neglect a significant fraction of low-probability events, resulting in biased outcomes. By identifying key sources of overconfidence, they aim to critically reevaluate previous studies and improve uncertainty analysis.
A new study found that grandparents who attend church are more likely to produce church-going grandchildren, with those whose parents and grandparents attend being 36% more likely to attend themselves. This suggests a direct influence of grandparents on their grandchildren's religious practices.
Researchers found that state Medicaid reimbursement rates and bed-hold policies significantly impact nursing home residents' likelihood of hospitalization. States with higher payment rates and more permissive bed-hold policies tend to have higher hospitalization rates, while those with lower rates and stricter policies have lower rates.
Dr Nigel W Brown's Aquacart system uses Nyex material to remove toxic organic contaminants from wastewater, promising a solution to global water pollution concerns. The technology has the potential to meet challenges of new legislation and be applied to various industrial processes.
The study found that online shoppers can reap big benefits from shopping on price comparison sites, including strategies to exploit targets of opportunity and compare services beyond prices. Retailers also use these sites to their advantage, with fierce competition driving price wars and collaborations to raise prices.
Researchers at Iowa State University are working on a system to harvest corn stover, the stalks and leaves of corn plants, in a single pass using standard combines. The goal is to create a cost-effective method to produce plant fiber that feeds next-generation ethanol plants.
A recent study by Marie Thursby and Jerry Thursby found that 49.6% of R&D effort in developed nations is for new science, while in emerging countries it's only 22%, suggesting universities play a crucial role in driving innovation.
Adults in consumer-driven plans spend large shares of their income on out-of-pocket costs and premiums. People with lower incomes are less likely to contribute to their accounts.
Juries are more likely to acquit defendants in rape cases where the victim was intoxicated, even if they were spiked with date rape drugs. The research found that jurors often relied on stereotypes and misunderstood the effects of Rohypnol, leading to inadequate convictions.
A new project led by Dr Padraic Monaghan will investigate the mechanism of language processing that determines stress in words, potentially aiding the treatment of reading difficulties and second language learning. The research may also provide insights into neurological representations of language and recovery following brain injury.
A recent study suggests that the emergence of diversified social roles for men, women, and children in Homo sapiens provided a competitive advantage over Neanderthals. This division of economic labor enabled modern humans to thrive in ecologically diverse tropical and sub-tropical regions.
A growing energy supply will be needed to meet future demands; thorium offers fewer environmental and human health hazards in its fuel production. DBI has developed innovative concepts to exploit thorium's benefits, including reduced waste and toxicity.
A new study funded by the Economic and Social Research Council found that UK street robbery is often driven by a desire for excitement, status, or self-defense. The research, conducted with 120 offenders, revealed that gratuitous violence used in street robbery is increasing and is linked to drug use and gang involvement.
The new journal aims to bridge the gap between economics and real-world issues by publishing readable yet rigorous articles. Oxonomics will provide an outlet for undergraduate and graduate students to publish their research alongside established academics and policymakers.
Research by Dr David Voas at the University of Manchester found that women priests are nearly half of all ordained clergy and are more likely to serve in rural areas. The lack of women in leadership positions may contribute to the Church's declining population, with most male parish priests over 60.
Michael Hernandez, a junior at University of Miami, won Outstanding Student Poster in geosciences category at SACNAS national conference. His research compared CHAMP radio occultations with global model forecasts during the 2005 hurricane season.
A team of researchers is using data from the 2001 census to build a model of the UK population, which will be used to test the consequences of different demographic trends and policy decisions. The model can be projected into the future to explore how different scenarios may play out.
A new study found that reading negative newspaper articles about asylum seekers can lead to lower likelihood of granting asylum and negatively impact views on the group. Positive coverage has no similar positive impact, suggesting a lack of strong positive associations within British culture.
New research shows that chain stores' national pricing strategies can boost variety and choice for consumers, particularly in areas with lower average wages and older populations. This approach can also support public health policy by providing important options for consumers on lower earnings.
A new study by Sanjay Sood and Xavier Drèze found that movie sequels with named titles outperform those with numbered titles. Consumers prefer unique sequels because they don't want to see the same movie twice, improving box office performance and shelf life.
A new study found that consumers tend to spend more when a planned purchase is deeply discounted, but less when they experience an unexpected price increase or decrease in quality. This challenges prior research on budgeting and shopping behavior.
Research shows that mental health problems lead to greater levels of stress, anxiety, and depression among workers in the service sector. The study found that investing in mental health treatment and prevention can result in significant cost savings for governments.
A recent MIT survey shows a dramatic shift in Americans' ranking of climate change as the country's most pressing environmental problem. Over three-quarters of respondents believe the government should take action to address global warming, and individuals are willing to spend their own money on mitigation efforts.
A new study of 20,000 patients found that contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (CE-MRA) significantly reduces costs compared to digital subtraction angiography (DSA). The study, conducted by the VA Cooperative Studies, suggests that CE-MRA could have saved the system over $13 million in costs during a 6-year period.
A new study by the Economic & Social Research Council found that senior civil service managers have struggled to resolve information-sharing issues, leading to a need for standardized best practices. The research identified key challenges in balancing media and public concerns with data protection legislation and professional codes.
A study published in JAMA found that constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) significantly improved upper-extremity function in stroke patients. The technique involves restraining the less-impaired arm or hand to encourage usage of the more-affected extremity, resulting in improved motor ability and use.
The Natural Capital Project aims to calculate ecosystem services' value to people, highlighting the importance of conserving natural systems. By incorporating these values into policies, conservation can be a profitable use of land, benefiting both biodiversity and human life.
A recent study by the University of Leeds reveals that consumers often trade off environmental performance for price, with most valuing bargains over eco-friendly options. Researchers identified three types of consumers: selectors, translators, and exceptors, who vary in their commitment to sustainable values.
A recent study published in Management Communication Quarterly found that employees experiencing workplace bullying often use painful metaphors such as 'nightmares' and 'slaves' to describe their experiences. The research suggests that emotion can serve as a warning sign, encouraging earlier intervention and organizational prevention.
Researchers have sequenced the honeybee genome, revealing its African origins and surprising spread throughout Europe, Asia, and North and South America. The findings highlight the need for better breeding practices to assist pollination and mitigate the negative impact of Africanized bees.
A new study finds that a woman's college completion predicts an average increase in her husband's earnings of more than $20,000. Women who attended college are also more likely to marry college-educated husbands, suggesting education may change social circles and make them more desirable to high-ability men.
A survey of nearly 4,500 people found that 75% had experienced victimization and 64% had engaged in illegal or shady practices. The researchers argue that neo-liberal market reforms have fostered a culture of cynicism and selfishness, eroding traditional values such as the rule of law and trust in institutions.
A study by Sheffield Hallam University found that middle class residents impose their tastes on the housing field, while working-class residents are limited to poorer areas. The 'tyranny of suburbia' is characterized by the dominance of middle class suburbanites, who are able to move up the housing chain through their economic means.
The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is investing £17 million in its three genomics research centers: CESAGen, EGENIS, and Innogen. These funding announcements will support interdisciplinary research on the social, economic, and policy aspects of genomics from 2007 to 2012.
Carnegie Mellon University has been awarded a six-year, $4.2 million grant to create a new type of reconfigurable integrated circuit for chip manufacturers. Researchers will work on technology that seeks to break the bottleneck by joining mechanical probes with integrated circuits in a design that allows for their reconfiguration.
A new intelligent sensor system could provide rapid and specific warnings of local flooding, reducing damage costs. The system uses grid computing to analyze data from sensors in flood-prone areas, making it possible to issue targeted warnings in time for action.
A recent ESRC study found that community regeneration professionals' commitment and resilience are deeply rooted in their early life experiences. The study highlights the importance of community development activities in regeneration areas and the need for policy makers and managers to grasp the distinction between capacities and skills.
Global security experts address concerns about nuclear terrorism and proliferation following North Korea's nuclear test. Scholars propose strategies to mitigate the growing threat, including cooperation, containment, and non-proliferation measures.
The booklet highlights the importance of ICT for voluntary and community organizations, emphasizing that online volunteering and communities are not substitutes for onsite activities. Local ICT initiatives can support social capital development in communities, but require ongoing technical and funding support to survive.
A new Stanford University School Medicine study finds that nearly as many men as women experience compulsive buying disorder, which is marked by binge buying and financial hardship. The study's findings contradict the widespread belief that most compulsive buyers are women.
The Living While Black index combines economic, social, and health factors to assess the quality of life for African Americans. Religiosity serves as a buffer, reducing the impact of stressors. Economic factors like poverty rates and business sales negatively affect quality of life.
Researchers from Oxford University have identified a 'vicious triangle' in the way central government assesses performance and need, leading to a Catch-22 situation for public service providers. This contradictory regime governs local authorities, causing confusion and inconsistent funding outcomes.
A study by Hans-Werner Sinn suggests that Germany's export boom is causing structural changes away from labor-intensive sectors towards capital-intensive export sectors, leading to high value-added exports but declining jobs. The country needs fundamental reforms to make its labor market more flexible.
A four-year, €4 million joint research programme between TU Delft and Shell aims to develop new technologies for sustainable mobility. The programme will focus on hydrogen production, traffic regulation models, Li-ion battery improvements, solar energy conversion, and methane extraction.
The University of Virginia Health System has been awarded a $5.5 million grant to develop new contrast agents for detecting and treating atherosclerosis, a disease that increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. The researchers aim to create tiny ultrasound contrast agents that can be used during simple examinations to detect vuln...
A new study reveals that coral reefs in Aceh, Indonesia, can survive devastating events like tsunamis, economic crises, and civil wars if effectively managed. Managed reefs showed significantly higher coral cover than open-access areas.