Mobility is an undeniable issue for current and future elderly populations. The increasing popularity for retirees to live in rural communities makes this a particularly important issue in rural towns. When an elderly individual living in a rural community is no longer able to drive, issues that come with living in a rural area may be exacerbated, and the individual may experience a decrease in their quality of life. Although individuals may be able to use public transportation most existing options do not promote an independent lifestyle. Any updated rural transportation system benefiting the elderly would be funded by taxpayers. An understanding of the taxpayers' preferences and willingness-to-pay (WTP) for transportation options, therefore, is essential. Few, if any economic studies have addressed this issue. The objectives of this research are to: (1) estimate economic willingness-to-pay (WTP) for public transportation options by using choice modeling techniques; and (2) better understand opinions related to public transportation for the elderly held by the general population as a whole and within different demographics. To complete these objectives, a choice survey was distributed to samples of three populations: residents of Atascosa County (located in south Texas); residents of Polk County (located in east Texas); and students at Texas A&M University. Respondents were presented with transportation options made of five attributes: addition to annual vehicle registration fee, days of operation, hours of operation, type of route, and senior citizen transportation fare discount. Results show both students and the general public value public transportation options and are willing to pay for specific transportation attributes. Respondents tended to prefer options which are more flexible than the less flexible attribute presented to them; however, respondents did not necessarily prefer the most flexible options. Students, generally, are willing to pay more for transportation attributes than county residents. Overall, both Atascosa and Polk County residents have similar WTP's, indicating both populations value rural public transportation similarly. The effects of socio-demographic variables on residents' decision to choose a transportation option appear to differ between the counties. These findings imply that while the influence of transportation attribute levels are consistent across counties, local input is important in customizing transportation systems to meet local expectations.

Understanding joint and causal relationships among multiple endogenous variables has been of much interest to researchers in the field of activity and travel behavior modeling. Structural equation models have been widely developed for modeling and analyzing the causal relationships among travel time, activity duration, car ownership, trip frequency and activity frequency. In the model, travel time and activity duration are treated as continuous variables, while car ownership, trip frequency and activity frequency as ordered discrete variables. However, many endogenous variables of interest in travel behavior are not continuous or ordered discrete but unordered discrete in nature, such as mode choice, destination choice, trip chaining pattern and time-of-day choice (it can be classified into a few categories such as AM peak, midday, PM peak and off-peak). A modeling methodology with involvement of unordered discrete variables is highly desired for better understanding the causal relationships among these variables. Under this background, the proposed dissertation study will be dedicated into seeking an appropriate modeling methodology which aids in identifying the causal relationships among activity and travel variables including unordered discrete variables. In this dissertation, the proposed modeling methodologies are applied for modeling the causal relationship between three pairs of endogenous variables: trip chaining pattern vs. mode choice, activity timing vs. duration and trip departure time vs.mode choice. The data used for modeling analysis is extracted from Swiss Travel Microcensus 2000. Such models provide us with rigorous criteria in selecting a reasonable application sequence of sub-models in the activity-based travel demand model system.

Kyoto University (京都大学) / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(工学) / 甲第18965号 / 工博第4007号 / 新制||工||1617 / 31916 / 京都大学大学院工学研究科都市社会工学専攻 / (主査)教授 藤井 聡, 准教授 SCHMOECKER,JAN-DirK, 准教授 神田 佑亮 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当

Submitted by Letícia Nunes (leticiafcnunes@gmail.com) on 2015-06-11T16:44:52Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação - Leticia Nunes - Practice Location of Physicians.pdf: 569206 bytes, checksum: bde07c17bc4ab59a76a947e9fa27f35e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by BRUNA BARROS (bruna.barros@fgv.br) on 2015-06-18T13:46:34Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação - Leticia Nunes - Practice Location of Physicians.pdf: 569206 bytes, checksum: bde07c17bc4ab59a76a947e9fa27f35e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marcia Bacha (marcia.bacha@fgv.br) on 2015-06-29T12:13:05Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação - Leticia Nunes - Practice Location of Physicians.pdf: 569206 bytes, checksum: bde07c17bc4ab59a76a947e9fa27f35e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-06-29T12:13:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação - Leticia Nunes - Practice Location of Physicians.pdf: 569206 bytes, checksum: bde07c17bc4ab59a76a947e9fa27f35e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-04-07 / Economists and policymakers have long been concerned with increasing the supply of health professionals in rural and remote areas. This work seeks to understand which factors influence physicians’ choice of practice location right after completing residency. Differently from previous papers, we analyse the Brazilian missalocation and assess the particularities of developing countries. We use a discrete choice model approach with a multinomial logit specification. Two rich databases are employed containing the location and wage of formally employed physicians as well as details from their post-graduation. Our main findings are that amenities matter, physicians have a strong tendency to remain in the region they completed residency and salaries are significant in the choice of urban, but not rural, communities. We conjecture this is due to attachments built during training and infrastructure concerns.

nÃo hà / O objetivo deste trabalho à estimar a probabilidade de um trabalhador estar empregado no setor informal, condicionadas as suas caracterÃsticas produtivas, considerando a possibilidade de viÃs de seleÃÃo amostral. A amostra se restringe ao CearÃ, e utiliza a Pesquisa Nacional de Amostras por DomicÃlio (PNAD) 2008 para classificar os trabalhadores em formais e informais. De acordo com a hipÃtese da dualidade, os postos de trabalho no setor formal sÃo efetivamente melhores em vÃrias dimensÃes, e a existÃncia de informalidade ocorre porque o nÃmero destes postos à limitado. Se de fato hà segmentaÃÃo no mercado de trabalho e racionamento dos postos de trabalho formais, à importante saber como ocorre à alocaÃÃo de trabalhadores entre os dois setores. Para tanto, à considerada a possibilidade de viÃs de seleÃÃo na escolha entre os setores formal e informal. O viÃs de seleÃÃo ocorre quando uma sÃrie de caracterÃsticas nÃo observÃveis dos indivÃduos pode fazer com que eles acabem trabalhando, por opÃÃo ou necessidade, no setor informal da economia. Ou seja, caracterÃsticas nÃo observÃveis dos indivÃduos, como habilidade, forÃa de vontade, determinaÃÃo, criatividade etc., podem estar determinando a escolha entre trabalhar no mercado formal ou informal. / The aim of this study to estimate the probability of a worker being employed in the informal sector conditioned their productive characteristics, considering the possibility of sample selection bias. The sample is restricted to CearÃ, and uses the National Survey of Household Sample Survey (PNAD) in 2008 to classify workers in formal and informal. According to the dual hypothesis, the jobs in the formal sector are indeed better in many dimensions, and the existence of informality is because the number of these jobs is limited. If indeed there is segmentation in the labor market and rationing of formal jobs, it is important to know how the allocation of workers between the two sectors. For this is considered the possibility of selection bias in the choice between formal and informal sectors. The selection bias occurs when a number of unobservable characteristics of individuals can make them end up working, by choice or necessity, in the informal economy. That is, unobservable characteristics of individuals such as skill, willpower, determination, creativity etc., it may be influencing the choice between working in the formal or informal.

This dissertation consists of three essays addressing different topics in health economics. In the first essay, we perform a systematic review of peer-reviewed articles examining consumer preference for the main electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) attributes namely flavor, nicotine strength, and type. The search resulted in a pool of 12,933 articles; 66 articles met the inclusion criteria for this review. Current literature suggests consumers preferred flavored e-cigarettes, and such preference varies with age groups and smoking status. Consumer preference for nicotine strength and types depend on smoking status, e-cigarette use history, and gender. Adolescents consider flavor the most important factor trying e-cigarettes and were more likely to initiate vaping through flavored e-cigarettes. Young adults prefer sweet, menthol, and cherry flavors, while non-smokers, in particular, prefer coffee and menthol flavors. Adults in general also prefer sweet flavors (though smokers like tobacco flavor the most) and dislike flavors that elicit bitterness or harshness. Non-smokers and inexperienced e-cigarettes users tend to prefer no nicotine or low nicotine e-cigarettes while smokers and experienced e-cigarettes users prefer medium and high nicotine e-cigarettes. Weak evidence exists regarding a positive interaction between menthol flavor and nicotine strength. In the second essay, we investigate U.S. adult consumer preference for three key e-cigarette attributes––flavor, nicotine strength, and type––by applying a discrete choice model to the Nielsen scanner data (Consumer Panel data combined with retail data) for 2013 through 2017, generating novel findings as well as complementing the large literature on the topic using focus groups, surveys, and experiments. We found that (adult) vapers prefer tobacco flavor, medium nicotine strength, and disposables, and such preference can vary over cigarette smoking status, purchase frequency, gender, race, and age. In particular, smokers prefer tobacco flavor, non-smokers or female vapers prefer medium strength, and infrequent vapers prefer disposables. Vapers also display loyalty (inertia) to e-cigarette brands, flavor, and nicotine strength. One key policy implication is that a flavor ban will likely have a relatively larger impact on adolescents and young adults than adults. The third essay employs a machine learning algorithm, particularly a random forest, to identify the importance of BMI information during kindergarten on predicting children most likely to be obese by the 4th grade. We use the Arkansas BMI screening program dataset. The potential value of BMI information during early childhood to predict the likelihood of obesity later in life is one of the main benefits of a BMI screening program. This study identifies the value of this information by comparing the results of two random forests trained with and without kindergarten BMI information to assess the ability of BMI screening to improve a predictive model beyond personal, demographic, and socioeconomic measures that are typically used to identify children at high risk of excess weight gain. The BMI z-score from kindergarten is the most important variable and increases the accuracy of the prediction by 14%. The ability of BMI screening programs to identify children at greatest risk of becoming obese is an important but neglected dimension that should be used in evaluating the overall utility. In the last essay, we use Nielson retail scanner dataset and apply a difference-in-differences (DID) approach and synthetic control method, and we test whether consumers in Utah reduced beef purchases after the 2009 Salmonella outbreak of ground beef products. The result of DID approach indicates that the Salmonella event reduced ground beef purchases in Utah by 17% in four weeks after the recall. Price elasticity of demand is also estimated to be -2.04; therefore, the reduction in ground beef purchases as a result of recall is comparable to almost 8.3% increase in the price of this product. Using the synthetic control method that allows us to use all of the control states to produce synthetic Utah, we found the effect of this event minimal compared to the DID effect.

Esta tesis es una colección de tres ensayos en el campo de la economía industrial. Los dos primeros ensayos son contribuciones empíricas en el tema de la discriminación de precios. El último ensayo está relacionado con la heterogeneidad en las expectativas futuras de precios. Ese ensayo es una contribución a la literatura que trata el tema de demanda dinámica. El objetivo del primer capítulo es determinar la relevancia de la discriminación de precios en los mercados de alimentos orgánicos (cereales para desayuno). El principal problema al responder a esta pregunta es que los costes no son observables y, por lo tanto, a priori, no puedo saber si el sobreprecio de los alimentos orgánicos se debe a la discriminación precios o simplemente por diferencias de costes. Para evitar este problema, utilizo un modelo de elección discreta para obtener la elasticidad de la demanda y, con un modelo de oferta, obtener el valor de los costes marginales. Lo resultados indican que, aproximadamente, el 6% de la diferencia de precio entre productos orgánicos y productos no orgánicos se debe a la discriminación de precios. Además, yo encuentro que un impuesto en los productos no orgánicos no es suficiente para disminuir la discriminación de precios, y tiene un efecto negativo en el bienestar social: hay reducción en el excedente del consumidor que es superior al aumento de los beneficios de las empresas. Por fin, encuentro que la discriminación de precios resulta de la existencia de consumidores con renta alta en el mercado. En el segundo capítulo yo estudio si hay una relación no monótona entre los descuentos por cantidad y el nivel de competencia en el mercado. Los resultados encontrados sugieren que la relación es sí no-monótona y que tiene formato en U. Eso implica que los descuentos por cantidad son más comunes en los mercados menos concentrados y en los más concentrados. Además, los resultados sugieren que la firma líder es la responsable por esa situación. Por fin, el tercer capítulo analiza la heterogeneidad en la expectativa de precios en el mercado de un bien no duradero (refrescos) y que son comprados con alta frecuencia. Los resultados sugieren que, en media, los consumidores son racionales y forman expectativas con respecto al futuro. Sin embargo, consumidores de baja renta forman expectativas basadas en un modelo de Markov de primer orden (donde solo importa el precio actual y del período anterior para formar sus expectativas), y a los consumidores con renta mediana solo les importa el precio actual al decidir comprar (o sea, son impacientes - miopes).

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(工学) / 甲第18255号 / 工博第3847号 / 新制||工||1590(附属図書館) / 31113 / 京都大学大学院工学研究科都市社会工学専攻 / (主査)教授 小林 潔司, 准教授 宇野 伸宏, 准教授 松島 格也 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering) / Kyoto University / DFAM

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(工学) / 甲第18965号 / 工博第4007号 / 新制||工||1617(附属図書館) / 31916 / 京都大学大学院工学研究科都市社会工学専攻 / (主査)教授 藤井 聡, 准教授 SCHMOECKER,JAN-DirK, 准教授 神田 佑亮 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering) / Kyoto University / DFAM

College recruitment practices have remained stagnant for quite some time. However, due to decreases in state funding and hypercompetitive applicant pools colleges must adapt their recruitment practices to remain competitive. Due to precautions and social distancing guidelines which occurred in 2020 caused by the coronavirus pandemic, college information sessions, college fairs, campus tours and other recruitment events were suspended. As such, admissions administrators were forced to rely on virtual recruitment practices, including virtual campus tours, to recruit applicants. Virtual campus tours allow colleges to expand their applicant pool by engaging with prospective students, who may not possess the required finances or ability to travel to campus. While considerable research has centered on the factors that influence the college choice process, there is a lack of research pertaining to virtual campus tours. This study reviews the influence of virtual campus tours in the college choice process by interviewing 13 matriculated college students about their experiences with virtual campus tours. This qualitative phenomenological study focuses on the role of virtual campus tours in the college choice model and their influence on perceived levels of student-institution fit.