<p>This dissertation investigates the non-market value of environmental quality in several contexts with attention paid to equilibrium effects. Chapter One contributes to the ongoing debate concerning the effect of various actions taken by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under CERCLA, commonly known as the Superfund Program, on housing prices. The study differs from national sample analyses and site-specific analyses by providing policy-relevant estimates of the hedonic price function in a particular region for the average site. Further, an estimate of the effect on housing prices is given for each of the major events that occur under a typical Superfund remediation. Using house and time-varying census tract fixed effects, I find a 7.3% increase in sales price for houses within 3 km of a site that moves through the complete Superfund program. The analysis gives evidence of positive price appreciation for housing markets and serves as a lower bound for measuring remediation benefits. Chapter Two proposes a new dynamic general equilibrium model of residential location choice with social spillovers and uses it to evaluate the equilibrium consequences of changes in pollution exposure. In particular, I investigate the hypothesis of ``minority move-in,'' which postulates that disproportionate exposure to pollution results from minorities and low-income households trading off such exposure for lower housing costs. Second, I address the question of whether economic incentives caused by differences in willingness to pay across socioeconomic status can explain why polluters disproportionately locate near disadvantaged populations in order to minimize expenses from collective action bargaining over the negative externality. Simulations indicate ``minority move-in'' likely does account for some of the imbalance in exposure to pollution across socioeconomic status. Further, general equilibrium estimates reveal that equilibrium sorting behavior widens the gap in willingness to pay for environmental quality between minority and white households, and between high and low-income households. The disparity in general equilibrium willingness to pay to avoid toxic emissions provides economic incentives for polluters to target disadvantaged populations. Chapter Three investigates how information contained in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Toxic Release Inventory program affects prices in the housing market. First, I use a reduction in the reporting requirement threshold in 2001 as a quasi-experiment to determine whether prices change for existing firms who, as a result of the change, must report. Second, the existence of a reporting threshold creates a discontinuity in treatment than can be exploited. I estimate a regression discontinuity model that assumes that site unobservables are balanced in a neighborhood of the discontinuity. Using a difference-in-differences estimator for the first specification, I find that listing a site in the Toxic Release Inventory lowers prices by 3.1% within a three kilometer radius of the site, and that the effect is stronger at shorter distances. The regression discontinuity model produces qualitatively similar results that are smaller in magnitude but still significant. The results suggest that households to capitalize the information contained in the Toxic Release Inventory. However, since the treatment sites under consideration have virtually no emissions, these results do not contradict previous findings in the literature that toxic air emissions are unrelated to prices. Rather, they suggest that households might be concerned about the dangers of toxic chemicals that might result from an emergency or catastrophic accident.</p> / Dissertation

The effect of parks on residential real estate has been well recorded; however little research has been done to estimate the effects of parks on commercial real estate values. With the help of Geographic Information Systems and the transactions of nearly 10,000 properties from 2000 to early 2011, I produced three different hedonic commercial real estate sales models. Controlling for building characteristics, demographic variations within census groups, and locational attributes, I find that proximity to parks plays a role in the valuation of some property types. Little evidence is found to support the hypothesis that properties in proximity to parks are valued higher; however co-location of parks and other attributes could play a beneficial role in supplying cities with more parks while boosting surrounding property values.

Master of Agribusiness / Department of Agricultural Economics / Ted Schroeder / Selection of a herd sire has always been of paramount importance given the initial financial investment and their contribution and effect on the genetic make-up of a beef herd. Data was collected from the nation’s longest consecutively run bull test conducted at the University Farm of Oklahoma Panhandle State University (OPSU). The Bull Test and Bull Sale data utilized were collected from 2008-2013. Performance data was collected over a 112 day test period with data collection occurring at 28 day intervals. The top seventy bulls from each year’s test were selected based upon a performance index of ½ ADG and ½ weight per day of age (WDA), and a semen quality and motility score of excellent and sold at auction. Angus bulls were the focus of the study as they represented the vast majority of individuals sold. Three hedonic pricing models were created to try to determine what attributes buyers at the OPSU bull test sale were placing emphasis on. The initial hedonic model contained production data that included BW, ADG, WDA, Julian age, final test weight ultrasound data, and a dummy variable for sale year. The second model utilized all production data and added genetic variables in the form of production EPDs (Calving Ease Direct (CED), BW, Weaning Weight and Yearling Weight) and maternal EPDs (Calving Ease Maternal, Maternal Milk). The third model included the variables from the first and second models with the inclusion of carcass EPDs (Marbling, Ribeye Area (REA) and FAT). Year was significant in all three models however there was less of an effect on price as more variables were included. In model one, the production facts that were of significance were: ADG (P<0.01), BW (P<0.01) and final test weight (P<0.01). In the second model, ADG, BW and final test weight retained their significance at the P<0.01 level. The only production EPD that was significant (P<0.05) was CED. In the third model, years, ADG and BW were still significant (P<0.01). Final test weight (P=0.70) and CED (P = 0.132) had substantial changes. The carcass EPD ribeye area had a P value of 0.057. Producers who are placing bulls on test can utilize the given information to assist with their selection. It cannot go unsaid that while single trait selection can be very detrimental; ADG was significant across all models. The study indicates that performance and growth are of utmost importance to buyers, followed by birth weight consideration.

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No description available.

Le contrôle de la prise alimentaire est un processus complexe et multifactoriel contrôlé par le système nerveux central. Elle est impliquée dans la régulation du poids corporel, la fourniture de substrats énergétiques ainsi que dans l’apport d'un grand nombre de nutriments nécessaires pour couvrir les besoins spécifiques de l'organisme. Parmi tous les facteurs impliqués dans la prise alimentaire, les sensations hédoniques jouent un rôle important dans les choix alimentaires et la limitation de l'ingestion. La partie théorique de cette thèse prend en considération les aspects physio-anatomiques du contrôle de la prise alimentaire, notamment le plaisir sensoriel et son évaluation, dans le cadre des trois phénomènes hédoniques principaux : le rassasiement conditionné (RC), l’alliesthésie alimentaire (AA) et le rassasiement sensoriel spécifique (RSS). La partie expérimentale tente d’évaluer l'impact des diverses manipulations des aliments (ajout de condiments non-caloriques ou caloriques aux aliments simples et aux mets préparés, offrir des condiments de manière successive ou simultanée, alternance des aliments dans un repas) sur les sensations hédoniques et sur la prise alimentaire à court terme. Quatre études ont été réalisées chez des sujets humains des deux genres, de poids normal et en surpoids. La première étude comprenait trois expériences avec des aliments simples suggérant que le rassasiement spécifique et la prise énergétique dépendent des propriétés sensorielles des aliments et donc de la stimulation sensorielle exercée sur les récepteurs oro-pharyngiens. Dans les conditions expérimentales présentes, l'influence du RSS s'est avérée plus importante que celle de l’AA dans la limitation de l’ingestion spécifique. Toutefois, cette limitation par le RSS a pu être repoussée par la modification des propriétés sensorielles de l’aliment consommé jusqu’au rassasiement spécifique : en parallèle avec la re-augmentation du plaisir pour la saveur, l’ingestion était repris lorsqu'un deuxième aliment de saveur distincte était offert, ou lorsque des condiments non-caloriques étaient ajoutés à l'aliment consommé. La deuxième étude reprenait les données de la première en fonction des caractéristiques anthropométriques et démographiques des sujets et mettait en évidence un contrôle hédonique de la prise alimentaire similaire chez les personnes obèses et de poids normal avec des aliments simples non assaisonnés et non transformés. Ces résultats suggèrent que l’impact de la nature et de la présentation des stimuli alimentaires sur la prise alimentaire peut être plus important que celui des traits liés aux personnes, comme le sexe, l'âge ou l'IMC. La troisième étude introduisait une diversité alimentaire soit successive soit simultanée par ajout de condiments à un repas de type « fast food », avec pour effet une augmentation du plaisir alimentaire et des quantités ingérées. La diversité successive a été plus efficace sur l'augmentation de l’ingestion que l'accès simultané aux condiments. Ces résultats laissent penser que le renouvellement de la stimulation sensorielle produirait une perturbation du rassasiement sensoriel spécifique, expliquant l'augmentation de la consommation et pouvant jouer un rôle dans l'actuelle épidémie d'obésité. La quatrième étude évaluait l'impact de différents niveaux d'alternance des aliments. Une alternance modérée dans un repas comprenant deux plats différents augmentait la prise alimentaire à court terme, probablement par suite d'une perturbation de l’habituation sensorielle à une saveur donnée, apportant une explication à l'augmentation de l’ingestion avec des repas sensoriellement variés. Des alternances multiples des aliments diminuaient en revanche la consommation, probablement par l'effet d'une surstimulation sensorielle... / The control of food intake is a complex and multifactorial process controlled by the CNS. It is implicated in the regulation of body weight and the supply of energy substrates, as well as the supply of a panoply of nutrients to cover the specific needs of the organism. Among all the factors involved, hedonic sensations play an important role in guiding food selection and limitation of intake. The theoretical section of this thesis takes into account the physio-anatomical aspects of the control of food intake, in particular sensory pleasure and its evaluation, within the framework of the three principal hedonic phenomena: Conditioned Satiety (CS), Alimentary alliesthesia (AA) and sensory-specific satiety (SSS). The experimental section evaluated the impact of various manipulations of food (adding non-caloric and caloric condiments to simple or prepared foods, offering condiments successively or simultaneously, alternating foods in a meal) on hedonic sensations and on food intake in the short term. Four studies were performed in normal-weight and overweight human subjects of both genders. The first study in three experiments in simple foods suggests that specific satiation and energy intake depend on the sensory properties of foods and thus on the sensory stimulation exerted on oropharyngeal receptors. Under the present experimental conditions, the influence of SSS turned out to be more important than that of AA in limiting specific intake. However, this limitation by SSS could be overridden by modification of the sensory properties of the food eaten to specific satiation: in parallel with the re-increase in pleasure for the flavor, food intake was resumed when a second food with distinctive flavor was offered or when non-caloric condiments were added.The second study re-examined the data of the first one according to anthropometric and demographic characteristics of the population and provided evidence for similar hedonic control of food intake in obese and normal weight persons with simple unseasoned and unprocessed foods. These results suggest that the nature and the presentation of food stimuli impacted food intake more than person-related traits like gender, age or BMI. The third study induced successive and simultaneous sensory variety by adding condiments to ‘fast food’ style meal, and increased food pleasantness and intake. Successive variety was more efficient in increasing intake than simultaneous access to condiments. These results seem to show that renewal in sensory stimulation produces disruption of sensory-specific satiety which may explain the increase of food intake and might be playing a role in the actual obesity epidemic. The fourth study investigated the impact of several levels of alternation of foods. Moderate alternation in a two-course meal increased food intake in the short term, probably by disruption of sensory tuning to a given flavor and may explain the increased intake with sensorily varied meals. Multiple alternations of foods however decreased intake, probably caused by sensory overstimulation. SSS seems to have two opposite intrinsic teleonomies: on the one hand it specifically limits intake of foods eaten, while on the other hand it promotes variety seeking. In this thesis, both functions could be manipulated through simple modifications of the sensory properties of foods or of the way they were offered. In the long term, these kinds of manipulations might compromise a body-mass index medically considered as healthy. The modification of the flavor alone was sufficient to increase pleasure and in turn food intake. The prolongation of intake of the same food when offered with two distinct flavors seems to be related to cerebral representation as two distinct foods. The question on whether sensory pleasure is a sign of usefulness of food stimuli or mere sensory stimulation of the chemical senses may ultimately depend on the nature of the food stimulus.

The widely accepted view nowadays is that experiencing odours as rather pleasant or unpleasant is, to a certain degree, shaped on a daily basis through individual experience within one's culture via evaluative conditioning or, rather marginally so, via mere exposure to that certain odour. In other words, humans are not born with any fixed set of olfactory likes or dislikes but rather, they acquire them throughout their lifetime. However, olfactory sensation is not a "pure" percept, as odorant stimuli generally elicit a qualitative percept of an odorant - generated mainly by the olfactory nerve - as well as some degree of chemesthesis - a tactile confound of the odour generated mainly by the trigeminal nerve. The olfactory and trigeminal system exhibit complex interactions at both the peripheral and central level of chemosensory processing, which is also reflected in perceptual characteristics of the final percept, including perceived pleasantness (hedonics). If the olfactory contribution alone does not easily predict neonatal odour hedonics, due to newborns' limited previous exposure to chemosensory inputs, one may hypothesize that together with the strength of the trigeminal contribution they may form a significant factor affecting neonatal appetitive/aversive responses to odours. In the present...

The main body of the thesis deals with selected factors underlying the considerable variability in human olfactory abilities and some odour awareness-related measures, addressed in samples ranging in age from middle childhood to young adulthood. The thesis consists of two parts. The first part (Chapter 1), first presents the major advances and developments that brought about something of a renaissance of scientific interest in the human sense of smell, including the recent proliferation of psychophysical studies, both basic research and clinical. Next, an outline of olfactory psychophysical measures and related olfactory abilities that are of relevance to the studies presented in this thesis is provided. Subsequently, the selected factors contributing to interindividual differences in olfactory abilities, that have been addressed by this thesis, are reviewed, namely the effect of sex (or gender), which is approached from a developmental perspective, childhood gender nonconformity, and personality. Finally, intraindividual fluctuations in olfactory performance are also mentioned in brief. Next, the focus shifts to odour awareness by first introducing the various approaches that can be adopted to get closer to the real-life context as opposed to laboratory setting (where most olfactory studies continue to be...

The main body of the thesis deals with selected factors underlying the considerable variability in human olfactory abilities and some odour awareness-related measures, addressed in samples ranging in age from middle childhood to young adulthood. The thesis consists of two parts. The first part (Chapter 1), first presents the major advances and developments that brought about something of a renaissance of scientific interest in the human sense of smell, including the recent proliferation of psychophysical studies, both basic research and clinical. Next, an outline of olfactory psychophysical measures and related olfactory abilities that are of relevance to the studies presented in this thesis is provided. Subsequently, the selected factors contributing to interindividual differences in olfactory abilities, that have been addressed by this thesis, are reviewed, namely the effect of sex (or gender), which is approached from a developmental perspective, childhood gender nonconformity, and personality. Finally, intraindividual fluctuations in olfactory performance are also mentioned in brief. Next, the focus shifts to odour awareness by first introducing the various approaches that can be adopted to get closer to the real-life context as opposed to laboratory setting (where most olfactory studies continue to be...