<p>The essays in applied microeconomics contained within this dissertation examine prices in the developing economy contexts of Indonesia and the Philippines. Prices, observed and unobserved, are determined by and incentivize the behavior of all agents in the economy. Prices describe the interaction of individuals within a household and households within a market and reveal traits critical for development. Traits such as the efficiency of household resource allocations and the completeness of markets are analyzed in Central Java, Indonesia using a rich, longitudinal survey containing detailed price data used to estimate household demand systems. Unobserved, implicit prices of environmental goods are analyzed in the context of the Philippines. The valuation of environmental quality's implicit price is illustrated by comparing the health and human capital outcomes of the highly and least exposed. Exposure to environmental toxins can produce short and long-term damages to health and human capital reflecting undervaluation of the implicit price of environmental quality. The combined results of these essays on prices in development economics reveal allocation inefficiencies within the household and the economy and provide direction for development policy around the world.</p> / Dissertation

Baigiamojo darbo tikslas yra išnagrinėti buitinių nužudymų kriminalistinės charakteristikos elementus ir nustatyti jos reikšmę nusikaltimų tyrimui. Buitinių nužudymų kriminalistinė charakteristika yra mokslinis teorinis modelis, apimantis tam tikrą informaciją, kurią naudojant galima pasiekti gerų tyrimo rezultatų. Iš tyčinių nužudymų, kaip atskirą nužudymų porūšį galime išskirti buitinius nužudymus, tai labiausiai paplitęs nužudymų porūšis. Buitinių nužudymų kriminalistinės charakteristikos struktūra sudaryta iš elementų, kurie išreikšti požymių visuma, atsispindinčių šio nužudymo porūšio elementuose, kurių pagrindu galima sudaryti atitinkamas prielaidas pasirenkant optimalius kriminalistinius metodus, priemones ir būdus nusikaltimų išaiškinimui, tyrimui. Buitinių nužudymų kriminalistinės charakteristikos sistemą, sudaro šie elementai: asmuo, padaręs buitinį nužudymą; buitinio nužudymo situacija; nukentėjusysis – nusikaltimo pasikėsinimo dalykas; buitinių nužudymų būdai. Praktinė buitinių nužudymų charakteristikos reikšmė yra tai, kad tyrėjas padaryto nužudymo atveju nustatęs net vieną ar keletą nužudymo elementų ir sulyginęs juos su turimomis tipinėmis nusikaltimų charakteristikomis gali sudaryti bendrą vaizdą apie tiriamą nusikaltimą, o tai palengvins jo atskleidimą. / The purpose of my degree work is the analysis of crime detection elements of household murders, as finding-out of his value for investigation of crimes. Crime detection analysis of household murders is scientific theoretical model containing some information, using which it is possible to reach good results in investigation. From deliberate crimes as separate subspecies of murders it is possible to allocate household murders which are the most widespread subspecies. The structure of household murders crime detection characteristics will consist of components, which means and ways for disclosing crimes are set of the attributes reflected in elements of subspecies of this murder on the basis of which it is possible to form corresponding preconditions choosing optimum crime detection methods, their investigation. The system of household murders crime detection characteristics, in my opinion, should consist of the following elements: the person who has made household murder; a situation of household murder; suffering - as object of a crime; ways of fulfillments of household murders. Practical value of the characteristic of household murders will be, that the inspector in case of the committed murder having established one or several elements of murder and having compared them with available typical characteristics of murders, can make the general opinion on the perfect crime, that will facilitate his investigation.

This thesis examines three questions concerned with the relative income needs of families of different sizes - often summarised by indices known as ???equivalence scales???. The first is the extent to which researchers and policy makers should offset the costs of family composition (eg the expenditure costs of children) with the benefits associated with demographic choice (eg the ???joys of parenthood???). Chapter 2 concludes that there are demographic and financial market constraints that will often make a narrow focus on expenditure costs appropriate for distributional research and tax/transfer policies. However, this will not always be the case. One implication of this result is that it may be reasonable for distributional research to use different equivalence scales for adults and children in the same household. Part 2 of the thesis introduces a new method for the estimation of the within-household income distribution and expenditure costs of different family types. This is based upon the household welfare model of Samuelson together with Lau???s method for modelling the joint consumption of household goods. In Chapter 4, this method is applied to the estimation of equivalence scales for older singles and married couples. The estimation is based upon a detailed set of assumptions about the extent of joint consumption for 17 different commodity groups. The main conclusions are that: the theoretical model fits the observed behaviour well (with the exception of some home production effects); that aged couples share their income relatively evenly; and that the relative rate of pension for aged singles in Australia is probably too low. In Part 3, the thesis examines how changes in poverty can be estimated when there is uncertainty about the equivalence scale. The thesis proposes a new method which permits a set of upper and lower bounds for the equivalence scale to be assumed, which in turn determine upper and lower bounds for the increase in poverty. This method is applied to measure the change in poverty in Australia during the 1980s. Equivalence scales can be found that imply either an increase or a decrease in poverty.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Flinders University, Centre for Development Studies. / Typescript (bound). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 224-256). Also available online.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Georgia State University, 2007. / Title from file title page. David L. Sjoquist, committee chair; Geoffrey K. Turnbull, Erdal Tekin, Charles L. Jaret, committee members. Electronic text (118 p.) : digital, PDF file. Description based on contents viewed on July 14, 2008. Includes bibliographical references (p. 107-117).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 1999. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 183-193).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--State University of New York at Buffalo, 1993. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 189-195).

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

The relationship people have to electronic devices relys on their passive acceptance rather than an understanding of their functioning – often leaving the users alientated and helpless as their products break. Which qualities do electronic artifacts need to embody in order to be repairable? As opposed to a black-box, the metaphor of a white-box can describe this repairable ideal: A white-box is meant to be opened and allows easy access to all inner parts. It is designed to communicate functions and connections and aids the user in understanding. Therefore, a white-box is designed to allow the consumer to act. How «open» can household electronics be?

We study the effectiveness of intra-household insurance among married couples when the husband loses his job due to a mass layoff or plant closure. Empirical results based on Austrian administrative data show that husbands suffer persistent employment and earnings losses, while wives' labor supply increases moderately due to extensive margin responses. Wives' earnings gains recover only a tiny fraction of the household income loss and, in the short-term, public transfers and taxes are a more important form of insurance. We show that the presence of children in the household is a crucial determinant of the wives' labor supply response.