Due to drunk-driving fatality is the most focal issue in the U.S. traffic accident, this paper applies panel data model to analyze the influence of beer tax and other drunk-driving related laws on the U.S. drunk-driving fatality rate from 1982-2006. Different from former references, this paper investigate if the drunk-driving fatality rate declines by the time and by region. The result shows that drunk-driving fatality rate has declined by the time, especially, in 1987; the drunk-driving fatality rate statistically significant drops. The posibility is that U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Elizabeth, ordered the automobile manufactures to set seat belt or air bag with the cars from 1987. However, the drunk-driving fatality rate doesn¡¦t show different significantly by region. This may suggest that regions have similar laws and cultural norms, which leads to similar drunk-driving fatality rate. Finally, the survey indicates the higher beer tax, BAC 0.08 Law, and Zero Tolerance Law are effective policies to reduce drunk-driving.

This paper aims to realize that the capital structure decisions will be affected by the credit rating of a firm. According to the argument made by Kisgen(2006), a firm will incur discrete costs and benefits as a result of the level changes of its credit rating situation, and then causes jumps on firm¡¥s value. In order to maximize firm value, firms near a credit rating downgrade or upgrade will issue less debt relative to equity (as a portion of assets) than firms not near the change in credit raring, attempting to gain the advantage of an upgrade and avoid the disadvantage of a downgrade. The firms near a rating change are defined in different ways, and four hypotheses are tested empirically, using pooled OLS, fixed effect model and random effect model, to know how the concerns of firms¡¥ credit rating changes directly affect its financing decisions on debt and equity structure. Plus or Minus test(POM test), High or Low test(HOL test), Investment Grade or Speculation Grade test(IG/SG test) and Watch list test(Wlist test) are used to examine the influences of credit rating on firms¡¥ financing decisions. The firm which has a credit rating at the beginning of the year in all industries in Taiwan is included in our sample, and the sample period is from 2000 to 2007. As a result, although control variables such as leverage, profitability and firm size have significant impacts on financing decision, we observe that the impacts of credit ratings on net debt issuance are negative but not statistically significant in all models except in HOL test, in which credit rating variables are negative and significant at 5% confidence level. For this reason, the effect of credit ratings on firms¡¥ financing decision can not be concluded and should be examined further.

Schizophrenia is a chronic and debilitating disease that affects approximately one percent of the US population and exerts a disproportionately high financial burden on the society. The objective of this study was to estimate the direct and indirect costs of schizophrenia among community-dwelling US residents and identify patient characteristics associated with high schizophrenia-related direct costs. Patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia (ICD-9 code 295) or other non-organic psychoses (ICD-9 code 298) between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2008 were identified from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). To estimate direct costs, the following cost categories were identified: inpatient hospitalizations, outpatient visits, emergency department visits, office-based physician visits, home healthcare visits, and prescription medications. The following cost categories were identified to estimate indirect costs: caregivers’ costs and cost of lost productivity due to missed work days, reduced employment, and suicide. Logistic regression was used to compare patients belonging to the high-cost group and to the low-cost group. All analyses were carried out using SAS version 9.2 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, North Carolina). The weighted average number of patients with schizophrenia identified for each year was 757,893. The annual direct and indirect costs were estimated at $3.96 billion and $15.35 billion, respectively. The mean annual direct medical schizophrenia-related cost per patient was $5,586. For each one-year increase in age, patients were 5.7% less likely to be in the high-cost group. Patients with a spouse were 77.7% less likely than patients without a spouse to be in the high-cost group. Healthcare providers and policymakers can use these cost estimates to better understand the economic burden of schizophrenia and identify services and subgroups of patients associated with the highest costs. This would help in the provision of healthcare services to patients with schizophrenia and in the optimization of patient outcomes. / text

Many bridges are handling heavier loads than those expected at design, making it increasingly necessary to strengthen existing members or conduct repairs on damaged structural members. Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) materials have been broadly used to repair and strengthen reinforced concrete structures. Using CFRP materials as the strengthening material is an excellent solution because of their mechanical properties. CFRP has properties of high strength, corrosion resistance, and light weight. CFRP materials are being widely used for shear and flexural strengthening. Most studies have focused on uni-directional layout of CFRP strips in high shear regions of beams. Recent shear tests on full-scale I-girders have shown that the use of bi-directional CFRP layouts with CFRP anchors led to much higher shear strength increases than when using uni-directional layouts. The objective of the study is to determine the mechanism that governs shear strengthening of bridge girders using bi-directional CFRP and, in doing so, demonstrate the feasibility of using bi-directional CFRP for shear strengthening of large bridge I- and U-beams. Small-scale panel tests have been conducted to investigate parameters that influence the shear strength provided by bi-directional CFRP layouts. Panels were tested under compressive forces to simulate the compression struts that develop in the webs of I-beams. The applied loads generated bottle-shaped compressive struts. CFRP anchors were used to prevent early failure due to CFRP strip delamination from the panel surface. The panels, while not fully reproducing the boundary condition of girder webs, were tested ahead of full-scale girders to investigate a wide range of parameters in a cost-effective manner. The variables considered include the amount of CFRP and steel reinforcement, the inclination of CFRP fibers, and the layout and spacing of CFRP strips. The panel tests provide qualitative comparisons between the influence of the various parameters. The relative strength contributions of CFRP strips, steel stirrups, and concrete were evaluated. / text

This creative project has explored the combining of multiple paintings and multiple nodes of painting into a coherent and unified whole, directed toward a more complete and truer representation of man, especially the “born again” man. This study employed the unifying and transitional characteristics of various modes of painting, together with a structural format of a three-paneled, folding triptych, with the intent of enlightenment in the area of spiritual “oneness.” This study centered on Jesus Christ as the entrance to spiritual “oneness,” (more appropriately identified as The Kingdom of God, or being born again) and primarily by way of symbolism and the juxtaposition of ideas, modes of painting, and painted panels, sought to reveal that truth.

Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögsk., 2004.

Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögsk., 2004.

Univ., Diss.--Mainz, 2003. / Literaturverz. S. [185] - 204.

Techn. University, Diss., 2004--Berlin.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Dallas, 2007. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 169-177)