This paper develops a general equilibrium model with the purpose of identifying fundamental determinants of market structure and their welfare impact. The main effects are derived from the interaction between horizontal and vertical differentiation, induced by different sets of exogenous and endogenous sunk costs. The former are found to be positively correlated with market concentration and ma...

The in vitro sensitivity of AvrPik allele isolates of Magnaporthe oryzae to isoprothiolane was examined and the virulence fitness costs of AvrPik allele isolates to isoprothiolane were assessed. Isoprothiolane was found to suppress the radial growth of AvrPik allele isolates at all concentrations (1, 5, 10, 15, and 20 μg/mL). Generally, a higher isoprothiolane concentration has a stronger inhib...

Switching costs are prevalent in network industries, and this paper investigates their effects on market outcome. I find that the role of switching costs depends on network effects and the outside option. Without a viable outside option, high switching costs can neutralize the tendency towards market dominance associated with network effects, but with a viable outside option, switching costs fa...

More than 380 Pg of carbon have been released by human activities from fossil fuel combustion and cement manufacturing since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. This carbon release has caused atmospheric CO2 levels to increase by ∼100 ppmv compared to the highest interglacial value of the last ∼800,000 years. Net uptake of carbon by the oceans has caused the surface ocean pH to drop by ...

Although schizophrenia affects only about 1% of the worldwide population, it is costly to patients, their families, community care centers, hospitals, and society. International cost of illness studies show a wide variation, with annual costs ranging from Australia's $139 million US dollars (1975) to the cost in the United States of $65.2 billion US dollars (1991). Since methodology and assumpt...

This research aims to study the relationship between the components of quality costs and quality in company. The relationship between the components of quality costs and quality in company has been studied separately for materials, manpower, machinery, and whole of company. In this study, traditional method was used to collect quality costs and PAF model was used to determine the components of ...