Essays in labor and public economics

Dans ma thèse, je me sers de modèles de recherche solides pour répondre à des questions importantes de politique publique. Mon premier chapitre évalue l’impact causal de l’allégeance partisane (républicain ou démocrate) des gouverneurs américains sur le marché du travail. Dans ce chapitre, je combine les élections des gouverneurs avec les données du March CPS pour les années fiscales 1977 à 2008. En utilisant un modèle de régression par discontinuité, je trouve que les gouverneurs démocrates sont associés à de plus faibles revenus individuels moyens. Je mets en évidence que cela est entrainée par un changement dans la composition de la main-d’oeuvre à la suite d’une augmentation de l’emploi des travailleurs à revenus faibles et moyens. Je trouve que les gouverneurs démocrates provoquent une augmentation de l’emploi des noirs et de leurs heures travaillées. Ces résultats conduisent à une réduction de l’écart salarial entre les travailleurs noir et blanc. Mon deuxième chapitre étudie l’impact causal des fusillades qui se produisent dans les écoles secondaires américaines sur les performances des éléves et les résultats des écoles tels que les effectifs et le nombre d’enseignants recruté, a l’aide d’une stratégie de différence-en-différence. Le chapitre est coécrit avec Dongwoo Kim. Nous constatons que les fusillades dans les écoles réduisent significativement l’effectif des élèves de 9e année, la proportion d’élèves ayant un niveau adéquat en anglais et en mathématiques. Nous examinons aussi l’effet hétérogene des tueries dans les écoles secondaires entre les crimes et les suicides. Nous trouvons que les fusillades de natures criminelles provoquent la diminution du nombre d’inscriptions et de la proportion d’élèves adéquats en anglais et mathématiques. En utilisant des données sur les élèves en Californie, nous confirmons qu’une partie de l’effet sur la performance des élèves provient des étudiants inscrits et ce n’est pas uniquement un effet de composition. Mon troisième chapitre étudie l’impact des cellulaires sur la performance scolaire des élèves. Le chapitre est coécrit avec Richard Murphy. Dans ce chapitre, nous combinons une base de données unique contenant les politiques de téléphonie mobile des écoles obtenues à partir d’une enquète auprès des écoles dans quatre villes en Angleterre avec des données administratives sur la performance scolaire des éleves. Nous étudions ainsi l’impact de l’introduction d’une interdiction de téléphonie mobile sur le rendement des éleves. Nos résultats indiquent qu’il y a une augmentation du rendement des éleves après l’instauration de l’interdiction des cellulaires à l’école, ce qui suggère que les téléphones mobiles sont sources de distraction pour l’apprentissage et l’introduction d’une interdiction à l’école limite ce problème.

Stratégie de vaccination familiale contre la coqueluche (méthode de cocooning) à la maternité : analyse coût-efficacité d'un programme provincial

Le manuscrit constituant l'annexe 1 a été publié en décembre 2013 sous la référence : Vaccine. 2013 Dec 9;31(51):6087-91.

Contributions of local, lateral and contextual habitat variables to explaining variation in fisheries productivity metrics in the littoral zone of a reservoir

Puisque l’altération des habitats d’eau douce augmente, il devient critique d’identifier les composantes de l’habitat qui influencent les métriques de la productivité des pêcheries. Nous avons comparé la contribution relative de trois types de variables d’habitat à l’explication de la variance de métriques d’abondance, de biomasse et de richesse à l’aide de modèles d’habitat de poissons, et avons identifié les variables d’habitat les plus efficaces à expliquer ces variations. Au cours des étés 2012 et 2013, les communautés de poissons de 43 sites littoraux ont été échantillonnées dans le Lac du Bonnet, un réservoir dans le Sud-est du Manitoba (Canada). Sept scénarios d’échantillonnage, différant par l’engin de pêche, l’année et le moment de la journée, ont été utilisés pour estimer l’abondance, la biomasse et la richesse à chaque site, toutes espèces confondues. Trois types de variables d’habitat ont été évalués: des variables locales (à l’intérieur du site), des variables latérales (caractérisation de la berge) et des variables contextuelles (position relative à des attributs du paysage). Les variables d’habitat locales et contextuelles expliquaient en moyenne un total de 44 % (R2 ajusté) de la variation des métriques de la productivité des pêcheries, alors que les variables d’habitat latérales expliquaient seulement 2 % de la variation. Les variables les plus souvent significatives sont la couverture de macrophytes, la distance aux tributaires d’une largeur ≥ 50 m et la distance aux marais d’une superficie ≥ 100 000 m2, ce qui suggère que ces variables sont les plus efficaces à expliquer la variation des métriques de la productivité des pêcheries dans la zone littorale des réservoirs.

Labor Provisions from NAFTA to CAFTA: Standards That Work, or a Work in Progress?

The emerging U.S. approach linking free trade to domestic labor protections is a practical framework on which to base substantive and procedural rights. Nevertheless, much more can be done in future agreements to improve these safeguards for workers in a way that will maximize the gains from trade and reduce the most harmful effects of development. In order to improve future agreements, the U.S. should expand access to consultations within the dispute resolution mechanism, focus complaints on core rights such as organization and bargaining, encourage the development of small independent unions in corporatist cultures, and incorporate the ILO into the dispute settlement process. Finally, the civil law systems of Central America and the Anglo-American common law system may have fundamentally different understandings of the rule of law. This difference in understanding may pose a significant disadvantage for developing or civil law systems entering treaties with the U.S., and should be better understood by both sides in order to maintain the credibility of the law and the effectiveness of the treaty.

A Study on the Quality Attributes of Kerala as a Global Tourism Destination-2005

The study was carried out with the broad objective to understand the quality attributes of Kerala as a global tourism destination. It also sheds some light on the nature of international travel market for Kerala in terms of activities , benefit sought , country and trip profile. For understanding the difference in level of tourists perception , the study also tried to compare overall trip satisfaction and impression with destination for different tourists groups categorized into country of origin and various socio-demographic groups.

Further studies on the process of coastal upwelling along the south west coast of India - possible correlations with biological productivity

An attempt is made to study the possible relationship between the process of upwelling and zooplankton biomass in the shelf weters along the south west coast of India between Cape comorin and Ratnagiri based on oceanographic and Zooplankton data collected by the erstwhile FAO/UNDP Pelagic Fishery Project,Cochin between 1973 and 1978. Different factors such as the depth from which the bottom waters are induced upwards during the process of upwelling,the depth to which the bottom waters are drawn, vertical velocity of upwelling and the resultant zooplankton productivity were considered while arriving at the deductions. Except for nutrients and phytoplankton productivity, for which simultaneous data is lacking, all the major factors were taken into consideration before cocluding- xon positive/negative correlation.

Coastal Tourism in Kerala: Its Impact on Economy and Environment

School of Industrial Fisheries, Cochin University of Science and Technology

E-marketing motivators,inhibitors and critical success factors: A study of small and medium tourism enterprises (SMTES) in Mauritius and Andaman islands, India

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have a dramatic impact on the tourism industry because they force this sector as a whole to rethink the way in which it organises its business . In the light of such rethinking within the tourism industry, this study has focussed on the Small and Medium Tourism Enterprises (SMTEs) in two island destinations, namely Mauritius and Andaman Islands, India.Suggestions. The findings conceming SMTEs in Mauritius and Andaman Islands have been compared to make some destination-specific inferences. The relevance of the findings has been discussed with reference to the SMTEs in the two destinations as well as the possible acceptability in other comparable settings. Suggestions have been made for further research in SMTEs’ use of the Internet for marketing function.

Contribution of size fractions of planktonic algae to primary organic productivity in the coastal waters of Cochin- south west coast of lndia

This thesis entitled “Contribution of size fractions of planktonic algae to primary organic productivity in the coastal waters of cochin,south west coast of india”. Marine ecosystems planktonic algae are the most important primary producers on wliich considerable attention is being given on account of their supreme status in the marine food chain.The study of primary production in the Indian Ocean started With DANA (I928-30),, John Murray t I933-34). Discovery ( I934) and Albatross (I947-48) expeditions which tried to evaluate productivity from nutrients and standing crop of phytoplankton .The bioproductivity of the marine environment is dependent on various primary producers. ranging in size from picoplankton to larger macro phytoplankton. The quantity and quality of various size fractions of planktonic algae at any locality depend mainly on the hydrographic conditions of the area .In the coastal waters of Cochin- south west coast of lndia. Planktonic algal community is composed mainly of the diatoms, the dinoflagellates, the blue-green algae and the silicoflagellates, the former two contributing the major flora and found distributed in the all size fractions. The maximum number of species of diatoms at station 1 and station 2 was found in the pre-monsoon season.. The size groups of planktonic algae greater than 53 um are dominated by filamentous- chain forming and colonial diatoms. The coastal waters of Cochin. planktonic algae less than 53 um in size contribute significantly to primary productivity and the biodiversity of the microflora, indicating the presence of rich fishery resources in the south west coast of india.The study of different size fractions of planktonic algae and their relative contribution to the primary organic production is a useful tool for the estimation of the quantity and quality of fisheries.A deeper investigation on the occurrence of these microalgae and proper identification of their species would be of immense help for the assessment of the specificity and magnitude of fishery resources.

Journal Productivity in Fishery Science - An Informetric Analysis

This thesis Entitled Journal productivity in fishery science an informetric analysis.The analyses and formulating results of the study, the format of the thesis was determined. The thesis is divided into different chapters mentioned below. Chapter 1 gives an overview on the topic of research. Introduction gives the relevance of topic, define the problem, objectives of the study, hypothesis, methods of data collection, analysis and layout of the thesis. Chapter 2 provides a detailed account of the subject Fishery science and its development. A comprehensive outline is given along with definition, scope, classification, development and sources of information.Method of study used in this research and its literature review form the content of this chapter. Chapter 4 Details of the method adopted for collecting samples for the study, data collection and organization of the data are given. The methods are based on availability of data, period and objectives of the research undertaken.The description, analyses and the results of the study are covered in this chapter.

Studies on the effect of selected metals on the productivity of two species of algae

The thesis embodies the results of a study on the variations in the parameters of productivity of two test species, a chlorophycean alga and a diatom. The chlorophycean alga Scenedesmus abundans was isolated from a fresh water pond whereas the diatom Nitzschia clausii was from the Cochin backwaters. Their growth parameters and their variations due to the effect of addition of some heavy metals have been studied. The growth parameters include biomass, production, respiration, photosynthetic pigments and end products of photosynthesis. The cell numbers were estimated by using a haemocytometer and production and respiration by oxygen light and dark technique. Spectrophotometric analysis for pigments, anthrone method for carbohydrate and heated biuret method for protein were the different methods employed in the present investigation. The present study is confined to nickel, cobalt, trivalent and hexavalent chromium. Different metals are discharged from various industries in and around Cochin. The effects of these metals individually and in combination are studied. Experiments to determine the effects of interaction of metals in combination enabled the assessment of the antagonistic and synergistic effect of metals on test species. The concentration or accumulation of metals on algae was determined by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry. The thesis has been divided into seven chapters. The introductory chapter explains the relevance of the present investigation. Chapter two presents the review of literature based on the work in relation to toxicity. Third chapter gives a detailed description of the material and specialized methods followed for the study. The effects of various metals selected for study - nickel, cobalt, trivalent and hexavalent chromium on the qualitative and quantitative aspects of productivity forms the subject of matter of the fourth chapter. The fifth chapter gives the impact of metals in combination on two species of algae. A general discussion and summary are included in the sixth and seventh chapters