Out from under

Out From Under the Trees

This work is motivated by the observation that hard disk seek capability per byte of storage has declined exponentially for decades, and yet most popular access structures are still based on basic ideas proposed 30 years ago. These access structures are typically seek-intensive. In this paper, we propose a new paradigm for data access and organization called the linear file, which aims to drast...

Out From Under the Trees With T2SM

For some time, most research on the low-level data organization and indexing of data has focused on the construction of hierarchical, disk-block based file organizations. Most of these proposed organizations are variations on, or additions to, fundamental ideas taken from early indexing structures like the B-tree and R-tree. In this paper, we question whether the continued reliance on block-bas...

Growing out of Poverty under Risk: Evidence from Rural Ethiopia

The effect of risk on economic growth is a key issue in development but there is virtually no evidence on it and little clarity on what determines the effect. In this paper we use panel data for rural households in Ethiopia to estimate a structural model of household investment decisions under risk. The sample households are heterogeneous in terms of initial capital (livestock) and total factor...

Rooting Out Invasive Species: Lessons from Down Under

Provider Opt-Out Under Medicare Private Contracting

The 1997 Balanced Budget Act (BBA) permits private contracting for care between Medicare beneficiaries and providers who have opted out of Medicare. This article examines the number and characteristics of providers who have opted-out, their role in the provision of Part B services, and their impact on beneficiary access from 1998 to 2002. Opt-out providers differ from providers remaining in Med...