Do active secondary markets aid or harm durable goods manufacturers? We build a dynamic equilibrium model of durable goods oligopoly, with consumers who incur lumpy costs when transacting in the secondary market, and calibrate it to U.S. automobile industry data. By varying transaction costs, we obtain a direct measure of the competitive pressure that secondary markets create on durable goods m...

Motivated by the observation of light surface states in SmB6, we examine the effects of surface Kondo breakdown in topological Kondo insulators. We present both numerical and analytic results which show that the decoupling of the localized moments at the surface disturbs the compensation between light and heavy electrons and dopes the Dirac cone. Dispersion of these uncompensated surface states...

The design demands of timber construction used in transportation structures, such as bridges, require extended durability and reliability. As such, preservative-treated timber, rather than naturally durable timber, is most often required by code. Design demands also require minimal strength loss during treatment or during the service life of the structure. This report critiques the literature o...