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We determined the halogen (F, Cl, Br, and I) and sulfur (S) concentrations in Cl-rich rock-forming minerals from five peralkaline complexes. We investigated sodalite (N=42), eudialyte-group minerals (N=84), and tugtupite (N=8) from representative rock samples derived from Ilímaussaq (South Greenland), Norra Kärr (Sweden), Tamazeght (Morocco), Lovozero, and Khibina (Russian Federation). Taken together, sodalite and eudialyte-group minerals dominate the Cl and Br budget of the investigated rocks. For F, however, several other phases (e.g., amphibole, fluorite, villiaumite, and minerals of the rinkite group and the apatite supergroup) are additional sinks, and parts of the S may be scavenged in generally rare sulfides. The investigated minerals contain Cl at the wt.% level, F and S concentrations are in the hundreds to thousands of μg/g-range, Br is less common (0.2–200μg/g) and I is rare (mostly well below 1μg/g). Normalized to Cl, sodalite prefers Br relative to eudialyte-group minerals, while F is always enriched in the latter. Our data show that both F and S may represent important components in eudialyte-group minerals, sometimes at similar levels as Cl, which normally dominates. Sulfur reveals redox-dependent behavior: Under reduced crystallization conditions, S is more compatible in eudialyte-group minerals (EGM) than in sodalite, which flips to the opposite under water-rich and presumably more oxidized conditions. We investigate the applicability of F/Cl, Br/Cl, and S/Cl ratios in these minerals in peralkaline systems to better understand the interplay of magmatic differentiation, fluid loss and hydrothermal overprint. Similar to apatite in metaluminous systems, fractionation of sodalite, and eudialyte-group minerals in peralkaline magmas leads to decreasing Br/Cl ratios. The data presented in this study bear implications for the mineral chemistry and compositional variation of sodalite and especially EGM in general. Volatile components in EGM that are not normally considered, such as F and S, can reach concentrations of thousands of μg/g. Especially in the case of F, with its low atomic weight, the results obtained in this study indicate that it is very significant for formulae calculations, neutral charge-balance, and similar aspects at such concentration levels. This study demonstrates that halogen contents and ratios are sensitive monitors for a variety of processes in magmatic-hydrothermal systems, including magmatic fractionation, volatile loss, and fluid–rock interaction.

This article analyzes the effects of drip pricing, the business practice of decomposing a price into multiple components that are presented sequentially to buyers. We experimentally examine the effects of this practice on seller strategies and buyer behaviors, and we assess the implications for regulation. In our experiment, sellers set two prices: a base (or headline) price and a drip price. At first, buyers observe only the base prices, and make a tentative purchase decision. Subsequently revealing the sellers drip prices, however, comes at a cost to buyers. We find that sellers only compete on base prices, and thus set the highest possible drip price. This makes the base price a reliable indicator for the lowest total price. Moreover, few consumers invest in drip-price searches. A comparison with Bertrand competition reveals significant effects: With drip pricing, consumer surplus is lower, and seller profits are higher. When there is uncertainty over possible drip sizes, sellers also compete over drips, and consumers more frequently fail to identify the cheapest offer. Bertrand competition also leads to higher consumer surplus and lower firm profits in this case. Hence, our results point to positive effects of drip-price regulation.

Item does not contain fulltext Refugees often find themselves in a precarious situation, characterised by multiple vulnerabilities. The label 'vulnerable', as specifically applied to certain categories of refugees like unaccompanied minors, child soldiers or elderly, may ensure due attention to their specific needs at various stages of conflict and in post-conflict situations, yet it risks masking specific support needs at the individual level. Therefore, the allocation of support should always be based on needs assessment at the individual level rather than the categorical level. A complex constellation of factors at the individual as well as contextual level appears to play a part in determining the impact of traumatic events and the post-traumatic reactions. At the contextual level, support oriented towards addressing vulnerability and fostering resilience can help individuals to gain control over their life and life context and to deal with psychological challenges in a way that reduces their impact. This chapter concludes that a systemic, strengths-based, culturally-sensitive, relational framework should guide the design and implementation of future interventions for refugees. This would ensure that they are context-sensitive, based on the capacities and strengths of the target population, and designed to enhance support that a given context offers to its most affected and vulnerable members.

We explore how increased competition affects firms’ obfuscation strategies in a laboratory experiment. Firms sell a base good and an add‐on product. Besides choosing the base‐good price, sellers take an action that mimicks the effects of shrouding the add‐on product. Shrouding is an equilibrium, but an unshrouding equilibrium coexists. In our experiment, more competition matters in that only duopolistic markets are frequently shrouded whereas four‐firm markets are not. With repeated interaction, shrouding rates do not increase. However, the opportunities to shroud facilitate tacit collusion on the base‐good price for the duopolies: the unshrouding equilibrium serves as a credible punishment if deviations occur.

This paper studies shrouding of add-on information in a market where firms differ in add-on production costs. We show that partial shrouding equilibria, characterised by a selection result, exist: Firms with high (low) add-on costs shroud (unshroud). Unshrouding firms charge lower base-good prices than shrouding firms.

This paper studies obfuscation decisions by firms. We show that more prominent firms are more likely to obfuscate. While prominent firms always choose maximum obfuscation, the obfuscation by less prominent firms depends on the degree of asymmetry in prominence and consumer protection policy. We evaluate the impact of a consumer protection policy that limits the scope of obfuscation. We show that such a policy may not be effective as less prominent firms may increase their obfuscation practice.

Papers in Regional Science © 2015 RSAI This paper revisits the optimal entry decision in a differentiated product market where customer demand is price-sensitive and depends on a per-unit transport cost. We show that compared to the socially optimal outcome, too few firms may enter when entry costs and transport costs are high.

Comprehensive proteomic analyses require efficient and selective pre-fractionation to facilitate analysis of post-translationally modified peptides and proteins and automated analysis procedures for the detection, identification, and structural characterization of the corresponding peptide modification.