Over the past several years, discount brokerage houses have experienced rapid growth and development. It is estimated that the discount brokers1 market share has experienced a 55% to 65% annual growth rate since 1975. This event has been made possible by the relaxation of the previously fixed commission schedules and the introduction of price and service competition into the securities business. Instead of discount competition encouraging the full-service brokers to cut their commission rates to attract individual retail investors, the "Mayday" decision resulted in higher charges to the small investor. The full-line firms stress the continued importance of "brand" identification, and they feel that this gives them a competitive edge.

Excavation continues to be a leading cause of damage to underground facilities in the United States. Excavation damage was cited as the cause in 20% of the significant pipeline incidents in 2007. Effective damage prevention programs are necessary to protect underground facilities and to ensure public health and safety, environmental protection and continuity of vital services. Central to all damage prevention efforts is effective communication of accurate and timely information among excavators, one-call centers and underground facility operators. In 2005, the Commonwealth of Virginia, federal government, industry and other key stakeholders in the U.S. initiated a pilot project to enhance the one-call damage prevention process through the use of global positioning system (GPS) technology. Virginia was chosen as the location for the Project due to its mature, active and inclusive damage prevention program. Additionally, coincident with the implementation of the Pilot Project, Virginia’s one-call center developed and implemented enhanced mapping capabilities that complemented the Project technology. Certainly, the potential for application of the technology in all states was a driving consideration throughout the Project. Phase I of the Virginia Pilot Project, completed in December 2007, focused on improving the locational accuracy of facility locate requests submitted by excavators to the one-call center. This was achieved by the development and use of electronic white-lining. The Project Team combined existing cell phone, Internet and GPS receiver technologies with the development of specific software applications and enhanced one-call processes. Project data indicate significant improvements were achieved in one-call process costs and efficiencies. These improvements enhance the benefits of such programs to all stakeholders and significantly improve underground facility safety. This paper describes the results from Phase I and the minimum requirements for implementing the technology. The results will be shared and promoted nationwide to encourage other one-call centers to consider incorporating the processes. The paper also describes the status of subsequent, related phases of the Pilot Project. Phase II will involve the application of GPS technology to locating instruments and the development of electronic locator manifests. Phase III will involve the integration of GPS and mapping technologies on excavating equipment. Finally, the paper describes the relevance to other damage prevention programs in the U.S. and other countries.

In recent years there has been a growing consensus within the electric utility industry that increased competition is inevitable. This article examines four competitive utility models from around the world to determine whether a competitive generation market will produce lower electric rates. The analysis shows that the British, Norwegian, Argentinean and Chilean experiences may provide limited support for electric utility reform in the US. But many of these foreign systems have abundant, low-cost, hydroelectric power or involve privatisation of publicly owned facilities which may offer benefits not available in the US, where electric rates are relatively low already.

During the past decade there have been at least ten major efforts to perform comprehensive, analytical studies of the complex issues associated with decommissioning civilian nuclear power plants. These planning efforts are reviewed, using the standard framework of technology assessment. In particular, each study is analysed to determine the degree to which formal methods of decision analysis have been employed to evaluate options and make recommendations and the degree to which formal methods of consensus have been employed to engage citizen involvement and promote public acceptance. Not unexpectedly, we find that the greatest strides in decommissioning analyses have been made in forecasting the economic costs of decommissioning to licensees. Comparatively few improvements have been made in the processes used to compare the impacts of alternative technologies more broadly, or to address the legitimate concerns of interested parties more widely.

The efficacy of a casein spreader (Kayso) in the commonly recommended sprays for apple and peach has been studied for the second season. These sprays, with and without the spreader, were mixed by the writers and applied by the regular orchard force. The second season's results parallel those of the first year's work. There is no indication that the incorporation of the spreader with the usual sprays influenced the protection of the fruit from insects and diseases. The conclusion is that the use of a casein spreader (Kayso) in the apple and peach sprays under orchard conditions in Virginia is not justified from the standpoints of effectiveness and economy.