Determinants of self-reporting under the European corporate leniency program

We empirically investigate the determinants of self-reporting under the European corporate leniency program. Applying a data set consisting of 442 firm groups that participated in 76 cartels decided by the European Commission between 2000 and 2011, we find that the probability of a firm becoming the chief witness increases with its character as repeat offender, the size of the expected basic fine, the number of countries active in one group as well as the size of the firm’s share in the cartelized market. Our results have important implications for an effective prosecution of anti-cartel law infringers

Microscopic structures and dynamics of high- and low-density liquid trans-1,2-dichloroethylene

4 págs.; 3 figs.; PACS number s : 64.70.Ja, 61.05.fm, 61.20. p, 61.25.EmWe present a study of the dynamics and structural changes for trans-1,2-dichloroethylene between high- and low-density liquids using neutron-scattering techniques diffraction, small-angle neutron scattering, and time of flight spectroscopy and molecular-dynamics simulations. We show that changes in the short-range ordering of molecules goes along with a change in the molecular dynamics: both structure and dynamics of the highdensity liquid are more cooperative than those of the low-density liquid. The microscopic mechanism underlying the cooperative motions in the high-density liquid has been found to be related to the backscattering of molecules due to a strong correlation of molecular ordering. ©2010 The American Physical SocietyThis work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology Grants No. FIS2008-00837 and No. BES-2007-17418, by the Government of Catalonia Grant No. 2009SGR-1251 and by the European Commission MI3/FP7.Peer Reviewe

Mechanism of Bi−Ni Phase Formation in a Microwave-Assisted Polyol Process

Typically, intermetallic phases are obtained in solid-state reactions or crystallization from melts, which are highly energy and time consuming. The polyol process takes advantage of low temperatures and short reaction times using easily obtainable starting materials. The formation mechanism of these intermetallic particles has received little attention so far, even though a deeper understanding should allow for better synthesis planning. In this study, we therefore investigated the formation of BiNi particles in ethylene glycol in a microwave-assisted polyol process mechanistically. The coordination behavior in solution was analyzed using HPLC-MS and UV-Vis. Tracking the reaction with PXRD measurements, FT-IR spectroscopy and HR-TEM revealed a successive reduction of Bi3+ and Ni2+, leading to novel spherical core-shell structure in a first reaction step. Bismuth particles are encased in a matrix of nickel nanoparticles of 2 nm to 6 nm in diameter and oxidation products of ethylene glycol. Step-wise diffusion of nickel into the bismuth particle intermediately results in the bismuth-rich compound Bi3Ni, which consecutively transforms into the BiNi phase as the reaction progresses. The impacts of the anion type, temperature and pH value were also investigated. © 2020 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Gmb

Multimodal characterization of the functional and anatomical connectivity of the anterior insular cortex in the macaque monkey

We examined the dynamic functional connectivity of the von Economo neuron (VEN) area of the anterior insula cortex (AIC) using two-shot echo-planar functional magnetic resonance imaging with direct electrical stimulation (DES-fMRI), seed-based connectivity analysis (SBCA), and local field potential recordings (NET-fMRI) in the anesthetized macaque monkey. The electrical stimulation (n=3) of the left or right VEN area activated several distinct subcortical limbic nuclei (e.g. amygdala, midline thalamic nucleus [MTN]) and high-order cortical areas (e.g. superior temporal sulcus, extrastriate visual areas). Both the left and the right stimulation produced a rather lateralized activation pattern, with the activation elicited from one side roughly mirroring the activation obtained from the other side. Nevertheless, stimulation of the left VEN area elicited a consistently more intense and broader bilateral activation. The correlation patterns obtained with a SBCA of the same data set, using the left and right VEN area as seeds, confirmed the activation patterns elicited by the electrical stimulation. Conversely, SBCA using spontaneous data sets, collected in the same animals without electrical stimulation, revealed not only a correlation between both VEN areas but also a broader bilateral correlation pattern that remained identical regardless of the seeded side. Whereas many limbic and cortical activations produced by the electrical stimulations were matched by a correlation with the spontaneous activity of the VEN areas, the MTN was neither correlated nor anticorrelated with the spontaneous activity. Finally, in the NET-fMRI with the same spontaneous functional scans, the occurrence of oscillatory events (e.g. alpha, theta, gamma) in the left or right VEN area triggered varying patterns of activity that differed from the electrical stimulation patterns while being nonetheless markedly asymmetric. Events from the left or right VEN area often correlated with respectively massive activation or deactivation patterns. The present study reveals that small individual regions of the brain can simultaneously display a broad diversity of functional connectivity patterns. The asymmetric activity patterns associated with the left and right VEN areas corroborate prior evidence for a left-right functional asymmetry in the AIC (Craig, 2005, Trends Cogn Sci). The spatially restricted or broad activation of limbic and high-order regions from the right and left VEN areas, respectively, might underlie the asymmetric role of the AIC in monitoring internal bodily states during cognitive processes, including subjective perceptual awareness

Microscopic structures and dynamics of high- and low-density liquid trans-1,2-dichloroethylene

We present a study of the dynamics and structural changes for trans-1,2-dichloroethylene between high-and low-density liquids using neutron-scattering techniques (diffraction, small-angle neutron scattering, and time of flight spectroscopy) and molecular-dynamics simulations. We show that changes in the short-range ordering of molecules goes along with a change in the molecular dynamics: both structure and dynamics of the high-density liquid are more cooperative than those of the low-density liquid. The microscopic mechanism underlying the cooperative motions in the high-density liquid has been found to be related to the backscattering of molecules due to a strong correlation of molecular ordering

Microstimulation and NET-fMRI examination of the relation between the anterior insular cortex and the whole-brain activity in the macaque monkey

The anterior insular cortex (AIC) is often regarded as a key “node” of the salience network that mediates the central representation and goal-directed control of homeostatic bodily states by coordinating brain networks. Given the possible role of the AIC in brain network dynamics, we combined electrophysiology and electrical microstimulation in the left and right AIC with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal changes in cortical and subcortical areas in 4 anesthetized macaque monkeys in a 7T scanner. 10-channel laminar electrodes were introduced in the ‘von Economo neuron area’ of the AIC to record ongoing spontaneous neuronal activity during two-shot echo-planar imaging with a temporal resolution of 2 seconds. Focusing on the local field potential gamma band (56-79 Hz) unilateral events were detected and used to trigger the BOLD signal, a method called ‘neural-event-triggered fMRI’ (NET-fMRI) (Logothetis et al. Nature 2012 491:547-53). The results showed markedly different patterns of whole-brain activation and deactivation for the left and right AIC. Subsequently, the laminar electrodes were replaced with single channel iridium electrodes to alternately deliver electrical microstimulation pulses (200μs biphasic charge-balanced pulses with a 100 Hz frequency) to the left and right AIC. Although the stimulations activated the same brain areas (e.g. amygdala, thalamus) the whole-brain activity following left stimulation tended to be stronger and more prevalent. These results, combined with our tract-tracing data begin to unravel the functional organization underlying the role of the AIC in functional brain networks and brainstem autonomic control regulation

NET-fMRI examination of the relation between the anterior insula and whole-brain activity in the macaque monkey

The central representation and the goal-directed control of bodily states are integrated in the anterior insular cortex (AIC) as core processes underlying the ‘subjective’ component of emotion and cognition. The AIC is often regarded as a key “node” of the saliency network with a role in coordinating brain network activity upon the detection of homeostatic changes. A model proposed that the preferential representation of parasympathetic and sympathetic activity in the left and right AIC underlies appetitive and aversive emotions, respectively (Craig TICS 2005 9:566-71). Given the possible role of the AIC in switching brain network dynamics, we examined whether this asymmetry occurs in functional relation of the AIC with the rest of the brain. To this end we used multi contact laminar electrodes to record neural activity from the left and right AIC in parallel while simultaneously acquiring functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans in four rhesus macaque monkeys. The electrodes were placed in the AIC area containing the von Economo neurons (or ‘VEN area’), an area shown previously to be larger and independently contain more VENs on the right than on the left side (Evrard et al. Neuron 2012 74:482-9). The ongoing spontaneous neuronal activity was analyzed focusing on the local field potential (LFP) gamma band (56-79 Hz) where frequent increases in amplitude could be observed. These gamma events were in most cases unilateral, with occurrence either in the left or in the right VEN area in the majority of the cases and only few cases where gamma band activity increased simultaneously on both sides. Following the detection of these gamma events, their occurrence was used to trigger and average the blood-oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) signal from the fMRI scans, a method called ‘neural-event-triggered fMRI’ (NET-fMRI) (Logothetis et al. Nature 2012 491:547-53). The examination and mapping of the BOLD signal change during asymmetric events revealed markedly different patterns of activation and deactivation in vast regions of the brain. These effects might substantiate a fundamental autonomic forebrain asymmetry balancing brain dynamics to produce nurturing and expending behaviors and feelings in a homeostatically optimal manner