Automatic delineation of ECG signals

Tato práce se zabývá základním popisem EKG signálu a některých známých metod jeho rozměření. Dále se práce zabývá detailním popisem metody autorů Laguna, Jané, Caminal a realizací kompletního rozměřovacího algoritmu založeném na této metodě. Dále se zaobírá testováním algoritmu na standartní databázi CSE, zhodnocením výsledků a porovnáním výsledků s výsledky autorů.This project deals with basic description of ECG signal and some of known methods of delineation ECG´s individual parts. Next this work deals with detailed description of the method of authors Laguna, Jané, Caminal and realization of the complete delineation algorithm based on this method. Next this work deals with testing this algorithm on the CSE database, evaluation results and comparing results with results of authors of the method.

Promoting sales through coupns in oligopoly under imperfect price information.

This paper analyzes sales promotions through coupons in an oligopoly under imperfect price infonnation. Firms can send out coupons that either communicate the price (CCPs) or not (CNCPs). By offering rebates or advertising their prices at distant locations, firms can attract consumers from their rivals' markets. A unique symmetric pure strategy equilibrium is shown to exist where sellers do send out coupons that offer positive rebates. Thus, contrary to the literature, sales promotions are pennanent. In the equilibrium with CNCPs, prices, advertising efforts and finns' profits are higher than in the equilibrium with CCPs. However, the equilibrium with CNCPs is not robust if we allow firms to choose the type of coupons as well. In contrast, the equilibrium with CCPs is always robust.Sales promotions; Coupons; Oligopoly; Imperfect information; Price discrimination;

The design and efficiency of loyalty rewards

The goal of this paper is to reexamine the optimal design and efficiency of loyalty rewards in markets for final consumption goods. While the literature has emphasized the role of loyalty rewards as endogenous switching costs (which distort the efficient allocation of consumers), in this paper I analyze the ability of alternative designs to foster consumer participation and increase total surplus. First, the efficiency of loyalty rewards depend on their specific design. A commitment to the price of repeat purchases can involve substantial efficiency gains by reducing price-cost margins. However, discount policies imply higher future regular prices and are likely to reduce total surplus. Second, firms may prefer to set up inefficient rewards (discounts), especially in those circumstances where a commitment to the price of repeat purchases triggers Coasian dynamics.Loyalty rewards, Coasian dynamics, Price commitment, Coupons

Bank Profitability and Taxation

This paper investigates how bank profitability is affected by the corporate income tax (CIT). For this purpose it uses aggregate data of the banking sector of the main industrialized countries, for the period 1980-2003. The main novelties with respect to the existing literature are two. First, it explicitly considers that the CIT is not specific to the banking sector so that changes in CIT rate can affect both banks and borrowing firms. With the help of a simple theoretical model we derive a set of predictions about the impact of the CIT on banks’ income statement. Second, we consider all main components of banks’ profit and loss accounts: net interest income, interest expenses, non-interest income, operating costs, and provisions. In this way, we are able to disentangle the extent to which a bank is able to shift its tax-burden forward to its lenders, depositors, and purchasers of fee-generating servicesTax-Shifting, Corporate Income Tax, Bank Profitability

Markets and linguistic diversity

The choice of language is a crucial decision for firms competing in cultural goods and media markets with a bilingual or multilingual consumer base. To the extent that multilingual consumers have preferences over the intrinsic characteristics (content) as well as over the language of the product, we can examine the efficiency of market outcomes regarding linguistic diversity. In this paper, I extend the spokes model and introduce language as an additional dimension of product differentiation. I show that: (i) if firms supply their product in a single language (the adoption model) then the degree of linguistic diversity is inefficiently low, and (ii) if some firms supply more than one linguistic version (the translation model) then in principle the market outcome may exhibit insufficient or excessive linguistic diversity. However, excessive diversity is associated to markets where the fraction of products in the minority language is disproportionately high with respect to the relative size of the linguistic minority.Product variety, language, translation

Alternative Approaches to Taxing the Financial Sector: Which is Best and Where Does Chile Stand?

In contrast to the enthusiasm of some observers for sweeping reforms to financial sector taxation (such as abolishing taxation of capital income or introducing a universal transactions tax), this paper argues that practical policy needs to pay special attention to the potential for tax arbitrage, and to avoiding a system that is too sensitive to inflation. A review of the main features of Chile's financial sector taxation regime (in particular the stamp taxes on checks and on loans) against this background shows some strengths, though the rates are somewhat higher than would result from a VAT applied systematically to financial services at the standard rate.