Incentives for Collective Innovation

Identical agents exert hidden effort to produce randomly-sized improvements in a technology they share. Their payoff flow grows as the technology develops, but so does the opportunity cost of effort, due to a resource trade-off between using and improving the technology. The game admits a unique strongly symmetric equilibrium, and it is Markov; that is, no form of punishment is sustainable. Moreover, in this equilibrium, small innovations may hurt all agents as they severely reduce effort. Allowing each agent to discard the innovations she produces (after observing their size) increases equilibrium effort and welfare. If agents can instead conceal innovations for a period of time, there exists an equilibrium in which improvements are refined in secret until they are sufficiently large, and progress stops after a single disclosure. Although concealment is inefficient due to forgone benefits and the risk of redundancy, under natural conditions, this equilibrium induces higher welfare than all equilibria with forced disclosure

Screening for breakthroughs

We identify a new dynamic agency problem: that of incentivising the prompt disclosure of productive information. To study it, we introduce a general model in which a technological breakthrough occurs at an uncertain time and is privately observed by an agent, and a principal must incentivise disclosure via her control of a payoff-relevant physical allocation. We uncover a deadline structure of optimal mechanisms: they have a simple deadline form in an important special case, and a graduated deadline structure in general. We apply our results to the design of unemployment insurance schemes

Screening for breakthroughs: Omitted proofs

This document contains all proofs omitted from our working paper 'Screening for breakthroughs'; specifically, the November 2021 version of the paper (arXiv:2011.10090v6).Comment: arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2011.1009

Agenda-manipulation in ranking

A committee ranks a set of alternatives by sequentially voting on pairs, in an order chosen by the committee's chair. Although the chair has no knowledge of voters' preferences, we show that she can do as well as if she had perfect information. We characterise strategies with this 'regret-freeness' property in two ways: (1) they are efficient, and (2) they avoid two intuitive errors. One regret-free strategy is a sorting algorithm called insertion sort. We show that it is characterised by a lexicographic property, and is outcome-equivalent to a recursive variant of the much-studied amendment procedure

Chromogranin/secretogranin proteins in murine heart: myocardial production of chromogranin A fragment catestatin (Chga364–384)

In the heart, the secretory granules containing the atrial natriuretic peptides (ANP) and B-type myocardial natriuretic peptide (BNP) provide the basis for the endocrine function of this organ. We sought to determine whether atrial and myocardial secretory granules contain chromogranin/secretogranin proteins including chromogranin A (CHGA/Chga), chromogranin B (CHGB/Chgb) and secretogranin II (SCG2/Scg2). Deconvolution microscopy on immunolabeled proteins revealed the presence of Chga, Chgb, and Scg2 in murine cardiac secretory granules. The presence of low plasma catestatin (CST: mChga364–384) in older mice indicates diminished processing of Chga to CST with advancement of age, which is comparable to that found in humans. We have previously shown that CST (hCHGA352–372) exerts potent cardio-suppressive effects on frog and rat heart, but the source of CST for such action has remained elusive. In the present study, we found CST-related peptides in cardiomyocytes and in heart, which establishes an autocrine/paracrine function of CST in cardiac tissue. We conclude that cardiac secretory granules contain Chga, Chgb and Scg2 and that Chga is processed to CST in murine heart

Relation between energy metabolism, glycolysis, noradrenaline release and duration of ischemia

We studied the effect of 12-36 min of global ischemia followed by 36 min of reperfusion in Langendorff perfused rabbit hearts (n = 26). Metabolism was determined in terms of peak and total release of purines (adenosine, inosine, hypoxanthine), lactate and noradrenaline during reperfusion; and myocardial content of nucleotides (ATP, ADP, AMP), glycogen and noradrenaline at the end of reperfusion. An inverse relationship (r = -0.79) existed between duration of ischemia and developed pressure post-ischemia. Early during reperfusion, after 12 min of ischemia, the purine concentration (peak release) increased 100x (p < 0.01), that of lactate and noradrenaline 10x (p < 0.05). Total purine release rose with progression of the ischemic period (30x after 36 min of ischemia; p < 0.01), concomitant with a reduction in nucleotide content. Lactate release was independent from the duration of ischemia, although glycogen had declined by 30\% (p < 0.01) after 36 min of ischemia. The acid insoluble glycogen fraction, which presumably contains proglycogen, increased substantially during short-term ischemia. Peak noradrenaline increased 100x, and 200x, (p < 0.05) after 24 and 36 min of ischemia, respectively. Total noradrenaline release due to various periods of ischemia mirrored its peak release. Function recovery was inversely related to total purine and noradrenaline efflux (both r = -0.81); it correlated with tissue nucleotide content (r = 0.84). In conclusion, larger amounts of noradrenaline are released only after a substantial drop in myocardial ATP. During severe ischemia ATP consumption more than limited ATP production by anaerobic glycolysis, is a key factor affecting recovery on subsequent reperfusion. In contrast to lactate efflux, purine and noradrenaline release are useful markers of ischemic and reperfusion damage

Influencia de la evolución de las herramientas informáticas en la determinación y presentación del impuesto al valor agregado en la provincia de Mendoza desde el año 2000 al 2019

La tecnología se ha vuelto una parte muy importante en nuestras vidas y, en un mundo tan globalizado como el actual, es indispensable no perder de vista todas las herramientas informáticas con las que contamos para facilitar nuestra vida en varios aspectos, especialmente, en el ámbito laboral.El objetivo de este trabajo es recolectar toda la información disponible sobre la evolución de las herramientas informáticas que ayudan al contador público nacional a ser más eficiente en las tareas de liquidación y presentación del Impuesto al Valor Agregado e investigar cómo dicha evolución ha impactado en tal profesión. Con este fin, la pregunta de investigación se resume en lo siguiente: ¿De qué forma la evolución de las herramientas informáticas ha impactado al contador público nacional en la liquidación y presentación del Impuesto al Valor Agregado desde el año 2000 al año 2019? Con esta investigación se logra unificar información de casi dos décadas de evolución tecnológica en un mismo material que brinda toda la nformación necesaria para los aspectos mencionados anteriormente. La pregunta de investigación se responde a través de entrevistas a contadores profesionales de tres generaciones distintas para indagar sobre los diversos impactos que ha tenido la evolución tecnológica según la edad, la experiencia y muchos otros factores. Además, se recopiló información de la Administración Federal de Ingresos Públicos, la cual brinda instructivos que resultan de utilidad para el análisis del impuesto que se aborda. Este trabajo de investigación, como ya se mencionó, abarca desde el año 2000 al año 2019; sin embargo, como vivimos en una era cambiante, dinámica y globalizada, es necesario que este tipo de investigaciones se realicen constantemente. De esta forma, el profesional podría acceder a material actualizado sobre la tecnología que necesita para llevar a cabo todas sus tareas y ser lo más eficiente posible.Fil: Alaniz, María Victoria. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas.Fil: Ambrosio, Mariano Iván. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas.Fil: Curello, Camila Agustina. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas.Fil: Fredes, Ana Paula. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas

Comparison of Early and Long-Term Outcomes After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation in Patients with New York Heart Association Functional Class IV to those in Class III and Less

Our aim was to investigate the impact of a baseline New York Heart Association (NYHA) class IV on clinical outcomes of a large real-world population who underwent transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). The primary end points were all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and re-hospitalization, evaluated at the longest available follow-up and by means of a 3-month landmark analysis. The secondary end points were: change in NYHA class, left ventricular ejection fraction, pulmonary pressure and mitral regurgitation. Out of 2,467 patients, 271 (11%) had a NYHA functional class IV at the admission. The latter had higher Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) score (9.2% vs 5.5%; p &lt; 0.001) compared to NYHA ≤ III patients, owing to more comorbidities (prior myocardial infarction, severe long-term kidney disease, atrial fibrillation, left ventricular dysfunction, significant mitral regurgitation, pulmonary hypertension). Device success was similar between the two groups (93.7% vs 94.5%; p = 0.583). At a median follow-up of 15 months (interquartile range 4 to 36 months) a lower freedom from primary end points was observed among NYHA IV versus NYHA ≤ III group (survival from all-cause death: 52% vs 58.4%; p = 0.002; survival from cardiovascular death: 72.5% vs 76.5%; p = 0.091; freedom from re-hospitalization: 81.5% vs 85.4%; p = 0.038). However, after adjustment for baseline imbalance, NYHA IV did not influence the relative risk of long-term primary end points. A 3-month landmark analysis showed that NYHA IV independently predicted 3-month all-cause and cardiovascular mortality (hazard ratio: 1.77; 95% CI [1.10 to 2.83]; p = 0.018 and hazard ratio: 1.64; 95% CI [1.03 to 2.59]; p = 0.036, respectively). Instead, after 3-month follow-up NYHA IV did not affect the risk of primary end points. A significant improvement of the secondary end points was noted in both NYHA IV and NYHA ≤≤ III groups. In conclusion, the presence of NYHA class IV in TAVI candidates was associated to a significant increased risk of mortality within 3 months. Patients with baseline NYHA IV who survived at 3 months had a long-term outcome comparable to that of other subjects. Left ventricular systolic function, pulmonary pressure, and mitral insufficiency significantly improved after TAVI regardless of baseline NYHA class IV

A Qualitative Exploration of the Use of Contraband Cell Phones in Secured Facilities

Offenders accepting contraband cell phones in secured facilities violate state corrections law, and the possession of these cell phones is a form of risk taking behavior. When offenders continue this risky behavior, it affects their decision making in other domains where they are challenging authorities; and may impact the length of their incarceration. This qualitative phenomenological study examined the lived experience of ex-offenders who had contraband cell phones in secured correctional facilities in order to better understand their reasons for taking risks with contraband cell phones. The theoretical foundation for this study was Trimpop\u27s risk-homeostasis and risk-motivation theories that suggest an individual\u27s behaviors adapt to negotiate between perceived risk and desired risk in order to achieve satisfaction. The research question explored beliefs and perceptions of ex-offenders who chose to accept the risk of using contraband cell phones during their time in secured facilities. Data were collected anonymously through recorded telephone interviews with 8 male adult ex-offenders and analyzed using thematic content analysis. Findings indicated participants felt empowered by possession of cell phones in prison, and it was an acceptable risk to stay connected to family out of concern for loved ones. The study contributes to social change by providing those justice system administrators, and prison managers responsible for prison cell phone policies with more detailed information about the motivations and perspectives of offenders in respect to using contraband cell phones while imprisoned in secured facilities