The Arkansas State University Parking Garage

This paper presents a case study based on a regional university’s decision to resolve a longstanding parking problem by constructing a parking garage.  Although the garage was expected to generate an annual profit, usage of the garage and, accordingly, its revenues, fell well below expectations.  The case analysis incorporates discussions of sunk costs, consumer choice theory, relevant revenues and costs, price elasticity of demand, market entry, and the use of the pricing mechanism to allocate scarce supply

Post-intervention Status in Patients With Refractory Myasthenia Gravis Treated With Eculizumab During REGAIN and Its Open-Label Extension

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether eculizumab helps patients with anti-acetylcholine receptor-positive (AChR+) refractory generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) achieve the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA) post-intervention status of minimal manifestations (MM), we assessed patients' status throughout REGAIN (Safety and Efficacy of Eculizumab in AChR+ Refractory Generalized Myasthenia Gravis) and its open-label extension. METHODS: Patients who completed the REGAIN randomized controlled trial and continued into the open-label extension were included in this tertiary endpoint analysis. Patients were assessed for the MGFA post-intervention status of improved, unchanged, worse, MM, and pharmacologic remission at defined time points during REGAIN and through week 130 of the open-label study. RESULTS: A total of 117 patients completed REGAIN and continued into the open-label study (eculizumab/eculizumab: 56; placebo/eculizumab: 61). At week 26 of REGAIN, more eculizumab-treated patients than placebo-treated patients achieved a status of improved (60.7% vs 41.7%) or MM (25.0% vs 13.3%; common OR: 2.3; 95% CI: 1.1-4.5). After 130 weeks of eculizumab treatment, 88.0% of patients achieved improved status and 57.3% of patients achieved MM status. The safety profile of eculizumab was consistent with its known profile and no new safety signals were detected. CONCLUSION: Eculizumab led to rapid and sustained achievement of MM in patients with AChR+ refractory gMG. These findings support the use of eculizumab in this previously difficult-to-treat patient population. CLINICALTRIALSGOV IDENTIFIER: REGAIN, NCT01997229; REGAIN open-label extension, NCT02301624. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This study provides Class II evidence that, after 26 weeks of eculizumab treatment, 25.0% of adults with AChR+ refractory gMG achieved MM, compared with 13.3% who received placebo

THE GAME OF LIFE: COLLEGE SPORTS AND EDUCATIONAL VALUES, by Shulman, J.L. and Bowen, W.G. Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press, 2001, xxxvi+447 pp., $27.95 (cloth).

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Property Rights and Unilateral Player Transfers in a Multiconference Sports League

According to the invariance hypothesis, the allocation of players in sports leagues is the same, regardless of who owns their property rights. However, when a player moves to a new team, the absolute quality of the new team increases while the absolute quality of the former team decreases. This implies that intraconference teams will be willing to bid more for players than interconference teams. However, the asking price for player sales to intraconference teams will be higher than for interconference clubs. If clubs own player property rights, the intraconference effects are built into the ask/bid price. When players own property rights, however, the effect of the transfer on the former club’s revenue stream is ignored. This suggests that free agency should result in a higher percentage of intraconference player transfers than player sales. Player sale data from 1964-1975 and free agency data between 1976-1992 reveal evidence consistent with theory.

Arbitrator Compromise in Final Offer Arbitration: Evidence from Major League Baseball

This article presents evidence that the preferred awards of arbitrators in final-offer arbitration (FOA) compromise between the perspectives of the bargainers. Using Major League Baseball FOA offers between 1986--2002, this study finds strong evidence that final offers (which are strategically formulated around the preferred award) are a weighted average of the player's salary in the previous season and the average free agent salary. The findings are particularly interesting because FOA was created to eliminate arbitrator compromise. (JEL J520, L830) Copyright 2004, Oxford University Press.

Comparing Student Performance Using Cooperative Learning

The purpose of this paper is to investigate empirically student performance in principles of microeconomics classes taught via co-operative learning versus the traditional lecture. In a fall semester, I taught one cohort of micro principles students as a traditional lecture, while presenting the course content to the other cohort via co-operative learning. A major distinction between this study and previous empirical works is that co-operative learning did not serve as a supplement to the traditional lecture. Rather, co-operative learning exercises essentially replaced the traditional lecture. The evidence reveals that whereas performance on multiple choice exams was fairly comparable, students who were enrolled in the co-operative learning class were better able to apply theory on a project that required a higher level of economic reasoning than those who learned the course content through the lecture.