Mass versus Direct Advertising and Product Quality

This paper analyzes how the use of mass vs. direct advertising can affect the pattern of price and quality competition in a market where two firms compete with vertically differentiated products. We show that, compared to the case where sellers employ only mass advertising, the use of database advertising based on historical sales records improves the competitive position of the low-quality firm, which achieves a larger market share and can obtain higher profits. As a result, the high-quality firm lowers the supply of quality, which decreases the degree of product differentiation in the market and triggers strong price competition, thus decreasing its profits and increasing consumer surplus. Finally, we show that, although database advertising is more cost-efficient than mass advertising, the market distortion in the provision of quality implies that the use of direct advertising can yield a welfare loss

Direct advertising and opt-in provisions: Policy and market implications

This paper formulates a game of pricing and informative advertising with horizontally-differentiated products in which two firms, first, compete with mass advertising and, later, build a database using their historical sales records and compete by targeting the ads to their potential customers. We study market interaction under two types of direct advertising: opt-in advertising, where firms ask consumers for their consent to send them ads with information about new products, and direct advertising without permission, where sellers use consumer contact information without their explicit consent. We show that, compared to the case where firms only use mass media, the use of direct ads (with or without permission) results in an intertemporal reallocation of market power from the first to the second period and that, compared to opt-in advertising, direct advertising without permission results in lower or equal prices. We also evaluate the impact of a regulatory policy aimed at protecting consumer privacy by banning the use of direct advertising without permission in favor of opt-in advertising. We find that this policy lowers social welfare and, if the degree of product differentiation is sufficiently high (vs. low), it does not affect (vs. lowers) firm profits and lowers (vs. increases) consumer surplus

Exploring the association of Fermi sources with Young Stellar Objects

Massive protostars have associated bipolar outflows which can produce strong shocks when interact with the surrounding medium. Some theoretical models predict that particle acceleration at relativistic velocities can occur leading to gamma ray emission. In order to identify young stellar objects (YSO) that might emit gamma rays, we have crossed the Fermi First Year Catalog with catalogs of known YSOs, obtaining a set of candidates by spatial correlation. We have conducted Montecarlo simulations to find the probability of chance coincidence. Our results indicate that ∼70% of the candidates should be gamma-ray sources with a confidence of ∼5ρ. σ International Astronomical Union 2011.Instituto Argentino de Radioastronomí

Regulación/desregulación laboral: Una reflexión teórica

En este artículo se presenta un análisis de las capacidades de la empresa neoclásica para generar empleo y bienestar social. Planteamos que la regulación laboral puede mejorar la eficiencia del mercado de trabajo en la creación de empleo, la innovación, la productividad o la cohesión social, lo cual la empresa, por sí sola, no puede asumir. Se trata de que la regulación, las instituciones laborales, reparen algunos fallos de los mercados perfectos en esos cometidos. Se resalta la importancia de la estructura productiva y el marco institucional para establecer el modelo de regulación óptimo, lo que cuestiona la aplicación de políticas similares para realidades nacionales distintas. In this paper we analyze the capabilities of the neo-classical enterprise to generate employment and social welfare. We point out their limitations and propose that labor regulation can improve labor market efficiency in areas such as job creation, innovation, productivity or social cohesion. We believe that a single company alone cannot assume these goals. So, labor standards could repair some failures of perfect markets in those roles. We explain how such regulation should be, and we highlight the importance of the productive structure and the institutional framework in order to establish the optimal regulation model which questions the implementation of similar policies for different national realities

Compression of the Left Innominated Vein between the Brachiocephalic Trunk and Left Carotid Artery

AbstractWe present a case of a 25-year-old male who looked for medical attention for symptoms like dysesthesias in his left arm. Physical examination revealed severe dilations of the superficial veins in his left forearm and arm.An ultrasound showed no signs of thrombosis. Dynamic phlebography ruled out the presence of extrinsic compression of the left innominated vein. The angioMRI confirmed that the innominated vein was compressed between the braquiocephalic trunk and left carotid.Therefore, we describe a previously unreported congenital anomaly of the left brachiocephalic vein where the fundamental symptom is the compression of the left innominated trunk

Experimental validation of a rans-vof numerical model of the wave generation and propagation in a 2d wave flume

This paper focus on the study of free surface variation in a Numerical Wave Flume (NWF) due to a paddle movement. The NWF is the numerical representation of a 12.5 meters long Experimental Wave Flume (EWF) of the laboratory of the University of the Basque Country. The experiments and the numerical simulations are performed in several depths (0.3, 0.4 and 0.5 meters). Besides different velocities for the paddle movement are induced between 0.064 and 0.1 m/s. The numerical simulations are based on an Eulerian Multiphase of two fluids, air and water, more concretely the Volume of Fluid model. The surface variation in two points (6.0 and 6.3 meters from the wave flume start) is studied in both numerical and experimental wave flumes and compared its variation through the experiment time. Besides, the experiments will be analyzed in the wave maker theory. The results show the models quality in the first moments of the experiments, where the reflection does not appear, in which the results from both experimental and numerical simulations are pretty similar

La virginidad cristiana en Cipriano de Cartago

Este trabajo aborda la cuestión de la virginidad cristiana en los escritos de Cipriano de Cartago. Se estudia la única obra dedicada por el autor a las vírgenes cristianas –el tratado De habitu virginum– y se valoran las menciones a la virginidad que hace Ci- priano en el resto de sus obras, tratando de concretar el concepto de virginidad que tenía el santo obispo. Todo ello en relación con Tertuliano, su principal fuente de inspiración. Del mismo modo, se hace referencia a la realidad de las vírgenes como grupo cons- tituido y eminente dentro de la comunidad cristiana de Cartago en el siglo III, así como a su relación con la jerarquía eclesiástica. A lo largo del trabajo se aprecia una teología esencialmente común a Tertuliano y a Cipriano, pero al mismo tiempo se observan matices diferenciales entre ambos autores. En concreto, creemos encontrar un ejemplo de dependencia y superación de discípulo a maestro y, lo que es más significativo, un proceso de cristianización del papel de la mujer y de la condición femenina. En este sentido, se puede decir que Cipriano avanza con decisión por el camino abierto por su maestro Tertuliano a la hora de abordar la virginidad cristiana. Con el De habitu virginum, principalmente, y con las diversas referencias al estado virginal que aparecen en el resto de su producción, Cipriano desarrolla por primera vez en la literatura cristiana de lengua latina elementos de una disciplina aplicable a las vírgenes, así como elementos para una teología de la virginidad.This dissertation examines Cyprian of Carthage’s writings on Christian virginity. We study his writing on Christian virgins –the treatise De habitu virginum– and also consider Cyprian’s references to virginity in all his other works in order to specify the holy Bishop’s concept of virginity. Discussing the influence of Tertullian, Cyprian’s main source of inspiration, and making reference to the reality of the virgins as an established and prominent group within the Carthaginian Christian community in the third century, as well as their relationship with the church hierarchy. In this work, one can appreciate a common theology to both Tertullian and Cyprian, but distinguishing nuances are also observed. Specifically, we find an example of dependence and master exceedance, and more significantly, a process of Christianization of the role of women. In this sense, one can say that Cyprian is leading his master Tertullian when addressing Christian virginity. With his treatise De habitu virginum, and his references to the virgin state in all his writings, Cyprian develops for the first time in the Latin language Christian literature elements particularly applicable to virgins, and elements for a theology of virginity