An Analysis of the Selection of Arbitrators

This paper analyses data on union and employer rankings of different panels of arbitrators in an actual arbitration system. A random utility model of bargainer preferences is developed and estimated. The estimates indicate that unions and employers have similar preferences, in favor of lawyers, more experienced arbitrators, and arbitrators who seem to have previously favored their side. Alternative rankings models, which are estimated to test whether bargainers rank arbitrators strategically, reveal no evidence of strategic behavior.

Negotiator Behavior Under Arbitration

The emerging empirical literature on the economics of arbitration has focused primarily on the behavior of arbitrators under alternative forms of arbitration. This article suggests that it is natural for empirical economists to now expand their focus to include issues related to the behavior of negotiators. In this connection, three key aspects of negotiator behavior are discussed: (1) the decision to settle a dispute voluntarily or to proceed to arbitration; (2) the strategy for selecting an arbitrator; and (3) the final bargaining position to advance before an arbitrator.

The Resolved Outer Population of NGC6822 with WFPC2

We present F336W (U), F439W (B), F555W (V), and F675W (R) Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) photometry of two outer regions of the Local Group dwarf irregular galaxy NGC6822. The NE region is ~13 arcmin from the galaxy centre, while the W region lies 10 arcmin out, and within the wispy low surface brightness outer regions of the galaxy. The fields are not crowded and contain few NGC 6822 stars. We discuss errors and uncertainties and find that the W region contains a main sequence that extends to stars of about 2 solar masses, with an age of about 200 Myr. The NE region has no main sequence or stars younger than 1 Gyr, but does contain some luminous red stars that are not matched in the W field. These stars are not clumped in the field. The results suggest that the W region may be a trace of a tidal event that triggered the current star-formation in this isolated galaxy.Comment: 12 pages including 2 tables, plus 4 figures (#1 omitted) To appear in PAS

Chemokines in depression in health and in inflammatory illness: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Inflammatory illness is associated with depression. Preclinical work has shown that chemokines are linked with peripheral–central crosstalk and may be important in mediating depressive behaviours. We sought to establish what evidence exists that differences in blood or cerebrospinal fluid chemokine concentration discriminate between individuals with depression and those without. Following PRISMA guidelines, we systematically searched Embase, PsycINFO and Medline databases. We included participants with physical illness for subgroup analysis, and excluded participants with comorbid psychiatric diagnoses. Seventy-three studies met the inclusion criteria for the meta-analysis. Individuals with depression had higher levels of blood CXCL4 and CXCL7 and lower levels of blood CCL4. Sensitivity analysis of studies with only physically healthy participants identified higher blood levels of CCL2, CCL3, CCL11, CXCL7 and CXCL8 and lower blood levels of CCL4. All other chemokines examined did not reveal significant differences (blood CCL5, CCL7, CXCL9, CXCL10 and cerebrospinal fluid CXCL8 and CXCL10). Analysis of the clinical utility of the effect size of plasma CXCL8 in healthy individuals found a negative predictive value 93.5%, given the population prevalence of depression of 10%. Overall, our meta-analysis finds evidence linking abnormalities of blood chemokines with depression in humans. Furthermore, we have demonstrated the possibility of classifying individuals with depression based on their inflammatory biomarker profile. Future research should explore putative mechanisms underlying this association, attempt to replicate existing findings in larger populations and aim to develop new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies

Predicting human decisions with behavioral theories and machine learning

Behavioral decision theories aim to explain human behavior. Can they help predict it? An open tournament for prediction of human choices in fundamental economic decision tasks is presented. The results suggest that integration of certain behavioral theories as features in machine learning systems provides the best predictions. Surprisingly, the most useful theories for prediction build on basic properties of human and animal learning and are very different from mainstream decision theories that focus on deviations from rational choice. Moreover, we find that theoretical features should be based not only on qualitative behavioral insights (e.g. loss aversion), but also on quantitative behavioral foresights generated by functional descriptive models (e.g. Prospect Theory). Our analysis prescribes a recipe for derivation of explainable, useful predictions of human decisions

My care manager, my computer therapy and me: the relationship triangle in computerized cognitive behavioural therapy

Previous research has reported mixed findings regarding the relationship between therapeutic alliance, engagement and outcomes in e-mental health. This study aims to overcome some of the methodological limitations of previous research and extend our understanding of alliance-outcome relationships in e-mental health by exploring the nature of the relationship triangle between the patient, their care manager and their computerized cognitive behavioural therapy (CCBT) program, accessed with or without an Internet Support Group (ISG). Positive patient-rated alliance with both their care manager and the CCBT program itself was found and these were significantly associated with measures of engagement and clinical outcome. The magnitude of this association was moderate, and within the range of that reported for traditional face-to-face psychotherapies in recent meta-analyses. Limitations of the study, including the reliance on completer data and a cross-sectional design, and directions for future research are presented. Our findings suggest that both the training and supervision of support staff and the optimization of CCBT interventions themselves to enhance alliance and experience may lead to improved engagement and outcomes

Electron wavepacket propagation and entanglement in a chain of coupled quantum dots

We study the coherent dynamics of one- and two-electron transport in a linear array of tunnel-coupled quantum dots. We find that this system exhibits a rich variety of coherent phenomena, ranging from electron wavepacket propagation and interference to two-particle bonding and entanglement. Our studies, apart from their relevance to the exploration of quantum dynamics and transport in periodic structures, are also aimed at possible applications in future quantum computation schemes.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figure

Stakeholder perspectives on ecosystem-based management of the Antarctic krill fishery

Information about stakeholder aspirations is a fundamental requirement for ecosystem-based management, but the detail is often elusive, and debates may focus on simplistic opposing positions. This is exemplified by the Antarctic krill fishery, which, despite a current operational catch limit equivalent to just 1% of the estimated biomass and actual annual catches much lower than this, is the subject of a high-profile debate framed around ambiguous concepts such as sustainability. Q methodology was applied to explore the detailed views of representatives of three stakeholder sectors (the fishing industry, conservation-focused non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and scientists from seven countries involved in research on the krill-based ecosystem). The analysis distinguished two clear groupings, one of which included the views of all NGO participants while the other included the views of fishing industry participants and a subset of the scientists. Key differences between the groups included the priority given to different management measures, and to continued commercial fishing. However, the results also revealed considerable overlap between viewpoints. Both groups prioritised the maintenance of ecosystem health and recognised the importance of defining management objectives. Also, neither group prioritised a decrease in catch limits. This suggests that most participants in the study agree that management should improve but do not perceive a major problem in the ecosystem's ability to support current catch levels. Cooperation to identify shared management objectives based on stakeholder aspirations for the ecosystem might enhance progress, whereas polarised discussions about preferred management measures or ambiguous concepts are likely to impede progress

Telephone conversation impairs sustained visual attention via a central bottleneck

Recent research has shown that holding telephone conversations disrupts one's driving ability. We asked whether this effect could be attributed to a visual attention impairment. In Experiment 1, participants conversed on a telephone or listened to a narrative while engaged in multiple object tracking (MOT), a task requiring sustained visual attention. We found that MOT was disrupted in the telephone conversation condition, relative to single-task MOT performance, but that listening to a narrative had no effect. In Experiment 2, we asked which component of conversation might be interfering with MOT performance. We replicated the conversation and single-task conditions of Experiment 1 and added two conditions in which participants heard a sequence of words over a telephone. In the shadowing condition, participants simply repeated each word in the sequence. In the generation condition, participants were asked to generate a new word based on each word in the sequence. Word generation interfered with MOT performance, but shadowing did not. The data indicate that telephone conversation disrupts attention at a central stage, the act of generating verbal stimuli, rather than at a peripheral stage, such as listening or speaking

Multiple-spin coherence transfer in linear Ising spin chains and beyond: numerically-optimized pulses and experiments

We study multiple-spin coherence transfers in linear Ising spin chains with nearest neighbor couplings. These constitute a model for efficient information transfers in future quantum computing devices and for many multi-dimensional experiments for the assignment of complex spectra in nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. We complement prior analytic techniques for multiple-spin coherence transfers with a systematic numerical study where we obtain strong evidence that a certain analytically-motivated family of restricted controls is sufficient for time-optimality. In the case of a linear three-spin system, additional evidence suggests that prior analytic pulse sequences using this family of restricted controls are time-optimal even for arbitrary local controls. In addition, we compare the pulse sequences for linear Ising spin chains to pulse sequences for more realistic spin systems with additional long-range couplings between non-adjacent spins. We experimentally implement the derived pulse sequences in three and four spin systems and demonstrate that they are applicable in realistic settings under relaxation and experimental imperfections-in particular-by deriving broadband pulse sequences which are robust with respect to frequency offsets.Comment: 11 page