On the competitive effects of divisionalization

In this paper, we assume that firms can create independent divisions which compete in quantities in a homogeneous good market. Assuming identical firms and constant returns to scale, we prove that the strategic interaction of firms yields Perfect Competition if the number of firms is beyond some critical level. Assuming a fixed cost per firm and an upper bound on the maximum number of divisions, we show that when this upper bound tends to infinity and the fixed cost tends to zero, market equilibrium may yield either Perfect Competition or a Natural Oligopoly.Publicad

Second Best Trade Policies in Cournot Oligopoly

In this paper we study the optimal import policy in an oligopolistic market with a given number of quantity-setting firms. In the absence of fixed costs, we show that if the policy instrument is an import quota, the optimal policy is either free trade or autarky, while if the instrument is a tariff the optimal policy is neither free trade nor autarky. In the case of fixed costs, we show that contrary to the traditional protectionist argument, a restrictive import policy might increase domestic welfare by increasing domestic consumers’ surplus, instead of increasing domestic profits.Publicad

- DELEGATION AND ENDOGENOUS MERGERS IN OLIGOPOLY

In this paper we consider the interactions between the use of strategic delegation and mergers in the context of a Cournot oligopoly with linear demand and cost functions. It is assumed that, after the merging process is completed, the owner of every independent firm decides its managerial incentive for his manager. In the context of endogenous mergers through acquisitions, we show that the incentive to merge, under delegation, is considerably increased with respect to the setting without delegation. In fact, we prove that the level of welfare in the setting with delgation is, in some cases, lower than the corresponding under non delegation.Strategic delegation, endoqenous mergers, cournot oligopoly

Collection and Analysis of Architectural Features in Streetscapes in South Texas

Background: The built environment of neighborhoods influences the health and well-being of residents. One approach to studying the impact of such a built environment on people\u27s health is through the study of the memorability of the architectural features (AFs) in streetscapes. In this direction, we raise the question: what AFs are more memorable? Understanding how AFs impact cognition will allow us to propose neighborhood designs that consider this finding to foster people\u27s health and well-being. However, AFs in streetscapes are not universal they need to be studied in specific historical, cultural, and geographical contexts. In order to analyze the memorability of the AFs in streetscapes in South Texas, we propose to create The Collection of Architectural Features (CAFs), which will hold annotated images of the architecture of South Texas”. Methods: The CAFs database is created with images that use a general schema of a set of AFs that is refined as images are added. These images are sourced from a combination of personal photography, and various reliable architectural image databases. This method is known as a design per prototype. CAFs holds annotated images of streetscapes in general and from the South of Texas. Each image will be selected by an expert, and classified by the architectural feature present in the image. Each image is subject to a detailed annotation process of the AFs present in the image, such as contrast colors, ornaments, vernacular material, rhythm, and others. In addition, each image will have a memorability score calculated through ResMem free software (Needell & Bainbridge, 2022). This annotated information serves as metadata for each image in the database, creating a comprehensive and searchable catalog of architectural elements. Frequency analyses, clustering, and principal component analysis (PCA) will be performed to classify and understand the understand the architectural features with higher memorability score. Results: The CAF database is progressively growing with a diverse collection of annotated images from South Texas. The detailed annotations, which include elements such as contrast color, ornaments, vernacular material, rhythm, patterns, details, memorability index, symmetry, and others, provide a basis for comprehensive analyses. Conclusions: We expect that the CAFs database will constitute a robust resource for studying the impact of Afs on cognition. The CAFs database will not only serve as a valuable tool for academic research but also to provide a solid foundation for policymakers, urban planners, and community leaders

Design of a Test for Research on Architectural Features of Streetscape

Background: The architectural experience may impact people’s behavior, health, and well-being, engaging several neural networks. Sensory-motor networks mediate motor responses such as approach and avoidance and spatial navigation in response to stimuli. Limbic networks process feelings and emotions. Memory-related networks support personal experiences, education, and culture. The interaction between architecture and brain sciences is known as neuroarchitecture which promises to offer biologically inspired insights into the design of spaces. We are interested in the study of neuroarchitecture applied to the streetscapes of neighborhoods in South Texas. The primary purpose of this study is to design a cognitive test to assess what architectural features are more memorable. Methods: The primary aim of the proposed test is to assess the content of memories of architectural features of the neighborhood streetscapes. One approach is through visual and mental imagery. Visual mental imagery is used to reactivate long-term memory and manipulate the visual representation of the stimulus in the absence of the corresponding visual stimulus, giving rise to the experience of “seeing with the mind’s eyes.” Visual mental images are produced by interrogating the long-term memory (reactivating neural representations) about how visual objects look and maintaining them with the aid of working memory to inspect and manipulate them. The proposed test is based on an interview with questions that evoke visual mental imagery of the street, drawings, and verbal descriptions of the street. We hypothesize that the architectural features that are more memorable would be reflected in the drawings and verbal descriptions of the street. To account for the diversity of visual imagery abilities, we will apply the Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire (Marks, 1973). We will systematically compare the street image from Google Street View vs. the drawing and the verbal description from the same segment, and different scores systems will be explored to test reliability and accuracy. Results: It will be presented results in three conditions. We will first use the segments of the Canva Street View app to select the streets. In this condition, we will go to those street segments and apply the test (interview). In a second condition, we will choose an aleatory sample of people to interview and use the test in a lab environment. After the interview, we need to determine if the street where the participant lives is upgraded in the Google Street View app; if not, we need to go to that street to check the accuracy of the responses. As a third condition, we will choose an aleatory sample of streets to go there and do the interviews. We will also provide the scoring proposal with the analysis e interpretation of the results of each condition. Conclusions: We presented an experimental test to assess the more memorable architectural features. Such a test must be tested first in a pilot study to refine the test and the scoring proposal. After the pilot study, we propose conducting a field study to assess what South Texas architectural features are more memorable

Cómo formar la segunda naturaleza. Notas antropológicas acerca de la educación de los hábitos

Este trabajo intenta llamar la atención sobre un concepto algo descuidado en las reflexiones teóricas sobre la educación, a menudo excesivamente centradas en aspectos instrumentales de la enseñanza. Se trata de la noción de hábito. Si la educación tiene algo que ver con la ayuda al crecimiento de la persona, ha de comprenderse ante todo como la promoción de ciertos hábitos intelectuales y morales que hacen más plena nuestra vida. El artículo aborda sumariamente el concepto de persona, y después se ocupa del crecimiento personal a través del hábito. Los hábitos son una prolongación de nuestra naturaleza primaria, hacen más “habitable” nuestra existencia y nos suministran una autodisponibilidad que nos hace más libres