Learning and Communication in Sender-Receiver Games: An Econometric Investigation

Learning and communication play important roles in coordinating activities. Game theory and experiments have made a significant contribution to our understanding and appreciation for the issues surrounding learning and communication in coordination. However, the results of past experimental studies provide conflicting results about the performance of learning models. Moreover, the interaction between learning and communication has not been systematically investigated. Our long run objective is to overcome the conflicting results and to provide a better understanding of the interaction. To this end, we econometrically investigate a sender-receiver game environment where communication is necessary for coordination and learning is essential for communication.

On the Job Search and the Wage Distribution

Estimates of the structural parameters of a job separation model derived from the theory of on-the-job search are reported in this paper. Given that each employer pays the same wage to observably equivalent workers but wages are dispersed across employers, the theory implies that an employer's separation flow is the sum of an exogenous outflow unrelated to the wage paid and a job-to-job flow that decreases with the employer's wage. The specification estimated allows worker search effort to depend on the wage currently earned. The empirical results imply that search effort declines with the wage paid, as the theory predicts, using Danish IDA data for the years 1994-1995. Furthermore, the estimates for the full sample and four occupational sub-samples explain the employment effect, defined as the horizontal difference between the distribution of wages earned and the distribution of wages offered.

Newborn and Infant Hearing Screening Facing Globally Growing Numbers of People Suffering from Disabling Hearing Loss

Recent prevalence estimates indicate that in 2015 almost half a billion people—about 6.8% of the world’s population—had disabling hearing loss and that prevalence numbers will further increase. The World Health Organization (WHO) currently estimates that at least 34 million children under the age of 15 have disabling hearing loss. Based on a 2012 WHO report, approximately 7.5 million of these children were under the age of 5 years. This review article focuses on the importance of high-quality newborn and infant hearing screening (NIHS) programs as one strategy to ameliorate disabling hearing loss as a global health problem. Two WHO resolutions regarding the prevention of deafness and hearing loss have been adopted urging member states to implement screening programs for early identification of ear diseases and hearing loss in babies and young children. The effectiveness of these programs depends on factors such as governmental mandates and guidance; presence of a national committee with involvement of professionals, industries, and stakeholders; central oversight of hearing screening; clear definition of target parameters; presence of tracking systems with bi-directional data transfer from screening devices to screening centers; accessibility of pediatric audiological services and rehabilitation programs; using telemedicine where connectivity is available; and the opportunity for case discussions in professional excellence circles with boards of experts. There is a lack of such programs in middle- and low-income countries, but even in high-income countries there is potential for improvement. Facing the still growing burden of disabling hearing loss around the world, there is a need to invest in national, high-quality NIHS programs

Medium effect on photon production in ultrarelativistic nuclear collisions

The effect of in-medium vector and axial-vector meson masses on photon production is studied. We assume that the effective mass of a vector meson in hot nuclear matter decreases according to a universal scaling law, while that of an axial-vector meson is given by Weinberg's mass formula. We find that the thermal production rate of photons increases with reduced masses, and is enhanced by an order of magnitude at T=160 MeV with $m_\rho=300$ MeV. Assuming a hydrodynamic evolution, we estimate the effect of the reduced masses on photon production in nucleus-nucleus collisions. The result is compared to experimental data from the WA80/WA98 collaboration.Comment: 21 pages, REVTEX + 9 figures (ps file

The Promise of Prediction Markets

Prediction markets are markets for contracts that yield payments based on the outcome of an uncertain future event, such as a presidential election. Using these markets as forecasting tools could substantially improve decision making in the private and public sectors. We argue that U.S. regulators should lower barriers to the creation and design of prediction markets by creating a safe harbor for certain types of small stakes markets. We believe our proposed change has the potential to stimulate innovation in the design and use of prediction markets throughout the economy, and in the process to provide information that will benefit the private sector and government alike.Technology and Industry

Superposition rule and entanglement in diagonal and probability representations of density states

The quasidistributions corresponding to the diagonal representation of quantum states are discussed within the framework of operator-symbol construction. The tomographic-probability distribution describing the quantum state in the probability representation of quantum mechanics is reviewed. The connection of the diagonal and probability representations is discussed. The superposition rule is considered in terms of the density-operator symbols. The separability and entanglement properties of multipartite quantum systems are formulated as the properties of the density-operator symbols of the system states.Comment: Invited talk presented at the XV Central European Workshop on Quantum Optics (Belgrade, Serbia, 30 May -- 3 June 2008), to appear in Physica Scripta

Comparing endovenous laser ablation, foam sclerotherapy, and conventional surgery for great saphenous varicose veins

BackgroundMany case series have been published on treatments of varicose veins, but comparative randomized controlled trials remain sparse.ObjectiveTo compare the anatomic success rate, frequency of major complications, and quality-of-life improvement of endovenous laser ablation (EVLA), ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy (UGFS), and conventional surgery (CS), after 1-year follow-up.MethodsA total of 240 consecutive patients with primary symptomatic great saphenous vein reflux were randomized to EVLA, UGFS, or CS, consisting of high ligation and short stripping. Primary outcome was anatomic success defined as obliteration or absence of the treated vein on ultrasound examination after 1 year. Secondary outcomes were complications, improvement of the “C” class of the CEAP classification, and improvement of disease-specific (Chronic Venous Insufficiency Quality-of-Life Questionnaire) and general (EuroQol 5) quality-of-life scores.ResultsMore than 80% of the study population was classified as C2 or C3 venous disease. After 1 year, the anatomic success rate was highest after EVLA (88.5%), followed by CS (88.2%) and UGFS (72.2%) (P < .001). The complication rate was low and comparable between treatment groups. All groups showed significant (P < .001) improvement of EuroQol 5 and Chronic Venous Insufficiency Quality-of-Life Questionnaire scores after therapy; 84.3% of all treated patients showed an improvement of the “C” of the CEAP classification.ConclusionsAfter 1-year follow-up, EVLA is as effective as CS and superior to UGFS according to occlusion on ultrasound duplex. Quality of life improves after treatment in all groups significantly

On the hyperinvariant subspaces for isometries

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/46259/1/209_2005_Article_BF01110017.pd

Enhancing the early student experience

This paper is concerned with identifying how the early student experience can be enhanced in order to improve levels of student retention and achievement. The early student experience is the focus of this project as the literature has consistently declared the first year to be the most critical in shaping persistence decisions. Programme managers of courses with high and low retention rates have been interviewed to identify activities that appear to be associated with good retention rates. The results show that there are similarities in the way programmes with high retention are run, with these features not being prevalent on programmes with low retention. Recommendations of activities that appear likely to enhance the early student experience are provided