R&D dynamics with asymmetric efficiency

We consider an R&D investment function in a Cournot duopoly competition model inspired in the logistic equation. We study the economical effects resulting from the firms having different R&D efficiencies. We present three cases: (1) both firms are efficient and have the same degree of efficiency; (2) both firms are less efficient and have the same degree of efficiency; (3) firms are asymmetric in terms of the efficiency of their R&D investment programs. We study the myopic dynamics on the production costs obtained from investing the Nash investment equilibria.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The National School Feeding Program as a promoter of Food and Nutrition Education actions in Brazilian schools

The National School Feeding Program - NSFP is the public health policy that guarantees the minimum supply of healthy food and offers space for the construction of healthy eating habits in Brazilian schools. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the presence of Food and Nutrition Education (FNE) actions within the framework of the NSFP to verify its adequacy toward the program's legislation and to investigate which parameters are predictors of running school gardens. This was a cross-sectional observational study using secondary data obtained from the database of the Efficient School Lunch Management Award for the year 2010, with a sample of 749 municipalities in Brazil. A binary logistic regression was performed, considering the running of school gardens as a dependent variable, and the FNE indicators and the demographic variables as independent. The model containing the presence of FNE in the school curriculum was significant (p<0.001). The presence of FNE in school curricula OR=2.406;95%CI=[1.725, 3.357] was the most significant predictor of running school gardens, followed by the use of food from family farms OR=2.049;95%CI=[1.477, 2.842] and the carrying out of culinary workshops OR=2.032;95%CI=[1.442; 2.863], considering p<0.05. The presence of FNE in the school curriculum was positively associated with growing vegetable gardens, showing that complex actions that require more resources can be stimulated from simpler measures, and the NSFP as a public health policy is an important tool to promote actions throughout the national territory

The power of voting and corruption cycles

We introduce an evolutionary dynamical model for corruption in a democratic state describing the interactions between citizens, government and officials, where the voting power of the citizens is the main mechanism to control corruption. Three main scenarios for the evolution of corruption emerge depending on the efficiency of the institutions and the social, political, and economic characteristics of the State. Efficient institutions can create a corruption intolerant self-reinforcing mechanism. The lack of political choices, weaknesses of institutions and vote buying can create a self-reinforcing mechanism of corruption. The ambition of the rulers can induce high levels of corruption that can be fought by the voting power of the citizens creating corruption cycles