Commercial Incentives in Academia

This paper investigates the effects of monetary rewards from commercialisation on the pattern of research. We build a simple repeated model of a researcher capable to obtain innovative ideas. We analyse how academic and market incentives affect the allocation of the researcher’s time between research and development. We argue, however, that technology transfer objectives also affect the choice of research projects. Although commercialisation incentives reduce the time spent in research, they might also induce researchers to conduct research that is more basic in nature, contrary to what the “skewing problem” would presage. Monetary rewards induce a more intensive search for (ex-post) path-breaking innovations, which are more likely to be generated through (ex-ante) basic research programs. These results are shown to hold even if development delays publication

Financial incentives in academia: research versus development

This paper investigates the effects of monetary rewards on the pattern of research. We build a simple repeated model of a researcher capable to obtain innovative ideas. We analyse how the legal environment affects the allocation of researcher's time between research and development. Although technology transfer objectives reduce the time spent in research, they might also induce researchers to conduct research that is more basic in nature, contrary to what the "skewing problem" would presage. We also show that our results hold even if development delays publication.Financial support from Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología (SEJ2006-00538), Consolider-Ingenio 2010 (CSD 2006-00016), Generalitat (Barcelona Economics - xarxa CREA and 2005SGR00836) is gratefully acknowledged

Evidence for a single hydrogen molecule connected by an atomic chain

Stable, single-molecule conducting-bridge configurations are typically identified from peak structures in a conductance histogram. In previous work on Pt with H$_2$ at cryogenic temperatures it has been shown that a peak near 1 $G{_0}$ identifies a single molecule Pt-H$_{2}$-Pt bridge. The histogram shows an additional structure with lower conductance that has not been identified. Here, we show that it is likely due to a hydrogen decorated Pt chain in contact with the H$_2$ molecular bridge.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Smart capabilities of a laminated piezoelectric plate model

This paper focuses on the modelling and analysis of actuator and sensor effects for thin laminated plates, which are formed by stacking several layers of different piezoelectric materials. We first discuss features and properties of a two-dimensional asymptotic model for a piezoelectric anisotropic plate, whose unknowns are the Kirchhoff-Love displacement and the electric potential. We prove that the latter is a quadratic polynomial of the plate’s thickness. The polynomial’s coefficients depend on the tangential and transverse displacements of the plate’s middle plane and the material coefficients. The asymptotic laminated plate model is discretized using finite elements. To investigate its smart capabilities we use two discrete optimization problems: the first one, focusing on the actuator effect, aims at obtaining a maximum displacement of the plate’s middle plane; the second one that corresponds to the sensor effect intends to maximize the electric potential at a predefined thickness of the plate. The optimization variables are the thicknesses of the layers, their ordering as well as the location of the applied electric potential (for the actuator problem) or the location of the applied mechanical forces (for the sensor problem). Since we also want to minimize the number of these locations (besides maximizing the above objectives), we obtain a multi-objective optimization problem that we solve using genetic algorithms. Several numerical results are reported

Smart capabilities of a laminated piezoelectric plate model

This paper focuses on the modelling and analysis of actuator and sensor effects for thin laminated plates, which are formed by stacking several layers of different piezoelectric materials. We first discuss features and properties of a two-dimensional asymptotic model for a piezoelectric anisotropic plate, whose unknowns are the Kirchhoff-Love displacement and the electric potential. We prove that the latter is a quadratic polynomial of the plate’s thickness. The polynomial’s coefficients depend on the tangential and transverse displacements of the plate’s middle plane and the material coefficients. The asymptotic laminated plate model is discretized using finite elements. To investigate its smart capabilities we use two discrete optimization problems: the first one, focusing on the actuator effect, aims at obtaining a maximum displacement of the plate’s middle plane; the second one that corresponds to the sensor effect intends to maximize the electric potential at a predefined thickness of the plate. The optimization variables are the thicknesses of the layers, their ordering as well as the location of the applied electric potential (for the actuator problem) or the location of the applied mechanical forces (for the sensor problem). Since we also want to minimize the number of these locations (besides maximizing the above objectives), we obtain a multi-objective optimization problem that we solve using genetic algorithms. Several numerical results are reported

The Balanced Threat Agreement for Individual Externality Negotiation Problems

This paper introduces a model to analyze individual externalities and the associated negotiation problem, which has been largely neglected in the game theoretic literature. Following an axiomatic perspective, we propose a solution, as a payoff sharing scheme, called the balanced threat agreement, for such problems. It highlights an agent’s potential influences on all agents by threatening to enter or quit. We further study the solution by investigating its consistency. We also offer a discussion on the related stability issue

A Spin-Isospin Dependent 3N Scattering Formalism in a 3D Faddeev Scheme

We have introduced a spin-isospin dependent three-dimensional approach for formulation of the three-nucleon scattering. Faddeev equation is expressed in terms of vector Jacobi momenta and spin-isospin quantum numbers of each nucleon. Our formalism is based on connecting the transition amplitude $T$ to momentum-helicity representations of the two-body $t$-matrix and the deuteron wave function. Finally the expressions for nucleon-deuteron elastic scattering and full breakup process amplitudes are presented.Comment: 17 page

Resurrection and emendation of the Hypoxylaceae, recognised from a multigene phylogeny of the Xylariales

A multigene phylogeny was constructed, including a significant number of representative species of the main lineages in the Xylariaceae and four DNA loci the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS), the large subunit (LSU) of the nuclear rDNA, the second largest subunit of the RNA polymerase II (RPB2), and beta-tubulin (TUB2). Specimens were selected based on more than a decade of intensive morphological and chemotaxonomic work, and cautious taxon sampling was performed to cover the major lineages of the Xylariaceae; however, with emphasis on hypoxyloid species. The comprehensive phylogenetic analysis revealed a clear-cut segregation of the Xylariaceae into several major clades, which was well in accordance with previously established morphological and chemotaxonomic concepts. One of these clades contained Annulohypoxylon, Hypoxylon, Daldinia, and other related genera that have stromatal pigments and a nodulisporium-like anamorph. They are accommodated in the family Hypoxylaceae, which is resurrected and emended. Representatives of genera with a nodulisporium-like anamorph and bipartite stromata, lacking stromatal pigments (i.e. Biscogniauxia, Camillea, and Obolarina) appeared in a clade basal to the xylarioid taxa. As they clustered with Graphostroma platystomum, they are accommodated in the Graphostromataceae. The new genus Jackrogersella with J. multiformis as type species is segregated from Annulohypoxylon. The genus Pyrenopolyporus is resurrected for Hypoxylon polyporus and allied species. The genus Daldinia and its allies Entonaema, Rhopalostroma, Ruwenzoria, and Thamnomyces appeared in two separate subclades, which may warrant further splitting of Daldinia in the future, and even Hypoxylon was divided in several clades. However, more species of these genera need to be studied before a conclusive taxonomic rearrangement can be envisaged. Epitypes were designated for several important species in which living cultures and molecular data are available, in order to stabilise the taxonomy of the Xylariales.Fil: Wendt, Lucile. Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung GmbH. Department of Microbial Drugs; Alemania. German Centre for Infection Research; AlemaniaFil: Sir, Esteban Benjamin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucuman. Unidad Ejecutora Lillo. Fundación Miguel Lillo. Unidad Ejecutora Lillo; ArgentinaFil: Kuhnert, Eric. Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung GmbH. Department of Microbial Drugs; Alemania. German Centre for Infection Research; AlemaniaFil: Heitkämper, Simone. Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung GmbH. Department of Microbial Drugs; Alemania. German Centre for Infection Research; AlemaniaFil: Lambert, Christopher. Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung GmbH. Department of Microbial Drugs; Alemania. German Centre for Infection Research; AlemaniaFil: Hladki, Adriana I.. Fundación Miguel Lillo. Dirección de Botánica. Instituto de Micologia; ArgentinaFil: Romero, Andrea Irene. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Micología y Botánica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Micología y Botánica; ArgentinaFil: Luangsa-Ard, Janet Jennifer. National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology; TailandiaFil: Srikitikulchai, Prasert. National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology; TailandiaFil: Peršoh, Derek. Ruhr-Universität Bochum; AlemaniaFil: Stadler, Marc. Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung GmbH. Department of Microbial Drugs; Alemania. German Centre for Infection Research; Alemani

Effect of bonding of a CO molecule on the conductance of atomic metal wires

We have measured the effect of bonding of a CO molecule on the conductance of Au, Cu, Pt, and Ni atomic contacts at 4.2 K. When CO gas is admitted to the metal nano contacts, a conductance feature appears in the conductance histogram near 0.5 of the quantum unit of conductance, for all metals. For Au, the intensity of this fractional conductance feature can be tuned with the bias voltage, and it disappears at high bias voltage (above $\sim$ 200 mV). The bonding of CO to Au appears to be weakest, and associated with monotomic Au wire formation.Comment: 6 figure