Economic Aspects of the Microsoft Case: Networks, Interoperability and Competition

In this paper, we discuss the main economic aspects of the European Microsoft case; in particular, Microsoft’s refusal to supply the necessary information to make the competitors’ work group server systems interoperable with Windows Operating System. The case can be seen as an example of competition between networks. We review the relevant economics literature with the objective of understanding the motivations behind Microsoft’s strategies.Networks; Complementarities; Foreclosure; Interoperability; Antitrust

Improvements in Pain, Well-being, Arterial Pressure, and Lower Limb Volume Following Andullation Therapy in Healthy and Unhealthy Humans

Our aim was to test the effects of Andullation therapy on pain threshold, pain perception, feeling of well-being, arterial pressure, and leg volume in healthy and unhealthy patients. We used a multidirectional vibration (frequency range: 5–40 Hz; peak-to-peak amplitude: 2–8 mm; acceleration: 0.4–2 m/s 2 ) in an undulatory way through the surface of the body when the patient was in contact with a mattress (“andullation”). The vibes traveled from the heel to the head in a random fashion while the participants (N = 50) were lying on the mattress. We measured the pain threshold using an algometer; pain perception and well-being through a visual analog scale (VAS); arterial pressure with an electronic sphygmomanometer; and leg volume with Kuhnke’s technique. Measurements were made just before the first andullation session and after the fifth andullation session. Every participant received andullation sessions of 30 min a day for 5 consecutive days. The patients’ pain threshold significantly (P <.001) increased by 34.48% and 25.79% in the lumbar and trapezius zones, respectively, after 5 sessions of therapy. The subjective perception of pain decreased by 52.3% and the feeling of well-being increased by 45.1%. The systolic and diastolic pressures significantly (P <.001) decreased by 6.44 and 4.68 mm Hg on average, respectively. Leg volume significantly decreased (P <.01) by 64.39 mL after the fifth andullation session. Despite not including a control group in our study, the andullation intervention showed an improvement in pain, well-being, arterial pressure, and lower limb volume in the studied population.Fundación para la Investigación de la Universidad de Sevilla FIUSHome Health Products HH

Technological choice under environmentalists’ participation in Emissions Trading Systems

We model competition in an emissions trading system (ETS) as a game between two firms and environmental group. In a previous stage, firms endogenously choose their manufacturing technologies. Our results show that there is an inverted U-shape relationship between how polluting the chosen technology is and the degree of the environmentalists' impure altruism. Firms choose a less polluting technology in the presence of the environmentalists than in their absence only if they are characterised by intermediate degrees of impure altruism.ETS; Technology Choice; Induced Technological Change; Impure Altruism

Emission Taxes and the Adoption of Cleaner Technologies: The Case of Environmentally Conscious Consumers

We model a market with environmentally conscious consumers and a duopoly in which firms consider the adoption of a clean technology. We show that as pollution increases, consumers shift more resources to the environmental activities, thereby affecting negatively the demand faced by the duopoly. This effect generates incentives for firms to adopt the clean technology even in the absence of emissions taxes. When such taxes are considered, our results indicate that the benefit of adopting the clean technology is initially increasing and then decreasing in the emission tax. The range of values for which the emission tax increases this benefit becomes narrower when the consumers’ environmental awareness is stronger.Environmentally Conscious Consumers; Technology Choice; Environmental Taxation

Tests for the consistency of three-level nested logit models with utility maximization.

This paper provides necessary conditions for testing the local consistency of three-level nested logit models with random utility maximization. We find that for a model with two sub-nests per nest the conditions can lead to a substantial increase in the range of acceptable dissimilarity parameters, irrespective of the number of alternatives per sub-nest.Nested logit, Discrete choice, Random utility maximization

Entry and Exit in a Liberalised Market

We analyse the entry and exit activity in the UK airline markets in the post-liberalisation period and study the differential traits between traditional and low cost carriers. Alongside with the characteristics traditionally highlighted as determinants of entry (e.g., airport presence and network economies), we find that the existence of charter or seasonal operators, product differentiation opportunities and the level of quality provided by the incumbents are also relevant in explaining entry and/or exit. Despite the liberalisation policies, the contestability of important large markets still seems to be limited.

Producción y uso de vídeo-ejercicios didácticos en asignaturas de programación

Este artículo describe los resultados de la producción e incorporación de vídeo-ejercicios didácticos en las asignaturas Introducción a la Informática y a la Programación (IIP), Programación (PRG) y Estructuras de Datos y Algoritmos (EDA) en el Grado en Informática de la Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV). Estos vídeos describen el proceso de resolución de un ejercicio bien con ayuda de una tableta digitalizadora o bien mediante un entorno de programación. Se difunden los vídeos usando la plataforma de distribución de contenidos online Politube. Para obtener retroalimentación, se disponen de encuestas de satisfacción para que los alumnos valoren y sugieran mejoras en los vídeo-ejercicios.SUMMARY -- This paper describes the main results of creating and integrating video-exercises in the subjects Introduction to Computer Science and Programming (IIP), Programming (PRG) and Data Structures and Algorithms (EDA) in the Degree of Computer Science at the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV). These videos describe the resolution process of an exercise with the help of a digital tablet or by means of an Integrated Development Environment. The videos are broadcasted using the Politube online content distribution platform. To obtain feedback, online satisfaction surveys are provided to students so that they can rank the videos and suggest improvements.Peer Reviewe

El encuentro con la realidad y experiencias documentales contemporáneas: búsquedas conscientes y hallazgos inesperados.

Objetivos: El documental es una exploración, ya sea en mi barrio, en un tanatorio, en un psiquiátrico o en un desierto desconocido; soy un extraño que muchas veces me obsesionaré por dejar de tener el control de las cosas, esperando que se rebelen contra mí, y en otras ocasiones las provocaré para que sucedan. Esta reflexión viene tras la lectura de una entrevista con el cineasta portugués Miguel Gomes en la que hablaba de su fijación por poseer el dominio total hasta que comenzara el rodaje, para una vez iniciado empeñarse en dejar de tenerlo. Lo mismo pensaba Robert J. Flaherty -así lo cuenta el director de fotografía de Lousiana Story (1948) Richard Leacock- cuando cambió el plan de una mañana para poder filmar con luz perfecta una tela de araña bañada en gotas de rocío. Por tanto, cuando preparo una película, si sé lo que me voy a encontrar, ya no me va a interesar hacerla. Este cliché de cineasta aventurero, que repito como un mantra y que tiene algo de ignorancia pendenciera de lo que es ganarse la vida con el cine, plantea un problema a la hora de hacer películas documentales, son difícilmente vendibles como proyectos y además provocan inseguridad a un hipotético productor e incluso a mí mismo. La solución la encuentro en la mentira; en engañarme tanto a mí como a los demás, planteando planes de rodaje calculados, fáciles de armar para un obsesivo como yo, que se convertirán en puntos de partida para ayudarme a escapar hacia lo que más temo: la soledad, el descontrol y la imposibilidad de empatizar con el otro. A todas estas circunstancias, que afectan la vida de uno y que suelo evitar, tendré que hacer frente en los rodajes. Contenido: Análisis del proceso creativo práctico a partir de la experiencia personal del profesor en la dirección del largometraje documental “Dime quién era Sanchicorrota” (2013).Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech