Cooperative R&D under Uncertainty with Free Entry

In the last few decades, the effects of cooperative R&D arrangements on innovation and welfare have played an important role in policy making. The goal of this paper is to analyze the effects of cooperative R&D arrangements in a model with a stochastic R&D process and output spillovers. Our main innovation is to allow for free entry in both the R&D race and the product market. To determine the desirability of cooperation in R&D environments, we compare three different ways of organizing R&D activities: R&D competition, R&D cartels, and RJV cartels. In contrast with the literature, we assume that cooperative R&D arrangements do not have to include all of the firms in the industry. We show that sharing of research outcomes is a necessary condition for the profitability of cooperative R&D arrangements with free entry. The profitability of RJV cartels depends on their size. The impact of cooperative R&D arrangements on the aggregate level of innovation depends on whether there are participants in the R&D race who are a part of the cooperative R&D arrangement. If some outsiders choose to participate in the R&D race, the aggregate rate of innovation remains unaffected by the formation of a cooperative R&D arrangement. Otherwise, it increases. R&D cartels may be welfare-improving in cases when they cause the aggregate rate of innovation to increase. In such cases, it may be desirable to subsidize them. Since sharing of R&D outcomes affects the equilibrium number of firms in the product market after the R&D race, the consumer welfare effects of RJV cartels are sensitive to the specification of consumer preferences. Subsidies may be desirable in cases of larger RJVs since they are the ones which are less likely to be profitable.Cooperative R&D; Research joint ventures; Free entry; Uncertain R&D; Technology spillovers.

Horizontal Mergers with Free Entry in Differentiated Oligopolies

Antitrust authorities view the possibility of entry as a key determinant of whether a proposed merger will be harmful to society. This paper examines the effects of horizontal mergers in models of non-localized, differentiated Bertrand oligopoly that allow for free entry. The analysis of the long run effects of mergers in differentiated products markets raises issues that are significantly different from those in the short run or in homogeneous products markets due to the introduction of new varieties. Our analysis reveals that determining the properties of consumer preferences is crucial to the antitrust analysis of mergers in differentiated products markets. Specifically, we show that if the demand system satisfies the Independence from Irrelevant Alternatives (IIA) property and if the number of firms is treated as a continuous variable, mergers in differentiated products markets have no long run effect on consumer welfare. Moreover, in this case, marginal cost savings are to a large extent irrelevant to the consumer welfare effects of mergers. If the number of firms is treated as a discrete variable, fixed or marginal cost savings are a necessary condition for mergers to have zero or positive effect on consumer welfare. Using the example of linear demand, we show that if the demand system does not satisfy the IIA property, mergers in differentiated products markets can harm consumer welfare in long run equilibrium. Moreover, the amount of harm increases with consumers’ taste for variety.Horizontal mergers; free entry; product differentiation; independence from irrelevant alternatives; antitrust policy

Native and non-native processing of morphologically complex words in Italian

The present work focuses on the organization of the mental lexicon in native and non-native speakers and aims at investigating whether words are connected in the mind in terms of morphological criteria, i.e., through a network of associations establishing when a co-occurrence of form and meaning is found. Psycholinguistic research on native lexical access has demonstrated that morphology indeed underlies the organization of the mental lexicon, even though controversies about the locus of this level of organization remain. On the other hand, research in the field of second language acquisition has only recently turned to investigate such issues and its findings so far have been controversial. Specifically, the debate centers on whether native and non-native speakers share the same processing systems. According to recent proposals (Heyer & Clahsen 2015), this would not be the case and L2 processing would be more affected by formal rather than morphological criteria. In this light, the present work is aimed at verifying the impact of formal characteristics in native and non-native lexical access focusing on the processing of formally transparent versus non-transparent words in Italian. Two morphological phenomena are investigated by means of four psycholinguistic experiments involving a lexical decision task combined with the masked priming paradigm. Experiments 1 & 2 compare the processing of allomorphic vs non-allomorphic derivatives, to investigate whether formal alterations impair the appreciation of the relationship between two morphologically related words. Experiments 3 & 4 are focused on lack of base autonomy found in so-called bound stems, i.e., stems which cannot occur in isolation and are aimed at determining whether the processing of free and bound stems differs. The results of Experiments 1 and 2 indicate that allomorphic variation does not influence the associations established among related words in native speakers, in line with the predictions that can be formulated within usage-based perspectives on language. Non-native speakers, on the other hand, seem to be more pervasively affected by the phonological/orthographical properties of words, but not to the point that transparent morphological relations can be reduced to mere form overlap shared by morphological relatives. Likewise, stem autonomy was not found to affect the way words containing bound and free stems are processed by native speakers, at least under certain conditions, suggesting that boundedness is not an issue influencing the establishment of morphological relationships among words. Non-native speakers, however, were found to be sensitive to the isolability of the stem, in a way that suggests that free bases may be more salient morphological units for them, as opposed to bound stems, which are seemingly more closely associated with orthographic strings resembling each other. Taken together, the findings of the present work suggest a model of the native mental lexicon based on words and morphological schemas emerging from the relationships establishing among them, despite phonological variations and stem boundedness. While it is unclear whether such a system of connections and schemas is equally strong in the non-native lexicon, morphological relationships still appear to drive lexical organization. Crucially, however, such organization is modulated by form, as demonstrated by the effects of phonological variations and lack of base autonomy

Catholic public reason: John Rawls and catholic social teaching: from Vatican II to Pope Francis

The aim of this dissertation is to demonstrate the ways in which the Roman Catholic vision concerning ‘public reason’ presents some pertinent perspectives in contemporary political theory and debate. As part of this overarching objective, the dissertation presents an in-depth theoretical discussion and analysis of Rawls’ political theory on Public Reason, particularly in the context of contemporary political problems within Western societies regarding the issue of religion in the public sphere. In this broad context, the relationship between religion and politics will serve as a central focus of this dissertation, particularly in terms of civil society and the public sphere. The dissertation then establishes linkages between these theoretical concepts and Catholic Social Teaching, underpinned by the aim of proposing a substantial interpretation of Catholicism as a ‘reasonable comprehensive doctrine’. The purpose is to offer a delineation of the essential elements of Catholic Social Teaching that are relevant for the issue of the public participation of the church in the public-political square. This is done with the view to address questions of how the Church can theoretically and practically participate in this sphere, offering publicly-acceptable ‘justifying reasons’: namely a ‘Catholic Public Reason’. The dissertation will explicitly confirm the possibility of religious support for Rawlsian liberalism and demonstrate that Catholicism is not necessarily incompatible with it. Nevertheless, the dissertation will conclude by arguing that Catholicism generally is not compatible with liberalism from an ideological perspective, evidenced by ideological tensions. Thus, although it is suggested that some dialectical tensions remain, political liberalism, at least in its Rawlsian form, is neither hostile or unfriendly to the presence of religion in the public sphere, as many have traditionally assumed, and Rawls’ public reason – whose aim is not to exclude religion – is actually more welcoming than it is considered by its critics.The aim of this dissertation is to demonstrate the ways in which the Roman Catholic vision concerning ‘public reason’ presents some pertinent perspectives in contemporary political theory and debate. As part of this overarching objective, the dissertation presents an in-depth theoretical discussion and analysis of Rawls’ political theory on Public Reason, particularly in the context of contemporary political problems within Western societies regarding the issue of religion in the public sphere. In this broad context, the relationship between religion and politics will serve as a central focus of this dissertation, particularly in terms of civil society and the public sphere. The dissertation then establishes linkages between these theoretical concepts and Catholic Social Teaching, underpinned by the aim of proposing a substantial interpretation of Catholicism as a ‘reasonable comprehensive doctrine’. The purpose is to offer a delineation of the essential elements of Catholic Social Teaching that are relevant for the issue of the public participation of the church in the public-political square. This is done with the view to address questions of how the Church can theoretically and practically participate in this sphere, offering publicly-acceptable ‘justifying reasons’: namely a ‘Catholic Public Reason’. The dissertation will explicitly confirm the possibility of religious support for Rawlsian liberalism and demonstrate that Catholicism is not necessarily incompatible with it. Nevertheless, the dissertation will conclude by arguing that Catholicism generally is not compatible with liberalism from an ideological perspective, evidenced by ideological tensions. Thus, although it is suggested that some dialectical tensions remain, political liberalism, at least in its Rawlsian form, is neither hostile or unfriendly to the presence of religion in the public sphere, as many have traditionally assumed, and Rawls’ public reason – whose aim is not to exclude religion – is actually more welcoming than it is considered by its critics.LUISS PhD Thesi

Catholic public reason: John Rawls and catholic social teaching: from Vatican II to Pope Francis

The aim of this dissertation is to demonstrate the ways in which the Roman Catholic vision concerning \u2018public reason\u2019 presents some pertinent perspectives in contemporary political theory and debate. As part of this overarching objective, the dissertation presents an in-depth theoretical discussion and analysis of Rawls\u2019 political theory on Public Reason, particularly in the context of contemporary political problems within Western societies regarding the issue of religion in the public sphere. In this broad context, the relationship between religion and politics will serve as a central focus of this dissertation, particularly in terms of civil society and the public sphere. The dissertation then establishes linkages between these theoretical concepts and Catholic Social Teaching, underpinned by the aim of proposing a substantial interpretation of Catholicism as a \u2018reasonable comprehensive doctrine\u2019. The purpose is to offer a delineation of the essential elements of Catholic Social Teaching that are relevant for the issue of the public participation of the church in the public-political square. This is done with the view to address questions of how the Church can theoretically and practically participate in this sphere, offering publicly-acceptable \u2018justifying reasons\u2019: namely a \u2018Catholic Public Reason\u2019. The dissertation will explicitly confirm the possibility of religious support for Rawlsian liberalism and demonstrate that Catholicism is not necessarily incompatible with it. Nevertheless, the dissertation will conclude by arguing that Catholicism generally is not compatible with liberalism from an ideological perspective, evidenced by ideological tensions. Thus, although it is suggested that some dialectical tensions remain, political liberalism, at least in its Rawlsian form, is neither hostile or unfriendly to the presence of religion in the public sphere, as many have traditionally assumed, and Rawls\u2019 public reason \u2013 whose aim is not to exclude religion \u2013 is actually more welcoming than it is considered by its critics

Strategies to scale social impact : a case study on Vitamimos

The phenomenon of social entrepreneurship has gained growing attention in recent years. The growth process of a social enterprise, however, can be more complex and difficult than the one of a traditional, profit-oriented firm. Indeed, even though much has been written about it, scaling social impact remains one of the biggest challenges for social entrepreneurs willing to reach more people in the community. This thesis uses the literature on scaling social impact with the purpose of advising Vitamimos (a Portuguese non-profit organisation fighting childhood obesity and promoting healthier lifestyles among children) on how to scale. Additionally, this thesis can be used by university professors as a managerial case study in courses dealing with subjects of Impact Scaling, Social Entrepreneurship, Social Innovations, Management Consulting. In this work, I identify and present some of the most important strategies that social enterprises can use to scale their impact. After conducting a qualitative analysis on the company, I conclude that Vitamimos has too many conflicting needs that are reducing its possibilities to scale. I suggest the company to ally with a powerful retailer that has previously shown interest in a collaboration with Vitamimos. Additionally, I invite the founder to spend more time creating a network of organisations and individuals that can help the company to scale. Finally, I encourage the founder to leverage the Web to scale its social innovation The Carrot Lollipop.O fenómeno do empreendedorismo social tem ganho cada vez mais notoriedade nos últimos anos. Contudo, o processo de crescimento de uma empresa social, pode ser mais complexo e difícil do que uma empresa com fins lucrativos tradicional. De facto, mesmo embora muita coisa tenha sido escrita sobre este tema, o crescimento do impacto social permanece como um dos maiores desafios para os empreendedores sociais, na tentativa de fazer chegar a ajuda a cada vez mais pessoas na sua comunidade. Esta tese, tem como propósito o aconselhamento da Vitamimos (uma empresa portuguesa sem fins lucrativos, que combate a obesidade infantil e promove estilos de vida mais saudável) sobre escalar o impacto social. Adicionalmente, esta tese poderá ser usada por professores universitários como caso de estudo em cursos sobre o Empreendedorismo Social, Inovações Sociais, Consultoria de Gestão. Neste trabalho, identifico e apresento algumas das mais importantes estratégias que empresas sociais podem usar para fazer crescer a sua influência. Após realização de uma análise qualitativa na empresa, conclui-se que a Vitamimos tem demasiadas necessidades conflituantes, o que limita as suas possibilidades de crescimento. Sugeria desta forma, que a empresa crie parcerias com uma grande empresa de retalho que anteriormente tenha demostrado interesse em colaborar. Além disso, aconselharia o fundador a dedicar mais tempo na criação de interligações entre organizações e indivíduos, por forma a ajudar a empresa a crescer. Finalmente, incentivava o fundador a tirar partido da internet, o dos potenciais que tem na tentativa de promover a inovação social “The Carrot Lollipop”

Diabetic Bone Marrow & Stem Cell Dysfunction

ii Abstract Abstract Defects in the proliferation, differentiation, and activity of bone marrow (BM)-derived vasculogenic/vascular stem cells (VSCs) have been observed in diabetes and contribute to the development of vascular complications. Diabetes leads to enhanced bone marrow adipogenesis, altering the composition of the BM stem cell (SC) niche and potentially disrupting the normal functioning of resident VSCs. Here, I establish that adipocytes have a negative influence on SC survival in culture. I also show that adipocytes and osteoblasts are responsible for the creation of distinct extracellular microenvironments, with unique expression patterns of several pro- and anti-angiogenic factors with known effects on VSCs, such as fibronectin, Notch ligands, stromal cell-derived factor-1, and angiopoietin-1 and -2. I conclude that alterations in marrow composition may mediate the connection between hyperglycemia, VSC dysfunction, and impaired vascular repair in diabetes

Steady-State CO Oxidation on Pd(111): First-Principles Kinetic Monte Carlo Simulations and Microkinetic Analysis

Using a kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) approach with parameters derived from first-principles calculations, we modeled the steady-state of CO oxidation on Pd(111), a prototypical catalytic system with various practical applications, including the treatment of automotive gas exhausts. Focusing on the metallic phase of the catalyst, we studied how the rate of CO oxidation depends on temperature and pressure, at fixed gas phase composition. Comparing the results of our simulations with experimental data, we found that all the qualitative features of this catalytic system are correctly reproduced by our model. We show that, when raising the temperature, the system transitions from a CO-poisoned regime with high apparent activation energy to a regime where the rate is almost independent of the temperature. The almost zero apparent activation energy at high temperature stems from approximately equal and opposite values of the O2 adsorption energy and dissociation barrier, as revealed by a simple microkinetic analysis. In the CO-poisoned regime, the precursor-mediated dissociative adsorption of oxygen plays a crucial role: we find that small changes (within DFT error) in the parameters controlling this elementary step have large effects on the kinetics of CO oxidation at low temperature