The collusive drawbacks of sequential auctions

Sequential first-price auctions for multiple objects are very common in procurement, electricity, tobacco, timber, and oil lease markets. In this paper we identify two ways in which a sequential format may facilitate collusion among bidders relative to a simultaneous one. The first effect relates to the cartel’s ability to identify and punish defectors within the sequence, thus lowering the gains from a deviation with respect to a simultaneous format. The second effect concerns the cartel’s ability to allocate the bidder with the highest incentive to deviate (the ‘maverick’) to the last object of the sequence, thus increasing the viability of the collusive agreement. We then analyze how the seller may counteract this two effects by limiting the amount of information disclosed to bidders across rounds, and find that partial disclosure policies have little impact on the sustainability of collusion

Perinatal and newborn care in a two years retrospective study in a first level peripheral hospital in Sicily (Italy)

BACKGROUND: Two hundred seventy-five thousand maternal deaths, 2.7 million neonatal deaths, and 2.6 million stillbirths have been estimated in 2015 worldwide, almost all in low-income countries (LICs). Moreover, more than 20 million severe disabilities result from the complications of pregnancy, childbirth or its management each year. A significant decrease of mortality/morbidity rates could be achieved by providing effective perinatal and newborn care also in high-income countries (HICs), especially in peripheral hospitals and/or rural areas, where the number of childbirths per year is often under the minimal threshold recognized by the reference legislation. We report on a 2 years retrospective cohort study, conducted in a first level peripheral hospital in Cefalù, a small city in Sicily (Italy), to evaluate care provided and mortality/morbidity rates. The proposed goal is to improve the quality of care, and the services that peripheral centers can offer. METHODS: We collected data from maternity and neonatal records, over a 2-year period from January 2017 to December 2018. The informations analyzed were related to demographic features (age, ethnicity/origin area, residence, educational level, marital status), diagnosis at admission (attendance of birth training courses, parity, type of pregnancy, gestational age, fetal presentation), mode of delivery, obstetric complications, the weight of the newborns, their feeding and eventual transfer to II level hospitals, also through the Neonatal Emergency Transport Service, if the established criteria were present. RESULTS: Eight hundred sixteen women were included (age 18-48 years). 179 (22%) attended birth training courses. 763 (93%) were Italian, 53 foreign (7%). 175 (21%) came from outside the province of Palermo. Eight hundred ten were single pregnancies, 6 bigeminal; 783 were at term (96%), 33 preterm (4%, GA 30-41 WG); 434 vaginal deliveries (53%), 382 caesarean sections (47%). One maternal death and 28 (3%) obstetric complications occurred during the study period. The total number of children born to these women was 822, 3 of which stillbirths (3.6‰). 787 (96%) were born at term (>37WG), 35 preterm (4%), 31 of which late preterm. Twenty-one newborns (2.5%) were transferred to II level hospitals. Among them, 3 for moderate/severe prematurity, 18 for mild prematurity/other pathology. The outcome was favorable for all women (except 1 hysterectomy) and the newborns transferred, and no neonatal deaths occurred in the biennium under investigation. Of the remaining 798 newborns, 440 were breastfed at discharge (55%), 337 had a mixed feeding (breastfed/formula fed, 42%) and 21 were formula fed (3%). CONCLUSIONS: Although the minimal standard of adequate perinatal care in Italy is >500 childbirths/year, the aims of the Italian legislation concern the rationalization of birth centers as well as the structural, technological and organizational improvement of health facilities. Therefore, specific contexts and critical areas need to be identified and managed. Adequate resources and intervention strategies should be addressed not only to perinatal emergencies, but also to the management of mild prematurity/pathology, especially in vulnerable populations for social or orographic reasons. The increasing availability and spread of health care offers, even in HICs, cannot be separated from the goal of quality of care, which is an ethic and public health imperative

Irreversible phase transitions induced by an oscillatory input

A novel kind of irreversible phase transitions (IPT's) driven by an oscillatory input parameter is studied by means of computer simulations. Second order IPT's showing scale invariance in relevant dynamic critical properties are found to belong to the universality class of directed percolation. In contrast, the absence of universality is observed for first order IPT's.Comment: 18 pages (Revtex); 8 figures (.ps); submitted to Europhysics Letters, December 9th, 199

Bad neighbors? Niche overlap and asymmetric competition between native and Lessepsian limpets in the Eastern Mediterranean rocky intertidal.

Abstract The Eastern Mediterranean Sea hosts more non-indigenous species than any other marine region, yet their impacts on the native biota remain poorly understood. Focusing on mollusks from the Israeli rocky intertidal, we explored the hypothesis that this abiotically harsh habitat supports a limited trait diversity, and thus may promote niche overlap and competition between native and non-indigenous species. Indeed, native and non-indigenous assemblage components often had a highly similar trait composition, caused by functionally similar native (Patella caerulea) and non-indigenous (Cellana rota) limpets. Body size of P. caerulea decreased with increasing C. rota prevalence, but not vice versa, indicating potential asymmetric competition. Although both species have coexisted in Israel for >15 years, a rapid 'replacement' of native limpets by C. rota has been reported for a thermally polluted site, suggesting that competition and regionally rapid climate-related seawater warming might interact to progressively erode native limpet performance along the Israeli coast

An unified timing and spectral model for the Anomalous X-ray Pulsars XTE J1810-197 and CXOU J164710.2-455216

Anomalous X-ray pulsars (AXPs) and soft gamma repeaters (SGRs) are two small classes of X-ray sources strongly suspected to host a magnetar, i.e. an ultra-magnetized neutron star with $B\approx 10^14-10^15 G. Many SGRs/AXPs are known to be variable, and recently the existence of genuinely "transient" magnetars was discovered. Here we present a comprehensive study of the pulse profile and spectral evolution of the two transient AXPs (TAXPs) XTE J1810-197 and CXOU J164710.2-455216. Our analysis was carried out in the framework of the twisted magnetosphere model for magnetar emission. Starting from 3D Monte Carlo simulations of the emerging spectrum, we produced a large database of synthetic pulse profiles which was fitted to observed lightcurves in different spectral bands and at different epochs. This allowed us to derive the physical parameters of the model and their evolution with time, together with the geometry of the two sources, i.e. the inclination of the line-of-sight and of the magnetic axis with respect to the rotation axis. We then fitted the (phase-averaged) spectra of the two TAXPs at different epochs using a model similar to that used to calculate the pulse profiles ntzang in XSPEC) freezing all parameters to the values obtained from the timing analysis, and leaving only the normalization free to vary. This provided acceptable fits to XMM-Newton data in all the observations we analyzed. Our results support a picture in which a limited portion of the star surface close to one of the magnetic poles is heated at the outburst onset. The subsequent evolution is driven both by the cooling/varying size of the heated cap and by a progressive untwisting of the magnetosphere.Comment: 15 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in Ap

Comunidades de moluscos de los estratos foliares y rizómicos de un asentamiento profundo de Posidonia oceanica en el Tirreno central

The molluscan assemblages inhabiting the leaf and rhizome layers of Posidonia oceanica were studied in a deep water (–24/26 m) settlement of a highly heterogeneous substratum on an off-shore reef in the central Tyrrhenian Sea. This is one of the few works dealing with the rhizome layer and with Posidonia oceanica that has settled on hard substrata. The leaf assemblage only had a few species, less than other assemblages at a comparable depth in the same basin. This poorness may be due to the depth, but it may also be due to the high fragmentation of the meadow. However, the high percentage of carnivores is consistent with previous observations in deep water meadows. The rhizome assemblage is highly diverse both in terms of species and feeding guilds, which could be explained by the higher affinity for low light conditions of most molluscs and the greater habitat heterogeneity. The marked differences in the two taxocoenoses and the high diversification of the rhizome assemblage evidence that they should be included in studies on the potential diversity of Posidonia oceanica meadows. Failure to consider this layer seriously affects any evaluation of the biodiversity of this habitat, which is of great conservation interest.Las comunidades de moluscos de los estratos foliares y rizómicos de Posidonia oceanica fueron estudiadas en un asentamiento sobre un sustrato altamente heterogéneo de un arrecife costero del mar Tirreno central y de aguas profundas (–24/26 m). Este es uno de los escasos trabajos publicados hasta el momento del asentamiento de Posidonia oceanica sobre sustratos duros y de su correspondiente estrato rizómico. La agrupación de hojas tiene solo unas pocas especies, incluso menos que otras agrupaciones de una profundidad comparable en la misma cuenca. Esta pobreza podría estar causada por la profundidad pero también por la gran fragmentación de la pradera. Por el contrario, el alto porcentaje de carnívoros es consistente con observaciones previas en praderas de aguas profundas. La agrupación de los rizomas es altamente diversa, tanto en términos de especies como de categoría trófica y esto podría ser explicado por la mayor afinidad de la mayoría de los moluscos hacia condiciones de baja luminosidad y la gran heterogeneidad de hábitat. Las marcadas diferencias en las dos taxocenosis y la gran diversificación de las especies del grupo de rizomas aumenta la necesidad de ser incluidos en estudios sobre diversidad potencial de las praderas de Posidonia oceanica. No considerar este estrato afectará seriamente cualquier evaluación de la biodiversidad de este hábitat de gran interés para la conservación

Chiroptical Properties in Thin Films of π-Conjugated Systems

Chiral π-conjugated molecules provide new materials with outstanding features for current and perspective applications, especially in the field of optoelectronic devices. In thin films, processes such as charge conduction, light absorption, and emission are governed not only by the structure of the individual molecules but also by their supramolecular structures and intermolecular interactions to a large extent. Electronic circular dichroism, ECD, and its emission counterpart, circularly polarized luminescence, CPL, provide tools for studying aggregated states and the key properties to be sought for designing innovative devices. In this review, we shall present a comprehensive coverage of chiroptical properties measured on thin films of organic π-conjugated molecules. In the first part, we shall discuss some general concepts of ECD, CPL, and other chiroptical spectroscopies, with a focus on their applications to thin film samples. In the following, we will overview the existing literature on chiral π-conjugated systems whose thin films have been characterized by ECD and/or CPL, as well other chiroptical spectroscopies. Special emphasis will be put on systems with large dissymmetry factors (gabs and glum) and on the application of ECD and CPL to derive structural information on aggregated states

Advanced radar absorbing ceramic-based materials for multifunctional applications in space environment

In this review, some results of the experimental activity carried out by the authors on advanced composite materials for space applications are reported. Composites are widely employed in the aerospace industry thanks to their lightweight and advanced thermo-mechanical and electrical properties. A critical issue to tackle using engineered materials for space activities is providing two or more specific functionalities by means of single items/components. In this scenario, carbon-based composites are believed to be ideal candidates for the forthcoming development of aerospace research and space missions, since a widespread variety of multi-functional structures are allowed by employing these materials. The research results described here suggest that hybrid ceramic/polymeric structures could be employed as spacecraft-specific subsystems in order to ensure extreme temperature withstanding and electromagnetic shielding behavior simultaneously. The morphological and thermo-mechanical analysis of carbon/carbon (C/C) three-dimensional (3D) shell prototypes is reported; then, the microwave characterization of multilayered carbon-filled micro-/nano-composite panels is described. Finally, the possibility of combining the C/C bulk with a carbon-reinforced skin in a synergic arrangement is discussed, with the aid of numerical and experimental analyses

Non-equilibrium thermodynamic description of junctions in semiconductor devices

The methods of non-equilibrium thermodynamics of systems with an interface have been applied to the study of transport processes in semiconductor junctions. A complete phenomenological model for drift-diffusion processes in a junction has been derived, which includes, from first principles, both surface equations and boundary conditions, together with the usual drift-diffusion equations for the bulks. In this way a self-consistent characterisation of the whole system, bulks and interface, has been obtained in a common framework. The completeness of the model has been shown and a simple application to metal-semiconductor junctions developed.Comment: 12 pages, RevTex. Submitted to Phys. Rev. B minor LaTex errors correcte