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Collusion with Optimal Information Disclosure
Abstract Motivated by recent concerns surrounding the use of third-party pricing algorithms by competing firms, we study repeated Bertrand competition where market demand or the cost of serving the market is observed by an intermediary (or “algorithm”) that selectively discloses demand or cost information to maximize firms’ collusive profit. We show that an upper censorship disclosure policy is optimal, which leads to price rigidity and supra-monopoly prices in some states. Improving the algorithm’s accuracy reduces expected consumer surplus whenever it does so under monopoly pricing. When the state is positively correlated over time, the algorithm discloses more information when recent demand was lower or costs were higher. The analysis extends to a generalized model that accommodates product differentiation and capacity constraints. We relate our findings to recent antitrust cases.
GC-MS based chemical composition and in vitro antibacterial activity of the essential oils of Eucalyptus cultivars
Codification, Technology Absorption, and the Globalization of the Industrial Revolution
Abstract This article examines the global adoption of technology in the late nineteenth century. We construct several novel data sets to test the idea that the codification of technical knowledge in the vernacular was necessary for countries to absorb the technologies of the first Industrial Revolution. We find that comparative advantage shifted to industries that could benefit from these technologies in countries and colonies with access to codified technical knowledge, but not in other regions. Using the rapid and unprecedented codification of technical knowledge in Meiji Japan as a natural experiment, we show that this pattern emerged only after the Japanese government codified vast amounts of technical knowledge. Our findings shed new light on the frictions associated with technological diffusion and offer a novel explanation for why Meiji Japan was unique among non-Western countries in successfully industrializing during the first wave of globalization.
Extracellular vesicles from inflammatory-primed stromal cells reduce in vitro inflammation in Sandhoff disease model
“Compensate the Losers?” Economic Policy and the Origins of U.S. Partisan Realignment
Abstract We argue that the Democratic Party’s evolution on economic policy helps explain partisan realignment by education. First, we document that educated Americans differentially oppose “predistribution” (e.g., job guarantees, higher minimum wages, protectionism, and stronger unions), while the educational gradient for redistribution (taxes and transfers) is close to zero. These relationships have been largely unchanged since the 1940s. Second, focusing on politicians and donors as key party actors, we show that the Democratic Party has moved away from predistribution since the 1970s. The number of predistribution bills introduced by Democratic House Speakers has declined by half since the 1970s. Unions—the traditional lobbying force for predistribution—see their share of Democratic Party PAC donations decline from 90% to 40% from 1968 to 1980, following 1970s legislation that facilitated corporate PAC donations. From 1980 onward, the Democrats rely increasingly on individual contributions from educated donors relative to the Republicans. We show the increased reliance on corporate PACs and educated donors is driven by the rise of a self-described “New Democrat’’ faction particularly conservative on predistribution and social issues. Finally, we trace the reaction of voters to these changes in the Democratic Party. Less-educated Americans begin to leave the party in the 1970s, after decades of serving as its base. We also show that in the crucial transition period of the 1970s through 1990s, New Democrat candidates outperform other Democrats among more-educated voters in both survey questions and actual Congressional elections. As the New Democrats are more socially conservative than other Democrats, their success with educated voters suggests that social issues alone cannot explain educational realignment.
Epigenomic modifications in the Longissimus dorsi muscle of pigs exposed to in utero heat stress
The Effects of Gender Integration on Men: Evidence from the U.S. Military
Abstract Do men negatively respond when women first enter an occupation? We answer this question by studying the end of one of the final explicit occupational barriers to women in the United States: in 2016, the U.S. military opened all positions to women, including historically male-only combat occupations. We exploit the staggered integration of women into combat units to estimate the causal effects of the introduction of female colleagues on men’s job performance, behavior, and perceptions of workplace quality, using monthly administrative personnel records and rich survey responses. We find that integrating women into previously all-male units does not negatively affect men’s performance or behavioral outcomes, including retention, promotions, demotions, separations for misconduct, criminal investigations, and medical conditions. Most of our results are precise enough to rule out small detrimental effects. However, there is a wedge between men’s perceptions and performance. The integration of women causes a negative shift in male soldiers’ perceptions of workplace quality. The decline is driven by units integrated with female officers, likely arising from female officers increasing men’s awareness of workplace problems or from men’s dissatisfaction from working with women in positions of authority—even though men in such units show some performance gains. If male-dominated workplaces are reluctant to incorporate women due to expectations that men will become less productive, our paper provides evidence to weigh against that notion.
Dual site control of cardiac alternans in 1D human ventricular tissue
Technology Sophistication Across Establishments
Abstract We study technology sophistication using a novel approach that measures the sophistication of the most advanced (MAX) and the most widely used (MOST) technologies in key business functions within establishments. Using data from over 21,000 establishments across 15 countries, we find that establishments generally underutilize the most sophisticated technologies available in a business function. These MAX-MOST gaps are persistent and strongly associated with productivity both across establishments and countries. At the establishment level, there is substantial variation in both MAX and MOST, with MOST showing a more skewed distribution. MAX and MOST follow different life cycle patterns in low-income countries and among small establishments, and they exhibit different associations with several establishment characteristics and performance indicators. This evidence underscores the different nature of the technology upgrading processes that drive MAX and MOST.
Adding interferential current to pelvic floor exercises reduces weekly frequency of stress urinary incontinence
Making the Invisible Hand Visible: Managers and the Allocation of Workers to Jobs
Abstract Why do managers matter for firm performance? This article provides evidence of the critical role of managers in matching workers to jobs within the firm using the universe of personnel records from a large multinational firm. The data cover 200,000 white-collar workers and 30,000 managers over 11 years in 100 countries. I identify good managers by their speed of promotion and leverage exogenous variation induced by the rotation of managers across teams. I find that good managers cause workers to reallocate within the firm through lateral and vertical transfers and generate large and persistent gains in workers’ career progression and productivity. My results imply that the visible hands of managers match workers’ specific skills to specialized jobs, leading to an improvement in the productivity of existing workers that outlasts the managers’ time at the firm.
A multi-objective energy-efficient clustering routing protocol for environmental monitoring in industrial IoT
Abstract For Industrial Wireless Sensor Networks (IWSNs) serving industrial environmental monitoring tasks, clustering optimization, the core technology for network performance tuning, is a well-recognized NP-hard problem that directly determines the energy efficiency and communication reliability of the entire system. Such IWSNs are typically deployed in large-scale, unattended industrial fields to collect real-time, high-precision environmental data including air quality, water pollution levels and soil parameters. However, inherent constraints like limited node energy supply and unstable wireless links in these scenarios often lead to incomplete data collection and delayed early warning, which directly undermine the reliability of environmental monitoring. To address this challenge, this paper proposes CCNCSO-CRP, a novel energy-efficient clustering routing protocol based on a multi-objective clustering model that jointly considers four key metrics: total network residual energy, average transmission delay, packet loss rate, and the distance from cluster heads to the base station. The protocol is built on the newly designed Chaotic Clonal Niche Cockroach Swarm Optimization (CCNCSO) algorithm, which integrates chaotic initialization and evolutionary strategies including clonal selection and niche preservation to enhance population diversity and convergence speed. Extensive experimental validations are conducted on the CEC2008 and CEC2020 benchmark test suites, where the CCNCSO algorithm outperforms classical meta-heuristic algorithms including Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA), Osprey Optimization Algorithm (OFA), Komodo Mlipir Algorithm (KMA), Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO), and Artificial Bee Colony (ABC). Furthermore, experimental evaluations under various IWSN environmental monitoring scenarios show that CCNCSO-CRP outperforms state-of-the-art protocols including LEACH-C, VSSLS-SIACR, and FOAEAUC-SARP by at least 11.5% in extending network lifetime, reduces average delay by no less than 9.5%, and cuts packet loss rate by a minimum of 40.9%. These results validate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed protocol in improving clustering efficiency and network stability for environmental monitoring IWSNs, and provide reliable technical support for high-performance environmental parameter detection and intelligent early warning systems.
Peer Effects and the Gender Gap in Corporate Leadership: Evidence from MBA Students
Abstract Women continue to be underrepresented in corporate leadership positions. This article studies the role of social connections in women’s career advancement. We investigate whether access to a larger share of female peers in business school affects the gender gap in senior managerial positions. Merging administrative data from a top 10 U.S. business school with public LinkedIn profiles, we first document that female MBAs are 24% less likely than male MBAs to enter senior management within 15 years of graduation. Next we use the exogenous assignment of students into sections to show that a larger proportion of female MBA section peers increases the likelihood of entering senior management for women but not for men. This effect is driven by female-friendly firms, such as those with more generous maternity leave policies and greater work-schedule flexibility. A larger proportion of female MBA peers induces women to transition to these firms where they attain senior management roles. A survey of female MBA alumnae reveals three key mechanisms: (i) information sharing, especially related to gender-specific advice, (ii) higher ambitions and self-confidence, and (iii) increasing support from male MBA peers. These findings highlight the role of social connections in reducing the gender gap in senior management positions.
Geographical distribution and genotypic diversity of Theileria orientalis with emphasis on Indian isolates
A PCA-enhanced XGBoost framework for combined SOC and SOH estimation in lithium-ion batteries
Pannexin1-dependent and -independent protection by novel peptidomimetics against cardiac ischemia/reperfusion injury
Abstract Myocardial infarction necessitates rapid reperfusion to limit ischemic damage. However, reperfusion itself exacerbates cardiomyocyte death and the inflammatory response. ATP release through pannexin1 (Panx1) channels is a key driver of leukocyte recruitment, yet most Panx1 channel inhibitors lack specificity or in vivo stability. We previously developed a macrocyclic peptidomimetic targeting the first extracellular loop (EL1) of Panx1, SBL-PX1-42, which demonstrated anti-inflammatory activity and high plasma stability in vitro. Here, we generated EL2 peptidomimetics, identified SBL-PX1-213 as a lead compound, and assessed its cardioprotective potential alone or combined with SBL-PX1-42 in experimental cardiac ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). In Langendorff-perfused wild-type (WT) hearts, SBL-PX1-42, SBL-PX1-213, and their combination did not affect baseline cardiac function, indicating absence of cardiotoxicity. In vivo I/R, induced by transient (30 min) coronary artery ligation and 24 h reperfusion, was performed in WT and Panx1 −/− mice. Intravenous administration of either compound at reperfusion reduced infarct size in WT animals. In Panx1 −/− mice, SBL-PX1-213 and the combination remained cardioprotective, whereas SBL-PX1-42 lost efficacy, supporting its Panx1-dependent activity. None of the treatments affected blood cell counts, suggesting the absence of unwanted side effects on circulating cells. These findings establish SBL-PX1-42 and SBL-PX1-213 as cardioprotective agents acting through both Panx1-dependent and Panx1-independent mechanisms.
Associations between internal training load and changes in sprint endurance and aerobic fitness during a 4 − week off−season HIIT program in adolescent female football players
Deep learning for preoperative MRI-based endometrial cancer staging prediction
Functional characterization of fungal endophytes with antagonistic and plant growth-promoting activities in maize
Abstract Fungal endophytes play a crucial role in plant-microbe interactions by asymptomatically colonizing host tissues, enhancing plant growth, and providing defense. In the present study, three distinct endophytic fungi, namely Fusarium oxysporum CJR-1 (GenBank Accession No. PZ477045), Penicillium sp. CJR-2 (GenBank Accession No. PZ477429) and Aspergillus cf. terreus CJR-4 (GenBank Accession No. PZ477430) were isolated from Crotalaria juncea L. plants and evaluated for antagonistic activity against phytopathogenic fungi and growth promotion in maize. Among the isolates, CJR-4 showed potent antagonistic activity against both tested phytopathogens, inhibiting the mycelial growth of Fusarium oxysporum (ITCC Accession No. 8111) and Alternaria alternata (ITCC Accession No. 1434) by 72.41 ± 5.02% and 68.31 ± 1.53%. On the other hand, isolate CJR-1 showed the highest mycelial inhibition of 74.60 ± 2.06% against A. alternata . Ethyl acetate crude metabolites of CJR-4 exhibited potent antifungal activity, with the highest zone of inhibition observed against A. alternata (21.66 ± 1.52 mm), followed by F. oxysporum (15.33 ± 1.15 mm) at 150 µL of tested concentration. GC-MS analysis of the ethyl acetate extract of CJR-4 revealed numerous bioactive metabolites, including diphenyl sulphone and 2-nonen-1-ol, which may contribute to its antifungal activity. In addition, 1-methylene-1H-indene and ethanone, 2-(formyloxy)-1-phenyl-, may be associated with antioxidant activity, as evidenced by potent DPPH (80.09 ± 0.11%) and ABTS (92.66 ± 0.17%) scavenging activities. Evaluation of PGP traits showed that CJR-1 produced the highest levels of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) as 305.69 ± 0.41 µg mL⁻ 1 and ammonia 85.44 ± 0.63 µg mL⁻ 1 , while CJR-2 exhibited the highest phosphate solubilization index (PSI) of 3.09 ± 0.09. Pot experiments conducted under natural light conditions for 28 days demonstrated significantly enhanced plant growth parameters, biomass accumulation, and photosynthetic pigment levels in maize plants inoculated with the CJR-4 isolate. Overall, the findings highlight that endophytic fungi exhibit multifunctional roles and show promise as microbial inoculants for sustainable crop improvement, with CJR-4 emerging as the promising candidate for further development. To the best of our knowledge, this study is among the first to report the isolation and functional characterization of endophytic fungi from Crotalaria juncea L. plant.