Communication, Coordination, and Efficiency in Evolutionary One-population Models

We analyze the role of commitment in pre-play communication for ensuring efficient evolutionarily stable outcomes in coordination games. All players are a priori identical as they are drawn from the same population. In games where efficient outcomes can be reached by players coordinating on the same action we find commitment to be necessary to enforce efficiency. In games where efficienct outcomes only result from play of different actions, communication without commitment is most effective although efficiency can no longer be guaranteed. Only when there are many messages then inefficient outcomes are negligible as their basins of attraction become very small.

Communication, coordination and efficiency in evolutionary one-population models

We analyze the role of commitment in pre-play communication for ensuringefficient evolutionarily stable outcomes in coordination games. All players are a priori identical as they are drawn from the same population. In games where efficient outcomes can be reached by players coordinating on the same action we find commitment to be necessary to enforce efficiency. In games where efficienct outcomes only result from play of different actions, communication without commitment is most effective although efficiency can no longer be guaranteed. Only when there are many messages then inefficient outcomes are negligible as their basins of attraction become very small.

Avaluaci�� alternativa de l'assignatura "Geografia Humana" en el context de l'Espai Europeu d'Educaci�� Superior

Aquest projecte ha aplicat algunes noves metodologies docents que seran imprescindibles per a la integraci�� en l'EEES i, en particular, sistemes d'avaluaci�� alternatius que puguin formar la base d'un sistema d'avaluaci�� continuada per als continguts i adquisici�� d'habilitats que fins ara s'han aplegat en l'assignatura "Geografia Humana" de la llicenciatura de Geografia de la Universitat de Barcelona. A partir de la reflexi�� conjunta entre els membres de l���equip integrant del projecte sobre les compet��ncies i continguts que es desitja que adquireixi l'estudiant s'han dissenyat un conjunt de recursos per a l���avaluaci��: 1. exercicis individuals, destinats a valorar la capacitat d���estructurar idees, expressi�� escrita i gr��fica, presentaci�� etc. 2. treballs en equip, destinats a fomentar l���esperit de divisi�� del treball i de cooperaci�� entre els estudiants i a mostrar el guany individual del treball col��lectiu. 3. proves objectives (tipus test), destinades a valorar l���adquisici�� de conceptes i de continguts b��sics. 4. preguntes d'autoavaluaci��, amb la finalitat que l���estudiant pugui fer el seu propi seguiment de l���adquisici�� de Coneixements. 5. q��estionaris d���autovaloraci�� dels exercicis individuals i dels treballs en equip, amb l���objectiu que els alumnes reflexionin sobre el treball realitzat i que serveixin de base per a contrastar amb la valoraci�� del professor. L���objectiu final ��s que l���estudiant pugui ser avaluat de manera cont��nua en el portafoli que recull el treball acumulat al llarg del curs. Tot i que el projecte s���ha basat en l�����s de l���eina dels ���dossiers electr��nics��� de la UB, en el futur immediat els resultats obtinguts passaran a integrar-se en el Campus Virtual de la UB que utilitza la plataforma Moodle, les posibilitats t��cniques de la qual permetran afegir una dimensi�� cooperativa m��s gran al treball avaluable (acc��s al treball dels grups, cooperaci�� en la construcci�� de bases de dades, wikis editades pel conjunt de la classe etc.)

Electroluminiscence and optical amplification in silicon nanostructures: towards the integration of electronics and photonics

This line of research of my group intends to establish a Silicon technological platform in the field of photonics allowing the development of a wide set of applications. Particularly, what is still lacking in Silicon Photonics is an efficient and integrable light source such an LED or laser. Nanocrystals in silicon oxide or nitride matrices have been recently demonstrated as competitive materials for both active components (electrically and optically driven light emitters and optical amplifiers) and passive ones (waveguides and modulators). The final goal is the achievement of a complete integration of electronic and optical functions in the same CMOS chip. The first part of this paper will introduce the structural and optical properties of LEDs fabricated from silicon nanostructures. The second will treat the interaction of such nanocrystals with rare-earth elements (Er), which lead to an efficient hybrid system emitting in the third window of optical fibers. I will present the fabrication and assessment of optical waveguide amplifiers at 1.54 ��m for which we have been able to demonstrate recently optical gain in waveguides made from sputtered silicon suboxide materials.

Financial Integration, Trade Openness and International Transmission

[cat] Com afecten l���obertura comercial i financera a la volatilitat macroecon��mica? La literatura existent, tant emp��rica com te��rica, no ha assolit encara un consens. Aquest article usa un model microfonamentat de dos pa��sos sim��trics amb entrada end��gena d���empreses per estudiar-ho. L���an��lisis es du a terme per tres r��gims econ��mics diferents amb diferents nivells d���integraci�� internacional: una economia tancada, una autarquia financera i una integraci�� plena. Es consideren diversos nivells d���obertura comercial, en forma de biaix dom��stic de la demanda i l���economia pot patir pertorbacions en la productivitat del treball i en innovaci��. El model conclou que la incertesa macroecon��mica, representada principalment per la volatilitat del consum, la producci�� i la relaci�� real d���intercanvi internacional, dep��n del grau d���obertura i del tipus de pertorbaci��.

Financial Integration, Trade Openness and International Transmission

[cat] Com afecten l���obertura comercial i financera a la volatilitat macroecon��mica? La literatura existent, tant emp��rica com te��rica, no ha assolit encara un consens. Aquest article usa un model microfonamentat de dos pa��sos sim��trics amb entrada end��gena d���empreses per estudiar-ho. L���an��lisis es du a terme per tres r��gims econ��mics diferents amb diferents nivells d���integraci�� internacional: una economia tancada, una autarquia financera i una integraci�� plena. Es consideren diversos nivells d���obertura comercial, en forma de biaix dom��stic de la demanda i l���economia pot patir pertorbacions en la productivitat del treball i en innovaci��. El model conclou que la incertesa macroecon��mica, representada principalment per la volatilitat del consum, la producci�� i la relaci�� real d���intercanvi internacional, dep��n del grau d���obertura i del tipus de pertorbaci��.

The impact of gender composition on team performance and decision-making: Evidence from the field

We investigate whether the gender composition of teams affect theireconomic performance. We study a large business game, played in groups ofthree, where each group takes the role of a general manager. There are twoparallel competitions, one involving undergraduates and the other involvingMBAs. Our analysis shows that teams formed by three women aresignificantly outperformed by any other gender combination, both at theundergraduate and MBA levels. Looking across the performancedistribution, we find that for undergraduates, three women teams areoutperformed throughout, but by as much as 10pp at the bottom and by only1pp at the top. For MBAs, at the top, the best performing group is two menand one woman. The differences in performance are explained bydifferences in decision-making. We observe that three women teams are lessaggressive in their pricing strategies, invest less in R&D, and invest more insocial sustainability initiatives, than any other gender combination teams.Finally, we find support for the hypothesis that it is poor work dynamicsamong the three women teams that drives the results.

The IST METRA Project

This article summarizes the main achievementsof the Multi-Element Transmit andReceive Antennas (METRA) Project, an ISTresearch and technological development project carried out between January 2000 and June 2001 by Universitat Polit��cnica de Catalunya, the Center for Personkommunikation of Aalborg University, Nokia Networks, Nokia Mobile Phones, and Vodafone Group Research and Development.The main objective of METRA was the performanceevaluation of multi-antenna terminals incombination with adaptive antennas at the basestation in UMTS communication systems. 1 AMIMO channel sounder was developed that providedrealistic multi-antenna channel measurements.Using these measured data, stochasticchannel models were developed and properly validated.These models were also evaluated inorder to estimate their corresponding channelcapacity. Different MIMO configurations andprocessing schemes were developed for both theFDD and TDD modes of UTRA, and their linkperformance was assessed. Performance evaluationwas completed by system simulations thatillustrated the benefits of MIMO configurationsto the network operator. Implementation cost vs.performance improvement was also covered bythe project, including the base station and terminalmanufacturer and network operator viewpoints.Finally, significant standards contributionswere generated by the project and presented to the pertinent 3GPP working groups.

Landscape Systems and Human Land-Use Interactions in Mediterranean Highlands and Littoral Plains during the Late Holocene: Integrated Analysis from the InterAmbAr Project (North-Eastern Catalonia).

The main goal of the InterAmbAr reseach project is to analyze the relationships between landscape systems and human land-use strategies on mountains and littoral plains from a long-term perspective. The study adopts a high resolution analysis of small-scale study areas located in the Mediterranean region of north-eastern Catalonia. The study areas are distributed along an altitudinal transect from the high mountain (above 2000m a.s.l.) to the littoral plain of Empord�� (Fig. 1). High resolution interdisciplinary research has been carried out from 2010, based on the integration of palaeoenvironmental and archaeological data. The micro-scale approach is used to understand human-environmental relationships. It allows better understanding of the local-regional nature of environmental changes and the synergies between catchment-based systems, hydro-sedimentary regimes, human mobility, land-uses, human environments, demography, etc.

Relying on the agent in charge of production for project evaluation

I study the optimal project choice when the principal relies on the agent in charge of production for project evaluation. The principal has to choose between a safe project generating a fixed revenue and a risky project generating an uncertain revenue. The agent has private information about the production cost under each project but also about the signal regarding the profitability of the risky project. If the signal favoring the adoption of the risky project is goods news to the agent, integrating production and project evaluation tasks does not generate any loss compared to the benchmark in which the principal herself receives the signal. By contrast, if it is bad news, task integration creates an endogenous reservation utility which is type-dependent and thereby generates countervailing incentives, which can make a bias toward either project optimal. Our results can offer an explanation for why good firms can go bad and a rationale for the separation of day-to-day operating decisions from long-term strategic decisions stressed by Williamson.

Survival of European patients diagnosed with lymphoid neoplasms in 2000-2002: results of the HAEMACARE project

The European Cancer Registry-based project on hematologic malignancies (HAEMACARE), setup to improve the availability and standardization of data on hematologic malignancies in Europe, used the European Cancer Registry-based project on survival and care of cancer patients (EUROCARE-4) database to produce a new grouping of hematologic neoplasma(defined by the International Classification of Diseases for Oncology, Third Edition and the 2001/2008 World Health Organization classifications) for epidemiological and public healthpurposes. We analyzed survival for lymphoid neoplasms in Europe by disease group, comparing survival between different European regions by age and sex. Design and Methods Incident neoplasms recorded between 1995 to 2002 in 48 population-based cancer registries in 20 countries participating in EUROCARE-4 were analyzed. The period approach was used to estimate 5-year relative survival rates for patients diagnosed in 2000-2002, who did not have 5years of follow up. Results: The 5-year relative survival rate was 57% overall but varied markedly between the definedgroups. Variation in survival within the groups was relatively limited across European regions and less than in previous years. Survival differences between men and women were small. The relative survival for patients with all lymphoid neoplasms decreased substantially after the age of 50. The proportion of ���not otherwise specified��� diagnoses increased with advancing age.Conclusions: This is the first study to analyze survival of patients with lymphoid neoplasms, divided into groups characterized by similar epidemiological and clinical characteristics, providing a benchmarkfor more detailed analyses. This Europe-wide study suggests that previously noted differences in survival between regions have tended to decrease. The survival of patients with all neoplasms decreased markedly with age, while the proportion of ���not otherwise specified��� diagnoses increased with advancing age. Thus the quality of diagnostic work-up and care decreased with age, suggesting that older patients may not be receiving optimal treatment

An��lisis de una iniciativa estudiantil de investigaci��n surgida en Criptogamia, una asignatura optativa de segundo ciclo de Biolog��a = Analysis of a students��� research initiative originating in Cryptogamy, an elective course in the last two years of the Biology degree

Presentamos una experiencia exitosa de aprendizaje que parti�� de Criptogamia (asignatura optativa de segundo ciclo de Biolog��a), que dio lugar a un proyecto de investigaci��n gestionado por los propios alumnos. La iniciativa se consolid�� estableciendo una Asociaci��n de Estudiantes centrada en investigaci��n y divulgaci��n. En poco tiempo, los participantes han presentado comunicaciones cient��ficas, y organizado actividades dirigidas a diversos p��blicos, dentro y fuera de la comunidad universitaria. Actualmente se plantea una colaboraci��n multidisciplinar con otros organismos de investigaci��n y la extensi��n de su ��mbito de estudio. Abordamos su incidencia en el aprendizaje en varios aspectos: cient��fico (t��cnicas espec��ficas, rigor, b��squeda de informaci��n e interpretaci��n de resultados), comunicativo (estructuraci��n y presentaci��n de la informaci��n obtenida, para diversos p��blicos), y organizativo, incluyendo el trabajo en equipo. Aunque de car��cter espont��neo, esta experiencia muestra rasgos evaluables en cuanto a sus posibilidades para otras asignaturas. Analizamos las caracter��sticas y planteamiento de esta optativa, el perfil de sus alumnos, y el contexto universitario que la acoge. Detectamos como factores principales los aspectos participativos de la asignatura, la cohesi��n del grupo, el car��cter voluntario de la implicaci��n, los beneficios percibidos por los estudiantes, y la disponibilidad de recursos humanos (supervisi��n) y materiales (equipamiento y subvenciones).