MFN status and the choice of tariff regime

The gradualist approach to trade liberalization views the uniform tariffs implied by MFN status as an important step on the path to free trade. We investigate whether a regime of uniform tariffs will be preferable to discriminatory tariffs when countries engage in non-cooperative interaction in multilateral trade. The analysis includes product differentiation and asymmetric costs. We show that with the cost asymmetry the countries will disagree on the choice of tariff regime. When the choice of import tariffs and export subsidies is made sequentially the uniform tariff regime may not be sustainable, because of an incentive to deviate to a discriminatory regime. Hence, an international body is needed to ensure compliance with tariff agreement.

Uniform versus discriminatory tariffs

We analyze the non-cooperative interaction between two exporting countries producing differentiated products and one importing country when governments use optimal policies to maximize welfare. The analysis includes product differentiation, asymmetric costs, and Bertrand competition. For identical exporting countries we demonstrate that the importing country always prefers a uniform tariff regime while both exporting countries prefer a discriminatory tariff regime for any degree of product differentiation. If countries are asymmetric in terms of production cost then the higher-cost exporter always prefers the discriminatory regime but the lower-cost exporter prefers the uniform regime if there is a significant cost differential. With cost asymmetry the announcement of a uniform tariff regime by the importer is not a credible strategy since there is an incentive to deviate to discrimination. This implies an international body can play a role in ensuring that tariff agreements are respected.

Reversible thermal transition of polydiacetylene based on KTTKS collagen sequence

Here we explore the physico-chemical properties of a peptide amphiphile obtained by chemical conjugation of the collagenstimulating peptide KTTKS with 10,12-pentacosadiynoic acid which photopolymerizes as a stable and extended polydiacetylene. We investigate the self-assembly of this new polymer and rationalize its peculiar behavior in terms of a thermal conformational transition. Surprisingly, this polymer shows a thermal transition associated with a non-cooperative increase in b-sheet content at high temperature.

Studying economics reduces overexploitation in a common resource experiment

This paper studies the economic behavior of agents, who make decisions regarding the sustainability of Common-Pool Resources (CPR). For this purpose, economic experiments are applied to simulate the yield of a CPR, taking into account the influence of economics training on the learning process of individuals, regarding their decisions for sustainability. Based on a non-cooperative game with simultaneous choices, the results of experiments show that after several rounds the existence of economics knowledge reflects a better learning process for making decisions regarding sustainability of CPR.

Environmental agreements as a Hawk-Dove game with confirmed proposals

This paper aims at two different contributions to the literature on international environmental agreements. First, we model environmental agreements as a generic situation, characterized as a Hawk-Dove game with multiple asymmetric equilibria. Second, the article applies the theory on non-cooperative games with confirmed proposals, based on an alternating proposals bargaining protocol, as a way of overcoming the usual problems of coordination and bargaining failures in environmental agreement games, due to payoff asymmetry and equilibrium multiplicity.

Uma Contribuição à Contabilidade das Sociedades Cooperativas: Estudo de Caso sobre a Contabilização dos Atos Cooperativos e não Cooperativos em uma Cooperativa de Produção Vinícola do Sul do Brasil, de Acordo com a Norma Brasileira de Contabilidade - NBC T 10.8.

The main goal of this study is to contribute to the understanding of the appropriate accounting treatment of the operations in cooperatives, which differentiates them from other Brazilian commercial societies. This treatment is objectively examined under the lens of the norm NBC T 10.8 of Federal Council of Accounting, which determines distinction between cooperative acts and non-cooperative acts. The theoretical foundation of this paperwork is centered in examining, from both the cooperative doctrine and the accounting theory viewpoint, the issues related to the origin, nature and purpose of the cooperatives, as well as the accounting regulation applicable to them. The author developed a method to treat adequately the norm NBC T 10.8 and applied it to a case study of a wine producer cooperative in southern Brazil. As a result of this work, it is demonstrated that NBC T 10.8 eliminated a historical deficiency that permeated the accounting practice in cooperatives, whose accounting procedures - implicit in both technical and scientific content in NBC T 10.8 ¿ are presented in a detailed manner.

Área de Livre-Comércio das Américas: incentivos econômicos e políticos

O objetivo desta dissertação é analisar a economia política da Área de Livre Comércio das Américas a partir de um jogo político seqüencial não-cooperativo de Stackelberg entre uma grande economia e uma pequena economia, onde a disputa política entre grupos lobistas rivais define as preferências unilaterais dos governos no primeiro estágio e o equilíbrio "coalition-proof" de Stackelberg define o formato do acordo de livre comércio no segundo estágio. Finalmente, discutese algumas modificações na estrutura inicial do jogo que possam aumentar o poder de negociação da pequena economia.

Regional integration and the issue of choosing an appropriate exchange-rate regime in Latin America

Includes bibliography

Foundations of macroeconomic policy coordination: fostering dialogue as a policy tool in Latin America

Includes bibliography

Weak local Nash equilibrium

In this paper, we consider a concept of local Nash equilibrium for non-cooperative games - the so-called weak local Nash equilibrium. We prove its existence for a significantly more general class of sets of strategies than compact convex sets. The theorems on existence of the weak local equilibrium presented here are applications of Brouwer and Lefschetz fixed point theorems. © 2013 Juliusz Schauder Centre for Nonlinear Studies Nicolaus Copernicus University.

Interface gráfica no contexto de teoria dos jogos sob a forma de Java Apples

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Caracterização da interação de inositol hexafosfato e cloreto com hemoglobina humana: aspectos energéticos e estruturais

Pós-graduação em Biofísica Molecular - IBILCE

Redução do medo durante o tratamento odontológico utilizando pontas ultrassônicas

Over the last few years, new technologies have been developed to making cavity preparations, among which the diamond burs CVDentus® (CVDentus, São José dos Campos, Brazil) are outstanding. These points are produced by chemical deposition from the vapor phase, forming a single diamond stone, with greater durability than the conventional diamond burs. Coupled to the ultrasound appliance, they have several clinical applications in Dentistry with advantages over conventional rotary instruments, such as lower pressure, noise, vibration and heat, as well as reducing the need to use local anesthesia, contributing to minimize patient’s fear and anxiety. The aim of this study was to present the complete restorative dental treatment performed with this system in a child patient with a prior history of non-cooperative behavior. The use of this new technology offered the patient greater comfort, making it possible recondition the patient’s attitude to dental treatment, in addition to favoring conservative cavity preparations to be made.

Lo spazio senso-motorio come rappresentazione dei comportamenti intersoggettivi. Una nuova ipotesi sperimentale dalla filosofia alle neuroscienze

La ricerca ha preso le mosse da tre ipotesi fondamentali: 1) Esiste un legame tra processi cognitivi di basso ed alto livello; 2) Lo spazio senso-motorio è una percezione soggettiva; 3) Lo spazio senso-motorio varia in funzione delle diverse modalità di interazione sociale. La tesi sostiene che lo spazio senso-motorio si lascia modulare dalla semplice co-presenza di un altro agente umano e da interazioni cooperative e non cooperative. I capitoli I, II, III, hanno lo scopo di scomporre e spiegare il significato della prima, seconda e terza ipotesi; giungendo a formulare la tesi centrale che sarà poi dimostrata sperimentalmente nel capitolo IV. Il capitolo V introduce future linee di ricerca nell’ambito dell’etica proponendo una nuova ipotesi sul legame che potrebbe sussistere tra la percezione dello spazio durante l’interazione sociale e i giudizi morali. Il lavoro svolto chiama ad operare insieme diverse discipline che concorrono a formare le scienze cognitive: la storia della filosofia, la filosofia della mente contemporanea, la neuropsicologia sperimentale ed alcuni temi della psicologia sociale.

Caratteristiche ed efficienza economica del Distretto agroalimentare del Pecorino Romano DOP

Una delle realtà economiche più importanti della Sardegna è la produzione di Pecorino Romano DOP. Il contesto nel quale è nato e si è sviluppato ingloba molte delle precondizioni che favoriscono la nascita di un distretto. Il principale obiettivo di questo studio è verificare se il comparto lattiero caseario della Sardegna, focalizzato nella produzione di Pecorino Romano DOP, può creare un effetto distretto. Ciò potrebbe suggerire l'esistenza dello stesso distretto anche se atipico. Per verificare questa ipotesi, in primo luogo è stata esaminata l'efficienza produttiva delle imprese trasformatrici di Pecorino Romano utilizzando il metodo della Frontiera stocastica di produzione. Successivamente sono state cercate le cause delle differenze. Lo studio mostra che i livelli di efficienza osservati sono quasi interamente attribuibili agli input di produzione utilizzati, in particolare al latte. Risulta chiaro che il sistema delle cooperative funziona e che tali aziende ottengono sistematicamente margini di efficienza migliori rispetto alle non cooperative. Le variabili analizzate non permettono di concludere che esiste un "effetto distretto".