Location-price competition with externality: an application to the Tenerife tram

[EN] This paper presents a location–price equilibrium problem on a tree. A sufficient condition for having a Nash equilibrium in a spatial competition model that incorporates price, transport, and externality costs is given. This condition implies both competitors are located at the same point, a vertex that is the unique median of the tree. However, this is not an equilibrium necessary condition. Some examples show that not all medians are equilibria. Finally, an application to the Tenerife tram is presented.

Competition on counter measures to 2-D facial spoofing attacks

[EN]Spoofing identities using photographs is one of the most common techniques to attack 2-D face recognition systems. There seems to exist no comparative stud- ies of di erent techniques using the same protocols and data. The motivation behind this competition is to com- pare the performance of di erent state-of-the-art algo- rithms on the same database using a unique evaluation method. Six di erent teams from universities around the world have participated in the contest.

Kinship verification in the wild: the first kinship verification competition

In this paper, we present the Kinship Verification in the Wild Competition: the first kinship verification competition which is held in conjunction with the International Joint Conference on Biometrics 2014, Clearwater, Florida, USA. The key goal of this competition is to compare the performance of different methods on a new-collected dataset with the same evaluation protocol and develop the first standardized benchmark for kinship verification in the wild.

Financing mechanisms and competition in the transport sector

Programa de doctorado: Economía: aplicaciones a las finanzas y seguros, a la economía sectorial, al medio ambiente y a las infraestructuras

Competition between evaporation and fragmentation in nuclear reactions at 15-20 AMeV beam energy

The reactions 32S+58,64Ni are studied at 14.5 AMeV. From this energy on, fragmentation begins to be a dominant process, although evaporation and fission are still present. After a selection of the collision mechanism, we show that important even-odd effects are present in the isotopic fragment distributions when the excitation energy is small. The staggering effect appears to be a universal feature of fragment production, slightly enhanced when the emission source is neutron poor. A closer look at the behavior of isotopic chains reveals that odd-even effects cannot be explained by pairing effects in the nuclear mass alone, but depend in a more complex way on the de-excitation chain.

Cooperation and competition in the air transport market: current scenario, possible evolutions and analytical tools

dall'avvento della liberalizzazione, aeroporti e vettori hanno vissuto cambiamenti. Il maggior miglioramneto nella gestione degli aeroporti è una gestione più commerciale ed efficiente. Le forme di regolazione economica e le caratteristiche della gestione manageriale sono state indagate. Dodici paesi sono stati scelti per indagare la situazione del trasporto aereo mondiale, fra questi sia paesi con un sistema maturo sia paesi emergenti. La distribuzione del traffico è stata analizzata con l'indice HHI per evidenziare aeroporti con concentrazione maggiore di 0,25 (in accordo con la normativa statunitense); il sistema aeroportuale è stato analizzato con l'indice di Gini e con l'indice di dominanza. Infine, la teoria dei giochi si è dimostrata un valido supporto per studiare il mercato del trasporto aereo anche con l'uso di giochi di tipo DP

Clinicopathologic findings in thoroughbred horses during a high speed – short term competition

The aim of this study was to examine whether a real high speed-short term competition influences clinicopathological data focusing on muscle enzymes, iron profile and Acute Phase Proteins. 30 Thoroughbred racing horses (15 geldings and 15 females) aged between 4-12 years (mean 7 years), were used for the study. All the animals performed a high speed-short term competition for a total distance of 154 m in about 12 seconds, repeated 8 times, within approximately one hour (Niballo Horse Race). Blood samples were obtained 24 hours before and within 30 minutes after the end of the races. On all samples were performed a complete blood count (CBC), biochemical and haemostatic profiles. The post-race concentrations for the single parameter were corrected using an estimation of the plasma volume contraction according to the individual Alb concentration. Data were analysed with descriptive statistics and the percentage of variation from the baseline values were recorded. Pre- and post-race results were compared with non-parametric statistics (Mann Whitney U test). A difference was considered significant at p<0.05. A significant plasma volume contraction after the race was detected (Hct, Alb; p<0.01). Other relevant findings were increased concentrations of muscular enzymes (CK, LDH; p<0.01), Crt (p<0.01), significant increased uric acid (p<0.01), a significant decrease of haptoglobin (p<0.01) associated to an increase of ferritin concentrations (p<0.01), significant decrease of fibrinogen (p<0.05) accompanied by a non-significant increase of D-Dimers concentrations (p=0.08). This competition produced relevant abnormalities on clinical pathology in galloping horses. This study confirms a significant muscular damage, oxidative stress, intravascular haemolysis and subclinical hemostatic alterations. Further studies are needed to better understand the pathogenesis, the medical relevance and the impact on performance of these alterations in equine sport medicine.

Intra- and interspecific competition in western barbastelle bats (Barbastella barbastellus, SCHREBER 1774)

In the present thesis I examined individual and sex-specific habitat use and site fidelity in the western barbastelle bat, Barbastella barbastellus, using data from a four-year monitoring in a Special Area of Conservation in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The western barbastelle occurs in central and southern Europe from Portugal to the Caucasus, but is considered to be rare in large parts of its range. Up to now, long-term field studies to assess interannual site fidelity and the possible effects of intra- and interspecific competition have not been studied in this species. Nevertheless, such data provide important details to estimate the specific spatial requirements of its populations, which in turn can be incorporated in extended conservation actions. I used radio-telemetry, home range analyses und automated ultrasound detection to assess the relation between landscape elements and western barbastelle bats and their roosts. In addition, I estimated the degree of interspecific niche overlap with two selected forest-dwelling bat species, Bechstein's bat (Myotis bechsteinii) and the brown long-eared bat (Plecotus auritus). Intra- and interannual home range overlap analyses of female B. barbastellus revealed that fidelity to individual foraging grounds, i.e. a traditional use of particular sites, seems to effect the spatial distribution of home ranges more than intraspecific competition among communally roosting females. The results of a joint analysis of annual maternity roost selection and flight activities along commuting corridors highlight the necessity to protect roost complexes in conjunction with commuting corridors. Using radio-tracking data and an Euclidean distance approach I quantified the sex-specific and individual habitat use by female and male western barbastelle bats within their home ranges. My data indicated a partial sexual segregation in summer habitats. Females were found in deciduous forest patches and preferably foraged along linear elements within the forest. Males foraged closer to forest edges and in open habitats. Finally, I examined the resource partitioning between the western barbastelle bat and two syntopic bat species with a potential for interspecific competition due to similarities in foraging strategies, prey selection and roost preferences. Simultaneous radio-tracking of mixed-species pairs revealed a partial spatial separation of the three syntopic bat species along a gradient from the forest to edge habitats and open landscape. Long-eared bats were found close to open habitats which were avoided by the other two species. B. barbastellus preferred linear landscape elements (edge habitats) and forests, M. bechsteinii also preferred forest habitats. Only little overlap in terms of roost structure and tree species selection was found.

Regulating State Aid: Inter-jurisdictional competition, public choice, and corporate governance

Depending on the regulatory regime they are subject to, governments may or may not be allowed to hand out state aid to private firms. The economic justification for state aid can address several issues present in the competition for capital and the competition for transfers from the state. First, there are principal-agent problems involved at several stages. Self-interested politicians might enter state aid deals that are the result of extensive rent-seeking activities of organized interest groups. Thus the institutional design of political systems will have an effect on the propensity of a jurisdiction to award state aid. Secondly, fierce competition for firm locations can lead to over-spending. This effect is stronger if the politicians do not take into account the entirety of the costs created by their participation in the firm location race. Thirdly, state aid deals can be incomplete and not in the interest of the citizens. This applies if there are no sanctions if firms do not meet their obligations from receiving aid, such as creating a certain number of jobs or not relocating again for a certain amount of time. The separation of ownership and control in modern corporations leads to principal-agent problems on the side of the aid recipient as well. Managers might receive personal benefits from subsidies, the use of which is sometimes less monitored than private finance. This can eventually be to the detriment of the shareholders. Overall, it can be concluded that state aid control should also serve the purpose of regulating the contracting between governments and firms. An extended mandate for supervision by the European Commission could include requirements to disincentive the misuse of state aid. The Commission should also focus on the corporate governance regime in place in the jurisdiction that awards the aid as well as in the recipient firm.

The Application of European Competition Law in Arbitration Proceedings

This work provides several policy proposals capable to strengthen the private enforcement of EU competition law in arbitration. It focuses on the procedural law aspects that are permeated by legal uncertainty and that have not yet fallen under the scrutiny of the law and economics debate. The policy proposals described herein are based on the functional approach to law and economics and aim to promote a more qualified decision making process by: adjudicators, private parties and lawmakers. The resulting framework of procedural rules would be a cost-effective policy tool that could sustain the European Commission’s effort to guarantee a workable level of competition in the EU internal market. This project aims to answer the following broad research question: which procedural rules can improve the efficiency of antitrust arbitration by decreasing litigation costs for private parties on the one hand, and by increasing private parties’ compliance with competition law on the other hand?Throughout this research project, such broad question has been developed into research sub-questions revolving around several key legal issues. The chosen sub-research questions result from a vacuum in the European enforcement system that leaves several key legal issues in antitrust arbitration unresolved. The legal framework proposed in this research project could prevent such a blurry scenario from impairing the EU private enforcement of competition law in arbitration. Therefore, our attention was triggered by those legal issues whose proposed solutions lead to relevant uncertainties and that are most suitable for a law and economics analysis.