Bundling Strategies When Products Are Vertically Differentiated and Capacities Are Limited

We consider a seller who owns two capacity-constrained resources and markets two products (components) corresponding to these resources as well as a bundle comprising the two components. In an environment where all customers agree that one of the two components is of higher quality than the other and that the bundle is of the highest quality, we derive the seller's optimal bundling strategy. We demonstrate that the optimal solution depends on the absolute and relative availabilities of the two resources as well as upon the extent of subadditivity of the quality of the products. The possible strategies that can arise as equilibrium behavior include a pure components strategy, a partial- or full-spectrum mixed bundling strategy, and a pure bundling strategy, where the latter strategy is optimal when capacities are unconstrained. These conclusions are contrary to findings in the prior literature on bundling that demonstrated the unambiguous dominance of the full-spectrum mixed bundling strategy. Thus, our work expands the frontier of bundling to an environment with vertically differentiated components and limited resources. We also explore how the bundling strategies change as we introduce an element of horizontal differentiation wherein different types of customers value the available components differently.

An Analysis of Capacities, Moral Hierarchies, and the Moral Status of Non-Human Animals in Contemporary Animal Rights Work

The primary objective of this thesis is to demonstrate the pernicious impact that moral hierarchies have on our perception and subsequent treatment of non-human animals. Moral hierarchies in general are characterized by a dynamic in which one group is considered to be fundamentally superior to a lesser group. This thesis focuses specifically on the moral hierarchies that arise when humans are assumed to be superior to non-human animals in virtue of their advanced mental capabilities. The operative hypothesis of this thesis is essentially that moral hierarchies thwart the provision of justice to non-human animals in that they function as a justification for otherwise impermissible actions. When humans are assumed to be fundamentally superior to non-human animals then it becomes morally permissible for humans to kill non-human animals and utilize them as mere instrumentalities. This thesis is driven primarily by an in-depth analysis of the approaches to animal rights that are provided by Peter Singer, Tom Regan, and Gary Francione. Each of these thinkers claim that they overcome anthropocentrism and provide approaches that preclude the establishment of a moral hierarchy. One of the major findings of this thesis, however, is that Singer and Regan offer approaches that remain highly anthropocentric despite the fact that each thinker claims that they have overcome anthropocentrism. The anthropocentrism persists in these respective approaches in that each thinkers gives humans Regan and Singer have different conceptions of the criteria that are required to afford a being moral worth, but they both give preference to beings that have the cognitive ability to form desires regarding the future.. As a result, a moral hierarchy emerges in which humans are regarded to be fundamentally superior. Francione, however, provides an approach that does not foster a moral hierarchy. Francione creates such an approach by applying the principle of equal consideration of interests in a consistent manner. Moreover, Francione argues that mere sentience is both a necessary and sufficient condition for being eligible and subsequently receiving moral consideration. The upshot of this thesis is essentially that the moral treatment of animals is not compatible with the presence of a moral hierarchy. As a result, this thesis demonstrates that future approaches to animal rights must avoid the establishment of moral hierarchies. The research and analysis within this thesis demonstrates that this is not a possibility, however, unless all theories of justice that are to accommodate animals abandon the notion that cognition matters morally.

Erosive and buffering capacities of yogurt

OBJECTIVE: The capability of drinks and foods to resist pH changes brought about by salivary buffering may play an important role in the erosion of dental enamel. The aim of the present study was to measure the initial pH of several types of yogurt and to test the degrees of saturation (pK-pl) with respect to hydroxyapatite and fluorapatite to determine the buffering capacity and related erosive potential of yogurt. METHOD AND MATERIALS: Twenty-five milliliters of 7 types of freshly opened yogurt was titrated with 1 mol/L of sodium hydroxide, added in 0.5 mL increments, until the pH reached 10, to assess the total titratable acidity, a measure of the drink's own buffering capacity. The degrees of saturation (pK-pl) with respect to hydroxyapatite and fluorapatite were also calculated, using a computer program developed for this purpose. For statistical analysis, samples were compared using Kruskal-Wallis test. RESULTS: The buffering capacities can be ordered as follows: fruit yogurt >low-fat yogurt >bioyogurt >butter yogurt >natural yogurt >light fruit yogurt >light yogurt. The results suggest that, in vitro, fruit yogurt has the greatest buffering capacity. CONCLUSION: It can be stated that it is not possible to induce erosion on enamel with any type of yogurt.

Impact of long-term moderate hypercapnia and elevated temperature on the energy budget of isolated gills and branchial in vivo and in vitro enzyme capacities of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua)

Effects of severe hypercapnia have been extensively studied in marine fishes, while knowledge on the impacts of moderately elevated CO2 levels and their combination with warming is scarce. Here we investigate ion regulation mechanisms and energy budget in gills from Atlantic cod acclimated long-term to elevated PCO2 levels (2500 µatm) and temperature (18 °C). Isolated perfused gill preparations established to determine gill thermal plasticity during acute exposures (10-22 °C) and in vivo costs of Na+/K+-ATPase activity, protein and RNA synthesis. Maximum enzyme capacities of F1Fo-ATPase, H+-ATPase and Na+/K+-ATPase were measured in vitro in crude gill homogenates. After whole animal acclimation to elevated PCO2 and/or warming, branchial oxygen consumption responded more strongly to acute temperature change. The fractions of gill respiration allocated to protein and RNA synthesis remained unchanged. In gills of fish CO2-exposed at both temperatures, energy turnover associated with Na+/K+-ATPase activity was reduced by 30% below rates of control fish. This contrasted in vitro capacities of Na+/K+-ATPase, which remained unchanged under elevated CO2 at 10 °C, and earlier studies which had found a strong upregulation under severe hypercapnia. F1Fo-ATPase capacities increased in hypercapnic gills at both temperatures, whereas Na+/K+ATPase and H+-ATPase capacities only increased in response to elevated CO2 and warming indicating the absence of thermal compensation under CO2. We conclude that in vivo ion regulatory energy demand is lowered under moderately elevated CO2 levels despite the stronger thermal response of total gill respiration and the upregulation of F1Fo-ATPase. This effect is maintained at elevated temperature.

Artificial cognitive control system based on the shared circuits model of sociocognitive capacities. A first approach

sharedcircuitmodels is presented in this work. The sharedcircuitsmodelapproach of sociocognitivecapacities recently proposed by Hurley in The sharedcircuitsmodel (SCM): how control, mirroring, and simulation can enable imitation, deliberation, and mindreading. Behavioral and Brain Sciences 31(1) (2008) 1–22 is enriched and improved in this work. A five-layer computational architecture for designing artificialcognitivecontrolsystems is proposed on the basis of a modified sharedcircuitsmodel for emulating sociocognitive experiences such as imitation, deliberation, and mindreading. In order to show the enormous potential of this approach, a simplified implementation is applied to a case study. An artificialcognitivecontrolsystem is applied for controlling force in a manufacturing process that demonstrates the suitability of the suggested approach

Yield and sugar accumulating capacities of Airén cultivar. A preliminary study

Airén is the most worldwide spread white grape cultivar, high yielding, well adapted to hot, dry conditions, and not very sensitive to fungal diseases. Its largest growing region is La Mancha, where Airén has been traditionally bush trained, spur pruned and grown with no irrigation. However, grape growing has evolved to meet the need for higher yields and harvest mechanization; and modern cultural practices train grape vines to simple multi-wire trellis systems, cane pruned, and usually irrigated. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the yield and sugar accumulating capacities of Airén cultivar with regard to leaf area, and to assess the influence that different yield components have on yield. In 2014, five commercial irrigated vineyards, located in La Mancha, of different ages, and grafted onto different rootstocks were selected for this study. Canopy surface area (SA) was measured at maturity. Berry weight and sugar concentration were measured during ripening on a weekly basis. Yield and yield components were determined at harvest. Values for shoot density ranged 2.3-5.1 shoots/m2; SA, 0.6-1.1 m2/m2; yield, 20-40 t/ha; fertility, 1.1-1.7 bunches/shoot; bunch weight, 450-650 g; berry weight, 2.5-2.9 g; and sugar concentration, 17-21 ºBrix. The number of bunches per shoot was the yield component that had the greatest influence on yield. The number of berries was the main contributing factor to bunch weight. A lineal relationship between SA/yield and sugar concentration was observed, with values of SA/yield ranging from 0.20 to 0.45 m2/kg. A ratio SA/yield of approximately 0.4 m2/kg was needed to reach a value of 20 ºBrix. Hence it would be necessary a SA of 12000 m2/ha, under the conditions of this study, to achieve a 30 t/ha yield, and a sugar concentration of 20 ºBrix. These results are a step forward in the study of the Airén cultivar, being of help for grape growers in the center area of Spain in order to maximize crop yield and sugar accumulation.

Synaptic sprouting increases the uptake capacities of motoneurons in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis mice

Using adenoviruses encoding reporter genes as retrograde tracers, we assessed the capacity of motoneurons to take up and retrogradely transport adenoviral particles injected into the muscles of transgenic mice expressing the G93A human superoxide dismutase mutation, a model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Surprisingly, transgene expression in the motoneurons was significantly higher in symptomatic mice than in control or presymptomatic mice. Using botulinum toxin to induce nerve sprouting at neuromuscular junctions, we showed that the unexpectedly high level of motoneurons retrograde transduction results, at least in part, from newly acquired uptake properties of the sprouts. These findings demonstrate the remarkable uptake properties of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis motoneurons in response to denervation and the rationale of using intramuscular injections of adenoviruses to overexpress therapeutic proteins in motor neuron diseases.

Energy metabolism, enzymatic flux capacities, and metabolic flux rates in flying honeybees.

Honeybees rely primarily on the oxidation of hexose sugars to provide the energy required for flight. Measurement of VCO2 (equal to VO2, because VCO2/VO2 = 1.0 during carbohydrate oxidation) during flight allowed estimation of steady-state flux rates through pathways of flight muscle energy metabolism. Comparison of Vmax values for flight muscle hexokinase, phosphofructokinase, citrate synthase, and cytochrome c oxidase with rates of carbon and O2 flux during flight reveal that these enzymes operate closer to Vmax in the flight muscles of flying honeybees than in other muscles previously studied. Possible mechanistic and evolutionary implications of these findings are discussed.

Chemical Reactors. Problem 2: Constant pressure adiabatic stirred batch reactor with variable heat capacities (2011-2012 Course)

Wording of problem 2 (week 3, 17/10/11).

Chemical Reactors. Problem 2: Constant pressure adiabatic stirred batch reactor with variable heat capacities. Solution (2011-2012 Course)

Chemical Reaction Engineering. Course 2011-12. Solution of problem 2: constant pressure adiabatic stirred batch reactor with variable heat capacities.

Adsorbent density impact on gas storage capacities

In the literature, different approaches, terminologies, concepts and equations are used for calculating gas storage capacities. Very often, these approaches are not well defined, used and/or determined, giving rise to significant misconceptions. Even more, some of these approaches, very much associated with the type of adsorbent material used (e.g., porous carbons or new materials such as COFs and MOFs), impede a suitable comparison of their performances for gas storage applications. We review and present the set of equations used to assess the total storage capacity for which, contrarily to the absolute adsorption assessment, all its experimental variables can be determined experimentally without assumptions, ensuring the comparison of different porous storage materials for practical application. These material-based total storage capacities are calculated by taking into account the excess adsorption, the bulk density (ρbulk) and the true density (ρtrue) of the adsorbent. The impact of the material densities on the results are investigated for an exemplary hydrogen isotherm obtained at room temperature and up to 20 MPa. It turns out that the total storage capacity on a volumetric basis, which increases with both, ρbulk and ρtrue, is the most appropriate tool for comparing the performance of storage materials. However, the use of the total storage capacities on a gravimetric basis cannot be recommended, because low material bulk densities could lead to unrealistically high gravimetric values.