Interest In Theory Research Articles

How economists influence antitrust: the contributions of Tim Bresnahan, Janusz Ordover, Steve Salop, and Bobby Willig

Abstract Economists influence antitrust policy through theoretical and empirical economic research, translation and synthesis of that research, direct participation in policy development, and participation in the adversarial process. To illustrate these channels, this article profiles the antitrust-related work of four industrial organization economists who have played important roles in the development of antitrust economics and policy: Tim Bresnahan, Janusz Ordover, Steve Salop, and Bobby Willig. The article also evaluates three overarching theories about the role of economics in antitrust: a public interest theory, capture by big business, and influence tied to the ascendancy of neoliberalism.

Mapping design stages and methodologies for developing STEM concept inventories: a scoping review

BackgroundConcept inventories (CIs) have become widely used tools for assessing students’ learning and assisting with educational decisions. Over the past three decades, CI developers have utilized various design approaches and methodologies. As a result, it can be challenging for those developing new CIs to identify the most effective and appropriate methods and approaches. This scoping review aimed to identify and map key design stages, summarize methodologies, identify design gaps and provide guidance for future efforts in the development and validation of CI tools.MethodsA preliminary literature review combined theoretical thematic analysis (deductive, researcher-driven) focusing on specific data aspects, and inductive thematic analysis (data-driven), using emerging themes independent of specific research questions or theoretical interests. Expert discussions complemented the analysis process.ResultsThe scoping review analyzed 106 CI articles and identified five key development stages: define the construct, determine and validate content domain; identify misconceptions; item formation and response processes design; test item selection and validation; and test application and refinement. A descriptive design model was developed using a mixed-method approach, incorporating expert input, literature review, student-oriented analysis, and statistical tests. Various psychometric assessments were employed to validate the test and its items. Substantial gaps were noted in defining and determining the validity and reliability of CI tools, and in the evidence required to establish these attributes.ConclusionThe growing interest in utilizing CIs for educational purposes has highlighted the importance of identifying and refining the most effective design stages and methodologies. CI developers need comprehensive guidance to establish and evaluate the validity and reliability of their instruments. Future research should focus on establishing a unified typology of CI instrument validity and reliability requirements, as well as the types of evidence needed to meet these standards. This effort could optimize the effectiveness of CI tools, foster a cohesive evaluation approach, and bridge existing gaps.

Event Horizon Telescope observations exclude compact objects in baseline mimetic gravity

Mimetic gravity has gained significant appeal in cosmological contexts, but static spherically symmetric space-times within the baseline theory are highly non-trivial: the two natural solutions are a naked singularity and a black hole space-time obtained through an appropriate gluing procedure. We study the shadow properties of these two objects, finding both to be pathological. In particular, the naked singularity does not cast a shadow, whereas the black hole casts a shadow which is too small. We argue that the Event Horizon Telescope images of M87\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$^{\\star }$$\\end{document} and Sgr A\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$^{\\star }$$\\end{document} rule out the baseline version of mimetic gravity, preventing the theory from successfully accounting for the dark sector on cosmological scales. Our results highlight an interesting complementarity between black hole imaging observations and modified gravity theories of cosmological interest.

Determinants of receiving government support by small and medium-sized enterprises in Russia

Government support measures help companies overcome various restrictions impeding their growth and develop ment, which is of special relevance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). These measures, therefore, must reach the target companies and ensure efficient allocation of resources. The article reveals key characteristics of SMEs in Russia that increase the probability of them receiving government support. The research methodology is based on public interest theory, public choice theory and the concept of economic freedom. The research method is a two-step regression analysis, in which the binary choice model is first evaluated, and then the LASSO model is used to assess the impact of the textual content of the companies’ websites. The dataset of the study is represented by data on 2,176 Russian metallurgical enterprises for 2020–2023, of which 57% were receiving government support. The results of the first step of evaluation showed that the organization’s age and size meas ured by revenue were the key factors associated with the probability of receiving government support. At the second step, we found that the mention of certain goods or materials on the websites, the enterprise’s location and orientation towards foreign stakeholders were significantly related to the likelihood of getting state support. The study offers tools for analyzing the determi nants of government support for SMEs and highlights the importance of this analysis for more efficient allocation of government resources.

Paul Davidson (1930–2024) and the founding of Post Keynesian economics

Paul Davidson was a critical figure in the preservation of John Maynard Keynes’s ideas, sticking with them when they were out of fashion. He was also key to the survival of the Post Keynesian school. Davidson endorsed Keynes’s liquidity preference theory of interest, and he emphasized fundamental uncertainty as a central feature of economic reality, essential to making sense of a monetary economy. His greatest legacy is the Journal of Post Keynesian Economics, the intellectual home for a generation of Post Keynesian economists. Without his efforts, the heterodox economics community would be significantly smaller than it is now.

The Power of Puppetry as an Arts-Based Tool for Health and Disability Communication Research

ABSTRACT In this article, we argue that using puppetry as a tool for arts-based research can enhance existing health and disability communication scholarship. We position interdisciplinary puppetry research alongside concepts and theories of interest to communication scholars, including entertainment education, embodiment and performance, communicated narrative sense-making, and dialogue. Then, we share an illustrative case study from our research with the nonprofit organization, MicheLee Puppets. Drawing from interviews with five puppeteers, we describe how the Live Puppet Chat program created unexpected opportunities to connect with neurodiverse spectators during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our “crystalized” narrative and thematic analysis demonstrates how puppeteers used puppet-objects to facilitate dialogue with chat participants. This involved (a) suspending disbelief, (b) suspending judgment, (c) communicating through the lens of (neurodiverse) empowerment, and (c) improvising for empowerment.

What is a Right?

ABSTRACT This paper argues for a theory of natural rights on which they are explained in terms of reasons supplied by rational consent. When B has a claim-right against A that A φ, A ’s non-consent is not a reason for B not to simply make A φ. This theory solves a puzzle that defeats alternative views, including standard will and interest theories, the demand theory of rights, and the view that rights are irreducible or primitive.

Legal Status of a Dead Person: A Critical Analysis in the Light of Jurisprudence

This study states that while legal rules affecting the dead often have a practical aspect, one of the primary, and yet unrecognized, forces driving the creation of these legal rules are cultural norms, including dignity and respect for decedents’ wishes. In reaching this conclusion, this study adopts an interest theory approach to rights. Interest Theory recognizes persons currently incapable of making choices, such as the mentally incapacitated and infants, as potential right-holders. Using interest theory, this study argues that the dead, although unable to make real-time choices, are capable of being legal right-holders. Furthermore, certain interests, such as the interest in seeing one’s offspring survive or the interest in one’s reputation, can survive death. When these interests are protected by legal rules, the dead are granted de facto legal rights that can be enforced against the living. The law also strives to honor a decedent’s wishes and to protect his interests because society has chosen, within limits, to adhere to the principle of autonomy. This is why courts often consider a decedent’s wishes when determining the disposition of his corpse or property.

The Concurrent Implications of Government Officials in Indonesia are Viewed from the Concept of Good Governance

Large countries generally have territory, population, government, and sovereignty. The state is literally a construction created by humans regarding the pattern of relations between people in social life organized in such a way as to fulfill interests and achieve common goals. The government in running the wheels of government has received a lot of attention from the public. One of the highlights is the concurrent position of government officials. In Indonesia, many concurrent officials can certainly have potential conflicts of interest. This is interesting to research, which is related to 2 (two) main issues, namely: how is the concurrent arrangement of positions for government officials in Indonesia? and how are the implications of concurrent positions of government officials in Indonesia viewed from the concept of Good Governance? The research was conducted using normative legal research methods and using conflict of interest theory. The results showed that there are arrangements that prohibit concurrent positions and also arrangements that allow concurrent positions which of course can cause potential conflicts of interest. Concurrent positions in terms of the concept of Good Governance directly violate the general principles of good governance, there will be potential for seepage of information and / or policy assistance for those concerned. Therefore, new laws and regulations are needed that must strictly prohibit concurrent positions for legal unity and avoid conflicts of interest for government officials.

The links between experiential learning and 4E cognition.

In this article, we explore the connections between two distinct approaches: experiential learning (EL) and 4E cognition. EL emphasizes the role of concrete experiences as the building blocks of learning, whereas 4E cognition views cognition as arising from the interactions that an individual has with their physical and social environment. Despite their divergent theoretical frameworks, methodologies, and interests, we argue that both frameworks share a common vision of cognition and that their integration could mutually enhance their respective fields. This article outlines the historical origins and underlying assumptions of both frameworks, highlighting the potential links that can be established between them. Specifically, we explore the significance of embodiment, embeddedness, extended cognition, and enactive processes in learning and cognition. To bridge these frameworks, we propose employing the concept of "concrete experience" as an active engagement of individuals with their physical and social surroundings. By encompassing the essential aspects assigned to concrete experiences in EL, as well as the embodiment, situatedness, extended cognition, and enactive features of 4E cognition, this notion serves as a unifying element. Ultimately, the article suggests that combining the insights from EL and 4E cognition can offer a richer, more holistic understanding of representation.

Mixing between flavor singlets in lattice gauge theories coupled to matter fields in multiple representations

We provide the first extensive, numerical study of the nontrivial problem of mixing between flavor-singlet composite states emerging in strongly coupled lattice field theories with matter field content consisting of fermions transforming in different representations of the gauge group. The theory of interest is the minimal candidate for a composite Higgs model that also accommodates a mechanism for top partial compositeness: the Sp(4) gauge theory coupled to two (Dirac) fermions transforming as the fundamental and three as the two-index antisymmetric representation of the gauge group, respectively. We apply an admixture of APE smearing and Wuppertal smearings, as well as the generalized eigenvalue problem approach, to two-point functions involving flavor-singlet mesons, for ensembles having time extent longer than the space extent. We demonstrate that, in the region of lattice parameter space accessible to this study, both masses and mixing angles can be measured effectively, despite the presence of (numerically noisy) contributions from disconnected diagrams. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Religion from a sociological perspective – implications for pedagogical research

The sociology of religion is the part of sociology as the science of society. From the beginning of this discipline, interest in the phenomenon of religion has been very lively. Both the founders of sociology themselves and its most important representatives devoted their theoretical and empirical interests to it. Religion and society, religious experience, functionalism theory and religion - these are the main problems discussed in this article. The analysis covers the phenomenon of religion in general, and the sources of this interpretation are primarily studies important for this discipline, old, often classic, and contemporary. The research perspective is aimed at trying to articulate some elements that are also conducive to pedagogical research, especially regarding the problem of upbringing. The analysis often suggested educational, shaping and socializing aspects of religion.

Towards field theory of multiple D0-branes. Hamiltonian mechanics and quantization of simplest 3D prototype of multiple D0-brane system

Recently we have constructed a completely supersymmetric nonlinear action possessing the properties expected from multiple D0-brane system. Its quantization should result in an interesting supersymmetric field theory in the (super)space with additional matrix coordinates which can provide an important insights in the study of String Theory. As a first stage toward this aim, in this paper we construct the Hamiltonian mechanics and perform covariant quantization of the simplest three dimensional counterpart of the ten dimensional multiple D0-brane model. We obtain a supersymmetric system of equations in a (super)spacetime enlarged by bosonic and fermionic matrix coordinates which appears as a result of such quantization and discuss some of its properties.

The Mediating Effect Of Market Liquidity On The Relationship Between Financial Liberalization And Stock Market Returns Among East Africa Community Member Countries

The motivation for this study stems from the critical role of financial markets in economic development and the need to understand the factors influencing stock market performance in the East African Community (EAC) member countries. Financial liberalization, market liquidity, and macroeconomic stability are pivotal in shaping stock market returns. However, empirical studies examining these relationships within the EAC context are limited, prompting this comprehensive analysis. The general objective of this study was to investigate the effect of financial liberalization, market liquidity, and macroeconomic factors on stock market returns among EAC member countries. The study was anchored on the theory of financial liberalization, neoclassical theory, efficient market hypothesis, behavioral finance theory, and the general theory of employment, interest, and money. Data were collected from secondary sources, including financial reports, stock exchange databases, and relevant economic databases, covering the period from 2002 to 2021.The study employed fixed-effects regression models, chosen based on the Hausman specification test, to control for unobserved heterogeneity across countries. Baron and Kenny’s approach was used to test for mediation and moderation effects. The analysis involved examining the direct and, mediating relationships between the key variables. The findings revealed that financial liberalization significantly and positively affects stock market returns. Conversely, market liquidity was found to mediate this relationship, enhancing the positive effects of financial liberalization. The study concludes that financial liberalization is a crucial determinant of stock market performance in the EAC region. Market liquidity plays a significant role in amplifying the benefits of financial liberalization. For policymakers, the study recommends policymakers in EAC should focus on developing infrastructure that supports efficient trading systems. This recommendation is based on the finding that higher market liquidity significantly boosts the positive effects of foreign assets and liabilities on stock market returns

Investigation of STEM Supported Engineering and Design Experiences of Students Participating in Design and Innovation Workshop in the Context of Situational Interest Theory

This study aims to examine the engineering and design-supported STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) experiences of students who participated in the "Design and Innovation Workshop" organized at the Science and Art Center (SAC) during the semester break. The experiences and perceptions of 17 students (10 males and 7 females) were analyzed in depth in this study, which was conducted using a phenomenology design from qualitative research methods. Semi-structured interview form, student diaries, field notes and STEM product drawing form were used as data collection tools. The research findings showed that students' participation in design and engineering-based STEM activities enhanced their problem-solving skills, creativity and teamwork. The theory accompanying the research suggests that these activities increase students' interest and motivation in STEM disciplines. The research results suggest that design and innovation workshops can positively influence students' attitudes and skills towards STEM fields.

학습상황에서 학습자가 지각하는 유용가치의 정의와 하위유형, 역할에 관한 문헌연구

Purpose: As the perceived utility value among learners in educational settings varies widely, research on diverse types of utility value has been conducted in a disorganized manner with various criteria. In this study the definition, subtypes, and roles of utility value were examined, and necessary research problems were suggested for the future. Methods: The definitions related to utility value defined in various theories and studies were summarized theoretically. Next, by reviewing the detailed types of utility value, the subtypes of utility value in the learning situation of adolescents were summarized. Finally, the role of utility value was summarized based on previous studies. Results: The concept similar to the utility value in the expectancy-value theory includes instrumentality in future time perspective theory and identified regulation in self-determination theory and relatedness in interest theory. In this study, the concept of utility value from four theories was concretized. The specific types of utility value were categorized according to life domains, goal timepoint, performancecontingency, instrumentality, achievement goals, and the subject involved. The variables examining the relationship with useful value are mainly composed of motivation, achievement, and behavior. Conclusion: Utility value can be further divided into subtypes based on critiria such as purpose or domain of usefullness. Additionally, these subtypes of utility value may exhibit distinctive characteristics. Therefore, this study suggests that future research should distinguish and measure each subtype, and investigate how students' learning varies according to the different subtypes of utility value.

Influence of Most Violated Children's Rights on Student’s Academic Performance in Public Secondary Schools in Ugunja Sub-County, Kenya

This study explored the influence of student rights awareness on academic performance in public secondary schools in Ugunja Sub-County, Kenya. It is established the most violated children's rights and their influence on academic performance in Ugunja Sub-county Public Secondary Schools. The study targeted Ugunja Sub-County Director of Education, 25 School Principals, 393 teachers, and 15,502 students enrolled in Secondary Schools in this Sub-County. This research was anchored on Mathew Kramer's Best interest theory of a child that advocates for maximum protection of the best interest of a child. A descriptive survey design was adopted. Slovin's formula was applied to obtain a sample size of 390 participants. Questionnaires and interview schedules were employed as the research instrument. Their validity was tested through sharing and getting views from members of the cohort. Split-half method was featured in testing the reliability of research instruments by determining the correlation between scores for both halves. The quantitative data from the questionnaires was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Science [SPSS] version 20.1. This data was then presented using tables, graphs, pie charts, frequency distribution and percentages so as to make it easily understood. Qualitative data generated from the interview schedules involving the Sub-county Director of Education and Principals was analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings revealed that a total of 97% of students of both gender claimed that there was child right violation in their schools. They were supported with 90% of teachers and 100% of the key respondents (Principals/SCDE). The most commonly violated rights according to both teachers and students was through corporal punishment, bullying, sexual harassment and proper use of school resources where some learners said that they were denied the proper use of some school items such as computers and laboratory apparatus. Other rights that they were denied include, right to play, freedom of expression and discrimination in terms of colour and religion, thus affected the academic performance of the students in secondary schools. It was clear from the study that most teachers and students were aware of the students’ rights, but they were ignorant of the consequences of violating the rights. The research concluded that, among the most commonly violated rights that the study found out were in form of corporal punishment, sexual harassment and cases of bullying respectively. The main sources of children rights in Ugunja Sub-county were television/radio, school and church. There was an observation that none of the sampled schools had posters against child right violation within their compounds. It came out clearly from this study that violation of student’s rights lead to poor academic performance. The study recommended that government should ensure that there are copies of children right act booklets provided to Public secondary schools so that each learner can have a copy as a reference material, Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development should incorporate topics that deal with children rights in the syllabus so that learners can as well acquire information progressively, the school administration should introduce clubs and societies that address student rights. Students can be guided to be active members of the clubs.

Religious, ethnic and regional identities in Nigerian politics: a shared interest theory

ABSTRACT This essay examines the complex interplay between religious, ethnic, and regional identities in Nigerian politics, challenging the idea that religion solely dictates political behavior. It delves into the manipulation of identities for political advantage, with an emphasis on religion. The Social Identity Theory (SIT) is discussed, highlighting the cognitive processes in forming social identities and their role in promoting in-group bias and out-group prejudice. The novel contribution that this essay makes is the introduction of what I termed the ‘Shared Interest Theory’ or the ‘Common Interest Theory,’ arguing that changes in interests, both tangible and intangible, can trigger shifts in social identity and group dynamics. This theory offers a rational framework for understanding social identity dynamics, providing insights for promoting social cohesion in diverse societies. This framework on identity and politics underscores the importance of recognizing and addressing the divergent interests of different groups to mitigate conflicts and foster social harmony.

Compensation patterns and altered functional connectivity in alcohol use disorder with and without Korsakoff's syndrome.

Alcohol use disorder is a chronic disease characterized by an inappropriate pattern of drinking, resulting in negative consequences for the individual's physical, mental and social health. Korsakoff's syndrome is a complication of alcohol use disorder and is characterized by severe memory and executive deficits. The fronto-cerebellar and Papez circuits are structurally affected in patients with alcohol use disorder with and without Korsakoff's syndrome. The first objective of the present study was to measure the effect of chronic and excessive alcohol consumption on resting-state functional connectivity of these two functional brain networks. The second objective was to identify, for the first time, resting-state functional connectivity abnormalities specific to amnesic patients with Korsakoff's syndrome. In the present study, a neuropsychological assessment and a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging examination were conducted in 31 healthy controls (43.6 ± 6.1 years) and 46 patients (46.6 ± 9.1 years) with alcohol use disorder including 14 patients with Korsakoff's syndrome (55.5 ± 5.3 years) to examine the effect of chronic and heavy alcohol consumption on functional connectivity of the fronto-cerebellar and the Papez circuits at rest and the specificity of functional connectivity changes in Korsakoff's syndrome compared to alcohol use disorder without Korsakoff's syndrome. The resting-state functional connectivity analyses focused on the nodes of the fronto-cerebellar and Papez circuits and combined region of interest and graph theory approaches, and whether these alterations are associated with the neuropsychological profile. In patients pooled together compared to controls, lower global efficiency was observed in the fronto-cerebellar circuit. In addition, certain regions of the fronto-cerebellar and Papez circuits were functionally hyperconnected at rest, which positively correlated with executive functions. Patients with Korsakoff's syndrome showed lower resting-state functional connectivity, lower local and global efficiency within the Papez circuit compared to those without Korsakoff's syndrome. Resting-state functional connectivity positively correlated with several cognitive scores in patients with Korsakoff's syndrome. The fronto-cerebellar and Papez circuits, two normally well-segregated networks, are functionally altered by alcohol use disorder. The Papez circuit attempts to compensate for deficits in the fronto-cerebellar circuit, albeit insufficiently as evidenced by patients' overall lower cognitive performance. Korsakoff's syndrome is characterized by altered functional connectivity in the Papez circuit known to be centrally involved in memory.

형사실체법에서 법익개념과 피해자의 지위 - 해악의 원칙: 형사입법의 제한에 피해자는 기여하는가?

The principle that there is no crime without legal interest to protect serves to set the limits of criminal legislation. In such a theory centered on the legal interest, it is not known what function the victim performs in the criminal law. However, in the criminal law regulations protecting individuals, the victim's traces appear in that the person attributing legal interests is the victim, and it is not an active marker of the criminal law. Here is looked at whether the areas that are difficult to solve with the theory of legal interest can be supplemented with the principles of common law system. The “Harm to Others Principle,” which the state sees as the most legitimate purpose of restricting individual freedom to prevent acts of harm to others, presupposes the existence of the victim. Next, Offense theory is a theory that the state's penal intervention becomes possible when the infringement of an individual's special feelings is accepted as a serious infringement beyond the subjective tendency, unlike the moral or ethical violation as a common behavior of a community. While debating whether personal legal interests and ecological or functional- human-centered legal interests should interpret legal interests centered on human interests or expand them beyond that, it was confirmed that the principle of harm and its derivative principle could be solved simply but more clearly. If the principle of harm is accepted, the victim can be determined in any way and the criminal substance law can be restricted centered on the victim, because it can have the effect of limiting the area of crime through crimes of harming interests by determining the category of harm. On the other hand, it was also examined that while the existence of the victim may perform a systematic critical function of restricting criminal legislation on the one hand, there is a concern that excessive crime may be expanded by interpreting and expanding the existing criminal constituent requirements in interpretation centered on the victim. Of course, even if the principle of harm is accepted, judgment based on an individual's subjective emotion of pleasure or displeasure still cannot be a complete solution in that there is a concern of arbitrary interpretation. This paper would be liked to terminate without concluding what is reasonable. Instead, would like to replace the conclusion with the effect that it is necessary to rethink the basis of “what” criminal law should be legislated clearly.