Auctions are the allocation-mechanisms of choice whenever goods and information in markets are scarce. Therefore, understanding how information affects welfare and revenues in these markets is of fundamental interest. We introduce new statistical concepts, kand k-m-dispersion, for understanding the impact of information release. With these tools, we study the comparative statics of welfare vers...

Daniela Stallone Assistant Vice President, Claims Medical Liability Mutual Insurance Company The cases presented in this issue involve the legal doctrine of the “loss of chance.” The plaintiffs in both cases alleged that the negligence of, and delay in diagnosis by, the treating physician was a “substantial factor” in causing their injuries. Expert testimony for the plaintiff will often state t...

The present study examines the coordination of lexical and paralinguistic F0 in second language (henceforth L2) production. We tested how L2 learners manage to handle F0 when F0 in their first language (henceforth L1) carries a paralinguistic function, but a lexical one in their L2 and vice versa. Participants (fifteen L1 Japanese speakers and fifteen L1 German speakers, proficient also in thei...

The Supermarket Supply Chain Example A few years ago, I was enlisted by an executive vice-president of a large American supermarket chain to help focus their improvement efforts at their semi-annual supply chain conference. This supermarket corporation operated 1,800 retail stores and 125 distribution centers throughout the western two-thirds of the United States. The 35 participants in this su...