21978 research outputs found
Sort by
Loss Aversion in Optimal Contracting with Moral Hazard
Get PDF
Abstract
A real world setting of the principal-agent relationship includes an employer designing an employee’s contract. Due to the presence of imperfect monitoring by managers, a moral hazard problem emerges, where an employee's effort is unobservable. In order to incentivize high effort from the agent and influence the outcome of their work, the principal can utilize a payment scheme or termination threat in the contract. The presence of behavioral factors, such as loss aversion, affects how one is incentivized. This paper explores the effect of this behavioral aspect of loss aversion on optimal contracting in a moral hazard setting. By analyzing the principal’s optimization problem under loss aversion, I interpret the effect on the optimal contract design in both the case of a standard wage contract and a termination contract. I find that the optimal transfers in a wage contract increase with loss aversion, while for the termination contract, the transfer increases and the optimal probability of termination decreases. Furthermore, the termination contract is less costly to the principal in the presence of loss aversion. These conclusions provide insight into the value of a principal familiarizing themselves with their agents’ behavioral components.
</p
Optimizing High-Pressure Freezing (HPF) targets to efficiently visualize the Synaptonemal Complex (SC)�
No full textThe Synaptonemal Complex (SC) is a proteinaceous structure that holds the homologous chromosomes in close proximity during the prophase 1 stage of meiosis while they exchange genetic material in a process known as homologous chromosome recombination. This meiotic recombination leads to genetic variability in sexually reproducing organisms. The ultrastructure of the SC has been studied by electron microscopy (EM) and is a tripartite structure with two lateral elements (LE) separated by the central region (CR) with transverse filaments striated across. While functions of the SC have been previously studied, little to no information is presented on how the SC facilitates these functions. This is due to the challenge of biochemically isolating the SC, thus not obtaining a high-resolution three-dimensional (3-D) structure of the SC. In this study, we use a combination of structural biology and cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) along with cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) to further visualize the 3D structure of the SC. Using C. elegans as the model organism, we froze the tissue using high-pressure freezing (HPF) and studied the architecture and assembly of the SC using innovative EM methods such as focused ion beam milling in conjunction with scanning electron beam (FIB-SEM). To obtain high-resolution data of the SC, cryo-ET was used to visualize the protein complex. However, applying these innovative methods to SC would require optimizing these methods specifically for C. elegans tissue, and thus, modifications are implemented in this study. The goal is to develop methods to make large, complex tissue more accessible for Cryo-ET studies. Through novel (yet simple) adaptations to the previously established waffle method, we have been able to center, vitrify, and cryo-FIB mill small tissue samples for cryo-TEM visualization.</p
Instrumental Duo Repertoire for Developing Pianists
Get PDFWith an abundance of repertoire in the collaborative piano canon, it is often challenging to select the right piece for students at various levels. In 2020, piano pedagogue Dr. Jenna Braaksma devised a grading rubric of four levels to assess vocal repertoire. This document serves as an extension, expanding the rubric for instrumental repertoire, including strings, woodwinds, and brass.</p
Media and Climate Change Observatory Monthly Summary: Disappointing results this year, worrying many nations - Issue 96, December 2024
Get PDFDecember media coverage of climate change or global warming in newspapers around the globe went down 38% from November 2024. Furthermore, coverage in December 2024 dropped 31% from December 2023. Figure 1 shows trends in newspaper media coverage at the global scale – organized into seven geographical regions around the world – across 21 years, from January 2004 through December 2024.</p
Boosting the Identifier Ecosystem of the University of Colorado Boulder Faculty
Get PDFUnique author identifiers play a crucial role in scholarly communication, enabling the correct attribution of authorship and the promotion and discovery of scholarly works. Identifiers benefit both the individual faculty member and their campus community as well. Academic library catalogers play an essential role in ensuring a robust identifier profile for the faculty on their campus and in growing and maintaining the broader identifier ecosystem. This study provides the most thorough analysis to date of the faculty identifier ecosystem of an R1 public university, examining the prevalence of five identifiers among the university’s faculty and using this information to determine practical ways that its cataloging team can boost the local and global identifier ecosystem, as well as providing guidance to other cataloging agencies interested in a similar endeavor.</p
NEPC Review: Think Again: Are Education Programs for High Achievers Inherently Inequitable? (Thomas B. Fordham Institute, October 2024)
Get PDFThe Fordham Institute published a report analyzing several perceived threats to educational opportunities for high-achieving students, contending that these threats come from those who are overly concerned about “equity” and seek to undermine programs designed for these students. It argues for expanding targeted programs, including what it calls “readiness grouping.” However, the report overlooks decades of literature documenting a long history of inequitable grouping and rationing of enrichment. Dismissing research-based concerns about inequality, instead it offers several strawman arguments about why educators and students’ families should not question potentially discriminatory structures. While acknowledging biases based on race, gender, and class, it fails to adequately examine potential solutions. Ultimately, the report offers little useful guidance for creating a public school system that serves all students.</p
NEPC Review: Fiscal Effects of School Choice: The Costs and Savings of Private School Choice Programs in America Through FY 2022 (EdChoice, October 2024)
Get PDFThe expansion of school “choice” (i.e., voucher) programs, which subsidize private school tuition with taxpayer funds, has sparked debate over their fiscal impact. An EdChoice report claims these subsidies save taxpayers money since per-pupil voucher costs are typically lower than public school spending. However, its estimate of how many students switch due to vouchers—rather than using them for a private education they’d pursue anyway—is invalid. The report also ignores that public schools serve more high-need students, inflating costs. Flawed methodology further underestimates voucher program costs, making the report’s weak evidence, poor theories, and slapdash methods useless to policymakers.</p
US Television Coverage of Climate Change or Global Warming, 2000-2025 - January 2025
No full textThe Media and Climate Change Observatory Data monitors 131 sources (across newspapers, radio and TV) in 59 countries in seven different regions around the world. Data is assembled by accessing archives through the Lexis Nexis, Proquest and Factiva databases via the University of Colorado libraries. More information may be found at: http://mecco.colorado.edu.</p
Finnish Newspaper Coverage of Climate Change or Global Warming, 2000-2025 - February 2025
No full textThe Media and Climate Change Observatory Data monitors 131 sources (across newspapers, radio and TV) in 59 countries in seven different regions around the world. Data is assembled by accessing archives through the Lexis Nexis, Proquest and Factiva databases via the University of Colorado libraries. More information may be found at: http://mecco.colorado.edu.</p
Let’s Stop Asking Whether Teachers Are Professionals. Let’s Ask What Kinds of Professionals We Want Teachers to Be
Get PDFEfforts to professionalize teaching aim to improve education quality and student outcomes, but policies meant to ensure "high-quality" teaching have often had the opposite effect. These reforms have increased teacher workload, standardized curriculum and assessment, and diminished teachers' control over their profession, leading to public distrust. Teachers lack authority over key professional elements, such as specialized knowledge, training standards, and decision-making power. External influences from policymakers and corporations have further constrained their professional status. Recent changes in standards, curriculum restrictions, and digitalization continue to shape teaching, raising questions about teachers’ evolving roles. Instead of debating whether teachers are professionals, it is more useful to ask what kind of professionals they should be. Policies that empower teachers and encourage collaborative decision-making can help restore their status and strengthen the profession.</p
Data sources:
Access Repository Dashboard
Do you manage Open Research Online? Become a CORE Member to access insider analytics, issue reports and manage access to outputs from your repository in the CORE Repository Dashboard! 👇