scholarly journals Liability for robots II: an economic analysis

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Alice Guerra ◽  
Francesco Parisi ◽  
Daniel Pi
Keyword(s):  
Economic Analysis ◽  
Previous Analysis ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Liability Rule ◽  
Optimal Activity ◽  
Percolation Effect ◽  
Optimal Investments

Abstract This is the second of two companion papers that discuss accidents caused by robots. In the first paper (Guerra et al., 2021), we presented the novel problems posed by robot accidents, and assessed the related legal approaches and institutional opportunities. In this paper, we build on the previous analysis to consider a novel liability regime, which we refer to as ‘manufacturer residual liability’ rule. This makes operators and victims liable for accidents due to their negligence – hence, incentivizing them to act diligently; and makes manufacturers residually liable for non-negligent accidents – hence, incentivizing them to make optimal investments in R&D for robots' safety. In turn, this rule will bring down the price of safer robots, driving unsafe technology out of the market. Thanks to the percolation effect of residual liability, operators will also be incentivized to adopt optimal activity levels in robots' usage.

scholarly journals Economic Analysis of Accident Law: A New Liability Rule that Induces Socially Optimal Behaviour in Case of Limited Information

2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Astha Srivastava ◽  
Ankur Srivastava
Keyword(s):  
Nash Equilibrium ◽  
Economic Analysis ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
Liability Rule ◽  
Rule Based ◽  
Liability Rules ◽  
Levels Of Care ◽  
Unique Nash Equilibrium ◽  
Optimal Behaviour

AbstractIn accident law, we seek a liability rule that will induce both the parties to adopt socially optimal levels of precaution. Economic analysis, however, shows that none of the commonly used liability rules induce both parties to adopt optimal levels, if courts have access only to ‘Limited Information’ on. In such a case, it has also been established (K. (2006). Efficiency of liability rules: a reconsideration. J. Int. Trade Econ. Dev. 15: 359–373) that no liability rule based on cost justified untaken precaution as a standard of care can be efficient. In this paper, we describe a two-step liability rule: the rule of negligence with the defence of relative negligence. We prove that this rule has a unique Nash equilibrium at socially optimal levels of care for the non-cooperative game, and therefore induces both parties to adopt socially optimal behaviour even in case of limited information.

scholarly journals A Thermophilic GH5 Endoglucanase from Aspergillus fumigatus and Its Synergistic Hydrolysis of Mannan-Containing Polysaccharides

Catalysts ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 862
Author(s):  
Xinxi Gu ◽  
Haiqiang Lu ◽  
Lijuan Zhang ◽  
Xiangchen Meng
Keyword(s):  
Aspergillus Fumigatus ◽  
Reducing Sugars ◽  
Hydrolytic Activity ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Carbohydrate Active Enzymes ◽  
Polysaccharide Lyase ◽  
Optimal Activity ◽  
Total Reducing Sugars ◽  
Encoding Genes ◽  
Hydrolysis Of

In this study, we isolated and identified a thermophilic strain of Aspergillus fumigatus from the “Daqu” samples. Transcriptomic analysis of A. fumigatus identified 239 carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZy)-encoding genes, including 167 glycoside hydrolase (GH)-encoding genes, 58 glycosyltransferase (GT)-encoding genes, 2 polysaccharide lyase (PLs)-encoding genes and 12 carbohydrate esterase (CEs)-encoding genes, which indicates that the strain has a strong potential for application for enzyme production. Furthermore, we also identified a novel endoglucanase gene (AfCel5A), which was expressed in Pichia pastoris and characterized. The novel endoglucanase AfCel5A exhibited the highest hydrolytic activity against CMC-Na and the optimal activity at 80 °C and pH 4.0 and also showed good stability at pH 3.0–11.0 and below 70 °C. The Km and Vmax values of AfCel5 were 0.16 ± 0.05 mg·mL−1 and 7.23 ± 0.33 mol mg−1·min−1, respectively, using CMC-Na as a substrate. Further, the endoglucanase exhibited a high tolerance toward NaCl as well as glucose. In addition, the finding that the endoglucanase AfCel5A in combination with β-mannanse (ManBK) clearly increased the release of total reducing sugars of glucomannan by up to 74% is significant.

scholarly journals HapMap tag-SNP analysis confirms a role for COMT in schizophrenia risk and reveals a novel association

2012 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 372-376 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Voisey ◽  
C.D. Swagell ◽  
I.P. Hughes ◽  
B.R. Lawford ◽  
R.M. Young ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Snp Analysis ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽  
Methyl Transferase ◽  
Snp Association ◽  
Synonymous Polymorphism ◽  
Novel Association ◽  
Block Based ◽  
Novel Snp

AbstractCatechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT) encodes an enzyme involved in the metabolism of dopamine and maps to a commonly deleted region that increases schizophrenia risk. A non-synonymous polymorphism (rs4680) in COMT has been previously found to be associated with schizophrenia and results in altered activity levels of COMT. Using a haplotype block-based gene-tagging approach we conducted an association study of seven COMT single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 160 patients with a DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia and 250 controls in an Australian population. Two polymorphisms including rs4680 and rs165774 were found to be significantly associated with schizophrenia. The rs4680 results in a Val/Met substitution but the strongest association was shown by the novel SNP, rs165774, which may still be functional even though it is located in intron five. Individuals with schizophrenia were more than twice as likely to carry the GG genotype compared to the AA genotype for both the rs165774 and rs4680 SNPs. This association was slightly improved when males were analysed separately possibly indicating a degree of sexual dimorphism. Our results confirm that COMT is a good candidate for schizophrenia risk, by replicating the association with rs4680 and identifying a novel SNP association.

Book Reviews

2016 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 600-601
Keyword(s):  
Economic Analysis ◽  
Law And Economics ◽  
The United States ◽  
Law School ◽  
Professor Emeritus ◽  
Economic Analysis Of Law ◽  
Liability Rule ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Not For Profit ◽  
Merit Goods

Eric Posner of University of Chicago Law School reviews “The Future of Law and Economics: Essays in Reform and Recollection,” by Guido Calabresi. The Econlit abstract of this book begins: “Distinguishes between law and economics, exemplified by John Stuart Mill, and economic analysis of law, exemplified by Jeremy Bentham, in order to consider the meaning of merit goods, the perdurance and proper analysis of altruism and of not-for-profit institutions, the use of the liability rule, and what economics says about the validity and the shaping of tastes and values. Discusses law and economics and the economic analysis of law—the role of the lawyer; merit goods — commodification and commandification; merit goods and inequality; merit goods generally — specific applications and concluding thoughts; altruism, beneficence, and not-for-profit institutions; the relationship of markets and command in the liability role; how tastes and values are ignored; and tastes and values — what economics can tell us about them. Calabresi is a senior judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and Sterling Professor Emeritus at Yale Law School.”

AN ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF A HYBRID LIABILITY RULE

2002 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 704-710
Author(s):  
Harold Winter
Keyword(s):  
Economic Analysis ◽  
Liability Rule

scholarly journals Nano-tags for neonates and ocean-mediated swimming behaviours linked to rapid dispersal of hatchling sea turtles

2014 ◽  
Vol 281 (1796) ◽  
pp. 20141209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Scott ◽  
Arne Biastoch ◽  
Christian Roder ◽  
Victor A. Stiebens ◽  
Christophe Eizaguirre
Keyword(s):  
Sea Turtles ◽  
Satellite Telemetry ◽  
Life History Evolution ◽  
Surface Current ◽  
Loggerhead Turtle ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Ocean Model ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Current Flows

Dispersal during juvenile life stages drives the life-history evolution and dynamics of many marine vertebrate populations. However, the movements of juvenile organisms, too small to track using conventional satellite telemetry devices, remain enigmatic. For sea turtles, this led to the paradigm of the ‘lost years' since hatchlings disperse widely with ocean currents. Recently, advances in the miniaturization of tracking technology have permitted the application of nano-tags to track cryptic organisms. Here, the novel use of acoustic nano-tags on neonate loggerhead turtle hatchlings enabled us to witness first-hand their dispersal and behaviour during their first day at sea. We tracked hatchlings distances of up to 15 km and documented their rapid transport (up to 60 m min −1 ) with surface current flows passing their natal areas. Tracking was complemented with laboratory observations to monitor swimming behaviours over longer periods which highlighted (i) a positive correlation between swimming activity levels and body size and (ii) population-specific swimming behaviours (e.g. nocturnal inactivity) suggesting local oceanic conditions drive the evolution of innate swimming behaviours. Knowledge of the swimming behaviours of small organisms is crucial to improve the accuracy of ocean model simulations used to predict the fate of these organisms and determine resultant population-level implications into adulthood.

scholarly journals Anti-ADAMTS13 Antibodies and a Novel Heterozygous p.R1177Q Mutation in a Case of Pregnancy-Onset Immune-Mediated Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura

TH Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 02 (01) ◽  
pp. e8-e15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elien Roose ◽  
Claudia Tersteeg ◽  
Ruth Demeersseman ◽  
An-Sofie Schelpe ◽  
Louis Deforche ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Analysis ◽  
Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura ◽  
Acute Phase ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Adamts13 Activity ◽  
Thrombocytopenic Purpura ◽  
Linker Region ◽  
The Third ◽  
Immune Mediated

In this study, we investigated a case of pregnancy-onset thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). The patient had severely decreased ADAMTS13 (a disintegrin and metalloprotease with thrombospondin type 1 motif, member 13) activity levels during acute phase and the presence of inhibitory anti-ADAMTS13 autoantibodies was demonstrated, which led to the diagnosis of immune-mediated TTP. However, ADAMTS13 activity was only mildly restored during remission, although inhibitory anti-ADAMTS13 antibodies were no longer detected. We hypothesized that genetic abnormalities could account for this discrepancy between ADAMTS13 activity and antigen. Genetic analysis revealed the presence of two heterozygous substitutions on the same allele: a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) c.2699C > T (p.A900V), located in the beginning of the T5 domain, and a mutation c.3530G > A (p.R1177Q) located in the third linker region of ADAMTS13. In vitro testing of those substitutions by expression of recombinant proteins revealed a normal secretion but a reduced ADAMTS13 activity by the novel p.R1177Q mutation, which could partially explain the subnormal activity levels found during remission. Although changes in the linker region might induce conformational changes in ADAMTS13, the p.R1177Q mutation in the third linker region of ADAMTS13 did not expose a cryptic epitope in the metalloprotease domain. In conclusion, we report on an immune-mediated pregnancy-onset TTP patient who had inhibitory anti-ADAMTS13 autoantibodies during acute phase, but not during remission. Genetic analysis confirmed the diagnosis of immune-mediated TTP and revealed the novel p.R1177Q mutation which mildly impaired ADAMTS13 activity.

The influence of social rank in the angelfish, Pterophyllum scalare, on locomotor and feeding activities in a novel environment

2003 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 108-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. M. Gómez-Laplaza ◽  
E. Morgan
Keyword(s):  
Social Rank ◽  
Initial Response ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Social Hierarchies ◽  
Novel Environment ◽  
The Social ◽  
Group Situation ◽  
Feeding Activities ◽  
Pterophyllum Scalare

To investigate differences in behaviour associated with social rank and environmental conditions, a comparison was made between swimming and feeding activities of dominant and subordinate angelfish, housed in groups of six, with those of angelfish housed singly in identical laboratory aquaria. Subordinate individuals were less active, less ready to feed and consumed less food items than dominants, but their feeding and activity levels were still greater than those displayed by isolated fish used as controls. When fish from each of the above categories were transferred to a novel, identical tank to be tested individually for a 6-day period, little change was observed in previously isolated fish. In contrast, the previous social experience had a marked influence on the behaviour of the other individuals, the effects being related to the social status. The strongest initial response to the new environment was shown by subordinate individuals, with a significant increase in swimming and a significant decrease in feeding compared to the group situation. Subordinates were significantly more active than dominants, who in turn moved more than previously isolated fish. Dominants and subordinates were now similarly reluctant to feed, and their food consumption was less than that of previously isolated fish. With time in the novel environment a significant reduction of swimming activity and a recovery of feeding measures were detected, but levels were still depressed in relation to the group condition, and lower in subordinates than in dominants, indicating the long-lasting effects of the previous social interactions. The results have clear implications for laboratory studies using groups of fish in which social hierarchies may be established prior to individuals being tested singly in a novel environment.

scholarly journals Have US Legislatures Fully Considered Causal Factors in Assigning Liability for Inherent Risk Accidents?

2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Terence J. Centner
Keyword(s):  
Social Welfare ◽  
State Legislatures ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Liability Rule ◽  
Causal Factors ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Inherent Risk ◽  
Insurance Costs ◽  
Sport Activities ◽  
Increased Activity

The public’s dissatisfaction with American tort rules has led US state legislatures to enact more than 120 statutes for assigning liability for accident losses. Many of these statutes address the liability of accidents involving inherent risks of activities where neither the activity provider nor injured participant was negligent. Due to business complaints about high insurance costs, legislatures decided that participants ought to bear the costs arising from inherent risk accidents. Yet, causal factors associated with sport activities may support an alternative liability rule to maximize social welfare. Because inherent risk statutes lead to increased activity levels, they are accompanied by increased accident costs. Factors causing incorrect liability results may be compared to offer a recommendation for a liability regime for inherent risk accidents.

scholarly journals Arabidopsis PAI Gene Arrangements, Cytosine Methylation and Expression

Genetics ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 153 (1) ◽  
pp. 401-413 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stacey Melquist ◽  
Bradley Luff ◽  
Judith Bender
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Gene Duplication ◽  
Inverted Repeat ◽  
Cytosine Methylation ◽  
Previous Analysis ◽  
Gene Arrangement ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Biosynthetic Gene ◽  
Gene Methylation ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Previous analysis of the PAI tryptophan biosynthetic gene family in Arabidopsis thaliana revealed that the Wassilewskija (WS) ecotype has four PAI genes at three unlinked sites: a tail-to-tail inverted repeat at one locus (PAI1-PAI4) plus singlet genes at two other loci (PAI2 and PAI3). The four WS PAI genes are densely cytosine methylated over their regions of DNA identity. In contrast, the Columbia (Col) ecotype has three singlet PAI genes at the analogous loci (PAI1, PAI2, and PAI3) and no cytosine methylation. To understand the mechanism of PAI gene duplication at the polymorphic PAI1 locus, and to investigate the relationship between PAI gene arrangement and PAI gene methylation, we analyzed 39 additional ecotypes of Arabidopsis. Six ecotypes had PAI arrangements similar to WS, with an inverted repeat and dense PAI methylation. All other ecotypes had PAI arrangements similar to Col, with no PAI methylation. The novel PAI-methylated ecotypes provide insights into the mechanisms underlying PAI gene duplication and methylation, as well as the relationship between methylation and gene expression.

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