Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Experiments on decision making and auctions

Experiments on Decision Making and Auctions. (August 2007) Elizabeth Ann Watson, B.G. S. , University of Louisiana at Lafayette Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Rajiv Sarin Experimental economics is often called upon to inform theory and aid in explaining real world behavior. As such it is important to carefully design laboratory experiments to test the validity of new theories and to re-examine results that demonstrate robust anomalies of classic theory. My first aim is to design an experiment that will allow me to test the propensity of subjects to use Case-Based Decision Theory (from now on referred to as CBDT). I carefully design a setting in which the predicted choices of CBDT are deterministic and unique to CBDT (i.e. different from the predicted choices of other relevant decision making processes). I examine how well CBDT organizes subject choices when subjects are asked to make thirty independent decisions each with a fixed and given history. I find that some subjects do appear to be using the information given to them in the form of Case-Based Decision making. My second goal is to revisit traditional first-price private values auction experiments with the idea of making the price-probability trade-off, the central consideration in auctions, more salient to subjects. I approach this in two different ways. First, I use a custom-designed graphical interface which displays all results both visually and numerically. In this treatment I find that subjects bid more aggressively than predicted by risk-neutral Bayes-Nash equilibrium. Second, I restructure the presentation of the idiosyncratic reservation value. Subjects are now engaging in some economic behavior and earning their total consumer surplus each period. This differs from traditional first-price private values auction experiments in which subjects only earn a payoff if they win the auction. Here I observe that market prices in a sealed-bid
Defining molecular profiles of poor outcome in patients with invasive bladder cancer using oligonucleotide microarrays.

PURPOSE Bladder cancer is a common malignancy characterized by a poor clinical outcome when tumors progress into invasive disease. We sought to define genetic signatures characteristic of aggressive clinical behavior in advanced bladder tumors. METHODS Oligonucleotide arrays were utilized to analyze the transcript profiles of 105 bladder tumors: 33 superficial, 72 invasive lesions, and 52 normal urothelium. Hierarchical clustering and supervised algorithms were used to classify and stratify bladder tumors on the basis of stage, node metastases, and overall survival. Immunohistochemical analyses on bladder cancer tissue arrays (n = 294 cases) served to validate associations between marker expression, staging and outcome. RESULTS Hierarchical clustering classified normal urothelium, superficial, and invasive tumors with 82.2% accuracy, and stratified bladder tumors on the basis of clinical outcome. Predictive algorithms rendered an 89%-correct rate for tumor staging using genes differentially expressed between superficial and invasive tumors. Accuracies of 82% and 90% were obtained for predicting overall survival when considering all patients with bladder cancer or only patients with invasive disease, respectively. A genetic profile consisting of 174 probes was identified in those patients with positive lymph nodes and poor survival. Two independent Global Test runs confirmed the robust association of this profile with lymph node metastases (P = 7.3(-13)) and overall survival (P = 1.9(-14)) simultaneously. Immunohistochemical analyses on tissue arrays sustained the significant association of synuclein with tumor staging and clinical outcome (P = .002). CONCLUSION Gene profiling provides a genomic-based classification scheme of diagnostic and prognostic utility for stratifying advanced bladder cancer. Identification of this poor outcome profile could assist in selecting patients who may benefit from more aggressive therapeutic intervention.
Websites for children: Search strategies and interface design: Three studies on children's search performance and evaluation

Children experience all kinds of problems using search interfaces for adults such as Google. The research reported in this dissertation is about the design of informational interfaces for children between 8 and 12 years old. The goal of the research was to learn more about interfaces that ‘work’ for children and interfaces that children ‘like’. The first step in the research was a corpus study to identify design conventions of children’s search interfaces. The design conventions showed that designers of children’s informational websites often follow general web design guidelines. A closer look at the data revealed three categories of informational websites for children: 1) classical interface design with a classical interaction style and without playful graphics (Classic) 2) interface design with playful graphics, but a classical interaction style (Classical play) 3) playful interface design with playful graphics and a playful interaction style (Image map) The second step was an explorative study (with 32 children aged 8-12) to explore children’s search behaviour on existing search interfaces. The results of this study suggested that playful navigation lowers usability of a website but playful visual design seemed to have a positive effect on perception of hedonic quality. These research directions were empirically tested in an experiment (with 158 children aged 10-12), which was the third step in the research. The same website was designed in the three different types of interface design. The used search method (i.e. browsing or searching) was manipulated by providing a website version to the children with or without a search engine. We concluded from the studies that there is no difference in children’s search performance between the three different types of interface design. However, the children evaluated the Classical play website as best to work with and the Image map website as least good to work with. Children appreciate playful design but it may not be at the expense of usability for children. Ease of use is more important for children than having a playful experience. Furthermore, providing a search engine is an absolute necessity to optimally support children in effective and efficient search performance.
Nature inspired optimization techniques for Camera calibration

Nature inspired optimization algorithm are techniques which imitate some natural phenomenon to find an optimum solution of a problem. We have explored the potential of three nature inspired continuous optimization techniques simulated annealing, genetic algorithms and particle swarm optimization in solving the camera calibration problem in computer vision. Our experiment setup has demonstrated the calibration accuracy achieved with these algorithms with respect to noise levels, variable bounds and number of control points. Results are compared with Tsai , Zhang and Heikkil calibration accuracy. Stochastic nature of these algorithms yields different results for same experiment settings. In order to gain reliable results we have quantitatively determined the probability of achieving accurate results by applying statistical tolerance interval on fitness values computed by each algorithm for various trials. The statistical evaluation shows that in terms of solution accuracy the PSO surpasses SA and GA and produces better results than their non natural competitors Tsai , Zhang and Heikkil , whereas the probability of achieving a correct solution with a desired fitness value range is high with GA. Our work can serve as a guideline for comparative evaluation of natural optimization algorithms with respect to solution quality, reliability and efficiency.
Structure-Function Studies of Allosteric Agonism at M2 Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptors

The M2 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) possesses at least one binding site for allosteric modulators that is dependent on the residues 172EDGE175, Tyr177, and Thr423. However, the contribution of these residues to actions of allosteric agonists, as opposed to modulators, is unknown. We created mutant M2 mAChRs in which the charge of the 172EDGE175 sequence had been neutralized and each Tyr177 and Thr423 was substituted with alanine. Radioligand binding experiments revealed that these mutations had a profound inhibitory effect on the prototypical modulators gallamine, alcuronium, and heptane-1,7-bis-[dimethyl-3′-phthalimidopropyl]-ammonium bromide (C7/3-phth) but minimal effects on the orthosteric antagonist [3H]N-methyl scopolamine. In contrast, the allosteric agonists 4-I-[3-chlorophenyl]carbamoyloxy)-2-butynyltrimethylammnonium chloride (McN-A-343), 4-n-butyl-1-[4-(2-methylphenyl)-4-oxo-1-butyl] piperidine hydrogen chloride (AC-42), and the novel AC-42 derivative 1-[3-(4-butyl-1-piperidinyl)propyl]-3,4-dihydro-2(1H)-quinolinone (77-LH-28-1) demonstrated an increased affinity or proportion of high-affinity sites at the combined EDGE-YT mutation, indicating a different mode of binding to the prototypical modulators. Subsequent functional assays of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 phosphorylation and guanosine 5′-(γ-[35S]thio)triphosphate ([35S]GTPγS) binding revealed minimal effects of the mutations on the orthosteric agonists acetylcholine (ACh) and pilocarpine but a significant increase in the efficacy of McN-A-343 and potency of 77-LH-28-1. Additional mutagenesis experiments found that these effects were predominantly mediated by Tyr177 and Thr423, rather than the 172EDGE175 sequence. The functional interaction between each of the allosteric agonists and ACh was characterized by high negative cooperativity but was consistent with an increased allosteric agonist affinity at the combined EDGE-YT mutant M2 mAChR. This study has thus revealed a differential role of critical allosteric site residues on the binding and function of allosteric agonists versus allosteric modulators of M2 mAChRs.
A Fishing Strategy for the Stabilization of a Continuous Harvested Fish Population Stage Structured Model

The aim of the paper is to design a fishing strategy in order to regulate an exploited fish population. To this end, we consider a stage structured continuous model of a harvested fish population. This model includes   1 n stages represented by their abundance ( ) i X t , stage 0 being the pre-recruits stage. Each stage is characterized by its fecundity, mortality and predation rates. We gave a formula for the fishing effort as an output feedback control that allows to stabilize the system. We first gave a sufficient condition for the system to be globally stable around the reference equilibrium. Then the global stability behavior of the positive equilibrium is studied via the output feedback control. The same problem for the continuous stock recruitment model has been addressed in our previous work [9]. Simulations results of the continuous fishery systems confirm the effectiveness of the proposed design.
Statistical, Computational and Visualization Methodologies to Unveil Gene Primary Structure Features

Summary Objectives: Gene sequence features such as codon bias, codon context, and codon expansion (e.g. tri-nucleotide repeats) can be better understood at the genomic scale level by combining statistical methodologies with advanced computer algorithms and data visualization through sophisticated graphical interfaces. This paper presents the ANACONDA system, a bioinformatics application for gene primary structure analysis. Methods: Codon usage tables using absolute metrics and software for multivariate analysis of codon and amino acid usage are available in public databases. However, they do not provide easy computational and statistical tools to carry out detailed gene primary structure analysis on a genomic scale. We propose the usage of several statistical methods – contingency table analysis, residual analysis, multivariate analysis (cluster analysis) – to analyze the codon bias under various aspects (degree of association, contexts and clustering). Results: The developed solution is a software application that provides a user-guided analysis of codon sequences considering several contexts and codon usage on a genomic scale. The utilization of this tool in our molecular biology laboratory is focused on particular genomes, especially those from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida albicansand Escherichia coli. In order to illustrate the applicability and output layouts of the software these species are herein used as examples. Conclusions: The statistical tools incorporated in the system are allowing to obtain global views of important sequence features. It is expected that the results obtained will permit identification of general rules that govern codon context and codon usage in any genome. Additionally, identification of genes containing expanded codons that arise as a consequence of erroneous DNA replication events will permit uncovering new genes associated with human disease.
The trajectories of alternative agri-food networks between agency and structure: an analysis of three Flemish cooperatives

BETWEEN AGENCY AND STRUCTURE: AN ANALYSIS OF THREE FLEMISH COOPERATIVES Authors: Joost Dessein and Erik Mathijs 1. Institute for agricultural and Fisheries Research, Social Sciences Unit, Burg. Van Gansberghelaan 109/2, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium. Joost.Dessein@ilvo.vlaanderen. be 2. Catholic University Leuven, Division of Agricultural and Food Economics, Willem de Croylaan 42, 3001 Leuven, Belgium, Erik.Mathijs@biw.kuleuven. be
Large-Scale Mining for Similar Protein Binding Pockets: With RAPMAD Retrieval on the Fly Becomes Real

Determination of structural similarities between protein binding pockets is an important challenge in in silico drug design. It can help to understand selectivity considerations, predict unexpected ligand cross-reactivity, and support the putative annotation of function to orphan proteins. To this end, Cavbase was developed as a tool for the automated detection, storage, and classification of putative protein binding sites. In this context, binding sites are characterized as sets of pseudocenters, which denote surface-exposed physicochemical properties, and can be used to enable mutual binding site comparisons. However, these comparisons tend to be computationally very demanding and often lead to very slow computations of the similarity measures. In this study, we propose RAPMAD (RApid Pocket MAtching using Distances), a new evaluation formalism for Cavbase entries that allows for ultrafast similarity comparisons. Protein binding sites are represented by sets of distance histograms that are both generated and compared with linear complexity. Attaining a speed of more than 20 000 comparisons per second, screenings across large data sets and even entire databases become easily feasible. We demonstrate the discriminative power and the short runtime by performing several classification and retrieval experiments. RAPMAD attains better success rates than the comparison formalism originally implemented into Cavbase or several alternative approaches developed in recent time, while requiring only a fraction of their runtime. The pratical use of our method is finally proven by a successful prospective virtual screening study that aims for the identification of novel inhibitors of the NMDA receptor.
Stochastic Synchronization of Complex Networks With Nonidentical Nodes Via Hybrid Adaptive and Impulsive Control

In this paper, the global exponential synchronization of delayed complex dynamical networks with nonidentical nodes and stochastic perturbations is studied. By combining adaptive control and impulsive control schemes, the considered network can be synchronized onto any given goal dynamics. The adaptive control is discontinuous and can overcome the unknown difference between dynamical nodes and goal system. As for the impulsive control, the concept named “average impulsive interval” with “elasticity number” of impulsive sequence is utilized to get less conservative synchronization criterion. Numerical simulations are given to show the effectiveness and less conservativeness of the theoretical results.
Expectations for Assessment Reports: A Descriptive Analysis

Resources designed to assist institutions with their outcomes assessment endeavors abound. Books, workshops, and conferences provide tips ranging from writing good objectives to mobilizing resources for improving assessment processes. From our perspective, one of the gaps in these resources is information about how to write a good assessment report. Such reports are often a program’s best, or at least most official, vehicle for conveying information about student learning and the program experiences that contribute to such learning. Further, the best reports reveal insights into decision-making, particularly the factors that influence faculty to modify curriculum and pedagogy to improve student learning. This information is important within a program and to university administrators and external stakeholders such as regional accreditors. Responding to this need, a small but growing number of universities have developed rubrics to evaluate assessment reports. Ory (1992) referred to such evaluations of assessment as meta-assessment. This promising practice represents a shift in thinking by institutions from “Do our programs participate in assessment? ” to “How well do our programs conduct assessment? ” In this article we provide a descriptive analysis of how institutions operationally define good assessment via these meta-assessment rubrics (MARs). Our experience suggests that assessment reports typically underrepresent both the strength of assessment within programs and the thoughtfulness of faculty in identifying and resolving problems related to student learning. If this is the case, faculty may ask how to write reports that fairly reflect their programs’ assessment processes. This inquiry is similar to a familiar classroom situation. Students ask faculty for advice about how to write a good paper. Without guidance students complain about their inability to read the teacher’s mind. Conversely—and not surprisingly—a greater proportion of students submit papers that are consonant with expectations when the instructor provides clear directions. In the classroom context, many instructors use rubrics to convey expectations. A well-developed writing rubric, for instance, lists the criteria to be evaluated (e.g., content, organization, mechanics) and provides behavioral descriptions associated with levels of performance for each criterion such as beginning, developing, accomplished, and exemplary. Institutional leaders have applied an analogous strategy to evaluate assessment reports. They (a) construct a MAR that specifies the characteristics of a good assessment report; (b) share the MAR with programs prior to report submission; and Expectations for Assessment Reports: A Descriptive Analysis
Novel Streptomycin and Spectinomycin Resistance Gene as a Gene Cassette within a Class 1 Integron Isolated fromEscherichia coli

ABSTRACT The aadA genes, encoding resistance to streptomycin and spectinomycin, have been found as gene cassettes in different gram-negative and gram-positive bacterial species. The present study has revealed the sequence of a new gene, aadA5, integrated as a gene cassette together with the trimethoprim resistance genedfr7 in a class 1 integron. The integron was located on a plasmid and was identified in a pathogenic porcineEscherichia coli isolate.
Relative end-effector control using Cartesian position based visual servoing

This paper presents a complete design methodology for Cartesian position based visual servo control for robots with a single camera mounted at the end-effector. Position based visual servo control requires the explicit calculation of the relative position and orientation (POSE) of the workpiece object with respect to the camera. This is accomplished using image plane measurements of a number of known feature points on the object, and then applying an extended Kalman filter to obtain a recursive solution of the photogrammetric equations, and to properly combine redundant measurements. The control is then designed by specifying the desired trajectories with respect to the object and forming the control error in the end-effector frame. The implementation using a distributed computer architecture is described. An experimental system has been built and used to evaluate the performance of the POSE estimation and the position based visual servo control. Several results for relative trajectory control and target tracking are presented. Results of the experiments showing the effect of loss of some of the redundant features are also presented.
An access control architecture for managing large-scale network applications

We describe an access control architecture that targets large-scale network management solutions and other systems where there are many securable objects arranged in a natural hierarchy and where user roles are primarily broken down along a parallel hierarchy. In contrast to typical hierarchical role-based access control (HRBAC) systems, this design is based on a non-hierarchical role model connecting user groups, operations, and objects and infers privilege inheritance from the object hierarchy. Furthermore, this design treats user groups and user administrative operations in the same way as application objects and operations, enabling administrative delegation to arbitrary granularity with the same implicit role inheritance. This enables key use cases for large organizations or application service providers by allowing a single application instance to be shared among multiple noncoordinating users with fully delegated user management. We discuss the use of this design in a Lucent Worldwide Services (LWS) service offering.
Determinants of Gold Demand in Reserve Bank of India's foreign exchange reserve portfolio

Although a sizeable body of literature has studied the safe haven, inflation- and US dollar-hedge, flight-to-quality properties of gold using high-frequency gold price data, very few studies have examined the determinants of official gold holdings by central banks. This bulletin examines this for the Reserve Bank of India by using monthly data from 1995 to 2016. Employing both frequentist instrumental variable and Bayesian model averaging techniques, I find gold's US dollar and inflation-hedge properties as well as higher exchange rate risk to significantly increase RBI's gold holdings while higher equity market risks, term premium and lower market capitalization reduce such share. The results imply the rationale for holding gold by India's central bank is actually not different from private hedge fund managers or individual investors.