Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Information uncertainty in auction theory

For a long time in the literature, the usual way of modeling an auction participant's beliefs has been exogenous - the distribution of private value is simply given, fixed, commonly known and out of any doubt for the involved participants. Growing awareness on information uncertainty and its strong influence on decision choices and social outcomes is the reason why we focus on introducing information uncertainty in auction theory. In particular, we allow involved subjects to question underlying information structure. We propose three different ways to design the endogenous belief formation process and explore its influence on state of the art in auction theory. This research approach results in three different setups, each examined in depth in a separate chapter. Chapter 2 shows the importance of our modeling approach. The genericity of an optimal auction format - in the literature known as the Cremer-McLean auction - is challenged and its robustness against a change of information structure is examined. We show that participation constraints in the auction format fail to hold once the seller and bidders have slightly different beliefs over the joint distribution of private values. We propose the definition of a belief neighborhood in order to capture this slight discrepancy between seller's and bidders' beliefs. Moreover, we also give a quantitative assessment of how often the failure occurs in the case of a common prior assumption as well as once the common prior assumption among bidders is relaxed. In particular, participation constraints fail in at least one half of any plausible belief's neighborhood. Once the common prior assumption among bidders is relaxed, the failure occurs everywhere except in 1/(2^(2m)) of a belief's neighborhood, where m is the number of possible private values for each bidder. The origin of private values in auction models is examined in Chapter 3. In contrast with the standard literature, we let participants question the information structure involved in auctions. We focus on the most prevalent forms of sealed-bid auctions on the market: the first-price and second-price auctions. Instead of being exogenously given, we permit the observed distribution of private value to take the form of mixture probability distribution, which in turn allows participants to speculate on the true distribution of the values. The speculations are done in accordance with Bayes' rule - the bidders use their private value to infer the distribution, whereas the seller bases his belief on an observed mixture form of the values' distribution. We explore the consequences of allowing this particular belief formation on bidders' and seller's behavior. First of all, despite the independently and identically distributed values, we show that the belief formation leads to the revenue equivalence failure in such a way that the seller prefers the second-price auction. Moreover, in our setup, truthfully bidding one's own private value continues to be optimal in the second-price auction. However,…
Dissolved copper triggers cell death in the peripheral mechanosensory system of larval fish

Dissolved copper is an increasingly common non–point source contaminant in urban and urbanizing watersheds. In the present study, we investigated the sublethal effects of dissolved copper on the peripheral mechanosensory system, or lateral line, of larval zebrafish (Danio rerio). Zebrafish larvae were exposed to copper (0–65 μg/L), and the cytotoxic responses of individual lateral line receptor neurons were examined using a combination of in vivo fluorescence imaging, confocal microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and conventional histology. Dissolved copper triggered a dose‐dependent loss of neurons in identified lateral line neuromasts at concentrations ≥20 μg/L. The onset of cell death in the larval mechanosensory system was rapid (<1 h). When copper‐exposed zebrafish were transferred to clean water, the lateral line regenerated over the course of 2 d. In contrast, the lateral line of larvae exposed continuously to dissolved copper (50 μg/L) for 3 d did not recover. Collectively, these results show that peripheral mechanosensory neurons are vulnerable to the neurotoxic effects of copper. Consequently, dissolved copper in non‐point source storm‐water runoff has the potential to interfere with rheotaxis, schooling, predator avoidance, and other mechanosensory‐mediated behaviors that are important for the migration and survival of fish.
Plant regeneration from leaf explants of Rhodiola fastigiata

SummaryAn efficient plant regeneration protocol for rapidly propagating Rhodiola fastigiata (Hk. f. et Thoms.) S.H. FU, a traditional Chinese medicinal plant, was developed. Shoot organogenesis occurred from the leaf explants inoculated on medium with appropriate supplements of plant growth regulators. Up to 5.3 shoots formed per leaf explant cultured on a medium containing 13.32 μM 6-benzylaminopurine (BA) and 0.54 μM 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA). Regenerated shoots formed complete plantlets on a medium containing 1.48 μM indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), and mature plants were established, acclimatized, and thrived in greenhouse conditions. The regeneration protocol developed in this study provides a basis for germplasm conservation and for further investigation of medicinally active constituents of the elite Chinese medicinal plant.
Is Door-to-Door Canvassing Effective in Europe? Evidence from a Meta-study across Six European Countries

A vast amount of experimental evidence suggests that get-out-the-vote encouragements delivered through door-to-door canvassing have large effects on turnout. Most of the existing studies have been conducted in the United States, and are inspiring European mobilization campaigns. This article explores the empirical question of whether the American findings are applicable to Europe. It combines existing European studies and presents two new Danish studies to show that the pooled point estimate of the effect is substantially smaller in Europe than in the United States, and finds no effects in the two Danish experiments. The article discusses why the effects seem to be different in Europe compared to the United States, and stresses the need for further experiments in Europe as there is still considerable uncertainty regarding the European effects. While one possible explanation is that differences in turnout rates explain the differences in effect sizes, the empirical analysis finds no strong relationship between turnout and effect sizes in either Europe or the United States.
THE ROLE OF FISCAL STIMULUS AND MONETARY EASING IN INDONESIAN ECONOMY DURING GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS: FINANCIAL COMPUTABLE GENERAL EQUILIBRIUM APPROACH

Global financial crisis started in mid 2008 has reduced global economic growth, and many countries even experienced economic contraction. To deal with economic contraction, various economic policies have been undertaken. Governments have increased fiscal stimulus through increasing expenditure and lowering tax while central banks have cut policy rates substantially. In some countries interest rates even reach zero or close to zero. Similar to many other countries, Indonesia has also undertaken expansionary policies, namely increasing fiscal stimulus and lowering interest rates. This paper examines the impacts of fiscal stimulus and interest rate cut on Indonesian economy using financial computable general equilibrium (FCGE) approach. The estimation results show a number of findings. First, the combination of fiscal expansion and monetary expansion boosts economic growth of Indonesia effectively. Relative to the effectiveness of fiscal expansion without monetary policy expansion or monetary expansion without fiscal expansion, the combination of those two policies is more effective. Second, looking into the components of GDP, the combination of fiscal and monetary expansion has a large multiplier effect, boosting aggregate demand through increasing consumption, investment, government expenditure, exports and imports. Meanwhile, from production side, the combination of fiscal and monetary expansion has positive effects on increasing production of all economic sectors. This effect comes from fiscal incentive (lower tax, lower import duties, etc) in increasing investment. Moreover, the increase in aggregate demand also encourages enterprises to increase their production. Third, institutionally fiscal stimulus and monetary easing has increased income and purchasing power of the poor and rich households in rural and urban area. This increase in turn results in higher all household consumption. JEL Classification: D58, E12, E13, E52, E58, H25, H31, H53, H54 Keywords: Fiscal stimulus, monetary easing, financial computable general equilibrium, global financial crisis.
Cooperative jamming for enhancing security of cognitive radio networks with multiple primary users

In cognitive radio networks (CRNs), through recruiting secondary user (SU) as friendly jammer, the secrecy rate obtained by primary user (PU) can be improved. Previous work only considered a simple scenario with a single PU in their frameworks. In this paper, we will consider a more complicated scenario with multiple PUs and try to investigate the cooperative jamming between multiple PUs and a single SU. When there are multiple PUs in CRN, in order to obtain more spectrum for data transmission, SU will cooperate with multiple PUs at the same time. Considering that both PU and SU are rational and selfish individuals, the interaction between PUs and SU is formulated as a multi-leaders and single-follower Stackelberg game, wherein PU is the leader and SU is the follower. And the Stackelberg Equilibrium (SE) is considered as the final decisions accepted by all PUs and SU. Furthermore, we also prove that when a specific condition is satisfied, the existence of SE can be guaranteed. And a Gauss-Jacobi iterative algorithm is proposed to compute a SE. Finally, simulation results are given to verify the performance and demonstrate that both of the PUs’ secrecy rate and the SU’s transmission rate can be improved through cooperation.
A Life-Threatening Second Trimester Disseminated Intravascular Coagulopathy with Protein S Deficiency

Disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC) is an uncommon but serious complication of pregnancy. Placental abruption is the most common associated condition among the causes of acute obstetrical DIC. We present a case of life-threatening DIC complicating placental abruption in the second trimester of pregnancy with protein S deficiency as a triggering factor, which necessitated urgent termination of pregnancy.
The timing and sequencing of a trade liberalization policy

Assuming that trade liberalization can make a significant contribution to increased efficiency and growth in LDC's, a crucial issue is the sequencing over time of the various policy easures required in an economy starting with a high level of government intervention in trade. This paper delineates the critical elements which would have to be examined in-the determination of an appropriate path, and defines the criteria for such an examination. The major issues raised are: (a) the speed of the process of toplementation of liberalization; in particular, the pros and cons of onestage vs. a multi-stage implementation; . (b) the attributes of the various stages of implementation; and (c) the relationship between import liberalization and other policies in the general sequence of-introduction of policy reforms. The paper also provides areview of the available 2mp1rical Literature on liberalization experience. THE TIMING AND SEQUENCING OF A TRADE LIBERALIZATION POLICY I. SUBJECT MATTER Liberalization policy iR often contemplated as a measure of primary importance, expected to improve the allocation of the economy's resources, lead to greater efficiency, expand the economy's output, and accelerate its growth. The manner in which such policy is introduced the desirable path of policy implementation -should be an inseperable element in the consideration of such policy. Yet, while comprehensive studies concerned with liberalization periods as a whole are available, the problem of phasing and sequencing of trade policy has not usually been addressed either in the empirical investigations or in the analytical literature of liberalization policy. The present paper intends to define the issue of trade-policy sequencing: to identify its major components in a fashion which would make them subject to further study, and in particular to formulate them in a manner which could provide an analytical framework for empirical research. Liberalization policy is defined as actions leading to the contraction of effective protective rates; i.e., the lowering-of the leu'els of such rates, and the reduction of their variance. It should be noted that in an environment of import barriers, in which policieZ are biased in favor of import substitution, the introduction of policies which provide incentives for the production of exportables will constitute such an act of liberalization, as their effect will be to reduce the variance of protection across sectors and move the economy towards a neutral trade regime. A complete liberalization would mean the elimination of all protection (save for a few exceptions to be noted shortly) and a near-zero variance in the system. The term "liberalization policywill be reserved here to actions concerned with
Social Choice Theory in 10,000 Meters: Examining Independence and Transitivity in the Ncaa Cross-Country Championships

A recent study by Hammond (2007) delves into scoring methods in athletic events as a way of illuminating social choice problems. Hammond's study indicates, using data from a girls' high school cross-country meet in Michigan, that the current scoring method for high school cross-country is plagued by two problems related to inconsistency and ambiguity in the results – problems that can be characterized as violations of the principles of independence from irrelevant teams (IIT) and transitivity. Our note supports and extends Hammond's study by examining the results from both the 2008 and 2009 NCAA Division I men's cross-country championships, wherein the types of scoring problems found by Hammond are present. Unlike high school-level cross-country, however, we show that salaries, bonuses, and budgets at the collegiate level can be substantial, so that any inconsistencies and ambiguities in the scoring mechanism can be quite costly for individuals and institutions.
Chronic subthalamic high‐frequency deep brain stimulation in Parkinson's disease – a histopathological study

This study describes the pathological findings in the brain of a patient with Parkinson's disease (PD) treated with bilateral subthalamic high‐frequency deep brain stimulation (STN DBS) for 29 months prior to death. After routine neuropathological examination, tissue blocks containing the electrode tracts, the subthalamic nucleus (STN), the substantia nigra and the pre‐frontal cortex were paraffin embedded and cut into 5‐μm‐thick serial sections and stained with several conventional staining methods and immunohistochemistry. Bilateral nigral depigmentation, cell loss and Lewy body formation confirmed the diagnosis of PD. Microscopic evaluation furthermore confirmed the location of the electrodes in the STN. The electrode tracts were surrounded by a 150‐μm‐wide glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)‐positive capsule consisting of a thin collagen layer lining the lumen of the tract, whilst an area with few cells and axons constituted the capsule wall towards the surrounding normal brain tissue. The brain tissue appeared normal outside the capsule boundaries with no difference in areas of stimulation compared with areas of no stimulation. Our results correspond with previous studies performed after fewer months of STN DBS and indicate mild histopathological changes in the vicinity of the electrode tract, appearing to result from the electrode placement and not from the electrical stimulation.
The empirical relationship between the value of rupee and performance of information technology firms: evidence from India

This study investigates the dynamic linkages between exchange rates of Indian Rupee-US Dollar and stock prices of four Indian information technology (IT) companies. The study utilises daily data of closing stock prices of IT companies and exchange rates for the period of August 2004 to September 2013. Empirical results of AGDCC GARCH model suggest that correlations are time-varying and are largely negatively associated over time. This indicates that there is an inverse relationship between the movements of exchange rates and the performance of IT companies. Further, co integration test results show no significant long-run equilibrium relationship between exchange rates and stock prices of IT companies. Finally, Granger non-causality test results reveal that the null hypothesis of IT companies does not Granger cause exchange rates is strongly rejected at 5% significance level and no evidence of reverse causality is found. These findings suggest that exchange rates do not drive the performance of IT companies in India.
Pre-emptive analgesia: evidence, current status and future directions.

Although some studies of pre-emptive analgesia have reported small reductions in post-operative pain or analgesic consumption in favour of pre-incisional vs. post-incisional or post-operative treatment, most have not demonstrated any benefit at all. This paper reviews recent evidence supporting the effectiveness of pre-emptive analgesia and discusses factors that may be responsible for the lack of consistent results. These factors include problems with the accepted definition of pre-emptive analgesia, the potential pre-emptive analgesic effects of other agents (e.g. opioids, nitrous oxide, pentobarbitone) used routinely as part of the general anaesthetic, the role of post-operative inflammation in initiating and enhancing a state of central sensitization, and the lack of a true placebo control condition. Given the constraints of clinical research and current standards of practice, it is unlikely that studies of pre-emptive analgesia using conventional analgesics or local anaesthetics will yield large reductions in post-operative pain or analgesic consumption. Extending the pre-emptive treatment well into the post-operative period using balanced, multimodal analgesia, may prolong the initial advantage conferred by the pre-operative blockade and possibly interfere with the development of long-lasting pain.
Global standardization of glycated hemoglobin measurement: the position of the IFCC Working Group

Abstract The measurement of glycated hemoglobin is central in the monitoring of glycemic control in patients with diabetes. There are at least 30 different laboratory assays commercially available to measure the proportion of HbA1c in blood. In 1995 the IFCC established a Working Group (IFCC WG-HbA1c) to achieve international standardization of HbA1c measurement. The main achievements can be summarized as follows: a) a reference measurement procedure has been established with purified primary calibrators; b) a network of reference laboratories has been developed worldwide; and c) work has begun on implementation of traceability to the IFCC reference system. The IFCC WG-HbA1c recognizes the recommendation of the IFCC-IUPAC Committee on Nomenclature, Properties and Units that the analyte measured by the IFCC reference measurement procedure has been defined as βN1-deoxyfructosyl-hemoglobin and that the recommended measurement units are mmol/mol. The IFCC WG-HbA1c recommends maintaining the use of the name HbA1c in clinical practice. Clin Chem Lab Med 2007;45:1077–80.
Efficient QoS Aggregation in Service Value Networks

In recent years, the trend towards standardization, simplification and modularization in the service sector has fostered the raise of Service Value Networks where providers and consumers jointly co-create value. With many different competing services available, the user experience, which is captured by the non-functional Quality-of-Service (QoS) attributes, is an important competitive factor. QoS computation for complex Web services, i.e. the aggregation of QoS factors from atomic services, is essential for an automated an optimized Web service selection process. However, the computational complexity of QoS aggregation has often been disregarded in the respective field of research, whereas computational efficiency is inevitable for the application of optimization approaches in on-line scenarios. The threefold contribution of this paper consists of an elaboration on the computational complexity of aggregating QoS, an approximation scheme that allows for a computational efficient optimization and a broad analytical and simulation-based evaluation of this approach.
Principals' Definition of Instructional Mission and Goals, and its Influence on Learners' Academic Achievement in Kenya's Public Secondary Schools

This study sought to determine teachers' perception of actions taken by principals in defining their schools' instructional mission and goals in public secondary schools in Baringo County. It was guided by four objective which were to determine teachers' perception of how principals: frame their schools' instructional and goals, communicate their schools' instructional goals, and find if there is statistically significant difference in teachers' perception of principals' definition of their schools' instructional mission and goals between extra County and County public secondary schools, and relationship between teachers' perception on principals' definition of instructional mission and goals and students' academic achievement at KCSE examination in Baringo County. The study adopted a survey research design and employed mixed methods of inquiry in a concurrent procedure. A structured teacher response questionnaire and unstructured interview guide were used to collect data from the teachers, principals and their deputies respectively. The study revealed that principals formulated schools' instructional mission and goals in collaboration with teachers, parents and other stakeholders, and communicated them to their schools' constituents during various school forums. There was no significant difference in teachers' perception of principals' definition of schools' instructional goals between extra County and County public secondary schools (t (251) =1.136, p>. 05). However, there was a significant difference among low performing, average and high Performing secondary schools (F (2,250) =3.661, p<. 05). There was a strong statistically significant relationship ( r (251)= . 177**, p˂. 05) between teachers' perception of principals' definition of instructional mission and goals and students' academic achievement at KCSE examination in Baringo County.
Can the Poor Be Mobilized? Cooperation and Public Goods in Rural India

High coordination costs are often blamed for the low quality of public goods available to the poor. Participatory development programs have sought to lower these costs by improving trust and cooperation, but the evidence of their impact is mixed. We examine financial “self-help” groups in one of the poorest districts in India, using a unique combination of a village-randomized controlled trial and a lab-in-the-field experiment. A survey of 1,600 women before and after the intervention shows that the presence of these groups improved access to, and quality of, a critical local public good: water. Public goods games played with 184 participants in a subset of control and treatment villages indicate that cooperative norms are stronger where self-help groups were present. We find little evidence that membership leads to a convergence of tastes among group members. These results suggest that, in contrast to traditional community initiatives, self-help groups can build durable social capital in poor communities.