Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Behavioral Public Finance

These are slides from a presentation to the Gruter Institute for Law and Behavioral Research, Squaw Valley Conference, May, 2008 (at which event Michael Jensen got me to agree to post these slides as a pdf on SSRN . . . ). The task is to give an overview of what I hope to be an emerging field of behavioral public finance. Behavioral finance, as per Barberis and Thaler 2003 (and others), consists of two parts: (1) individual level heuristics and biases, which can lead to sub-optimal (inconsistent) judgment and decision-making, and (2) institutional arbitrage mechanisms. In private finance and economics, these latter, most importantly competition and markets, act to reduce and perhaps eliminate the “harms” from the former. Hence we get the relatively modest policy recommendations characteristic of Sunstien and Thaler’s Nudge (among many other examples), such as for default rules that set participation in 401(k) plans. In public finance, in contrast—and arguably in all sectors of the economy where there are not flourishing markets (such as among the poor? )—there are no obvious arbitrage mechanisms. Politicians and the political processes can even exacerbate persistent cognitive error: consider the predilection for hidden taxes, such as the corporate tax. Behavioral public finance is a hugely important subject matter. These slides, summarizing original research done with Jon Baron of Penn (see the survey piece, McCaffery and Baron 2006), explain the general setting; group together many biases under a common isolation effect, and then use Kaplow and Shavell 2002’s model of optimal legal system design, tracking the two welfare theorems—i.e., set rules (including, we argue, public finance rules), so as to maximize wealth or serve efficiency, and then redistribute from the greater social pie via the tax system—to suggest the possible problems for a democracy. These include: (a), leaving wealth on the table, because the optimally psychologically pleasing policy is not the most efficient one; (b) pitting equity or redistribution against efficiency, unnecessarily, because support for redistribution depends on the purely formal aspects of public finance; and (c) allowing skilful politicians to affect preference reversals among the citizenry, by agenda setting and framing, as by getting citizens averse to deficits and in favor of government expenditures to cut taxes, today, by isolating tax cuts from spending programs.
1 1 M ar 2 00 2 A simple asymmetric evolving random network

We introduce a new oriented evolving graph model inspired by biological networks. A node is added at each time step and is connected to the rest of the graph by random oriented edges emerging from older nodes. This leads to a statistical asymmetry between incoming and outgoing edges. We show that the model exhibits a percolation transition and discuss its universality. Below the threshold, the distribution of component sizes decreases algebraically with a continuously varying exponent depending on the average connectivity. We prove that the transition is of infinite order by deriving the exact asymptotic formula for the size of the giant component close to the threshold. We also present a thorough analysis of aging properties. We compute local-in-time profiles for the components of finite size and for the giant component, showing in particular that the giant component is always dense among the oldest nodes but invades only an exponentially small fraction of the young nodes close to the threshold. 1 Motivations and results. Evolving random graphs have recently attracted attention, see e.g. refs [1, 7] and references therein. This interest is mainly motivated by concrete problems related to the structure of communication or biological networks. Experimental data are now available in many contexts [1, 5]. Email: bauer@spht.saclay. cea.fr Member of the CNRS; email: dbernard@spht.saclay. cea.fr Laboratoire de la Direction des Sciences de la Matière du Commisariat à l’Energie Atomique, URA2306 du CNRS
Politicization of the civil service in comparative perspective : the quest for control

This book addresses an important issue and debate in public administration: the politicization of civil service systems and personnel. Using a comparative framework the authors address issues such as compensation, appointments made from outside the civil service system, anonymity, partisanship and systems used to handle appointees of prior administrations in the US, Canada, Germany, France, Britain, New Zealand, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and Greece.
Pancreatic Cancer Cells Signaling by Unsequestering Bim and Bak in Human BH 3 Mimetic ABT-737 Potentiates TRAIL-Mediated Apoptotic

Tumor necrosis factor–related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) has been shown to induce mitochondrial apoptotic signaling that can be negatively regulated by prosurvival Bcl-2 proteins. ABT-737 is a small-molecule BH3 mimetic that binds to and antagonizes Bcl-2/Bcl-xL but not Mcl-1. We show that ABT-737 can synergistically enhance TRAIL-mediated cytotoxicity in human pancreatic cancer cell lines. ABT-737 was shown to enhance TRAIL-induced apoptosis as shown by DNA fragmentation, activation of caspase-8 and Bid, and cleavage of caspase-3 and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. A Bax conformational change induced by TRAIL was enhanced by ABT-737. ABT-737 disrupted the interaction of Bak with Bcl-xL in both cell lines. Furthermore, ABT-737 untethered the proapoptotic BH3-only protein Bim from its sequestration by Bcl-xL or Bcl-2. Bim small hairpin RNA (shRNA) was shown to attenuate caspase-3 cleavage and to reduce the cytotoxic effects of TRAIL plus ABT-737 compared with shRNA control cells. Finally, Mcl-1 shRNA potentiated caspase-3 cleavage by ABT-737 and enhanced its cytotoxic effects. Taken together, ABT-737 augments TRAIL-induced cell killing by unsequestering Bim and Bak and enhancing a Bax conformational change induced by TRAIL. These findings suggest a novel strategy to enhance cross-talk between the extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways to improve therapeutic efficacy against pancreatic cancer. [Cancer Res 2008;68(8):2944–51]
Structure D'Un Drapeau Riemannien

The aim of this paper is to show that any stable complete Riemannian flag on a compact and connected manifold is conjugated to a flag of homogenus foliations (see Definitions). Also, we give a characterization of Riemannian flags that homogenus. This result is a step toward the classification of Riemannian flags.
An Efficient Image Retrieval Model Using Fuzzy Semantic Concepts

Concepts can add knowledge to the interpretation of image contents. However, mapping low-level features to high-level image semantics is still an ongoing challenge for researchers. In this paper an integrated model of fuzzy centrality and intensity concepts, together with the concept hierarchy is proposed to efficiently retrieving images. The self-organization feature map is applied to construct a three-layer concept hierarchy for image archives. Thus, search for the image concepts can be effectively achieved by detecting the presences of the relevant bottom-level image primitive features. In other words, an image can be categorized into multiple semantics. Consequently, the retrieval accuracy can be improved by searching the multiple categories. The methodology of the proposed model will be illustrated in this paper and the experimental results will be presented to demonstrate the efficiency in retrieving images.
Palmprint recognition based on multiple feature information fusion

In this paper, we propose an information fusion-based palmprint recognition method. Firstly, three different kinds of palmprint features including texture, principal line and appearance features are extracted using 2D Gabor phase encoding, the modified finite Radon transform (MFRAT) and orthogonal discriminant locality preserving projections (ODLPP), respectively. Then, Hamming distance, pixel-to-area comparison-based similarity calculation and Euclidean distance are presented to computing their matching score, and the nearest neighborhood (NN) classifier is applied to classification. Lastly, information fusion on the decision level is conducted to further improve the recognition accuracy. The experimental results on the PolyU palmprint database demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Adaptive channel equalization using classification trees

This paper focuses on adaptive equalization of binary signals in a baseband digital telecommunication system. Equalization and detection are considered as a classification problem. Fixed-length sequences of received observations form a multidimensional signal space, which can be partitioned using the proposed classification tree algorithm. Top-down approach is used in tree induction, and splitting is done based on information gain criterion. Overfitting is avoided by utilizing a pruning algorithm. The advantages of this method are its simplicity and straightforwardness and thereby the reduction of computational complexity compared to other well performing equalizers. Experimental results and comparison with a cascade-correlation trained multilayer perceptron neural network equalizer are given.
Routing optimization for Wireless Networks with cooperative techniques

The impact of unreliable routing, fading and other contingencies in wireless channels can be counteracted by incorporating communication diversity and introducing cooperative paradigms, where third-party nodes contribute to assist the communication. The approaches that are in use today combine both cooperative relaying and coded cooperation. In this article we are introducing a deterministic routing technique to improve the performance of the existing system. We focus on a multiple-input multiple-output ad hoc scenario and show that the improvement brought by cooperative relaying and coded cooperation is not always sufficient; in certain cases the former can be ineffective if no proper relay can be selected, and the latter leads to an overall increase of interference, thus worsening the quality of surrounding links. Therefore, we suggest that along with cooperative relaying and coded cooperation, we are incorporating a new technique to alleviate the problems. Such a joint solution is shown to achieve a significant improvement over the individual approaches. We conclude by discussing future evolutions of the cooperative relaying, coded cooperation and deterministic routing technique and their advanced implementation issues.
Genetic Mapping of a Major Resistance Gene to Pea Aphid (Acyrthosipon pisum) in the Model Legume Medicago truncatula

Resistance to the Australian pea aphid (PA; Acyrthosiphon pisum) biotype in cultivar Jester of the model legume Medicago truncatula is mediated by a single dominant gene and is phloem-mediated. The genetic map position for this resistance gene, APR (Acyrthosiphon pisum resistance), is provided and shows that APR maps 39 centiMorgans (cM) distal of the A. kondoi resistance (AKR) locus, which mediates resistance to a closely related species of the same genus bluegreen aphid (A. kondoi). The APR region on chromosome 3 is dense in classical nucleotide binding site leucine-rich repeats (NLRs) and overlaps with the region harbouring the RAP1 gene which confers resistance to a European PA biotype in the accession Jemalong A17. Further screening of a core collection of M. truncatula accessions identified seven lines with strong resistance to PA. Allelism experiments showed that the single dominant resistance to PA in M. truncatula accessions SA10481 and SA1516 are allelic to SA10733, the donor of the APR locus in cultivar Jester. While it remains unclear whether there are multiple PA resistance genes in an R-gene cluster or the resistance loci identified in the other M. truncatula accessions are allelic to APR, the introgression of APR into current M. truncatula cultivars will provide more durable resistance to PA.
Cepstral based approach for online quantification of ECG quality in freely moving subjects

We present an algorithm for assessing the ECG signal quality in real time. The algorithm is designed for small systems with low computational power. The method estimates the ECG cepstrum on a running window of 10 s and calculates the power of the highest peak in the “quefrency” band of the mean cardiac interval (between 0.25 and 2.0 s). If the ECG is corrupted by noise, the power of this cepstral peak is just a fraction of the total power. The ECG quality index (QI) is defined as ratio between the power of the cepstral peak and the total cepstral power. Examples with ECG of different signal quality from different leads illustrate the method. Moreover, two overnight ECG recordings were analyzed by setting the threshold for ECG acceptability at QI>0.40. ECG signals were classified acceptable for 99.8% and 60% respectively of the recordings time. These percentages were similar to those scored visually by an expert operator (100% and 67% respectively).
bias in medical informatics evaluation literature : Recognizing the problem , its impact and the causes

Introduction Publication bias is a phenomenon that has probably existed as long as results of scientific research are being published. In brief, it is defined as the publication or non-publication of results depending on their direction and statistical significance. Positive and / or statistically significant results seem more likely to be published than negative and / or insignificant results [1]. Publication bias has been a well known issue for at least decades (if not centuries) and its effect steadily becomes more important with the paradigmatic change in the way decisions are being made: from the basis of personal experience to the solid foundation of scientific evidence [2]. In order to gain knowledge on a subject as comprehensive and " objective " as possible, the results of primary studies may be combined in systematic reviews or meta-analyses. Greenhalgh [3] defines a systematic review as an overview of primary studies using explicit and reproducible methods, whereas a meta-analysis is described as the " mathematical synthesis of results of two or more primary studies that addressed the same hypothesis in the same way ". A number of studies investigating the effects of publication bias have been carried out , some also in the field of biomedical informatics, giving an overview of its existence and risk factors [2] or assessing to what degree the direction and significance of results influence publication [4, 5]. However , there still seems to be no unanimity as regards the degree of influence of publication bias in medical informatics evaluation literature. We see the assessment of this influence as a basis for the answer to the question if and how publication bias in our field should be dealt with. In order to assess the existence of publication bias and its influence on meta-analyses we conducted a small-scale study to answer three study questions:. 1. What is the ratio of positive vs. negative findings in published evaluation studies? 2. Is a statistical assessment of publication bias for evaluation studies in health informatics possible? 3. How many evaluation studies conducted are published, and what are the reasons for not submitting? Methods 1: What is the ratio of positive vs. negative findings in published evaluation studies? If there is a great influence of publication bias in the population one should assume that a significantly higher number of studies describing positive results than negative results have been published. Comparable statistics were presented by …
An exploratory study on library aging by monitoring client usage in a software ecosystem

In recent times, use of third-party libraries has become prevalent practice in contemporary software development. Much like other code components, unmaintained libraries are a cause for concern, especially when it risks code degradation over time. Therefore, awareness of when a library should be updated is important. With the emergence of large libraries hosting repositories such as Maven Central, we can leverage the dynamics of these ecosystems to understand and estimate when a library is due for an update. In this paper, based on the concepts of software aging, we empirically explore library usage as a means to describe its age. The study covers about 1,500 libraries belonging to the Maven software ecosystem. Results show that library usage changes are not random, with 81.7% of the popular libraries fitting typical polynomial models. Further analysis show that ecosystem factors such as emerging rivals has an effect on aging characteristics. Our preliminary findings demonstrate that awareness of library aging and its characteristics is a promising step towards aiding client systems in the maintenance of their libraries.
Comparison of downlink multi-user multiple input multiple output schemes in wireless communication systems

Multiple input multiple output (MIMO) processing techniques are of interest for the next generation wireless communication systems due to their potential ability to dramatically improve the system capacity. There have been existed several multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO) transmit schemes such as zero-forcing dirty paper coding (ZF-DPC), and zero-forcing beamforming (ZFBF). In this paper, we analysis and compare the dynamic transmission schemes based on TDMA and SDMA under perfect and imperfect channel state information (CSI). The system throughput (sum data rate), the optimal user number that can be supported are evaluated under perfect CSI by computer simulations. The effect of imperfect CSI on the throughput of TDMA and SDMA is also investigated. The results show that under perfect channel state information at both transmitter and receiver, the SDMA schemes can achieve a larger throughput than the TDMA scheme because SDMA can fully explore the multiuser diversity by transmitting to the optimal set of users. In contrast, the results show that the system performance of SDMA scheme is sensitive to the channel error.
No Downlink Pilots are Needed in Massive MIMO

We consider the Massive Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) downlink with maximum-ratio and zero-forcing processing and time-division duplex (TDD) operation. To decode, the terminals must know their instantaneous effective channel gain. Conventionally, it is assumed that by virtue of channel hardening, this instantaneous gain is close to its average and hence that terminals can rely on knowledge of that average (also known as statistical channel information). However, in some propagation environments, such as keyhole channels, channel hardening does not hold. We propose a blind algorithm to estimate the effective channel gain at each user, that does not require any downlink pilots. We derive a capacity lower bound of each user for our proposed scheme, applicable to any propagation channel. Compared to the case of no downlink pilots (relying on channel hardening), and compared to training-based estimation using downlink pilots, our blind algorithm performs significantly better. The difference is especially pronounced in environments that do not offer channel hardening.
Quantitative Stability in Stochastic Programming: The Method of Probability Metrics

Quantitative stability of optimal values and solution sets to stochastic programming problems is studied when the underlying probability distribution varies in some metric space of probability measures. We give conditions that imply that a stochastic program behaves stable with respect to a minimal information (m.i.) probability metric that is naturally associated with the data of the program. Canonical metrics bounding the m.i. metric are derived for specific models, namely for linear two-stage, mixed-integer two-stage and chance-constrained models. The corresponding quantitative stability results as well as some consequences for asymptotic properties of empirical approximations extend earlier results in this direction. In particular, rates of convergence in probability are derived under metric entropy conditions. Finally, we study stability properties of stable investment portfolios having minimal risk with respect to the spectral measure and stability index of the underlying stable probability distribution.
Imaging on Coal Seismic Data

Poststack imaging (migration) methods have been playing an important role in coal data processing for decades. However, results in applying poststack imaging processing to 3-D coal seismic data from a producing coal mine have low quality images. In order to obtain correct images, we present the strategy that applies the prestack Kirchhoff imaging method to the coal data. In this paper, we describe the implementation of prestack Kirchhoff time migration and the application to the coal seismic data. Meanwhile we derive the workflow of prestack Kirchhoff time migration processing according to the character of coal data. The processing sequences of the prestack Kirchhoff time migration are simplified effectively. It includes two steps: (1) the estimation of 3-D root mean square velocity field; (2) the prestack Kirchhoff time migration processing. In comparison to poststack migration, the application of prestack Kirchhoff time migration to coal seismic data results in much better imaging of reflections. Keywords-velocity; imaging; coal data
Studies on the effects of hydroxyurea and other anticancer drugs upon pyrimidine metabolism.

Summary The reversal of azauridine-induced oroticaciduria by hydroxyurea has been studied to further elucidate the control mechanisms involved in the de novo pathways of pyrimidine biosynthesis. No direct effect of hydroxyurea upon partially purified aspartate transcarbamylase and dihydroorotase was observed. Hydroxyurea selectively inhibited the incorporation of 14C-labeled aspartate, orotate, and formate into the DNA bases of human leukemic cells incubated in vitro. No effect of hydroxyurea was observed in the RNA bases isolated from these leukemic cells. Other chemotherapeutic agents, including 5-iododeoxyuridine, 5-fluorodeoxyuridine, Methotrexate, cytosine arabinoside, and cyclophosphamide, were administered to patients receiving 6-azauridine. Only Methotrexate and cyclophosphamide inhibited orotic acid excretion in a manner similar to hydroxyurea. These results suggest that the control of pyrimidine biosynthesis is linked to DNA synthesis or function in an as yet unexplained manner.
An Efficient Position-based Broadcasting Method Considering Node Density in MANETs

The aim of this study is to propose an efficient broadcasting method considering node density and to conduct a comparative evaluation with existing methods. In our proposed method, broadcasting is carried out efficiently using positional information attached to messages at the time of broadcasting and not by periodically exchanging positional information or routing tables. We run a simulation considering the variation of node density and show that the proposed method excels other methods in overall performance.