Imitation in Large Games

In games with a large number of players where players may have overlapping objectives, the analysis of stable outcomes typically depends on player types. A special case is when a large part of the player population consists of imitation types: that of players who imitate choice of other (optimizing) types. Game theorists typically study the evolution of such games in dynamical systems with imitation rules. In the setting of games of infinite duration on finite graphs with preference orderings on outcomes for player types, we explore the possibility of imitation as a viable strategy. In our setup, the optimising players play bounded memory strategies and the imitators play according to specifications given by automata. We present algorithmic results on the eventual survival of types

O Prêmio pela Maturidade na Estrutura a Termo das Taxas de Juros Brasileiras

This paper tests the Rational Expectations Hypothesis in Brazil from July 1996 to December 2001 for maturities ranging from 1 day to 1 year. It shows that (i) the estimated coefficients in the regressions of the short-run changes of the long rate on the yield spread and in the regressions of the long-run changes of the short rate on the yield spread are imprecise and unable to reject the REH. On the other hand, (ii) yield spreads highly correlated with the rational expectations forecasts of the perfect foresight spreads, but significantly more volatile than these, suggest the rejection of the REH. The alternative hypothesis of overreaction of the yield spread to the present short rate (or under-reaction of the long rate to the present short rate) seems to be a reasonable explanation to the findings that (iii) the estimated coefficients are significantly lower than unit and (iv) the residual are orthogonal to the agents information set in the regressions of the rational expectations forecasts on the yield spreads.

Extended Feedback Linearization Control for Voltage Regulation in a Buck Converter with an Unknown Resistive Load

This paper deals with the control problem in a buck converter while considering an unknown resistive load. The control design is based on extended feedback linearization (EFL) theory, which allows finding a general control law equivalent to the approximated feedback control method when the state variables are at the desired equilibrium point. The main advantage of an EFL controller is that the final feedback gains are independent of the converter parameters if and only if all the capacitances and inductances of the converter are perfectly known. To define the resistive load value, the inverse and invariance estimation method was employed, aiming to ensure the exponential convergence of the real resistive value. Numerical comparisons with an integral-action, passivity-based control design demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed EFL approach. All numerical simulations were conducted in the PLECs simulation tool of the MATLAB/Simulink environment. © 2023 IEE

Fertilizante de liberação lenta no desenvolvimento de mudas de Eucalyptus grandis.

Uma das ações mais importantes para aumentar a produção de mudas de essências florestais é a fertilização do substrato. A utilização de fertilizante de liberação lenta (FLL) pode contribuir para a obtenção de mudas de melhor qualidade. O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar doses crescentes de FLL e fertilizante convencional (FC), bem como comparar esses fertilizantes no desenvolvimento de mudas de Eucalyptus grandis. O estudo foi realizado na região do Vale do Itajaí, SC. Os tratamentos foram a adição de FLL e FC para cada experimento nas seguintes doses de formulado: T1 ? 0 kg (testemunha); T2 ? 2 kg; T3 ? 4 kg; T4 ? 6 kg; T5 ? 8 kg e T6 ? 10 kg.m-3 de substrato-base. Decorridos 174 dias da semeadura, foram analisadas as variáveis altura total, diâmetro do colo, biomassa fresca da parte aérea, biomassa seca da parte aérea, biomassa seca da raiz, biomassa seca total, dose de máxima eficiência técnica e teores de nutrientes da parte aérea das mudas de cada tratamento. Em todos os tratamentos houve resposta positiva no desenvolvimento das mudas, entretanto as mudas tiveram melhor crescimento sob doses entre 9,1 e 12,9 kg.m-3 de fertilizante de liberação lenta

SWIPE: a bolometric polarimeter for the Large-Scale Polarization Explorer

The balloon-borne LSPE mission is optimized to measure the linear polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Background at large angular scales. The Short Wavelength Instrument for the Polarization Explorer (SWIPE) is composed of 3 arrays of multi-mode bolometers cooled at 0.3K, with optical components and filters cryogenically cooled below 4K to reduce the background on the detectors. Polarimetry is achieved by means of large rotating half-wave plates and wire-grid polarizers in front of the arrays. The polarization modulator is the first component of the optical chain, reducing significantly the effect of instrumental polarization. In SWIPE we trade angular resolution for sensitivity. The diameter of the entrance pupil of the refractive telescope is 45 cm, while the field optics is optimized to collect tens of modes for each detector, thus boosting the absorbed power. This approach results in a FWHM resolution of 1.8, 1.5, 1.2 degrees at 95, 145, 245 GHz respectively. The expected performance of the three channels is limited by photon noise, resulting in a final sensitivity around 0.1-0.2 uK per beam, for a 13 days survey covering 25% of the sky.Comment: In press. Copyright 2012 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. One print or electronic copy may be made for personal use only. Systematic reproduction and distribution, duplication of any material in this paper for a fee or for commercial purposes, or modification of the content of the paper are prohibite

Blackwell-Optimal Strategies in Priority Mean-Payoff Games

We examine perfect information stochastic mean-payoff games - a class of games containing as special sub-classes the usual mean-payoff games and parity games. We show that deterministic memoryless strategies that are optimal for discounted games with state-dependent discount factors close to 1 are optimal for priority mean-payoff games establishing a strong link between these two classes

La primauté du droit : la situation des immigrants et des réfugiés en droit canadien au regard des Chartes et des textes internationaux

The « rule of law » which for a long time was considered as an unwritten part of the Constitution now enjoys full constitutional status. Its enshrining in the preamble of the Canadian Charter sheds considerable light on the manner in which the rights and freedoms of the Charter should be perceived. The author opens his discussion by examining the impact that the constitutionalization of the « rule of law » has had on immigrants and refugees in Canada. As the Immigration Act of 1976 confers numerous discretionary powers which could result in their abusive use, the author analyses how the Human Rights charters applicable in Canada and in Quebec can insure the legal protection of immigrants and refugees. In the second part of his study, the author discusses the principal international texts ratified by Canada which have as their purpose the protection of the rights of immigrants and refugees. As international law is not « self-enforcing » in Canada, the author shows how the internal legal community conforms to the international obligations contracted by Canada

Genome-Wide Profiling of Pluripotent Cells Reveals a Unique Molecular Signature of Human Embryonic Germ Cells

Human embryonic germ cells (EGCs) provide a powerful model for identifying molecules involved in the pluripotent state when compared to their progenitors, primordial germ cells (PGCs), and other pluripotent stem cells. Microarray and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) reveals for the first time that human EGCs possess a transcription profile distinct from PGCs and other pluripotent stem cells. Validation with qRT-PCR confirms that human EGCs and PGCs express many pluripotency-associated genes but with quantifiable differences compared to pluripotent embryonic stem cells (ESCs), induced pluripotent stem cells (IPSCs), and embryonal carcinoma cells (ECCs). Analyses also identified a number of target genes that may be potentially associated with their unique pluripotent states. These include IPO7, MED7, RBM26, HSPD1, and KRAS which were upregulated in EGCs along with other pluripotent stem cells when compared to PGCs. Other potential target genes were also found which may contribute toward a primed ESC-like state. These genes were exclusively up-regulated in ESCs, IPSCs and ECCs including PARP1, CCNE1, CDK6, AURKA, MAD2L1, CCNG1, and CCNB1 which are involved in cell cycle regulation, cellular metabolism and DNA repair and replication. Gene classification analysis also confirmed that the distinguishing feature of EGCs compared to ESCs, ECCs, and IPSCs lies primarily in their genetic contribution to cellular metabolism, cell cycle, and cell adhesion. In contrast, several genes were found upregulated in PGCs which may help distinguish their unipotent state including HBA1, DMRT1, SPANXA1, and EHD2. Together, these findings provide the first glimpse into a unique genomic signature of human germ cells and pluripotent stem cells and provide genes potentially involved in defining different states of germ-line pluripotency