Social and asocial learning in collective action problems:the rise and fall of socially-beneficial behaviour

The allocation of common-pool resources is an important topic in technical and socio-Technical systems, and when left unmanaged, such systems often collapse to highly unequal and unsustainable outcomes. Recent work has highlighted a role for electronic institutions in managing such resources, to ensure socially-beneficial outcomes in the long term. However, open self-organising multi-Agent systems often involve agents that learn behaviours in order to meet their goals. In this paper we explore the interplay between institutional features and forms of social and asocial learning employed by self-interested agents. We show that, while recent results have associated social learning with sustainability, this is sensitive to the form of social learning used. We show that more realistic models that combine social and asocial learning are more likely to lead to unsustainable institutions and anti-social outcomes. However, a key role for pardons in the sanction mechanism of the institution is identified, which allows for tolerance of a range of behaviours associated with ongoing learning, including complacency and exploration

Ageing effect on flicker-induced diameter changes in retinal microvessels of healthy individuals

Purpose: To compare flicker-induced retinal vessel diameter changes in varying age groups with low cardiovascular risk. Methods: Retinal vascular reactivity to flicker light was assessed by means of dynamic retinal vessel analysis in 57 participants aged 19-30 years, 75 participants aged 31-50 years and 62 participants aged 51-70 years participants. Other assessments included carotid intima-media thickness (c-IMT), augmentation index (AIx), blood pressure profiles, blood lipid metabolism markers and Framingham risk scores (FRS). Results: Retinal arterial dilation amplitude (DA) and postflicker percentage constriction (MC%) were significantly decreased in the oldest group compared to the middle-aged (p = 0.028; p = 0.021) and youngest group (p = 0.003; p = 0.026). The arterial constriction slope (SlopeAC) was also decreased in the oldest group compared to the youngest group (p = 0.027). On the venous side, MC% was decreased in the middle-aged and oldest groups in comparison with the youngest group (p = 0.015; p = 0.010, respectively). Additionally, men exhibited increased arterial DA (p = 0.007), and percentage dilation (MD%, p < 0.001) in comparison with women, but only in the youngest age group. Both AIx and c-IMT scores increased with age (both p < 0.001); however, no correlations were found between the observed differences in the measured retinal vascular function and systemic parameters. Conclusion: In individuals with low cardiovascular risk, there are age-related differences in flicker-induced retinal vessel diameter changes throughout the entire functional response curve for arteries and veins. Gender differences mainly affect the arterial dilatory phase and are only present in young individuals

EUVN_DA project on the territory of Slovenia

Present work serves as a collection of measurements and results, which are needed for the determination of new EUVN (European Vertical Reference Network) points in Slovenia under the project EUVN_DA (EUVN Densification Action), which is held by International Association of Geodesy IAG Sub-commission Europe Reference Frame EUREF. Main reason for initiation of EUVN_DA project are the discrepancyies between the current gravimetric quasigeoid (EGG97) and the point-wise EUVN quasigeoid. Differences between the EGG97 quasigeoid and the GPS/levelling quasigeoidal height anomalies of the EUVN stations are significant and highly variable in some part of Europe. In Slovenia is for EUVN_DA project responsible Surveying and Mapping Authority of Republic of Slovenia (SMARS; GURS in Slovenia) in cooperation with Geodetic Institute of Slovenia (GIS) and University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering (FGG). On the territory of Slovenia are 12 EUVN_DA stations (new EUVN stations). There are two points (SI01 in SI03), that are already part of the EUVN. Project requires three tipes of measurements: levelling, GPS- observations and gravimetric measurements. This papier describes how are the required data gained from the results of the measurements. Estimated accuracy of geopotential and normal height of EUVN_DA-stations is also provided. Theoretical part of diploma is focused on gravitiy field of the Earth and definitions of the Heights sistems

Investigation of Cumulus Cell Factors Associated With Embryo Development and Pregnancy Outcome in Human IVF

Recent evidence suggests that the expression of some candidate genes in cumulus cells (CC) have the potential to serve as markers of oocyte quality. The aims of this study were: 1) to validate a multiplex quantitative polymerase chain reaction (QPCR) method to measure four genes simultaneously in extracts from individual CC and; 2) to investigate the relationships in individual cumulus-oocyte-complexes (COC) amongst the expression levels of a range of candidate genes (N=8) from individual CC, the numbers of CC per COC and developmental indicators (good blastocyst development and live birth outcome) of the associated oocytes following in vitro fertilization (IVF) with intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Sixty eight women were recruited for this study following approval from NZ Multi-Regional Ethics Committee and classified into four research groups: young and healthy women (<38 years, N=25), young women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (<38 years, N=11), young with diminished ovarian reserve (<38 years, N=12) and older and healthy women (≥40 years, N=20). Following exogenous rFSH-assisted ovarian stimulation, 608 COC were collected and subjected to ICSI. Oocyte and embryo quality, and pregnancy outcomes were recorded. Expression levels of the following candidate genes HAS2, FSHR, SLC2A4 (GLUT4), ALCAM, SFRP2, VCAN, NRP1 and PR in CC extracts from individual COC were measured by TaqMan QPCR and normalized against the house-keeping gene, RPL19. The numbers of CC from individual COC were calculated from RPL19 expression levels plotted against a standard curve of CC number. These results were then assessed against the outcomes of the associated oocytes following ICSI. HAS2, FSHR, ALCAM, VCAN, NRP1 and PR mRNA were detectable in most samples (98.5%) whereas those for SLC2A4 and SFRP2 were generally undetectable. The minimum number of CC required for QPCR was estimated to be ~70. The mean levels of FSHR mRNA were up-regulated in young women with PCOS compared to those in the other two groups of women <38y. Expression levels of HAS2 across all four groups of women were correlated to both biological (age, basal serum FSH and serum AMH) and treatment (amount of rFSH used for stimulation, follicle numbers and COC retrieved) variables. Investigations related to oocyte development in young and healthy women showed that 1) mean mRNA levels of VCAN, HAS2 and PR were higher (P=0.002, P<0.05, P<0.05, respectively) in CC associated with oocytes that resulted in good quality blastocysts and those of VCAN were higher (P<0.05) in CC associated with oocytes that resulted in a live birth, compared with those with developmental failure. However, the expression levels of all measurable candidate genes were highly variable for individual CC from COC from each woman. Indeed, 99.7% of individual COC were different in CC mRNA levels and cell composition. The application of a ranking method to score the relative CC mRNA levels of selected candidate genes from each COC recovered from individual women was evaluated. This approach demonstrated a predictive power of 80% efficiency for selecting good quality oocytes (at least one), whilst requiring the insemination of no more than three oocytes in any treatment cycle. Furthermore, this selection method resulted in a pregnancy and live birth rate of 60 and 52% respectively (N=25 women). This outcome is similar to that achieved when all metaphase II (MII) oocytes are inseminated. In conclusion, this study has validated a multiplex QPCR method to quantify the expression levels of four genes in CC of individual human COC simultaneously using as few as 70 cells. Moreover, that there is sufficient cDNA so that many more candidate genes can be measured in the same extract. From the knowledge of the mRNA levels of at least four genes, VCAN, FSHR, HAS2 and PR in CC, it is possible to improve upon existing biological indicators the potential to predict good blastocyst formation and a successful pregnancy outcome. It is concluded that the application of a multiplex QPCR approach to assess the expression levels of a limited number of marker genes in CC can be used to select the best oocytes for successful pregnancy outcomes

IGRE DOBROG RASPOLOŽENJA

Za Igre dobre volje postoji podatak da su nastale 1977. godine u okviru aktivnosti odgajatelja mariborskog područja domava za djecu s posebnim potrebama. Prvo natjecanje održano je u Ptuju. U malom nogometu i šahu natjecale su se domaće ekipe iz Maribora, Slovenske Bistrice i Ptuja. Kasnije je na jednoj od studijskih grupa odgajatelja domova za djecu i mladež s posebnim potrebama rođena ideja o novoj vrsti druženja. To bi se trebao održavati svake godine, a sudjelujuće ekipe predstavljaju se s kulturno-umjetničkom točkom i zabavnim igrama u štafeti. Organizator se obvezuje da na igre pozove nekog uglednog sportaša koji predstavlja upotrebljivost sporta, dok poznati glazbenici bodre natjecatelje i zabavljaju gledatelje. 2012/2013 godine naš dom bio je organizator igara. Tada su se Igre dobre volje tehnički unaprijedile himnom i zastavom. Zlatko Štarmec je napisao i uglazbio himnu pod nazivom „Dobrovoljska“, dok je Vesne Kolenko imala ideju da se napravi zastava koja se svake godine predaje pobjedniku, koji je ujedno i sledjeći organizator. Javne ustanove koje već godina organiziraju Igre dobre volje i sudjeluju na njima su sledjeće: Dom Antona Skale Maribor, CUDV Črna na Koroškem, CIRIUS Vipava, CUDV Dobrna, Centar za osposobljavanje, obrazovanje in izobraževanje Janeza Levaca iz Ljubljane, Dijaški dom Ptuj , Učenički dom Murska Sobota, OŠ Glazija Celje i OŠ Minke Namestnik – Sonje iz Slovenske Bistrice

Long-Range Excitation of Collective Modes in Mesoscopic Metal Clusters

We develop a semiclassical theory for the long range excitation of plasmon resonances in atomic clusters, based on the doorway hypothesis. The effect of the width of the plasmon resonance is fully taken into account. As an application we study plasmon excitation in small Sodium clusters, in collisions with electrons and protons.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figure