Ultimatum game: regret or fairness?

In the ultimatum game, the challenge is to explain why responders reject non-zero offers thereby defying classical rationality. Fairness and related notions have been the main explanations so far. We explain this rejection behavior via the following principle: if the responder regrets less about losing the offer than the proposer regrets not offering the best option, the offer is rejected. This principle qualifies as a rational punishing behavior and it replaces the experimentally falsified classical rationality (the subgame perfect Nash equilibrium) that leads to accepting any non-zero offer. The principle is implemented via the transitive regret theory for probabilistic lotteries. The expected utility implementation is a limiting case of this. We show that several experimental results normally prescribed to fairness and intent-recognition can be given an alternative explanation via rational punishment; e.g. the comparison between "fair" and "superfair", the behavior under raising the stakes etc. Hence we also propose experiments that can distinguish these two scenarios (fairness versus regret-based punishment). They assume different utilities for the proposer and responder. We focus on the mini-ultimatum version of the game and also show how it can emerge from a more general setup of the game.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figure

Women, Peace and Security Advocacy Brief: Advancing the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda in the Indo-Pacific

This report presents an overview of the evolution and impact of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325) on Women, Peace and Security (WPS). In acknowledging the unique experiences of women and girls in conflict, UNSCR 1325 emphasises the crucial role of women's participation at all stages of peace processes. Subsequent UNSC Resolutions have further entrenched the WPS agenda in international relations, aligning with discourses of human rights, human security, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UN member states are urged to develop National Action Plans (NAPs) to advance the WPS agenda and gender equity through gender mainstreaming. The report highlights NATO's efforts to embed the WPS agenda across its operations, and the adoption of the NATO/Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) Policy on Women, Peace and Security 2021–2025. Lessons from NATO's experience in implementing the WPS agenda are invaluable for Australia and other Indo-Pacific states. This advocacy brief summarizes discussions held at Western Sydney University on the 21st anniversary of UNSCR 1325 on 31 October 2022, analysing the progress of the WPS agenda through the lenses of various cross-cutting themes. It offers recommendations for Australian and regional policymakers to expand the WPS agenda in four key areas: sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI), disability; education; and cybersecurity

LiFePO4 spray drying scale-up and carbon-cage for improved cyclability

The growing market for electrical vehicles requires inexpensive, long-lasting batteries. LiFePO4 (LFP) melt-synthesized from ore concentrate fits this role, but the manufacturing process requires additional steps that includes grinding large ingots into a nanoparticle suspension followed by a dessication step. Spray drying, rather than tray drying, creates a mesopomus powder that enhances wettability. Adding lactose and high-Mw polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to the suspension of nanostructures followed by pyrolysis, creates a carbon-cage that interconnects the cathode nanoparticles, imparting better capacity (LiFePO4/C: 161 mA h g(-1) at 0.1C), discharge rate (flat plateau, 145 mA h g(-1) at 5C), and cyclability (91% capacity retention after 750 cycles at 1C). Particle size affects battery stability; PVA increases the suspension's viscosity and alters the powder morphology, from spherical to hollow particles. A model describes the non-Newtonian suspension's rheology changing: shear, temperature, LFP and PVA loading. Carbon precursors prevent the nanoparticles from sintering during calcination but lactose gasifies 50% of the carbon, according to the chemical and allotropic composition measurements (CS analyzer, XPS, and Raman). The carbon-cage imparts micmporosity and we correlate the SEM and TEM powder's morphology with N2 physisorption porosimetry. Ultrasonication of the suspension fragments the PVA chain, which is detrimental to the final cathode performance

Mass spectrometry-based proteomic analysis of the matrix microenvironment in pluripotent stem cell culture

The cellular microenvironment comprises soluble factors, support cells, and components of the extracellular matrix (ECM) that combine to regulate cellular behavior. Pluripotent stem cells utilize interactions between support cells and soluble factors in the microenvironment to assist in the maintenance of self-renewal and the process of differentiation. However, the ECM also plays a significant role in shaping the behavior of human pluripotent stem cells, including embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells. Moreover, it has recently been observed that deposited factors in a hESC-conditioned matrix have the potential to contribute to the reprogramming of metastatic melanoma cells. Therefore, the ECM component of the pluripotent stem cell microenvironment necessitates further analysis. In this study we first compared the self-renewal and differentiation properties of hESCs grown on Matrigel™pre-conditioned by hESCs to those on unconditioned Matrigel™. We determined that culture on conditioned Matrigel™ prevents differentiation when supportive growth factors are removed from the culture medium. To investigate and identify factors potentially responsible for this beneficial effect, we performed a defined SILAC MS-based proteomics screen of hESC-conditioned Matrigel™. From this proteomics screen, we identified over 80 extracellular proteins in matrix conditioned by hESCs and induced pluripotent stem cells. These included matrix-associated factors that participate in key stem cell pluripotency regulatory pathways, such as Nodal/Activin and canonical Wnt signaling. This work represents the first investigation of stem-cell-derived matrices from human pluripotent stem cells using a defined SILAC MS-based proteomics approach. © 2012 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc

Deregulation of MUM1/IRF4 by chromosomal translocation in multiple myeloma

The pathogenesis of multiple myeloma (MM), an incurable tumour causing the deregulated proliferation of terminally differentiated 8 cells, is unknown 1• Chromosomal translocations (14q1) affecting band 14q32 and unidentified partner chromosomes are common in this tumour, suggesting that they may cause the activation of novel oncogenes2.3. By cloning the chromosomal breakpoints in an MM cell line, we show that the 14q+ translocation represents a t(6;14)(p2S;q32) and that this aberration is recurrent in MM, as it was found in two of eleven MM cell lines. The translocation juxtaposes the immunoglobulin heavy-chain (lgH) locus to MUM1 (mM:Itiple myeloma oncogene 1JIIRF4 gene, a member of the interferon regulatory factor (IRF) family known to be active in the control of 8-cell proliferation and differentiation. As a result, the MUM1RRF4 gene is overexpressed-an event that may contribute to tumorigenesis, as MUM11/RF4 has oncogenic activity in vitro. These findings identify a novel genetic alteration associated with MM, with implications for the pathogenesis and diagnostics of this tumour

Microenvironmental regulation of telomerase isoforms in human embryonic stem cells

Recent evidence points to extra-telomeric, noncanonical roles for telomerase in regulating stem cell function. In this study, human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) were cultured in 20% or 2% O2 microenvironments for up to 5 days and evaluated for telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) expression and telomerase activity. Results showed increased cell survival and maintenance of the undifferentiated state with elevated levels of nuclear TERT in 2% O 2-cultured hESCs despite no significant difference in telomerase activity compared with their high-O2-cultured counterparts. Pharmacological inhibition of telomerase activity using a synthetic tea catechin resulted in spontaneous hESC differentiation, while telomerase inhibition with a phosphorothioate oligonucleotide telomere mimic did not. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis revealed variations in transcript levels of full-length and alternate splice variants of TERT in hESCs cultured under varying O2 atmospheres. Steric-blocking of Δα and Δβ hTERT splicing using morpholino oligonucleotides altered the hTERT splicing pattern and rapidly induced spontaneous hESC differentiation that appeared biased toward endomesodermal and neuroectodermal cell fates, respectively. Together, these results suggest that post-transcriptional regulation of TERT under varying O2 microenvironments may help regulate hESC survival, self-renewal, and differentiation capabilities through expression of extra-telomeric telomerase isoforms. © 2014, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc

A Survey of Open Data Platforms in Six UK Smart City Initiatives

This paper presents a comparative analysis of the feasibility studies submitted by six UK cities, (London, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Bristol and Milton Keynes), by exploring their Open Data resources, common visions of their smart programmes and the themes of their projects. In this research, we distinguish between stored datasets that are accessible via data hubs, and live data that are only accessible via APIs in real-time. The aim of this work is to raise awareness and access of the existing data resources, encourage alignment of data collection and curation among projects with compatible objectives in different cities, and to identify the gaps in coverage that are hampering achievement of the cities' visions. Given that our findings are purely based on stored Open Data, we conclude that the Smart City dream will be only achieved in reality, where those involved in Smart Cities related projects co-operate and share both experiences and resources in order to maximise progress towards the common goal but to minimise duplication of efforts and repetition of the same mistakes

Star formation in bright-rimmed clouds and cluster associated with W5 E H{\sc ii} region

The aim of this paper is to present the results of photometric investigations of the central cluster of the W5 E region as well as a follow-up study of the triggered star formation in and around bright-rimmed clouds (BRCs). We have carried out wide field $UBVI_c$ and deep $VI_c$ photometry of the W5 E H{\sc ii} region. A distance of $\sim$2.1 kpc and a mean age of $\sim$1.3 Myr have been obtained for the central cluster. The young stellar objects (YSOs) associated with the region are identified on the basis of near-infrared and mid-infrared observations. We confirmed our earlier results that the average age of the YSOs lying on/inside the rim are younger than those lying outside the rim. The global distribution of the YSOs shows an aligned distribution from the ionising source to the BRCs. These facts indicate that a series of radiation driven implosion processes proceeded from near the central ionising source towards the periphery of the W5 E H{\sc ii} region. We found that, in general, the age distributions of the Class II and Class III sources are the same. This result is apparently in contradiction with the conclusion by Bertout, Siess & Cabrit (2007) and Chauhan et al. (2009) that classical T Tauri stars evolve to weak-line T Tauri stars. The initial mass function of the central cluster region in the mass range $0.4 \le M/M_\odot \le 30$ can be represented by $\Gamma = -1.29 \pm 0.03$. The cumulative mass functions indicate that in the mass range $0.2 \le M/M_\odot \le 0.8$, the cluster region and BRC NW have more low mass YSOs in comparison to BRCs 13 and 14.Comment: 43 pages, 17 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

Effect of Tobacco Smoking on the Clinical, Histopathological, and Serological Manifestations of Sjögren’s Syndrome

Objectives To assess the association of smoking habits with the clinical, serological, and histopathological manifestations of Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) and non-Sjögren’s sicca (non-SS sicca). Methods Cross-sectional case-control study of 1288 patients with sicca symptoms (587 SS and 701 non-SS sicca) evaluated in a multi-disciplinary research clinic. Smoking patterns were obtained from questionnaire data and disease-related clinical and laboratory data were compared between current, past, ever, and never smokers. Results Current smoking rates were 4.6% for SS patients compared to 14.1% in non-SS sicca (p = 5.17x10E-09), 18% in a local lupus cohort (p = 1.13x10E-14) and 16.8% in the community (p = 4.12x10E-15). Current smoking was protective against SS classification (OR 0.35, 95%CI 0.22–0.56, FDR q = 1.9E10-05), focal lymphocytic sialadenitis (OR 0.26, 95%CI 0.15–0.44, FDR q = 1.52x10E-06), focus score ≥1 (OR 0.22, 95%CI 0.13–0.39, FDR q = 1.43x10E-07), and anti-Ro/SSA(+) (OR 0.36, 95%CI 0.2–0.64, FDR q = 0.0009); ever smoking was protective against the same features and against anti-La/SSB(+) (OR 0.52, 95%CI 0.39–0.70, FDR q = 5.82x10E-05). Duration of smoking was inversely correlated with SS even after controlling for socioeconomic status, BMI, alcohol and caffeine consumption. Conclusions Current tobacco smoking is negatively and independently associated with SS, protecting against disease-associated humoral and cellular autoimmunity. The overall smoking rate amongst SS patients is significantly lower than in matched populations and the effects of smoking are proportional to exposure duration. In spite of the protective effects of tobacco on SS manifestations, it is associated with other serious comorbidities such as lung disease, cardiovascular risk and malignancy, and should thus be strongly discouraged in patients with sicca