Random Attractor for Stochastic Wave Equation with Arbitrary Exponent and Additive Noise on Rn\mathbb{R}^n

Asymptotic random dynamics of weak solutions for a damped stochastic wave equation with the nonlinearity of arbitrarily large exponent and the additive noise on $\mathbb{R}^n$ is investigated. The existence of a pullback random attractor is proved in a parameter region with a breakthrough in proving the pullback asymptotic compactness of the cocycle with the quasi-trajectories defined on the integrable function space of arbitrary exponent and on the unbounded domain of arbitrary dimension

Testing Institutional Arrangements Via Agent-Based Modeling: A U.S. Electricity Market Example

Many critical goods and services in modern-day economies are produced and distributed through complex institutional arrangements. Agent-based computational economics (ACE) modeling tools are capable of handling this degree of complexity. In concrete support of this claim, this study presents an ACE test bed designed to permit the exploratory study of restructured U.S. wholesale power markets with transmission grid congestion managed by locational marginal prices (LMPs). Illustrative findings are presented showing how spatial LMP cross-correlation patterns vary systematically in response to changes in the price responsiveness of wholesale power demand when wholesale power sellers have learning capabilities. These findings highlight several distinctive features of ACE modeling: namely, an emphasis on process rather than on equilibrium; an ability to capture complicated structural, institutional, and behavioral real-world aspects (micro-validation); and an ability to study the effects of changes in these aspects on spatial and temporal outcome distributions.Institutional Design; agent-based computational economics; U.S. Electricity Market; Locational marginal pricing; Spatial Cross-Correlations; AMES Test Bed

Amphiphilic DNA and its application in biomedicine

In this research, interaction of amphiphilic DNA with liposome membranes was first addressed. Anchoring to liposome membrane showed a liposome composition independent manner. Nearly half of input amphiphilic DNA can be incorporated to the outer membrane leaflet and allows full access to hybridization. Amphiphilic DNA interaction with cell membrane was also investigated and found that it can anchor to the cell membrane regardless of cell types. Next, lipid DNA was inserted in both liposome and cell membranes and by incubation, cellular accumulation of cargo encapsulated in the liposomal core was substantially enhanced when the DNA sequence on the cell was complementary to that on the liposome. Additionally, in mixed cell populations, liposomes discriminate targets by their complementary DNA sequences. Exposure of cells to low temperature and endocytosis inhibitors suggests a caveolae-dependent endocytosis uptake pathway. We also expanded liposomes to other drug carriers. DNA tetrahedron was tailed with free overhangs that can hybridize with cell membrane anchored DNA. After incubation with surface anchored cells, a significantly internalization of these DNA tetrahedron was observed, much higher than those that can not hybridize. Moreover, the DNA mediated internalization of DNA-Au nanoparticles and DNA-functionalized polystyrene particles was studied. In the end, immunostimulatory nanoparticles were synthesized by hybridizing CpG to micelles or liposomes formed from amphiphilic DNA. Administration of these immunostimulatory soft nanoparticles in vivo together with hard core (gold) nanoparticles resulted in distinct spleen dendritic cell activation. Immunostimulatory micelles can effectively promote activation while liposome and gold nanoparticle showed negligible or no effect

Separation and Volatility of Locational Marginal Prices in Restructured Wholesale Power Markets

This study uses an agent-based test bed ("AMES") to investigate separation and volatility of locational marginal prices (LMPs) in an ISO-managed restructured wholesale power market operating over an AC transmission grid. Particular attention is focused on the dynamic and cross-sectional response of LMPs to systematic changes in demand-bid price sensitivities and supply-offer price cap levels under varied learning specifications for the generation companies. Also explored is the extent to which the supply offers of the marginal (price-determining) generation companies induce correlations among neighboring LMPs. Related work can be accessed at: http://www.econ.iastate.edu/tesfatsi/AMESMarketHome.htmRestructured wholesale power markets; multi-agent learning; demand-bid price sensitivity; AMES Wholesale Power Market Test Bed; agent-based modeling; locational marginal prices (LMPs); LMP separation; LMP volatility; supply-offer price caps

Obscured Binary Quasar Cores in SDSS J104807.74+005543.5?

We report the discovery of a possible close binary system of quasars in SDSS J1048+0055. The [OIII]4959,5007 emission lines are clearly double-peaked, and two discrete radio sources with a projected physical separation of ~20 pc are found in the VLBA milliarcsec resolution image at 8.4 GHz. Each of the [O III]4959,5007 doublets and Hbeta can be well modelled by two Gaussians and the line ratio, [O III]5007/Hbeta ~7, is typical of Seyfert 2 galaxies. No broad component of Hbeta was detected and its [O III]5007 luminosity, L_[OIII] ~ 9.2 times 10^42 erg s^-1, is comparable to luminous quasars and is a few ten times more luminous than typical Seyfert galaxies. One natural interpretation is that SDSS J1048+0055 contains two close quasar-like nuclei and the BLR around them are obscured. Other possible models are also discussed. We suggest that double-peaked narrow emission line profile may be an effective way of selecting candidates of binary black holes with intermediate separation