Implication of game theory to international trade

Game Theory is a general mathematical analysis to investigate the strategic interactions among players. Game theorists attempt to provide precise descriptions of situations of conflicting interests in order to study the behavior that such a conflict would (or, in some cases, should) elicit from rational agents. Players are assumed to consider the position and perceptions of other players while forming their strategies. In our examples, we will assume that there are two players, and that each has two choices and the fact that the players are selfish (operate in their own best interests) and rational (choose the best options available). First, I outline some basic concepts of game theory and, in the next section, I give some examples regarding the application of game theory to international trade (cartel, free trade & protection and trade policies).Game Theory, cartel, trade policies

High-Throughput SNP Genotyping by SBE/SBH

Despite much progress over the past decade, current Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) genotyping technologies still offer an insufficient degree of multiplexing when required to handle user-selected sets of SNPs. In this paper we propose a new genotyping assay architecture combining multiplexed solution-phase single-base extension (SBE) reactions with sequencing by hybridization (SBH) using universal DNA arrays such as all $k$-mer arrays. In addition to PCR amplification of genomic DNA, SNP genotyping using SBE/SBH assays involves the following steps: (1) Synthesizing primers complementing the genomic sequence immediately preceding SNPs of interest; (2) Hybridizing these primers with the genomic DNA; (3) Extending each primer by a single base using polymerase enzyme and dideoxynucleotides labeled with 4 different fluorescent dyes; and finally (4) Hybridizing extended primers to a universal DNA array and determining the identity of the bases that extend each primer by hybridization pattern analysis. Our contributions include a study of multiplexing algorithms for SBE/SBH genotyping assays and preliminary experimental results showing the achievable tradeoffs between the number of array probes and primer length on one hand and the number of SNPs that can be assayed simultaneously on the other. Simulation results on datasets both randomly generated and extracted from the NCBI dbSNP database suggest that the SBE/SBH architecture provides a flexible and cost-effective alternative to genotyping assays currently used in the industry, enabling genotyping of up to hundreds of thousands of user-specified SNPs per assay.Comment: 19 page

Generalization of the Fierz-Pauli Action

We consider the Lagrangian of gravity covariantly amended by the mass and polynomial interaction terms with arbitrary coefficients, and reinvestigate the consistency of such a theory in the decoupling limit, up to the fifth order in the nonlinearities. We calculate explicitly the self-interactions of the helicity-0 mode, as well as the nonlinear mixing between the helicity-0 and -2 modes. We show that ghost-like pathologies in these interactions disappear for special choices of the polynomial interactions, and argue that this result remains true to all orders in the decoupling limit. Moreover, we show that the linear, and some of the nonlinear mixing terms between the helicity-0 and -2 modes can be absorbed by a local change of variables, which then naturally generates the cubic, quartic, and quintic Galileon interactions, introduced in a different context. We also point out that the mixing between the helicity-0 and 2 modes can be at most quartic in the decoupling limit. Finally, we discuss the implications of our findings for the consistency of the effective field theory away from the decoupling limit, and for the Boulware-Deser problem.Comment: 18 pages, no figure

Novel form of adaptation in mouse retinal rods speeds recovery of phototransduction

Photoreceptors of the retina adapt to ambient light in a manner that allows them to detect changes in illumination over an enormous range of intensities. We have discovered a novel form of adaptation in mouse rods that persists long after the light has been extinguished and the rod's circulating dark current has returned. Electrophysiological recordings from individual rods showed that the time that a bright flash response remained in saturation was significantly shorter if the rod had been previously exposed to bright light. This persistent adaptation did not decrease the rate of rise of the response and therefore cannot be attributed to a decrease in the gain of transduction. Instead, this adaptation was accompanied by a marked speeding of the recovery of the response, suggesting that the step that rate-limits recovery had been accelerated. Experiments on knockout rods in which the identity of the rate-limiting step is known suggest that this adaptive acceleration results from a speeding of G protein/effector deactivation

SILVICULTURE, SEEDS, AND DEER: ASSESSING GROUND-LAYER DIVERSITY ALONG EXPERIMENTAL DISTURBANCE GRADIENTS IN A MANAGED NORTHERN HARDWOOD FOREST

The objective of this dissertation research is to examine drivers of ground-layer diversity along experimental gradients of overstory and understory disturbance in a managed northern hardwood forest. My research was conducted at the Northern Hardwood Silviculture Experiment to Enhance Diversity (NHSEED) project site in Alberta, Michigan. In the first chapter, I examine the effect of canopy removal, soil disturbance, deer exclusion, and manual seed addition on the diversity, composition, and heterogeneity of tree regeneration. The primary conclusion drawn from this chapter is that although greater canopy openness and soil disturbance may enhance species richness and heterogeneity, the highest species richness across all treatment combinations was achieved through a combination of deer exclusion and seed addition. Importantly, deer exclusion alone did not enhance richness or compositional heterogeneity, underlining the bottleneck effect of limited propagule availability. Manual seed addition successfully altered species composition, increasing species richness and compositional heterogeneity. Addressing propagule limitation and deer browse is essential for enhancing tree species diversity alongside selecting appropriate regeneration and site preparation methods. In the second chapter, I explore whether the implementation of artificial tip-up mounds could improve tree regeneration diversity in managed northern hardwood forests. The results demonstrated that these mounds can create distinct seedling communities and reduce the dominance of competitive maple regeneration in forests regenerated with selection systems. Implementing artificial tip-up mounds may be beneficial for promoting tree species diversity and supporting natural regeneration over time. Lastly, in the third chapter I assess the effect of canopy removal, soil disturbance, and deer browse on the herbaceous layer and explore the applicability of theoretical frameworks to predict diversity-disturbance relationships. The key findings that emerged from this chapter reveal effects of disturbance on diversity are mediated by effects of disturbance on ground-layer productivity, which could be predicted by a unimodal response to canopy openness. Furthermore, deer herbivory is a critical component of the understory disturbance regime and can alter ground-layer responses to disturbance and competition. In the absence of deer, diversity and richness were primarily linked to overstory and ground disturbance, showing either a positive or unimodal response. In the presence of deer, however, increased diversity was associated with higher productivity of the ground layer, indicating greater resilience of browse sensitive plants when resources were more abundant. In addition, it is important to carefully assess changes in diversity as quantitative increases do not necessarily reflect compositional quality as measured by floristic quality indexes