35 research outputs found
Potential Maximization and Coalition Government Formation
A model of coalition government formation is presented in which inefficient, non-minimal winning coalitions may form in Nash equilibrium. Predictions for five games are presented and tested experimentally. The experimental data support potential maximization as a refinement of Nash equilibrium. In particular, the data support the prediction that non-minimal winning coalitions occur when the distance between policy positions of the parties is small relative to the value of forming the government. These conditions hold in games 1, 3, 4 and 5, where subjects played their unique potential-maximizing strategies 91, 52, 82 and 84 percent of the time, respectively. In the remaining game (Game 2) experimental data support the prediction of a minimal winning coalition. Players A and B played their unique potential-maximizing strategies 84 and 86 percent of the time, respectively, and the predicted minimal-winning government formed 92 percent of the time (all strategy choices for player C conform with potential maximization in Game 2). In Games 1, 2, 4 and 5 over 98 percent of the observed Nash equilibrium outcomes were those predicted by potential maximization. Other solution concepts including iterated elimination of dominated strategies and strong/coalition proof Nash equilibrium are also tested.Coalition formation, Potential maximization, Nash equilibrium refinements, Experimental study, Minimal winning
Best-of-Three Contests: Experimental Evidence
We conduct an experimental analysis of a best-of-three Tullock contest. Intermediate prizes lead to higher efforts, while increasing the role of luck (as opposed to effort) leads to lower efforts. Both intermediate prizes and luck reduce the probability of contest ending in two rounds. The patterns of players‟ efforts and the probability that a contest ends in two rounds is consistent with „strategic momentum‟, i.e. momentum generated due to strategic incentives inherent in the contest. We do not find evidence for „psychological momentum‟, i.e. momentum which emerges when winning affects players‟ confidence. Similar to previous studies of contests, we find significantly higher efforts than predicted and strong heterogeneity in effort between subjects
Purple in a Black & White World: Self-Determination Theory and Transgender Military Service
We offer a theoretical framework to advance our understanding of the psychology of transgender service members—the most understudied and mysterious class of US military personnel. Using grounded theory methods with interview data collected from clandestinely-serving active-duty, guard and reserve military members from the US Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps who self-identified as transgender or transsexual, we reveal a latent structure of Self Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985; Deci & Ryan, 2000; Ryan & Deci, 2000). The variance in our data heavily centers around the concepts of autonomy, competence and relatedness, illustrating how post-DADT military personnel policy, which excludes open transgender service, impacts the mental well-being of transgender service members
POTENTIAL MAXIMIZATION AND COALITION GOVERNMENT FORMATION
A model of coalition government formation is presented in which inefficient, non-minimal winning coalitions may form in Nash equilibrium. Predictions for five games are presented and tested experimentally. The experimental data support potential maximization as a refinement of Nash equilibrium. In particular, the data support the prediction that non-minimal winning coalitions occur when the distance between policy positions of the parties is small relative to the value of forming the government. These conditions hold in games 1, 3, 4 and 5, where subjects played their unique potential-maximizing strategies 91, 52, 82 and 84 percent of the time, respectively. In the remaining game (Game 2) experimental data support the prediction of a minimal winning coalition. Players A and B played their unique potential-maximizing strategies 84 and 86 percent of the time, respectively, and the predicted minimal-winning government formed 92 percent of the time (all strategy choices for player C conform with potential maximization in Game 2). In Games 1, 2, 4 and 5 over 98 percent of the observed Nash equilibrium outcomes were those predicted by potential maximization. Other solution concepts including iterated elimination of weakly dominated strategies and strong/coalition-proof Nash equilibrium are also tested.Coalition formation, potential maximization, Nash equilibrium refinements, experimental study, minimal winning, JEL Classification: C72, JEL Classification: C78, JEL Classification: D72
Modulation of inflammation in the female reproductive tract
Physiological inflammation occurs in the female reproductive tract, but pathological
inflammation is implicated in reproductive pathologies such as preterm labour and
endometrial cancer. Preterm labour (PTL, before 37 weeks of gestation) is the
leading cause of preterm birth, neonatal mortality and perinatal morbidities.
Endometrial cancer is the commonest gynaecological cancer, and its pathogenesis is
characterised by chronic inflammation. The overall aims of this thesis were (i) to
develop an in vitro model of myometrial-monocyte interactions to replicate the
events occurring in the myometrium in preterm labour (ii) to determine the effects of
potential therapeutics such as lipoxins, IL-10 and progesterone, on inflammation, and
(iii) to characterise the lipoxin pathway in endometrial adenocarcinoma.
Macrophages infiltrate the pregnant myometrium during labour; however the role of
these cells is unclear. A myometrial-monocyte coculture model was developed
either using non-pregnant primary myometrial smooth muscle cells (UtSMCs), or
immortalised pregnant human myometrial cells (PHM1-41), with primary monocytes
from term (38-41 weeks of gestation), non-labouring pregnant women. Cultures
were stimulated with the toll-like receptor 4 agonist lipopolysaccharide (LPS), in the
presence or absence of each of lipoxins, IL-10 and progesterone. A significant and
synergistic increase in IL-6 and IL-8 secretion was found in the UtSMC/monocyte
coculture after stimulation with LPS for 24 hours, compared to LPS-treated UtSMCs,
or monocytes alone, but the increase in IL-6 and IL-8 secretion was not inhibited by
lipoxin, epi-lipoxin or benzo-lipoxin. The PHM1-41/monocyte coculture both alone
and in response to LPS treatment generated significantly increased IL-6 and IL-8
secretion, compared to vehicle treatment in the coculture and compared to the culture
of either cell type alone. IL-1β and TNFα secretion were only detected from the
PHM1/monocyte coculture, and monocytes alone. Use of a TNFα blocking antibody
partially suppressed LPS-induced IL-6 and IL-8 secretion in the coculture. Coculture
of PHM1/monocytes resulted in increased secretion of multiple mediators including
pro-inflammatory cytokines, chemokines and growth factors compared to culture of
either PHM1 cells or primary monocytes separately, both with vehicle and with LPS.
IL-10 inhibited LPS-induced IL-6 and IL-8 secretion from the coculture, as did
progesterone, which also inhibited GM-CSF, MCP-1 and CXCL5 secretion.
Myocyte contraction, measured by PHM1-41 cells embedded in collagen was
increased by primary monocyte treatment. This suggests that not only do infiltrating
monocytes increase myometrial inflammation but they can induce myometrial
smooth muscle contraction.
In endometrial adenocarcinoma, the lipoxin synthesis enzymes, ALOX-5 and -15 and
FPR2 mRNA expression were upregulated compared to proliferative phase
endometrium, with FPR2, a reported lipoxin receptor, immunolocalised in
endometrial adenocarcinoma tissue. Additionally, TNFα treatment of Ishikawa
endometrial adenocarcinoma cells increased FPR2 mRNA expression, and
upregulation of FPR2 mRNA also occurred in xenograft tumours from CD1 nude
mice, compared to the Ishikawa cells from which they originated. These findings
highlight FPR2 expression in endometrial adenocarcinoma, and suggest this receptor
could mediate inflammatory signals, and lipoxins could be produced by ALOX-5 and
ALOX-15.
Collectively, these data describe the novel effects of monocytes in the regulation of
myometrial smooth muscle cell inflammation, and demonstrate a mechanism by
which myometrial inflammation during both term and preterm labour is triggered by
infiltrating macrophages. This myocyte/monocyte inflammation is regulated in part
by TNFα, and can be suppressed by both IL-10 and progesterone co-treatment.
Components of the lipoxin pathway are present in endometrial adenocarcinoma, but
their role in regulation of inflammation is still to be elucidated. Future research to
clarify the processes, by which leukocyte recruitment is regulated at labour and the
role of monocyte/macrophages in altering myocyte properties, could help to elucidate
the mechanisms coupling inflammation to labour and provide more appropriate
targets for the treatment of PTL