Discrete Public Goods with Incomplete Information

We investigate a simultaneous discrete public good provision game with incomplete information. To use the terminology of Admati and Perry (1991), we consider both contribution and subscription games. In the former, contributions are not refunded if the project is not completed, while in the latter they are. In the presence of complete information about individuals' valuations for the public good, the difference between the equilibrium outcomes of a subscription game and a contribution game is not significant. However, there is both casual evidence from the fund-raising literature and experimental evidence that subscription games are ``superior '', i.e., a refund increases the chance of providing the good given that it is efficient to do so. Our analysis shows that this is indeed the case in the presence of incomplete information. We compute a symmetric equilibrium for the subscription game and show that it is not necessarily efficient. This inefficiency stems from the difficulties arising in coordinating to overcome the free-rider problem in the presence of incomplete information. Although it is well known that informational disparities impose limits on the efficiency of outcomes, the novel feature of our analysis is to explicitly model the resulting trade-off --- when deciding how much to contribute towards the public good --- between increasing the likelihood of provision and creating incentives for free-riding by the other player. Moreover, we show that for the contribution game, ``contributing zero'' is the only equilibrium for a given range of the fixed cost of provision and for a family of distributions.public goods; incomplete information; continuous distribution

Equilibrium Selection and the Rate of Convergence in Coordination Games with Simultaneous Play

We apply the dynamic stochastic framework proposed in the recent evolutionary literature to a class of coordination games played simultaneously by the entire population. In these games, payoffs whence best replies are determined by a summary statistic of the population strategy profile. We demonstrate that with simultaneous play, the equilibrium selection depends crucially on how best responses to the summary statistic remain piece-wise constant. In fact, all the strict Nash equilibria in the underlying stage game can be declared stochastically stable depending on how the best response mapping generates piece-wise constant best responses. Furthermore, we show that if the best response mapping is sufficiently asymmetric, the expected waiting time until the unique stochastically stable state is reached is of the same order as the mutation rate, even in the limit as the population size grows to infinity.equilibrium selection; stochastic stability; waiting time; rate of convergence

Making gas-CCS a commercial reality: The challenges of scaling up

Significant reductions in CO2 emissions are required to limit the global temperature rise to 2°C. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a key enabling technology that can be applied to power generation and industrial processes to lower their carbon intensity. There are, however, several challenges that such a method of decarbonization poses when used in the context of natural gas (gas-CCS), especially for solvent-based (predominantly amines) post-combustion capture. These are related to: (i) the low CO2 partial pressure of the exhaust gases from gas-fired power plants (3-4%vol. CO2), which substantially limits the driving force for the capture process; (ii) their high O2 concentration (12-13%vol. O2), which can degrade the capture media via oxidative solvent degradation; and (iii) their high volumetric flow rates, which means large capture plants are needed. Such post-combustion gas-CCS features unavoidably lead to increased CO2 capture costs. This perspective aims to summarize the key technologies used to overcome these as a priority, including supplementary firing, humidified systems, exhaust gas recirculation and selective exhaust gas recirculation. These focus on the maximum CO2 levels achievable for each, as well as the electrical efficiencies attainable when the capture penalty is taken into account. Oxy-turbine cycles are also discussed as an alternative to post-combustion gas-CCS, indicating the main advantages and limitations of these systems together with the expected electrical efficiencies. Furthermore, we consider the challenges for scaling-up and deployment of these technologies at a commercial level to enable gas-CCS to play a crucial role in a low-carbon future

Development of a paediatric triage tool to aid clinical prioritisation and delivery of pharmaceutical care

[Abstract unavailable

Capacity of Solid Waste Management of the Municipalities in North-West Region of Bangladesh: A Far Cry with Sustainable Development

The study addresses the overall waste management and drainage system of the Municipalities of Bangladesh. It also endeavors to compare the existing system with the requirements of making a sustainable city following the targets of SDG. It tries to highlight the shortcomings of the existing system of waste management and argues that this is never able to confine sustainability in the environment and the habitats of the Municipalities. The study is empirical in nature mainly based on primary data. Data have been collected from the officials and stakeholders of the three selected Municipalities of a North-west district of Bangladesh- Rajshahi through face to face interview and Focus Group Discussion. This paper identifies the fragile solid waste management capacity of the Municipalities of Bangladesh and argues that current practice is nothing but an inevitable setback for the country to achieve sustainable development

Effet des extraits de compost sur la croissance mycélienne et l'agressivité du Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici

Effect of compost tea on mycelial growth and disease severity of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici. Simultaneous addition, on culture media, of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici and compost teas revealed that the latest induced the inhibition of the mycelial growth of the pathogen. This inhibition, noted after an incubation period of about six days at 25°C, was more important when compost teas were enriched in PDB (Potato Dextrose Broth), where it may reach 70% compared to the control. Transplantation of tomato seedlings, previously inoculated by a conidial suspension of F. oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici, in a container media (peat, perlite or the mixture of the two substrates) treated by compost teas has signifi cantly reduced Fusarium crown and root rot incidence compared to inoculated and untreated control seedlings. Disease incidence is more reduced when tomato inoculated plants are transplanted in peat treated by compost teas; indeed, these plants donʼt show any wilting and present a vigorous root system and a better vegetative growth

Macroscopic superpositions via nested interferometry: finite temperature and decoherence considerations

Recently there has been much interest in optomechanical devices for the production of macroscopic quantum states. Here we focus on a proposed scheme for achieving macroscopic superpositions via nested interferometry. We consider the effects of finite temperature on the superposition produced. We also investigate in detail the scheme's feasibility for probing various novel decoherence mechanisms.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figure

Benchmarking of a micro gas turbine model integrated with post-combustion CO2 capture

The deployment of post-combustion CO2 capture on large-scale gas-fired power plants is currently progressing, hence the integration of the power and capture plants requires a good understanding of operational requirements and limitations to support this effort. This article aims to assist research in this area, by studying a micro gas turbine (MGT) integrated with an amine-based post-combustion CO2 capture unit. Both processes were simulated using two different software tools – IPSEpro and Aspen Hysys, and validated against experimental tests. The two MGT models were benchmarked at the nominal condition, and then extended to part-loads (50 and 80 kWe), prior to their integration with the capture plant at flue gas CO2 concentrations between 5 and 10 mol%. Further, the performance of the MGT and capture plant when gas turbine exhaust gases were recirculated was assessed. Exhaust gas recirculation increases the CO2 concentration, and reduces the exhaust gas flowrate and specific reboiler duty. The benchmarking of the two models revealed that the IPSEpro model can be easily adapted to new MGT cycle modifications since turbine temperatures and rotational speeds respond to reaching temperature limits; whilst a detailed rate-based approach for the capture plant in Hysys resulted in closely aligned simulation results with experimental data