Market Power and Efficiency in a Computational Electricity Market with Discriminatory Double-Auction Pricing

This study reports experimental market power and efficiency outcomes for a computational wholesale electricity market operating in the short run under systematically varied concentration and capacity conditions. The pricing of electricity is determined by means of a clearinghouse double auction with discriminatory mid-point pricing. Buyers and sellers use Roth-Erev individual reinforcement learning to determine their price and quantity offers in each auction round. It is shown that market microstructure is strongly predictive for the relative market power of buyers and sellers, and that high market efficiency is generally attained. These findings are robust for tested changes in individual learning parameters. It is also shown that similar relative market power findings are obtained if the electricity buyer and seller populations instead each engage in social mimicry learning via a genetic algorithm. However, market efficiency is substantially reduced.Wholesale electricity market, Electricity restructuring, Double auction, Market power, Efficiency, Concentration, Capacity, Agent-based computational economics, Roth-Erev reinforcement learning, Genetic algorithm social learning.

Market Power and Efficiency in a Computational Electricity Market with Discriminatory Double-Auction Pricing

This study reports experimental market power and efficiency outcomes for a computational wholesale electricity market operating in the short run under systematically varied concentration and capacity conditions. The pricing of electricity is determined by means of a clearinghouse double auction with discriminatory midpoint pricing. Buyers and sellers use a modifed Roth-Erev individual reinforcement learning algorithm to determine their price and quantity offers in each auction round. It is shown that high market efficiency is generally attained, and that market microstructure is strongly predictive for the relative market power of buyers and sellers independently of the values set for the reinforcement learning parameters. Results are briefly compared against results from an earlier electricity study in which buyers and sellers instead engage in social mimicry learning via genetic algorithms. Related work can be accessed at: http://www.econ.iastate.edu/tesfatsi/AMESMarketHome.htmagent-based computational economics; Wholesale electricity market; restructuring; repeated double auction; market power; efficiency; concentration; capacity; individual reinforcement learning; genetic algorithm social learning

Exploring computational power markets with evolutionary algorithms

The recent deregulation of the electric industry in the United States opened some sectors of the power market to competition. This work addresses a computational restructured wholesale electricity market. The goal of the study is to model agent driven bilateral power market auctions where the players are represented by autonomous intelligent agents. Different aspects of the market are considered. Some of them are studies on structural and strategic market power of buyers and sellers varies with changes in relative concentration and relative capacity. Others are cases where players attempt to benefit from causing instabilities like brownouts and blackouts, as well as economic instabilities by applying different gaming strategies. Agents are modeled using various evolutionary programming techniques, such as reinforced learning, genetic algorithms and genetic programming. The results suggest that some of the solutions are suitable for robust industrial applications

Broadband vibrational sum-frequency generation spectrometer at 100 kHz in the 950-1750 cm−1 spectral range utilizing a LiGaS2 optical parametric amplifier

We present a 100 kHz broadband vibrational sum-frequency generation (VSFG) spectrometer operating in the 5.7-10.5 µm (950-1750 cm−1) wavelength range. The mid-infrared beam of the system is obtained from a collinear, type-I LiGaS2-crystal-based optical parametric amplifier seeded by a supercontinuum and pumped directly by 180 fs, ~32 µJ, 1.03 µm pulses from an Yb:KGd(WO4)2 laser system. Up to 0.5 µJ mid-infrared pulses with durations below 100 fs were obtained after dispersion compensation utilizing bulk materials. We demonstrate the utility of the spectrometer by recording high-resolution, low-noise vibrational spectra of Langmuir-Blodgett supported lipid monolayers on CaF2. The presented VSFG spectrometer scheme offers superior signal-to-noise ratios and constitutes a high-efficiency, low-cost, easy-to-use alternative to traditional schemes relying on optical parametric amplification followed by difference frequency generation.Peer Reviewe

Double tungstate lasers: From bulk toward on-chip integrated waveguide devices

It has been recognized that the monoclinic double tungstates $KY{(WO_4)}_2$, $KGd{(WO_4)}_2$, and $KLu{(WO_4)}_2$ possess a high potential as rare-earth-ion-doped solid-state laser materials, partly due to the high absorption and emission cross sections of rare-earth ions when doped into these materials. Besides, their high refractive indexes make these materials potentially suitable for applications that require optical gain and high power in integrated optics, with rather high integration density. We review the recent advances in the field of bulk lasers in these materials and present our work toward the demonstration of waveguide lasers and their integration with other optical structures on a chip

Tratamentul contemporan al schizofreniei (neurolepticele atipice)

Department of Psychiatry, Narcology and Medical Psychology, Nicolae Testemitanu SUMPhBackground. The current treatment of schizophrenia is based on the dopaminergic hypothesis, there are approaches that involve new signaling mechanisms on the classic drug targets or completely new targets. Schizophrenia with a heterogeneous etiology includes patients with a varied response to treatment. Objective of the study. Study of the efficacy of schizophrenia therapy with various atypical antipsychotics, determination of the frequency and efficiency of the use of atypical neuroleptics in patients with schizophrenia. Material and Methods. Statistical data processing was performed by the questionnaire method to achieve the purpose of the study. The analysis of the efficacy of the administered antipsychotic treatment was evaluated using the CGI (Clinical Global Impression) scale. The results of the study were subjected to a computerized mathematical analysis using the STATISTICS 7.0 software package. Results. The most common antipsychotic combinations include olanzapine or clozapine and are the neurobiological approach to facilitating the blockade of additive and complementary dopaminergic receptors by sulpiride or amisulpride. The most commonly used atypical neuroleptics were risperidone 55%, followed by clozapine 38%, aripiprazole 3%, quetiapine 3% and olanzapine 1%. Most patients (74.6%) received more than 1 psychotropic drug. In 21.4% of cases, "polypragmatism" was found, being administered >4 psychotropic drugs (neuroleptics, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, antiparkinson drugs) per patient. Conclusion. The analysis on the efficacy of the antipsychotic treatment demonstrated that the patient's satisfaction with atypical therapy is clearly superior to the typical one. Atypical antipsychotics have greatly improved the treatment of schizophrenia with a considerable decrease in side effects.Introducere. Tratamentul actual al schizofreniei se bazează pe ipoteza dopaminergică a bolii, apar abordări care implică noi mecanisme de semnalizare asupra țintelor clasice de droguri sau ținte complet noi. Schizofrenia, având etiologie heterogenă include pacienți cu răspuns variat la tratament. Scopul lucrării. Studiul eficacității terapiei schizofreniei cu diferite antipsihotice atipice, determinarea frecvenței și eficienței utilizării neurolepticelor atipice la pacienții cu schizofrenie. Material și Metode. Prelucrarea statistică a datelor a fost efectuată prin metoda chestionar pentru realizarea scopului lucrării. Analiza eficacității tratamentului antipsihotic administrat a fost evaluată prin utilizarea scalei CGI (Clinical Global Impression). Rezultatele studiului au fost supuse unei analize matematice computerizate cu ajutorul pachetului de programe STATISTICA 7,0. Rezultate. Cele mai frecvente combinații antipsihotice includ olanzapina sau clozapina și constituie abordarea neurobiologică a facilitării blocării receptorilor dopaminergici aditivi și complementari prin sulpiridă sau amisulprida. Cele mai frecvent utilizate neuroleptice atipice au fost risperidona 55%, urmată de clozapină 38%, aripiprazol 3%, quetiapină 3% și olanzapină 1%. Majoritatea pacienților (74,6%) au primit mai mult de 1 medicament psihotrop. În 21,4% dintre cazuri s-a constatat „polipragmazia”, fiind administrate >4 medicamente psihotrope (neuroleptice, benzodiazepine, barbiturice, antiparkinsoniene) per pacient. Concluzii. Analiza eficacității tratamentului antipsihotic administrat a demonstrat că satisfacția pacientului cu terapia atipică este net superioară celei tipice. Antipsihoticele atipice au îmbunătățit considerabil tratamentul schizofreniei cu scăderea considerabilă a reacțiilor adverse