Quantum Risk Preferences in a Laboratory Experiment

   This paper presents a quantum model of risk preferences that seeks to provide an explanation of the experimental results reported in Berninghaus, Todorova & Vogt (2012). The finding that subjects choose the risk-dominant strategy in a 2× 2 coordination game, on the average, more often, when they have previously completed a risk questionnaire, is not anticipated by the standard economic theory. The model presented in this paper demonstrates that the coordination game and the risk questionnaire can be analyzed as two decisions situations that do not commute and predicts that the order in which decisions are made will influence behavioral choices. &nbsp

Auf dem Weg zu flugbrandresistenten Gerstensorten für den Ökolandbau

This paper represents a part of the continuing breeding program for resistance to true loose smut in barley in Bulgaria. It is also a continuation of the paper presented on the 8th European Symposium on organic farming in Kassel 2005. Research on seed-borne diseases started in Bulgaria on barley in the 1960´s at the Institute for barley Re-search in Karnobat. Breeding research especially for a later use in organic farming in Bulgaria started 1998 with the present international project managed by Dr. Todorova. 56 dihaploid lines were derived from F1-hybrids of two barley crosses between resis-tant and susceptible Bulgarian and foreign cultivars bearing the resistant genes Run12 and Run13. The DH progenies were tested in 5 generations for loose smut resistance on the field and in the lab with the embryotest. 10 resistant DH-progenies with gene Run12 and 16 resistant DH-progenies with Run13 were selected. In the last years agronomically characterisation of the future cultivars is going on. 7 dihaploid lines with appropriate agronomic traits are selected for future cultivar developing with true loose smut resistance for organic farming

A new method to calibrate ionospheric pulse dispersion for UHE cosmic ray and neutrino detection using the Lunar Cherenkov technique

UHE particle detection using the lunar Cherenkov technique aims to detect nanosecond pulses of Cherenkov emission which are produced during UHE cosmic ray and neutrino interactions in the Moon's regolith. These pulses will reach Earth-based telescopes dispersed, and therefore reduced in amplitude, due to their propagation through the Earth's ionosphere. To maximise the received signal to noise ratio and subsequent chances of pulse detection, ionospheric dispersion must therefore be corrected, and since the high time resolution would require excessive data storage this correction must be made in real time. This requires an accurate knowledge of the dispersion characteristic which is parameterised by the instantaneous Total Electron Content (TEC) of the ionosphere. A new method to calibrate the dispersive effect of the ionosphere on lunar Cherenkov pulses has been developed for the LUNASKA lunar Cherenkov experiments. This method exploits radial symmetries in the distribution of the Moon's polarised emission to make Faraday rotation measurements in the visibility domain of synthesis array data (i. e. instantaneously). Faraday rotation measurements are then combined with geomagnetic field models to estimate the ionospheric TEC. This method of ionospheric calibration is particularly attractive for the lunar Cherenkov technique as it may be used in real time to estimate the ionospheric TEC along a line-of-sight to the Moon and using the same radio telescope.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, Proceedings of ARENA 2010, Nantes, France; doi:10.1016/j.nima.2010.10.12

Comparison of discrete velocity method and gas-kinetic method for binary gas mixtures

The formulation of computationally efficient methods describing gas mixtures at kinetic level suitable for demanding aerospace applications presents significant challenges. This work presents a gas-kinetic scheme for binary gas mixtures in which the kinetic model is capable of recovering, in the continuum limit, the correct heat transfer, mixture viscosity, and species diffusion. The model accounts for separate species-mean velocity such that the species diffusion and velocity drift are accurately represented. The main goal is to derive a numerically efficient gas kinetic scheme (GKS) method that has the ability to accurately model species diffusion and velocity drift, such that two-species Navier–Stokes equations are recovered with the correct Prandtl number. The paper compares the solutions of the underlying kinetic model obtained using the GKS method and the discrete velocity method. The limitations of the GKS for different flows and different levels of thermodynamic nonequilibrium are examined. Supersonic flows with varying species mass ratios, concentrations, and Knudsen number are investigated. For the cases considered a good agreement is observed, showing that the developed GKS method provides a valuable approach for modeling these challenging flows. Also, the reduction in required CPU time for the GKS relative to discrete velocity method is shown to be significant

Herding in a Laboratory Asset Market with a Rich Action Set

This paper experimentally examines the efficiency of information aggregation in a simple asset market. Traders decide how to allocate an endowment of 1000 eurocent between two assets. Only one asset will be successful and that will pay back the amount invested in it. The experiment carried out here is original in that it considered a very rich action set. We find that when the action set is sufficiently rich, traders\u27 actions, most of the time, perfectly reveal their private information. Further, the participants in the experiment performed probability matching and took such actions, which were broadly consistent with Bayesian learning

Are Behavioral Choices in the Ultimatum and Investment Games Strategic?

This paper experimentally examines the relationship between self-reporting risk preferences and behavioral choices in the subsequently played dictator, ultimatum and investment games. The results from these experiments are used to discern the motivational bases of behavioral choices in the ultimatum and investment games. The focus is on investigating whether strategic considerations are important for strategy selection in the two games. We find that self-reporting risk preferences does not alter the dictators\u27 offers and trusters\u27 investments, while it significantly decreases the proposers\u27 offers and leads to a substantial decrease in the amount trustees give back to their partners. We interpret these results as evidence that the decisions of proposers in the ultimatum game and trustees in the investment game are strategic

Neugezüchtete flugbrandresistente Gerste aus Bulgarien

Our study presents a part of the long-term program for resistance breeding to smuts in barley in Bulgaria. 56 dihaploid lines were derived from F1-hybrids of two barley crosses between resistant and susceptible Bulgarian and foreign cultivars bearing the resistant genes Run12 and Run13. The DH progenies were tested in 3 generations for loose smut resistance on the field and in the lab with the embryotest. 10 resistant DH-progenies with gene Run12 and 16 resistant DH-progenies with Run13 were selected and agronomically characterised for new cultivar development

Ökolandbau in Bulgarien–vor allem Arznei- und Aromapflanzen sowie Waldfrüchte, Obst und Bio-Honig für den Export

The statistical data of the Bulgarian Ministry of Agriculture show an certified growing area of 9 370 ha in near 80 farm holdings for organic plant production, 2 in mixed plant and animal production and 5 organic livestock breeding farms. Much bigger area of ca. 155 793 ha is certified grassland and protected areas for wild collection of herbs and wild berries. The average agricultural holdings cover 0,5 ha. Two hubs in South and North Bulgaria launched the pilot Organic Herbs initiative in an UNDP JOBS project at the end of 2002. Now 8 support centers have nurseries for organic seeds and seedlings, trail plots, demonstration and production fields, driers and primary processing facilities. The main products are sage, lemon balm, peppermint, valerian, mountain tea, savory, chamomile, dog-rose, lavender, thyme, hyssop and marigold

The clinical significance of urinary tract infection and Asymptomatic Bacteriuria in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus patients in the general practices of Varna region - Bulgaria

Background: The urinary system of diabetics is one of their most frequently affected body systems. Periodic urine analysis reveals that asymptomatic bacteriuria is very often detected in this population. Objectives: The aim of the study is to estimate the clinical significance of upper urinary tract infection (UUT/) and asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU) in diabetics in a general practice setting, their clinical characteristics, incidence, course, evolution and complications. Methods: We tested 560 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) from 12 general practices ofVarna region, Bulgaria in a prospective study. We traced ABU in the group for 2 years. There were 310 female patients (55.4%) mean age 52.5 ± 3.2 years and duration of DM was 8.5 ± 2.8 years. Results: The results showed that in 11.14% ABU was significant. Only 4.82% of diabetics developed upper urinary tract infection and the complications from it were very rare: 0.89% pyonephrosis and 0.89% sepsis. Conclusions: Our conclusion was that upper urinary tract infection in diabetics was not as severe as reported in the literature. Pyelonephritis had a benign course and only 16.6% of our patients developed chronic renal failure a few years later but the reason for its development was not diabetic nephropathy. All these facts show that ABU disappears spontaneously in most diabetics. Relevance to general practice: We discuss the question: is it necessary for every case of ABU in diabetics in general practice to be treated and isn't it time to revaluate the postulated antibiotic treatment for diabetics with ABU?peer-reviewe