None-of-These Bias in Stated Choice Experiments

We conduct a within-sample test of hypothetical bias and parameter equality between a hypothetical stated choice (SC) experiment using pictures and a real choice (RC) experiments using products. With exception of the none-of-these alternative-specific dummy, we cannot reject parameter equality between the two datasets. However, when we estimate the models separately with no parameter restrictions, the SC experiment gave WTP estimates that were approximately 50 percent higher and marginal WTP estimates that were almost two times as high as the corresponding estimates from the RC experiment. However, even though the monetary value of the WTP disparity was large, the disparity between the WTP estimates from the two data sets was not statistically significant.choice experiment, hypothetical bias, color, mixed logit, salmon, willingness to pay, Consumer/Household Economics, C81, C93, D12, Q22,

Quality-of-service provisioning for dynamic heterogeneous wireless sensor networks

A Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) consists of a large collection of spatially dis- tributed autonomous devices with sensors to monitor physical or environmental conditions, such as air-pollution, temperature and traffic flow. By cooperatively processing and communicating information to central locations, appropriate ac- tions can be performed in response. WSNs perform a large variety of applications, such as the monitoring of elderly persons or conditions in a greenhouse. To correctly and efficiently perform a task, the behaviour of the WSN should be such that sufficient Quality-of-Service (QoS) is provided. QoS is defined by constraints and objectives on network quality metrics, such as a maximum end- to-end packet loss or minimum network lifetime. After defining the application we want the WSN to perform, many steps are involved in designing the WSN such that sufficient QoS is provided. First, a (heterogeneous) set of sensor nodes and protocols need to be selected. Furthermore, a suitable deployment has to be found and the network should be configured for its first use. This configuration involves setting all controllable parameters that influence its behaviour, such as selecting the neighbouring node(s) to communicate to and setting the transmission power of its radio, to ensure that the WSN provides the required QoS. Configuring the network is a complex task as the number of parameters and their possible values are large and trade-offs between multiple quality metrics exist. High transmission power may result in a low packet loss to a neighbouring node, but also in a high power consumption and low lifetime. Heterogeneity in the network causes the impact of parameters to be different between nodes, requiring parameters of nodes to be set individually. Moreover, a static configuration is typically not sufficient to make the most efficient trade-off between the quality metrics at all times in a dynamic environment. Run-time mechanisms are needed to maintain the required level of QoS under changing circumstances, such as changing external interference, mobility of nodes or fluctuating traffic load. This thesis deals with run-time reconfiguration of dynamic heterogeneous wire- less sensor networks to maintain a required QoS, given a deployed network with selected communication protocols and their controllable parameters. The main contribution of this thesis is an efficient QoS provisioning strategy. It consists of three parts: a re-active reconfiguration method, a generic distributed service to estimate network metrics and a pro-active reconfiguration method. In the re-active method, nodes collaboratively respond to discrepancies be- tween the current and required QoS. Nodes use feedback control which, at a given speed, adapts parameters of the node to continuously reduce any error between the locally estimated network QoS and QoS requirements. A dynamic predictive model is used and updated at run-time, to predict how different parameter adap- tations influence the QoS. Setting the speed of adaptation allows us to influence the trade-off between responsiveness and overhead of the approach, and to tune it to the characteristics of the application scenario. Simulations and experiments with an actual deployment show the successful integration in practical scenar- ios. Compared to existing configuration strategies, we are able to extend network lifetime significantly, while maintaining required packet delivery ratios. To solve the non-trivial problem of efficiently estimating network quality met- rics, we introduce a generic distributed service to distributively compute various network metrics. This service takes into account the possible presence of links with asymmetric quality that may vary over time, by repeated forwarding of informa- tion over multiple hops combined with explicit information validity management. The generic service is instantiated from the definition of a recursive local update function that converges to a fixed point representing the desired metric. We show the convergence and stability of various instantiations. Parameters can be set in accordance with the characteristics of the deployment and influence the trade-off between accuracy and overhead. Simulations and experiments show a significant increase in estimation accuracy, and efficiency of a protocol using the estimates, compared to today’s current approaches. This service is integrated in various protocol stacks providing different kinds of network metric estimates. The pro-active reconfiguration method reconfigures in response to predefined run-time detectable events that may cause the network QoS to change signifi- cantly. While the re-active method is generally applicable and independent of the application scenario, the, complementary, pro-active method exploits any a-priori knowledge of the application scenario to adapt more efficiently. A simple example is that as soon as a person with a body sensor node starts walking we know that several aspects, including the network topology, will change. To avoid degradation of network QoS, we pro-actively adapt parameters, in this case, for instance, the frequency of updating the set of neighbouring nodes, as soon as we observe that a person starts to walk. At design time, different modes of operation are selected to be distinguished at run-time. Analysis techniques, such as simulations, are used to determine a suitable configuration for each of these modes. At run time, the approach ensures that nodes can detect the mode in which they should operate. We describe the integration of the pro-active method for two practical monitoring applications. Simulations and experiments show the feasibility of an implementa- tion on resource constrained nodes. The pro-active reconfiguration allows for an efficient QoS provisioning in combination with the re-active approach

The Effect of Color on Consumer WTP for Farmed Salmon

Atlantic salmon is recognized for its pink-red color. The color is due to deposition of color pigments in the muscles. Wild salmon absorb the pink-red color pigment astaxanthin from the crustaceans they eat. To impart the pink-red color in farmed salmon, synthetically produced astaxanthin is added to their feed. The more astaxanthin, the redder the flesh becomes. In conventional salmon farming, the relatively expensive astaxanthin constitutes approximately 15% of the total feed costs. In this study, we use a stated choice experiment with pictures to investigate consumer willingness to pay (WTP) for salmon with different degrees of redness. The results show that consumer WTP increases with the redness of the salmon. However, when consumers were informed about the origin of the color, the WTP for the above-normal-red salmon was reduced.choice experiment, color, mixed logit, salmon, WTP, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, Q13, Q22,

De Novo DNA Methyltransferases in Tumorigenesis

Multicellular organisms develop from a single cell, the zygote, that starts to divide and gives rise to daughter cells that subsequently differentiate into specific tissues. The differentiated cells will fulfill specific functions in the body such as the formation of blood, skin or intestine, and become restricted in their potential to develop into various tissues during differentiation. When a cell has differentiated to its final cell type, heritable changes of the DNA are being maintained during cell division, in the form of epigenetic information (described below). Genetic information is stored in the cells in the form of long DNA strands that are folded int

A simulation model for helicopter maintenance management

M.S.William W. Hine

Unity through agriculture? - Exploring the dynamics of intercommunity relationships and collaboration, knowledge exchange, and innovation in agriculture and food security in refugee-host communities in Adjumani, Northern Uganda

The ever-increasing levels of forced displacement driven by conflicts, environmental crises, and other socio-political factors, are disproportionately impacting low- and middle-income countries. Uganda, home to Africa's largest refugee population, has in the face of this employed progressive refugee policies and a settlement approach, characterised by land allocation, integrated service provision, and freedom of movement. In this context of coexistence between refugee- and host communities, both challenges and opportunities arise. This study explores how intercommunity relations, interaction, and collaboration within refugee-host communities in selected settlements in Adjumani district influence the exchange of knowledge and innovation in agricultural practices. In this endeavour, a qualitative research method in the form of in-depth semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions and participant observation was employed. Furthermore, Social Practice Theory is applied as a theoretical framework guiding the exploration of changes in agricultural practices in refugee-host communities. The findings of this study suggest that through social networks, knowledge exchange and adoption of new practices is taking place between the groups. The findings further suggests that “arenas for interaction and collaboration”, which refers to arenas such as joint training programs, collaborative projects and saving groups, are important for the building of these social networks, and that these arenas are set in motion and facilitated by the Ugandan government’s refugee policies and settlement approach. Additionally, the study reveals breaches in land use agreements between hosts and refugees as a significant challenge that warrants closer examination and policy considerations

Do actions speak louder than words? - Communication and partner choice in the prisoner's dilemma game

Communication has been shown to enhance cooperation (Dawes, McTavish and Shaklee 1977; Isaac and Walker 1988; Sally 1995; Bochet, Page and Putterman 2006). But do all people benefit equally from communication? This thesis experimentally investigates two main research questions. First, how does chat room communication affect cooperation between two individuals in a social dilemma? Second, are individuals with different cooperative dispositions affected differently by communication? I also explore how potential partners use language to affect each other’s behaviour. I conduct an experiment to answer these questions. The experiment consists of three parts. In the first part, I elicit subjects’ cooperative dispositions. In the second part, I study participants’ cooperative behaviour in a two-person repeated prisoner’s dilemma. All subjects are randomly placed in potential pairs of two. Each subject may choose to form a mutual partnership with the other person before engaging in the prisoner’s dilemma. Half of the pairs may communicate with each other through a chat room prior to the partner choice. In the third and final part of the experiment, I re-elicit subjects’ cooperative dispositions. Results show that communication does not increase the overall probability of successfully forming a mutual partnership or subjects’ overall payoff. However, subjects’ average contributions are higher when they may communicate with their potential partner. More specifically, subjects classified as Cooperators in the first part of the experiment contribute significantly more when able to communicate, compared to Cooperators who cannot. Free Riders who may communicate are more likely to form mutual partnerships and they earn a higher payoff than Free Riders who may not communicate. The experiment is computerized using the experimental program z-Tree 3.6.7 (Fischbacher 2007). Results are analysed using the statistical software STATA/IC 14.2 and Microsoft Excel 16.12.MasteroppgåveECON39

CONSUMERS' WILLINGNESS TO PAY FOR THE COLOR OF SALMON:A CHOICE EXPERIMENT WITH REAL ECONOMIC INCENTIVES

We designed an experimental market with posted prices to investigate consumers' willingness to pay for the color of salmon. Salmon fillets varying in color and price were displayed in 20 choice scenarios. In each scenario, the participants chose which of two salmon fillets they wanted to buy. To induce real economic incentives, each participant drew one unique binding scenario; the participants then had to buy the salmon fillet they had chosen in their binding scenario.Consumer/Household Economics,

Anime in Tourism: An Analysis of Norwegian Anime Enthusiasts’ Motivation for Conducting Anime-Induced Travels to Japan

Anime is a part of Japan’s biggest growing markets outside of Japan (JNTO, n.d. a; AJA, 2018). What attracts overseas consumers to watch anime ranges from everything to having coherent and interesting storylines, Japanese culture elements (Thelle, 2009; Yegulalp, 2018) to unique styles and drawings (JNTO, 2011; Yegulalp, 2018). Anime can also be connected to tourism and is more specifically referred to as anime pilgrimage or anime tourism, where fans conduct travels to locations featured in anime films or television shows (Okamoto, 2015; Beeton, 2016). What motivates fans to conduct anime travels to Japan can be due to several different reasons. In this thesis, I have chosen to focus on Norwegian anime enthusiasts’ motivations for conducting anime-induced travels to Japan. I have discussed their motivations regarding theories revolving around film ‘imaginaries’, anime tourist behaviour and motivation, as well as what characterizes an experience in regards to the Experience Realms model (Pine II & Gilmore, 1999). Motivators that were individually answered by the Norwegian enthusiasts will in addition also be discussed and analysed. Such motivators revolved around ‘travelling out of interest’, ‘travelling to meet individuals with the same interests’, and to ‘experience anime theme parks’. The Norwegian anime enthusiasts’ answers have also been analysed and discussed in terms of which anime enthusiast category they fit the description of