2,710 research outputs found
Budget Feasible Mechanisms for Experimental Design
In the classical experimental design setting, an experimenter E has access to
a population of potential experiment subjects , each
associated with a vector of features . Conducting an experiment
with subject reveals an unknown value to E. E typically assumes
some hypothetical relationship between 's and 's, e.g., , and estimates from experiments, e.g., through linear
regression. As a proxy for various practical constraints, E may select only a
subset of subjects on which to conduct the experiment.
We initiate the study of budgeted mechanisms for experimental design. In this
setting, E has a budget . Each subject declares an associated cost to be part of the experiment, and must be paid at least her cost. In
particular, the Experimental Design Problem (EDP) is to find a set of
subjects for the experiment that maximizes V(S) = \log\det(I_d+\sum_{i\in
S}x_i\T{x_i}) under the constraint ; our objective
function corresponds to the information gain in parameter that is
learned through linear regression methods, and is related to the so-called
-optimality criterion. Further, the subjects are strategic and may lie about
their costs.
We present a deterministic, polynomial time, budget feasible mechanism
scheme, that is approximately truthful and yields a constant factor
approximation to EDP. In particular, for any small and , we can construct a (12.98, )-approximate mechanism that is
-truthful and runs in polynomial time in both and
. We also establish that no truthful,
budget-feasible algorithms is possible within a factor 2 approximation, and
show how to generalize our approach to a wide class of learning problems,
beyond linear regression
The sequence of the 5.8 S ribosomal RNA of the crustacean <i>Artemia salina</i>. With a proposal for a general secondary structure model for 5.8 S ribosomal RNA
We report the primary structure of 5.8 S rRNA from the crustacean Artemia salina. The preparation shows length heterogeneity at the 5âČ-terminus, but consists of uninterrupted RNA chains, in contrast to some insect 5.8 S rRNAs, which consist of two chains of unequal length separated in the gene by a short spacer. The sequence was aligned with those of 11 other 5.8 S rRNAs and a general secondary structure model derived. It has four helical regions in common with the model of Nazar et al. (J. Biol. Chem. 250, 8591â8597 (1975)), but for a fifth helix a different base pairing scheme was found preferable, and the terminal sequences are presumed to bind to 28 S rRNA instead of binding to each other. In the case of yeast, where both the 5.8 S and 26 S rRNA sequences are known, the existence of five helices in 5.8 S rRNA is shown to be compatible with a 5.8 S - 26 S rRNA interaction model
Improved quantum algorithms for the ordered search problem via semidefinite programming
One of the most basic computational problems is the task of finding a desired
item in an ordered list of N items. While the best classical algorithm for this
problem uses log_2 N queries to the list, a quantum computer can solve the
problem using a constant factor fewer queries. However, the precise value of
this constant is unknown. By characterizing a class of quantum query algorithms
for ordered search in terms of a semidefinite program, we find new quantum
algorithms for small instances of the ordered search problem. Extending these
algorithms to arbitrarily large instances using recursion, we show that there
is an exact quantum ordered search algorithm using 4 log_{605} N \approx 0.433
log_2 N queries, which improves upon the previously best known exact algorithm.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure
Quantum Detection with Unknown States
We address the problem of distinguishing among a finite collection of quantum
states, when the states are not entirely known. For completely specified
states, necessary and sufficient conditions on a quantum measurement minimizing
the probability of a detection error have been derived. In this work, we assume
that each of the states in our collection is a mixture of a known state and an
unknown state. We investigate two criteria for optimality. The first is
minimization of the worst-case probability of a detection error. For the second
we assume a probability distribution on the unknown states, and minimize of the
expected probability of a detection error.
We find that under both criteria, the optimal detectors are equivalent to the
optimal detectors of an ``effective ensemble''. In the worst-case, the
effective ensemble is comprised of the known states with altered prior
probabilities, and in the average case it is made up of altered states with the
original prior probabilities.Comment: Refereed version. Improved numerical examples and figures. A few
typos fixe
The nucleotide sequence of the 5S ribosomal-RNA of <i>Actinia equina</i> and <i>Sepia officinalis</i>
Effect of spin-orbit coupling on the excitation spectrum of Andreev billiards
We consider the effect of spin-orbit coupling on the low energy excitation
spectrum of an Andreev billiard (a quantum dot weakly coupled to a
superconductor), using a dynamical numerical model (the spin Andreev map).
Three effects of spin-orbit coupling are obtained in our simulations: In zero
magnetic field: (1) the narrowing of the distribution of the excitation gap;
(2) the appearance of oscillations in the average density of states. In strong
magnetic field: (3) the appearance of a peak in the average density of states
at zero energy. All three effects have been predicted by random-matrix theory.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Energy Harvesting from the Beating Heart by a Mass Imbalance Oscillation Generator
Energy-harvesting devices attract wide interest as power supplies of today's medical implants. Their long lifetime will spare patients from repeated surgical interventions. They also offer the opportunity to further miniaturize existing implants such as pacemakers, defibrillators or recorders of bio signals. A mass imbalance oscillation generator, which consists of a clockwork from a commercially available automatic wrist watch, was used as energy harvesting device to convert the kinetic energy from the cardiac wall motion to electrical energy. An MRI-based motion analysis of the left ventricle revealed basal regions to be energetically most favorable for the rotating unbalance of our harvester. A mathematical model was developed as a tool for optimizing the device's configuration. The model was validated by an in vitro experiment where an arm robot accelerated the harvesting device by reproducing the cardiac motion. Furthermore, in an in vivo experiment, the device was affixed onto a sheep heart for 1h. The generated power in both experimentsâin vitro (30ÎŒW) and in vivo (16.7ÎŒW)âis sufficient to power modern pacemaker
Use of hatch date for broiler breeder production planning
Data on 109 batches of broiler breeders belonging to six strains and bred in conventional sheds were analyzed to determine the possible influence of natural day length cycle phase on age at start of laying, at sexual maturity, and at peak egg production. The dependence of these variables on date of hatching was characterized by polynomial regression analysis. The resulting equations constitute simple, novel empirical models that are in keeping with current theory on the effects of photoperiod on sexual maturation, and should facilitate production planning in broiler breeder farmsS
Grain-size characterization of reworked fine-grained aeolian deposits
After a previous review of the grain-size characteristics of in situ (primary) fine-grained aeolian deposits, reworked (secondary) aeolian deposits, as modified in lacustrine environments and by alluvial and pedogenic processes, are discussed in this paper. As a reference, the grain-size characteristics of primary loess deposits are shortly described. Commonly, pedogenesis and weathering of primary loess may lead to clay neoformation and thus to an enrichment in grain diameters of 4-8 mu m, a size which is comparable to the fine background loess. Remarkably, the modal grain-size values of primary loess are preserved after re -deposition in lakes and flood plains. But, secondary lacustrine settings show a very characteristic admixture with a clayey population of 1-2,5 mu m diameter due to the process of settling in standing water. Similarly, alluvial settings show often an addition with coarse-grained sediment supplied by previously eroded sediment. However, floodplain settings show also often the presence of pools and other depressions which behave similarly to lacustrine environments. As a result, alluvial secondary loess sediments are characterized by the poorest grain-size sorting when compared with the other secondary loess and primary loess. Despite the characteristic texture of each of these deposits, grain-size characteristics of the described individual sediment categories are not always fully diagnostic and thus grain-size analysis should be complemented by other information, as sedimentary structures and fauna or flora, to reliably reconstruct the sedimentary processes and environments
Employees’ concerns about change and commitment to change among Italian organizations: The moderating role of innovative work behavior
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