Incentive Design and Market Evolution of Mobile User-Provided Networks

An operator-assisted user-provided network (UPN) has the potential to achieve a low cost ubiquitous Internet connectivity, without significantly increasing the network infrastructure investment. In this paper, we consider such a network where the network operator encourages some of her subscribers to operate as mobile Wi-Fi hotspots (hosts), providing Internet connectivity for other subscribers (clients). We formulate the interaction between the operator and mobile users as a two-stage game. In Stage I, the operator determines the usage-based pricing and quota-based incentive mechanism for the data usage. In Stage II, the mobile users make their decisions about whether to be a host, or a client, or not a subscriber at all. We characterize how the users' membership choices will affect each other's payoffs in Stage II, and how the operator optimizes her decision in Stage I to maximize her profit. Our theoretical and numerical results show that the operator's maximum profit increases with the user density under the proposed hybrid pricing mechanism, and the profit gain can be up to 50\% in a dense network comparing with a pricing-only approach with no incentives.Comment: This manuscript serves as the online technical report of the article published in IEEE Workshop on Smart Data Pricing (SDP), 201

Reality in Perspectives

This dissertation is about human knowledge of reality. In particular, it argues that scientific knowledge is bounded by historically available instruments and theories; nevertheless, the use of several independent instruments and theories can provide access to the persistent potentialities of reality. The replicability of scientific observations and experiments allows us to obtain explorable evidence of robust entities and properties. The dissertation includes seven chapters. It also studies three cases – namely, Higgs bosons and hypothetical Ϝ-particles (section 2.4), the Ptolemaic and Kepler model of the planets (section 6.7), and the special theory of relativity (chapter 7). Chapter 1 is the introduction of the dissertation. Chapter 2 clarifies the notion of the real on the basis of two concepts: persistence and resistance. These concepts enable me to explain my ontological belief in the real potentialities of human-independent things and the implications of this view for the perceptual and epistemological levels of discussion. On the basis of the concept of “overlapping perspectives”, chapter 3 argues that entity realism and perspectivism are complementary. That is, an entity that manifests itself through several experimental/observational methods is something real, but our knowledge of its nature is perspectival. Critically studying the recent views of entity realism, chapter 4 extends the discussion of entity realism and provides a criterion for the reality of property tokens. Chapter 5, in contrast, develops the perspectival aspects of my view on the basis of the phenomenological-hermeneutical approaches to the philosophy of science. This chapter also elaborates my view of empirical evidence, as briefly expressed in sections 2.5 and 4.5. Chapter 6 concerns diachronic theoretical perspectives. It first explains my view of progress, according to which current perspectives are broader than past ones. Second, it argues that the successful explanations and predictions of abandoned theories can be accounted for from our currently acceptable perspectives. The case study of Ptolemaic astronomy supports the argument of this chapter. Chapter 7 serves as the conclusion of the dissertation by applying the central themes of the previous chapters to the case study of special relativity theory. I interpret frame-dependent properties, such as length and time duration, and the constancy of the speed of light according to realist perspectivism

Against the opacity, and for a qualitative understanding, of artificially intelligent technologies

This paper aims, first, to argue against using opaque AI technologies in decision making processes, and second to suggest that we need to possess a qualitative form of understanding about them. It first argues that opaque artificially intelligent technologies are suitable for users who remain indifferent to the understanding of decisions made by means of these technologies. According to virtue ethics, this implies that these technologies are not well-suited for those who care about realizing their moral capacity. The paper then draws on discussions on scientific understanding to suggest that an AI technology becomes understandable to its users when they are provided with a qualitative account of the consequences of using it. As a result, explainable AI methods can render an AI technology understandable to its users by presenting the qualitative implications of employing the technology for their lives

Neutralization of Lethal Potency of Tetanus Toxin using Phage Display Produced scFv Antibody

Background and Aim: Phage display technology provides a new approach for making human antibody fragments that could be applicable in passive immune therapy. We applied the use of this technology to make human single-chain variable fragments (scFvs) specific for tetanus toxin. Tetanus toxin is a neurotoxin constituted by the association of two subunits, mediates its lethal action by blocking neuromuscular vesicle docking. Methods: We previously found that six Human scFv clones inhibit toxin binding to ganglioside GT1b. This is the final report of human tetanus scFvs (scFv 8 and scFv 13) isolated from an immunized library of more than 106 scFv clones with in vivo neutralizing activity. Results: Only scFv 13 can reduce the in vivo toxicity induced by tetanus toxin. Also, scFv 8 has a weak capability of reducing the in vivo toxicity of the toxin. Conclusion: These selected ScFvs can be considered as a possible option to substitute the human tetanus immunoglobulin (HTIG) which is extensively current immunotherapy for tetanus patients. Taken together, our results suggest that the use of human tetanus scFvs may lead to a less aggressive passive immune therapy against tetanus. *Corresponding Author: Mahdi Aminian; Email: [email protected] Please cite this article as: Khalili E, Abbasi E, Aminian M. Neutralization of Lethal Potency of Tetanus Toxin using Phage Display Produced ScFv Antibody.Arch Med Lab Sci. 2021;7:(e3). https://doi.org/10.22037/amls.v7.3378

Wenceslao J. Gonzalez: New Approaches to Scientific Realism

This review provides an outline of the collection New Approaches to Scientific Realism, edited by Wenceslao Gonzalez. In particular, it questions whether the contributions to this edition can claim to be novel. The edition includes an introductory chapter and eighteen texts by well-known philosophers, such as Peter Achinstein, Alexander Bird, Donald Gillies, Theo Kuipers, Alan Musgrave, Thomas Nickles, Ilkka Niiniluoto, Howard Sankey, and John Worrall

RewardRating: A Mechanism Design Approach to Improve Rating Systems

Nowadays, rating systems play a crucial role in the attraction of customers for different services. However, as it is difficult to detect a fake rating, attackers can potentially impact the rating's aggregated score unfairly. This malicious behavior can negatively affect users and businesses. To overcome this problem, we take a mechanism-design approach to increase the cost of fake ratings while providing incentives for honest ratings. Our proposed mechanism \textit{RewardRating} is inspired by the stock market model in which users can invest in their ratings for services and receive a reward based on future ratings. First, we formally model the problem and discuss budget-balanced and incentive-compatibility specifications. Then, we suggest a profit-sharing scheme to cover the rating system's requirements. Finally, we analyze the performance of our proposed mechanism