30,613 research outputs found
Evolution of interactions and cooperation in the spatial prisoner's dilemma game
We study the evolution of cooperation in the spatial prisoner's dilemma game
where players are allowed to establish new interactions with others. By
employing a simple coevolutionary rule entailing only two crucial parameters,
we find that different selection criteria for the new interaction partners as
well as their number vitally affect the outcome of the game. The resolution of
the social dilemma is most probable if the selection favors more successful
players and if their maximally attainable number is restricted. While the
preferential selection of the best players promotes cooperation irrespective of
game parametrization, the optimal number of new interactions depends somewhat
on the temptation to defect. Our findings reveal that the "making of new
friends" may be an important activity for the successful evolution of
cooperation, but also that partners must be selected carefully and their number
limited.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figures; accepted for publication in PLoS ON
Reconceptualizing major policy change in the advocacy coalition framework: a discourse network analysis of German pension politics
How does major policy change come about? This article identifies and rectifies weaknesses in the conceptualization of innovative policy change in the Advocacy Coalition Framework. In a case study of policy belief change preceding an innovative reform in the German subsystem of old-age security, important new aspects of major policy change are carved out. In particular, the analysis traces a transition from one single hegemonic advocacy coalition to another stable coalition, with a transition phase between the two equilibria. The transition phase is characterized (i) by a bipolarization of policy beliefs in the subsystem and (ii) by state actors with shifting coalition memberships due to policy learning across coalitions or due to executive turnover. Apparently, there are subsystems with specific characteristics (presumably redistributive rather than regulative subsystems) in which one hegemonic coalition is the default, or the "normal state." In these subsystems, polarization and shifting coalition memberships seem to interact to produce coalition turnover and major policy change. The case study is based on discourse network analysis, a combination of qualitative content analysis and social network analysis, which provides an intertemporal measurement of advocacy coalition realignment at the level of policy beliefs in a subsystem
Morphological plasticity of astroglia: Understanding synaptic microenvironment
Memory formation in the brain is thought to rely on the remodeling of synaptic connections which eventually results in neural network rewiring. This remodeling is likely to involve ultrathin astroglial protrusions which often occur in the immediate vicinity of excitatory synapses. The phenomenology, cellular mechanisms, and causal relationships of such astroglial restructuring remain, however, poorly understood. This is in large part because monitoring and probing of the underpinning molecular machinery on the scale of nanoscopic astroglial compartments remains a challenge. Here we briefly summarize the current knowledge regarding the cellular organisation of astroglia in the synaptic microenvironment and discuss molecular mechanisms potentially involved in use-dependent astroglial morphogenesis. We also discuss recent observations concerning morphological astroglial plasticity, the respective monitoring methods, and some of the newly emerging techniques that might help with conceptual advances in the area. GLIA 2015
Quantitative and empirical demonstration of the Matthew effect in a study of career longevity
The Matthew effect refers to the adage written some two-thousand years ago in
the Gospel of St. Matthew: "For to all those who have, more will be given."
Even two millennia later, this idiom is used by sociologists to qualitatively
describe the dynamics of individual progress and the interplay between status
and reward. Quantitative studies of professional careers are traditionally
limited by the difficulty in measuring progress and the lack of data on
individual careers. However, in some professions, there are well-defined
metrics that quantify career longevity, success, and prowess, which together
contribute to the overall success rating for an individual employee. Here we
demonstrate testable evidence of the age-old Matthew "rich get richer" effect,
wherein the longevity and past success of an individual lead to a cumulative
advantage in further developing his/her career. We develop an exactly solvable
stochastic career progress model that quantitatively incorporates the Matthew
effect, and validate our model predictions for several competitive professions.
We test our model on the careers of 400,000 scientists using data from six
high-impact journals, and further confirm our findings by testing the model on
the careers of more than 20,000 athletes in four sports leagues. Our model
highlights the importance of early career development, showing that many
careers are stunted by the relative disadvantage associated with inexperience.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figures, 4 Tables; Revisions in response to critique and
suggestions of referee
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