5,230 research outputs found
Nonequilibrium phase transition in a model for social influence
We present extensive numerical simulations of the Axelrod's model for social
influence, aimed at understanding the formation of cultural domains. This is a
nonequilibrium model with short range interactions and a remarkably rich
dynamical behavior. We study the phase diagram of the model and uncover a
nonequilibrium phase transition separating an ordered (culturally polarized)
phase from a disordered (culturally fragmented) one. The nature of the phase
transition can be continuous or discontinuous depending on the model
parameters. At the transition, the size of cultural regions is power-law
distributed.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Statistical Dynamics of Religions and Adherents
Religiosity is one of the most important sociological aspects of populations.
All religions may evolve in their beliefs and adapt to the society
developments. A religion is a social variable, like a language or wealth, to be
studied like any other organizational parameter.
Several questions can be raised, as considered in this study: e.g. (i) from a
``macroscopic'' point of view : How many religions exist at a given time? (ii)
from a ``microscopic'' view point: How many adherents belong to one religion?
Does the number of adherents increase or not, and how? No need to say that if
quantitative answers and mathematical laws are found, agent based models can be
imagined to describe such non-equilibrium processes.
It is found that empirical laws can be deduced and related to preferential
attachment processes, like on evolving network; we propose two different
algorithmic models reproducing as well the data. Moreover, a population
growth-death equation is shown to be a plausible modeling of evolution dynamics
in a continuous time framework. Differences with language dynamic competition
is emphasized.Comment: submitted to EP
Freezing and Slow Evolution in a Constrained Opinion Dynamics Model
We study opinion formation in a population that consists of leftists,
centrists, and rightist. In an interaction between neighboring agents, a
centrist and a leftist can become both centrists or leftists (and similarly for
a centrist and a rightist). In contrast, leftists and rightists do not affect
each other. The initial density of centrists rho_0 controls the evolution. With
probability rho_0 the system reaches a centrist consensus, while with
probability 1-rho_0 a frozen population of leftists and rightists results. In
one dimension, we determine this frozen state and the opinion dynamics by
mapping the system onto a spin-1 Ising model with zero-temperature Glauber
kinetics. In the frozen state, the length distribution of single-opinion
domains has an algebraic small-size tail x^{-2(1-psi)} and the average domain
size grows as L^{2*psi}, where L is the system length. The approach to this
frozen state is governed by a t^{-psi} long-time tail with psi-->2*rho_0/pi as
rho_0-->0.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures, 2-column revtex4 format, for submission to J.
Phys. A. Revision contains lots of stylistic changes and 1 new result; the
main conclusions are the sam
Memory-Based Snowdrift Game on Networks
We present a memory-based snowdrift game (MBSG) taking place on networks. We
found that, when a lattice is taken to be the underlying structure, the
transition of spatial patterns at some critical values of the payoff parameter
is observable for both 4 and 8-neighbor lattices. The transition points as well
as the styles of spatial patterns can be explained by local stability analysis.
In sharp contrast to previously reported results, cooperation is promoted by
the spatial structure in the MBSG. Interestingly, we found that the frequency
of cooperation of the MBSG on a scale-free network peaks at a specific value of
the payoff parameter. This phenomenon indicates that properly encouraging
selfish behaviors can optimally enhance the cooperation. The memory effects of
individuals are discussed in detail and some non-monotonous phenomena are
observed on both lattices and scale-free networks. Our work may shed some new
light on the study of evolutionary games over networks.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev.
Spatial patterns and scale freedom in a Prisoner's Dilemma cellular automata with Pavlovian strategies
A cellular automaton in which cells represent agents playing the Prisoner's
Dilemma (PD) game following the simple "win-stay, loose-shift" strategy is
studied. Individuals with binary behavior, such as they can either cooperate
(C) or defect (D), play repeatedly with their neighbors (Von Neumann's and
Moore's neighborhoods). Their utilities in each round of the game are given by
a rescaled payoff matrix described by a single parameter Tau, which measures
the ratio of 'temptation to defect' to 'reward for cooperation'. Depending on
the region of the parameter space Tau, the system self-organizes - after a
transient - into dynamical equilibrium states characterized by different
definite fractions of C agents (2 states for the Von Neumann neighborhood and 4
for Moore neighborhood). For some ranges of Tau the cluster size distributions,
the power spectrums P(f) and the perimeter-area curves follow power-law
scalings. Percolation below threshold is also found for D agent clusters. We
also analyze the asynchronous dynamics version of this model and compare
results.Comment: Accepted for publication in JSTA
Effects of Mass Media and Cultural Drift in a Model for Social Influence
In the context of an extension of Axelrod's model for social influence, we
study the interplay and competition between the cultural drift, represented as
random perturbations, and mass media, introduced by means of an external
homogeneous field. Unlike previous studies [J. C. Gonz\'alez-Avella {\it et
al}, Phys. Rev. E {\bf 72}, 065102(R) (2005)], the mass media coupling proposed
here is capable of affecting the cultural traits of any individual in the
society, including those who do not share any features with the external
message. A noise-driven transition is found: for large noise rates, both the
ordered (culturally polarized) phase and the disordered (culturally fragmented)
phase are observed, while, for lower noise rates, the ordered phase prevails.
In the former case, the external field is found to induce cultural ordering, a
behavior opposite to that reported in previous studies using a different
prescription for the mass media interaction. We compare the predictions of this
model to statistical data measuring the impact of a mass media vasectomy
promotion campaign in Brazil.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures; minor changes; added references. To appear in
IJMP
Phase transitions in social sciences: two-populations mean field theory
A new mean field statistical mechanics model of two interacting groups of
spins is introduced and the phase transition studied in terms of their relative
size. A jump of the average magnetization is found for large values of the
mutual interaction when the relative percentage of the two populations crosses
a critical threshold. It is shown how the critical percentage depends on
internal interactions and on the initial magnetizations. The model is
interpreted as a prototype of resident-immigrant cultural interaction and
conclusions from the social sciences perspectives are drawn
From simplicial Chern-Simons theory to the shadow invariant II
This is the second of a series of papers in which we introduce and study a
rigorous "simplicial" realization of the non-Abelian Chern-Simons path integral
for manifolds M of the form M = Sigma x S1 and arbitrary simply-connected
compact structure groups G. More precisely, we introduce, for general links L
in M, a rigorous simplicial version WLO_{rig}(L) of the corresponding Wilson
loop observable WLO(L) in the so-called "torus gauge" by Blau and Thompson
(Nucl. Phys. B408(2):345-390, 1993). For a simple class of links L we then
evaluate WLO_{rig}(L) explicitly in a non-perturbative way, finding agreement
with Turaev's shadow invariant |L|.Comment: 53 pages, 1 figure. Some minor changes and corrections have been mad
Triggering necroptosis in cisplatin and IAP antagonist-resistant ovarian carcinoma.
Ovarian cancer patients are typically treated with carboplatin and paclitaxel, but suffer a high rate of relapse with recalcitrant disease. This challenge has fostered the development of novel approaches to treatment, including antagonists of the 'inhibitor of apoptosis proteins' (IAPs), also called SMAC mimetics, as apoptosis-inducing agents whose action is opposed by caspase inhibitors. Surprisingly, IAP antagonist plus caspase inhibitor (IZ) treatment selectively induced a tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα)-dependent death among several apoptosis-resistant cell lines and patient xenografts. The induction of necroptosis was common in ovarian cancer, with expression of catalytically active receptor-interacting protein kinase-3 (RIPK3) necessary for death, and in fact sufficient to compromise survival of RIPK3-negative, necroptosis-resistant ovarian cancer cells. The formation of a necrosome-like complex with a second critical effector, receptor-interacting serine-threonine kinase-1 (RIPK1), was observed. RIPK1, RIPK3 and TNFα were required for the induction of death, as agents that inhibit the function of any of these targets prevented cell death. Abundant RIPK3 transcript is common in serous ovarian cancers, suggesting that further evaluation and targeting of this RIPK3-dependent pathway may be of clinical benefit
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