A networked voting rule for democratic representation

We introduce a general framework for exploring the problem of selecting a committee of representatives with the aim of studying a networked voting rule based on a decentralized large-scale platform, which can assure a strong accountability of the elected. The results of our simulations suggest that this algorithm-based approach is able to obtain a high representativeness for relatively small committees, performing even better than a classical voting rule based on a closed list of candidates. We show that a general relation between committee size and representatives exists in the form of an inverse square root law and that the normalized committee size approximately scales with the inverse of the community size, allowing the scalability to very large populations. These findings are not strongly influenced by the different networks used to describe the individuals interactions, except for the presence of few individuals with very high connectivity which can have a marginally negative effect in the committee selection process.Comment: Submitted for publicatio

Robustness of cultural communities in an open-ended Axelrod's model

We consider an open-ended set of cultural features in the Axelrod's model of cultural dissemination. By replacing the features in which a high degree of consensus is achieved by new ones, we address here an essential ingredient of societies: the evolution of topics as a result of social dynamics and debate. Our results show that, once cultural clusters have been formed, the introduction of new topics into the social debate has little effect on them, but it does have a significant influence on the cultural overlap. Along with the Monte-Carlo simulations, we derive and numerically solve an equation for the stationary cultural overlap based on a mean-field approach. Although the mean-field analysis reproduces qualitatively the characteristic phase transition of the Axelrod's model, it underestimates the cultural overlap, highlighting the role of the local interactions in the Axelrod's dynamics, as well as the correlations between the different cultural features.Comment: 6 pages and 5 figure

Analysis of a networked social algorithm for collective selection of a committee of representatives

A recent work by Hern\'andez et al. introduced a networked voting rule supported by a trust-based social network, where indications of possible representatives were based on individuals opinions. Individual contributions went beyond a simple vote-counting and were based on proxy voting. These mechanisms generated a high level of representativeness of the selected committee, weakening the possibility of relations of patronage. By incorporating the integrity of individuals and its perception, here we address the question of the trustability of the resulting committee. Our results show that this voting rule provides high representativeness for small committees with a high level of integrity. Furthermore, the voting system displays robustness to a strategic and untruthful application of the voting algorithm.Comment: 7 pages and 8 figures. Submitted for publication. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1801.0539

VipariNama: Combining CRISPR and systemic virus-based vectors for rapid phenotyping of complex plant traits

A breeder's panacea would be to manipulate plant traits to their gusto e piacere(taste and pleasure). Tolerance to drought and salinity, resistance to pests and pathogens, selectiveresistance to herbicides, increased yield through timed flowering, and better nutritional or productive traits are some of the attributes crop breeders continuously aim to improve. The development of recent genome editing tools, most notable CRISPR/Cas9, promises faster and less expensive crop breeding. Many traits, including plant height and flowering time, are controlled by complex, multiloci genetic programs with both activation and repression mechanisms to tune plant development (Eshed and Lippman, 2019). Thus, there is a need for tools that allow rapid evaluation of spatial and temporal phenotypic outcomes resultingfrom gene expression level reprogramming.Fil: Calla, Bernarda. University of Illinois. Urbana - Champaign; Estados UnidosFil: Moreno, Javier Edgardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral; Argentin

Strongly Damped Wave Equations With Stepanov Type Nonlinear Forcing Term

In this paper we investigate the existence and uniqueness of weighted pseudo almost automorphic mild solution for a class of strongly damped wave equations where the semilinear forcing term is a Stepanov weighted pseudo almost automorphic function

Waking up for defense! Melatonin as a regulator of stomatal immunity in plants

Melatonin is a tryptophan-derived compound discovered in the late 1950s as a molecule produced by the pineal gland of most vertebrates. Melatonin gained notoriety in the 1970s when it was demonstrated that its production increased in humans during the night in a rhythmic fashion associated with sleep synchronization (Xie et al., 2017). Melatonin is a ubiquitous molecule produced by bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals. In plants, melatonin regulates a wide range of processes, such as seed germination, root and shoot growth, and production of secondary metabolites, and is involved in circadian cycle regulation (Arnao and Hernández-Ruiz, 2019). The recent identification of a melatonin receptor named PHYTOMELATONIN RECEPTOR1 (AtPMTR1) in the plant model Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) demonstrated that melatonin also governs an AtPMTR1-dependent mechanism of stomatal closure (Wei et al., 2018). As stomatal closure is a well-known process utilized by plants to restrain the invasion of pathogens, usually referred to as stomatal immunity (Melotto et al., 2006), melatonin is now gaining attention for its capacity to mediate responses to biotic stress in plants (Moustafa-Farag et al., 2020). Unfortunately, the underlying molecular mechanisms of melatonin regulation of plant immunity remain largely unknown.Fil: Moreno, Javier Edgardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral; ArgentinaFil: Lattarulo Campos, Marcelo. Universidade Do Estado de Mato Grosso (unemat)

Gearing up the clock of hypocotyl growth!

To anticipate daily changes imposed by Earth?s ro-tation, organisms from all domains of life have evolvedan endogenous 24-h timer with daily rhythmic func-tions: the circadian clock. In plants, the first organisms where circadian dynamics were observed, the circadianclock processes daylength information to regulate awide range of physiological and developmental re-sponses (Greenham and McClung, 2015). Under nor-mal photoperiodic conditions, hypocotyl elongationis a robust response that can be observed to monitorthe circadian regulation of plant growth (Nusinowet al., 2011). However, the regulatory networks con-trolling this physiological mechanism remain poorlyunderstood.Fil: Moreno, Javier Edgardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral; ArgentinaFil: Campos, Marcelo Lattarulo. Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato; Brasi

Molecular mechanisms involved in functional macroevolution of plant transcription factors

Transcription factors (TFs) are key components of the transcriptional regulation machinery. In plants, they accompanied the evolution from unicellular aquatic algae to complex flowering plants that dominate the land environment. The adaptations of the body plan and physiological responses required changes in the biological functions of TFs. Some ancestral gene regulatory networks are highly conserved, while others evolved more recently and only exist in particular lineages. The recent emergence of novel model organisms provided the opportunity for comparative studies, producing new insights to infer these evolutionary trajectories. In this review, we comprehensively revisit the recent literature on TFs of nonseed plants and algae, focusing on the molecular mechanisms driving their functional evolution. We discuss the particular contribution of changes in DNA-binding specificity, protein–protein interactions and cis-regulatory elements to gene regulatory networks. Current advances have shown that these evolutionary processes were shaped by changes in TF expression pattern, not through great innovation in TF protein sequences. We propose that the role of TFs associated with environmental and developmental regulation was unevenly conserved during land plant evolution.Fil: Romani, Facundo Alihuen. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral; ArgentinaFil: Moreno, Javier Edgardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral; Argentin

Impacto de las medidas de bioseguridad derivadas del COVID-19 en el sector de la construcción moderna en Lima, 2020

La presente investigación está basada en un tema de actualidad, y tiene como finalidad sentar las primeras bases de información en relación a las medidas de bioseguridad derivadas del Covid-19 y su impacto en el sector de la construcción en Lima-Perú. Para tal efecto se consultaron referencias de varios autores que aportaron información y contexto a la misma. Esta investigación tiene centrado su estudio en determinar cómo afectan las medias de bioseguridad al sector construcción, los nuevos desafíos que este tiene que afrontar para mantenerse activo en el mercado de oferta de bienes y servicios, sus alcances y limitaciones en las plataformas de ventas y servicios online. Para esto se utilizó como instrumento de verificación de datos La Encuesta y El Cuestionario, los cuales arrojaron datos que permitieron avalar la hipótesis como era lo esperado. En tal sentido, se emplearon preguntas que darían a conocer la opinión de los encuestados, los cuales fueron profesionales especialistas relacionados al sector construcción para dar mayor valor a los resultados de la misma, todo esto acompañado de los gráficos que ilustran la tendencia en las respuestas y el análisis de los datos obtenidos