Modeling competitive evolution of multiple languages

Increasing evidence demonstrates that in many places language coexistence has become ubiquitous and essential for supporting language and cultural diversity and associated with its financial and economic benefits. The competitive evolution among multiple languages determines the evolution outcome, either coexistence, decline, or extinction. Here, we extend the Abrams-Strogatz model of language competition to multiple languages and then validate it by analyzing the behavioral transitions of language usage over the recent several decades in Singapore and Hong Kong. In each case, we estimate from data the model parameters that measure each language utility for its speakers and the strength of two biases, the majority preference for their language, and the minority aversion to it. The values of these two biases decide which language is the fastest growing in the competition and what would be the stable state of the system. We also study the system convergence time to stable states and discover the existence of tipping points with multiple attractors. Moreover, the critical slowdown of convergence to the stable fractions of language users appears near and peaks at the tipping points, signaling when the system approaches them. Our analysis furthers our understanding of multiple language evolution and the role of tipping points in behavioral transitions. These insights may help to protect languages from extinction and retain the language and cultural diversity.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figure

Fairness-aware Competitive Bidding Influence Maximization in Social Networks

Competitive Influence Maximization (CIM) has been studied for years due to its wide application in many domains. Most current studies primarily focus on the micro-level optimization by designing policies for one competitor to defeat its opponents. Furthermore, current studies ignore the fact that many influential nodes have their own starting prices, which may lead to inefficient budget allocation. In this paper, we propose a novel Competitive Bidding Influence Maximization (CBIM) problem, where the competitors allocate budgets to bid for the seeds attributed to the platform during multiple bidding rounds. To solve the CBIM problem, we propose a Fairness-aware Multi-agent Competitive Bidding Influence Maximization (FMCBIM) framework. In this framework, we present a Multi-agent Bidding Particle Environment (MBE) to model the competitors' interactions, and design a starting price adjustment mechanism to model the dynamic bidding environment. Moreover, we put forward a novel Multi-agent Competitive Bidding Influence Maximization (MCBIM) algorithm to optimize competitors' bidding policies. Extensive experiments on five datasets show that our work has good efficiency and effectiveness.Comment: IEEE Transactions on Computational Social Systems (TCSS), 2023, early acces

Pore Structure of Surfactant Modified Montmorillonites

A series of organoclays with different surfactant arrangements were prepared by ion exchange. The resulting organoclays were investigated using a combination of characterization techniques, including XRD, FTIR, TG and N2 adsorption-desorption. In the present study, the pores within the organoclays were discussed on the basis of the microstructural parameters, including BET-N2 surface area, pore volume, pore size, surfactant loading and distribution. The results show that both BET-N2 surface area and pore volume decrease from low to high packing density of the surfactant as the average pore size increases. Two basic organoclay models were proposed for hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (HDTMAB) modified montmorillonites: 1) the surfactant mainly occupied the clay interlayer and 2) both the clay interlayer space and external surface were modified by surfactant. This study demonstrates that the pore structure of the resulting organoclays has a significant influence on the sorption efficiency and mechanism of p-nitrophenol onto the organoclays

The efficacy of upfront craniocerebral radiotherapy and epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors in patients with epidermal growth factor receptor-positive non-small cell lung cancer with brain metastases

The present study aims to investigate the therapeutic value of third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) combined with cranial radiotherapy (RT) in patients with EGFR-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and brain metastases (BMs).MethodologyThis is a retrospective study that involved 213 patients with EGFR-NSCLC and BMs, with the patients divided into two groups: the upfront cranial RT (ucRT) group (n = 96) and the non-ucRT group (n = 117). All patients were administered with osimertinib, and those in the ucRT group also underwent RT. The overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and intracranial PFS (IPFS) of the two groups were compared.ResultsThe ucRT group manifested a markedly higher IPFS than the non-ucRT group (29.65 months vs 21.8 months; P < 0.0001). The subgroup analysis revealed that patients with oligometastases (OLOGO-BMs; 1–3 BMs) demonstrated a notably longer OS (44.5 months vs 37.3 months; P < 0.0001), PFS (32.3 months vs 20.8 months; P = 0.6884) and IPFS (37.8 months vs 22.1 months; P < 0.0001) in the ucRT group than in the non-ucRT group. However, for patients with multiple BMs, there was no significant difference in OS (27.3 months vs 34.4 months; P = 0.0710) and PFS (13.7 months vs 13.2 months; P = 0.0516) between the ucRT group and the non-ucRT group; the ucRT group exhibited a higher IPFS (26.4 months vs 21.35 months; P = 0.0028). Cox’s multivariate analysis of patients with OLOGO-BM indicated that the use of ucRT was linked to a better OS (heart rate [HR] = 0.392; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.178–0.863; P = 0.020) and PFS (HR = 0.558; 95% CI: 0.316–0.986; P = 0.044).ConclusionUpfront cerebral cranial stereotactic radiosurgery can improve outcomes in EGFR-positive patients with NSCLC and OLOGO-BM. However, for patients with multiple BMs, the preferable strategy may be pre-treatment with EGFR-TKIs

Percolation of Partially Interdependent Scale-free Networks

We study the percolation behavior of two interdependent scale-free (SF) networks under random failure of 1-$p$ fraction of nodes. Our results are based on numerical solutions of analytical expressions and simulations. We find that as the coupling strength between the two networks $q$ reduces from 1 (fully coupled) to 0 (no coupling), there exist two critical coupling strengths $q_1$ and $q_2$, which separate three different regions with different behavior of the giant component as a function of $p$. (i) For $q \geq q_1$, an abrupt collapse transition occurs at $p=p_c$. (ii) For $q_2<q<q_1$, the giant component has a hybrid transition combined of both, abrupt decrease at a certain $p=p^{jump}_c$ followed by a smooth decrease to zero for $p < p^{jump}_c$ as $p$ decreases to zero. (iii) For $q \leq q_2$, the giant component has a continuous second-order transition (at $p=p_c$). We find that $(a)$ for $\lambda \leq 3$, $q_1 \equiv 1$; and for $\lambda > 3$, $q_1$ decreases with increasing $\lambda$. $(b)$ In the hybrid transition, at the $q_2 < q < q_1$ region, the mutual giant component $P_{\infty}$ jumps discontinuously at $p=p^{jump}_c$ to a very small but non-zero value, and when reducing $p$, $P_{\infty}$ continuously approaches to 0 at $p_c = 0$ for $\lambda 0$ for $\lambda > 3$. Thus, the known theoretical $p_c=0$ for a single network with $\lambda \leqslant 3$ is expected to be valid also for strictly partial interdependent networks.Comment: 20 pages, 17 figure

Prevalence characteristic of BVDV in some large scale dairy farms in Western China

The aim of this study was to analyze the prevalence characteristic of Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) in some large scale dairy farms in Western China. BVDV was detected in 30 samples of bulk tank milk (BTM) collected from 30 large dairy farms in 7 provinces of western China, 93.33% (28/30) of the farms were infected with BVDV, and S/P ratio was over 0.3 in 28 positive farms. The individual status was further estimated in the dairy farm (No. 10) with the highest positive rate (S/P ratio = 1.37) and the dairy farm (No. 17) with the lowest positive rate (S/P ratio = 0.39). Two hundred cows were, respectively, selected from calf, young cows and lactating cows in farm No. 10 and farm No. 17 and the serum sample of each enrolled cow was collected. The individual positive rate of serum antibody (Ab) was 87.17% (523/600) in farm No. 10 and 31.33% (188/600) in farm No. 17. The individual positive ratio of serum antibody in calves, young cows and lactating cows were 41.75 % (167/400), 58.75% (235/400) and 77.25% (309/400), respectively. BTM Ab of farm No. 10 has an S/P ratio more than 1.0, which indicated there were emergent or persistent infection (PI) cases, and further test showed that PI cases were 0.51% in farm No. 10. Pathogens were positive in 42.34% (163/385) of nasal mucus samples collected from cows with respiratory symptom, and BVDV cases were 57 in 163 positive samples. Three strains of NCP BVDV-1, one strain of CP BVDV-1, one strain of NCP BVDV-2 and one strain of CP BVDV-2 were successfully isolated. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the subtypes of BVDV currently prevalent in western China were BVDV-1a, BVDV-1m, BVDV-1q and BVDV-2. The findings suggested that the BVDV infection is serious in some Large Scale Dairy Farms in Western China

Ciliary parathyroid hormone signaling activates transforming growth factor-β to maintain intervertebral disc homeostasis during aging

© 2018 The Author(s). Degenerative disc disease (DDD) is associated with intervertebral disc degeneration of spinal instability. Here, we report that the cilia of nucleus pulposus (NP) cells mediate mechanotransduction to maintain anabolic activity in the discs. We found that mechanical stress promotes transport of parathyroid hormone 1 receptor (PTH1R) to the cilia and enhances parathyroid hormone (PTH) signaling in NP cells. PTH induces transcription of integrin αvβ6 to activate the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β-connective tissue growth factor (CCN2)-matrix proteins signaling cascade. Intermittent injection of PTH (iPTH) effectively attenuates disc degeneration of aged mice by direct signaling through NP cells, specifically improving intervertebral disc height and volume by increasing levels of TGF-β activity, CCN2, and aggrecan. PTH1R is expressed in both mouse and human NP cells. Importantly, knockout PTH1R or cilia in the NP cells results in significant disc degeneration and blunts the effect of PTH on attenuation of aged discs. Thus, mechanical stress-induced transport of PTH1R to the cilia enhances PTH signaling, which helps maintain intervertebral disc homeostasis, particularly during aging, indicating therapeutic potential of iPTH for DDD

Synthesis and characterization of delaminated iron-pillared clay with meso-microporous structure

In the present work, iron pillared clays were synthesized by the reaction of montmorillonite with base-hydrolyzed solutions of Fe(III) nitrate. In contrast with the classical microporous pillared structure, a novel meso-microporous delaminated structure containing pillared fragments in iron-pillared clay was obtained. A considerable amount of NO3- is found to be retained in the resultant delaminated iron-pillared clays even after thorough washing by successive agitations/centrifugations. This amount is closely related with the content of the iron species in the iron-pillared clays. The highest BET specific surface area and the largest porosity of the delaminated iron pillared clays are 215.7 m2/g and 0.29 ml/g, respectively. Mesopores in the delaminated structure make the main contribution to the total surface area and porosity, and most of them are preserved after calcination at 773 K. These fundamental results are of importance in developing novel heterogeneous catalysts and adsorbents