Evolutionary prisoner's dilemma game on hierarchical lattices

An evolutionary prisoner's dilemma (PD) game is studied with players located on a hierarchical structure of layered square lattices. The players can follow two strategies [D (defector) and C (cooperator)] and their income comes from PD games with the ``neighbors.'' The adoption of one of the neighboring strategies is allowed with a probability dependent on the payoff difference. Monte Carlo simulations are performed to study how the measure of cooperation is affected by the number of hierarchical levels (Q) and by the temptation to defect. According to the simulations the highest frequency of cooperation can be observed at the top level if the number of hierarchical levels is low (Q<4). For larger Q, however, the highest frequency of cooperators occurs in the middle layers. The four-level hierarchical structure provides the highest average (total) income for the whole community.Comment: appendix adde

Genotoxikus hatásra bekövetkező funkcionális és strukturális DNS változások = Functional and structural changes in DNA upon genotoxic effects

Morfológiai és biokémiai vizsgálataink arra utalnak, hogy a a genotoxikus hatások kategorizálhatók az okozott kromatin változások alapján. A kemotoxikus változások potenciális diagnosztikus jelentősége miatt vizsgáltuk a nehézfémek (elsősosrban kadmium) (Banfalvi et al., 2005), a gamma sugárzás (Nagy et al., 2004), az UVB sugárzás (Ujvárosi et al., 2007) és a carcinogén (dimetilnitrózamin) hatására bekövetkező kromatin változásokat (Trencsényi et al., 2007). Kadmium kezelés jellegzetes szakadásokat és nagy lyukakat hozott létre a sejtmagban. A gamma sugárzás preapoptotikus hatására: a. a sejtek és sejtmagok mérete megnőtt, b. DNA tartalmuk a sejtciklus minden szakaszában kisebb volt a normál kezeletlen populációhoz képest, c. a sejtciklus a korai S fázisban leállt (2,4 C értéknél), d. a kromatin kondenzálás annak fibrilláris szakaszában akadt el, e. az apoptotikus testek száma és nagysága a sejtciklus haladásávalfordítva arányos: sok apró apoptotikus testtel az S fázis elején és kevés nagy apoptotikus testtel az S fázis végén. A CHO sejtekben mért vizsgálatokat humán K562 sejteken megerősítettük. UVB sugárzás hatására a kromoszómák nem voltak láthatók, a sérülés hatására vékony összefüggő kromatin fátyol vonta be mind az interfázisos, mind a metafázisos kromoszómákat. | Morphological and biochemical studies after genotoxic treatments suggest that the consequences of various chromatin injuries can be categorized based on the assessment of injury-specific chromatin changes. Due to its diagnostic significance, we have started to determine and systematize the effects of heavy metals, primarily cadmium treatment (Banfalvi et al., 2005), gamma irradiation (Nagy et al., 2004) and UV irradiation (Ujvarosi et al., 2007). After cadmium treatment and have seen the same large extensive disruptions and holes in the nuclear membrane and sticky incompletely folded chromosomes typical for cadmium treatment (Nagy et al., 2004; Banfalvi et al., 2007). Preapoptotic changes upon γ-irradiation manifested as: (a) The cellular and nuclear sizes increased. (b) The DNA content was lower in each elutriated subpopulation of cells. (c) The progression of the cell cycle was arrested in the early S phase at 2.4 C value. (d) The chromatin condensation was blocked at its fibrillary stage. (e) The number and size of apoptotic bodies were inversely correlated with the progression of the cell cycle, with many small apoptotic bodies in early S phase and less but larger apoptotic bodies in late S phase (Nagy et al., 2004). Similar observations were made in K562 cells (Banfalvi et al., 2007). UV irradiation blocked chromatin condensation at its fibrillary stage, nuclear structures were blurred and covered with fibrillary chromatin, neither interphase nor metaphase chromosomes were visible

Evolutionary Prisoner's Dilemma game on the Newman-Watts networks

Maintenance of cooperation was studied for a two-strategy evolutionary Prisoner's Dilemma game where the players are located on a one-dimensional chain and their payoff comes from games with the nearest and next-nearest neighbor interactions. The applied host geometry makes possible to study the impacts of two conflicting topological features. The evolutionary rule involves some noise affecting the strategy adoptions between the interacting players. Using Monte Carlo simulations and the extended versions of dynamical mean-field theory we determined the phase diagram as a function of noise level and a payoff parameter. The peculiar feature of the diagram is changed significantly when the connectivity structure is extended by extra links as suggested by Newman and Watts.Comment: 4 figure

Identification of lipophilic bioproduct portfolio from bioreactor samples of extreme halophilic archaea with HPLC-MS/MS

Extreme halophilic archaea are a yet unexploited source of natural carotenoids. At elevated salinities, however, material corrosivity issues occur and the performance of analytical methods is strongly affected. The goal of this study was to develop a method for identification and downstream processing of potentially valuable bioproducts produced by archaea. To circumvent extreme salinities during analysis, a direct sample preparation method was established to selectively extract both the polar and the nonpolar lipid contents of extreme halophiles with hexane, acetone and the mixture of MeOH/MTBE/water, respectively. Halogenated solvents, as used in conventional extraction methods, were omitted because of environmental considerations and potential process scale-up. The HPLC-MS/MS method using atmospheric pressure chemical ionization was developed and tuned with three commercially available C-40 carotenoid standards, covering the wide polarity range of natural carotenoids, containing different number of OH-groups. The chromatographic separation was achieved on a C-30 RP-HPLC column with a MeOH/MTBE/water gradient. Polar lipids, the geometric isomers of the C-50 carotenoid bacterioruberin, and vitamin MK-8 were the most valuable products found in bioreactor samples. In contrast to literature on shake flask cultivations, no anhydrous analogues of bacterioruberin, as by-products of the carotenoid biosynthesis, were detected in bioreactor samples. This study demonstrates the importance of sample preparation and the applicability of HPLC-MS/MS methods on real samples from extreme halophilic strains. Furthermore, from a biotechnological point-of-view, this study would like to reveal the relevance of using controlled and defined bioreactor cultivations instead of shake flask cultures in the early stage of potential bioproduct profiling

Civic organizations - an approach of diverse understandings

There have been considerable changes in the civic sphere lately, especially as pertains to the promotion and regulation of civil organizations. Until 2011, the picture of civil organizations was, at best, confused. The new Act on Civic Organizations intended to clarify the state of affairs regarding the sphere and determined what groups may be legally recognized as being civic organizations. Among the recently defined options, only two of them might gain wider acceptance in practice, since civic society, while it has fewer obligations, is also now ineligible for state funding. When discussing civic organizations in general, we recognize how diverse their forms are internationally. In making an international comparison of their forms, we use a comparison of the models existing in Hungary and the United States

Developing English language negotiation skills in employees

Training programs on negotiation uses a wide range of professional experiences in preparing lawyers, managers, bankers and diplomats to employ key tools and competencies in negotiating with difficult opponents. Human Resource departments at serious organizations identify weaknesses in their employees' negotiation skills profiles and actively offer professional trainings, through which they may pursue the enhancement of the skill sets needed for organizational success in business discussions. The most common lacks in employees are 1) an understanding of the stark differences in levels of negotiation competence and 2) how to negotiate in English. This paper explores factors HRM should consider in tailoring trainings in response

Developing English language negotiation skills in employees

Training programs on negotiation uses a wide range of professional experiences in preparing lawyers, managers, bankers and diplomats to employ key tools and competencies in negotiating with difficult opponents. Human Resource departments at serious organizations identify weaknesses in their employees' negotiation skills profiles and actively offer professional trainings, through which they may pursue the enhancement of the skill sets needed for organizational success in business discussions. The most common lacks in employees are 1) an understanding of the stark differences in levels of negotiation competence and 2) how to negotiate in English. This paper explores factors HRM should consider in tailoring trainings in response