15,902 research outputs found
Social Network Games with Obligatory Product Selection
Recently, Apt and Markakis introduced a model for product adoption in social
networks with multiple products, where the agents, influenced by their
neighbours, can adopt one out of several alternatives (products). To analyze
these networks we introduce social network games in which product adoption is
obligatory.
We show that when the underlying graph is a simple cycle, there is a
polynomial time algorithm allowing us to determine whether the game has a Nash
equilibrium. In contrast, in the arbitrary case this problem is NP-complete. We
also show that the problem of determining whether the game is weakly acyclic is
co-NP hard.
Using these games we analyze various types of paradoxes that can arise in the
considered networks. One of them corresponds to the well-known Braess paradox
in congestion games. In particular, we show that social networks exist with the
property that by adding an additional product to a specific node, the choices
of the nodes will unavoidably evolve in such a way that everybody is strictly
worse off.Comment: In Proceedings GandALF 2013, arXiv:1307.416
Liquid-phase hydrogenation of bio-refined succinic acid to 1,4-butanediol using bimetallic catalysts
open access articleDevelopment of a Crotalaria juncea based biorefinery produce large quantity of waste glycerol after trans-esterification
of the juncea seeds. This glycerol, after purification, is used as a substrate for producing succinic acid on a microbial
route. Hydrogenation of this bio-refined succinic acid is carried out under high pressure in order to produce 1,4-
butanediol (BDO) using a batch slurry reactor with cobalt supported ruthenium bimetallic catalysts, synthesized inhouse.
It is demonstrated that, using small amounts of ruthenium to cobalt increases the overall hydrogenation activity
for the production of 1,4-butanediol. Hydrogenation reactions are carried out at various operating temperatures and
pressures along with changes in the mixing ratios of ruthenium chloride and cobalt chloride hexahydrate, which are
used to synthesize the catalyst. The Ru-Co bimetallic catalysts are characterized by XRD, FE-SEM and TGA.
Concentrations of the hydrogenation product are analyzed using Gas chromatography-Mass spectrometry (GC-MS).
Statistical analysis of the overall hydrogenation process is performed using a Box-Behnken Design (BBD)
Evidence of an interaction from resolved stellar populations: The curious case of NGC1313
The galaxy NGC1313 has attracted the attention of various studies due to the
peculiar morphology observed in optical bands, although it is classified as a
barred, late-type galaxy with no apparent close-by companions. However, the
velocity field suggests an interaction with a satellite companion. Using
resolved stellar populations, we study different parts of the galaxy to
understand further its morphology. Based on HST/ACS images, we estimated star
formation histories by means of the synthetic CMD method in different areas in
the galaxy. Incompleteness limits our analysis to ages younger than ~100Myr.
Stars in the red and blue He burning phases are used to trace the distribution
of recent star formation. Star formation histories suggest a burst in the
southern-west region. We support the idea that NGC1313 is experiencing an
interaction with a satellite companion, observed as a tidally disrupted
satellite galaxy in the south-west of NGC1313. However, we do not observe any
indication of a perturbation due to the interaction with the satellite galaxy
at other locations across the galaxy, suggesting that only a modest-sized
companion that did not trigger a global starburst was involved.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
Access to diagnosis and treatment of Chagas disease/infection in endemic and non-endemic countries in the XXI century.
In this article, Médicos Sin Fronteras (MSF) Spain faces the challenge of selecting, piecing together, and conveying in the clearest possible way, the main lessons learnt over the course of the last seven years in the world of medical care for Chagas disease. More than two thousand children under the age of 14 have been treated; the majority of whom come from rural Latin American areas with difficult access. It is based on these lessons learnt, through mistakes and successes, that MSF advocates that medical care for patients with Chagas disease be a reality, in a manner which is inclusive (not exclusive), integrated (with medical, psychological, social, and educational components), and in which the patient is actively followed. This must be a multi-disease approach with permanent quality controls in place based on primary health care (PHC). Rapid diagnostic tests and new medications should be available, as well as therapeutic plans and patient management (including side effects) with standardised flows for medical care for patients within PHC in relation to secondary and tertiary level, inclusive of epidemiological surveillance systems
Phosphorylation stoichiometries of human eukaryotic initiation factors.
Eukaryotic translation initiation factors are the principal molecular effectors regulating the process converting nucleic acid to functional protein. Commonly referred to as eIFs (eukaryotic initiation factors), this suite of proteins is comprised of at least 25 individual subunits that function in a coordinated, regulated, manner during mRNA translation. Multiple facets of eIF regulation have yet to be elucidated; however, many of the necessary protein factors are phosphorylated. Herein, we have isolated, identified and quantified phosphosites from eIF2, eIF3, and eIF4G generated from log phase grown HeLa cell lysates. Our investigation is the first study to globally quantify eIF phosphosites and illustrates differences in abundance of phosphorylation between the residues of each factor. Thus, identification of those phosphosites that exhibit either high or low levels of phosphorylation under log phase growing conditions may aid researchers to concentrate their investigative efforts to specific phosphosites that potentially harbor important regulatory mechanisms germane to mRNA translation
Flowmeter and Ground Penetrating Radar: comparison between hydrogeological and geophysical methods
We discuss a comparison between saturated hydraulic conductivity calculated with Electromagnetic Borehole Flowmeter (EBF) and water content obtained by Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) Zero Offset Profile (ZOP
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