Showing papers by "University of Maribor published in 2015"
TL;DR: In this paper, the branching fraction ratio R(D)(()*()) of (B) over bar → D-(*())tau(-)(nu)over bar (tau) relative to (B), where l = e or mu, was measured using the full Belle data sample.
Abstract: We report a measurement of the branching fraction ratios R(D)(()*()) of (B) over bar -> D-(*())tau(-)(nu) over bar (tau) relative to (B) over bar -> D-(*())l(-)(nu) over barl (where l = e or mu) using the full Belle data sample of 772 x 10(6)B (B) over bar pairs collected at the Upsilon(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e(+)e(-) collider. The measured values are R(D) = 0.375 +/- 0.064(stat) +/- 0.026(syst) and R(D*) = 0.293 +/- 0.038 (stat) +/- 0.015 (syst). The analysis uses hadronic reconstruction of the tag-side B meson and purely leptonic t decays. The results are consistent with earlier measurements and do not show a significant deviation from the standard model prediction.
652 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a colloquium is devoted to evolutionary games on multilayer networks, and in particular to the evolution of cooperation as one of the main pillars of modern human societies.
Abstract: Networks form the backbone of many complex systems, ranging from the Internet to human societies. Accordingly, not only is the range of our interactions limited and thus best described and modeled by networks, it is also a fact that the networks that are an integral part of such models are often interdependent or even interconnected. Networks of networks or multilayer networks are therefore a more apt description of social systems. This colloquium is devoted to evolutionary games on multilayer networks, and in particular to the evolution of cooperation as one of the main pillars of modern human societies. We first give an overview of the most significant conceptual differences between single-layer and multilayer networks, and we provide basic definitions and a classification of the most commonly used terms. Subsequently, we review fascinating and counterintuitive evolutionary outcomes that emerge due to different types of interdependencies between otherwise independent populations. The focus is on coupling through the utilities of players, through the flow of information, as well as through the popularity of different strategies on different network layers. The colloquium highlights the importance of pattern formation and collective behavior for the promotion of cooperation under adverse conditions, as well as the synergies between network science and evolutionary game theory.
603 citations
TL;DR: This colloquium highlights the importance of pattern formation and collective behavior for the promotion of cooperation under adverse conditions, as well as the synergies between network science and evolutionary game theory.
Abstract: Networks form the backbone of many complex systems, ranging from the Internet to human societies. Accordingly, not only is the range of our interactions limited and thus best described and modeled by networks, it is also a fact that the networks that are an integral part of such models are often interdependent or even interconnected. Networks of networks or multilayer networks are therefore a more apt description of social systems. This colloquium is devoted to evolutionary games on multilayer networks, and in particular to the evolution of cooperation as one of the main pillars of modern human societies. We first give an overview of the most significant conceptual differences between single-layer and multilayer networks, and we provide basic definitions and a classification of the most commonly used terms. Subsequently, we review fascinating and counterintuitive evolutionary outcomes that emerge due to different types of interdependencies between otherwise independent populations. The focus is on coupling through the utilities of players, through the flow of information, as well as through the popularity of different strategies on different network layers. The colloquium highlights the importance of pattern formation and collective behavior for the promotion of cooperation under adverse conditions, as well as the synergies between network science and evolutionary game theory.
546 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss models and data of crowd disasters, crime, terrorism, war and disease spreading to show that conventional recipes, such as deterrence strategies, are often not effective and sufficient to contain them.
Abstract: We discuss models and data of crowd disasters, crime, terrorism, war and disease spreading to show that conventional recipes, such as deterrence strategies, are often not effective and sufficient to contain them. Many common approaches do not provide a good picture of the actual system behavior, because they neglect feedback loops, instabilities and cascade effects. The complex and often counter-intuitive behavior of social systems and their macro-level collective dynamics can be better understood by means of complexity science. We highlight that a suitable system design and management can help to stop undesirable cascade effects and to enable favorable kinds of self-organization in the system. In such a way, complexity science can help to save human lives.
457 citations
TL;DR: The study showed that phosphorylated nanocelluloses are highly efficient biomaterials for scavenging multiple metal ions, simultaneously, from industrial effluents.
274 citations
TL;DR: The structure of the human and the mouse pancreas, together with the similarities and differences between them are reviewed in detail in the light of conceivable repercussions for basic research and clinical application.
Abstract: Mice remain the most studied animal model in pancreas research. Since the findings of this research are typically extrapolated to humans, it is important to understand both similarities and differences between the 2 species. Beside the apparent difference in size and macroscopic organization of the organ in the 2 species, there are a number of less evident and only recently described differences in organization of the acinar and ductal exocrine tissue, as well as in the distribution, composition, and architecture of the endocrine islets of Langerhans. Furthermore, the differences in arterial, venous, and lymphatic vessels, as well as innervation are potentially important. In this article, the structure of the human and the mouse pancreas, together with the similarities and differences between them are reviewed in detail in the light of conceivable repercussions for basic research and clinical application.
243 citations
01 Feb 2015
TL;DR: A survey of genetic algorithms that are designed for solving multi depot vehicle routing problem, and the efficiency of different existing genetic methods on standard benchmark problems in detail are presented.
Abstract: We reviewed the use of genetic algorithms on the MDVRP (multi depot vehicle routing problem).Survey was made on every operator and setting of genetic algorithm for this problem.We tested different genetic operators and compared the results.We compared the genetic algorithms to other metaheuristic algorithms on MDVRP based on the results on standard benchmarks. This article presents a survey of genetic algorithms that are designed for solving multi depot vehicle routing problem. In this context, most of the articles focus on different genetic approaches, methods and operators, commonly used in practical applications to solve this well-known and researched problem. Besides providing an up-to-date overview of the research in the field, the results of a thorough experiment are presented and discussed, which evaluated the efficiency of different existing genetic methods on standard benchmark problems in detail. In this manner, the insights into strengths and weaknesses of specific methods, operators and settings are presented, which should help researchers and practitioners to optimize their solutions in further studies done with the similar type of the problem in mind. Finally, genetic algorithm based solutions are compared with other existing approaches, both exact and heuristic, for solving this same problem.
239 citations
TL;DR: With proper integration of gamification in the field of e-learning into higher education, a positive impact on the learning process can be achieved, such as higher satisfaction, motivation and greater engagement of students.
228 citations
TL;DR: This paper points to some misapprehensions when comparing meta-heuristic algorithms based on iterations (generations or cycles) with special emphasis on ABC.
205 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors review different approaches aimed at modeling and improving our understanding of crime, focusing on the nucleation of crime hotspots using partial differential equations, self-exciting point process and agent-based modeling, adversarial evolutionary games, and network science behind the formation of gangs and large-scale organized crime.
198 citations
TL;DR: It is shown that in the presence of different punishing cooperators the highest level of public cooperation is always attainable through a selection mechanism and that natural strategy selection cannot only promote, but sometimes also hinders competition among prosocial strategies.
Abstract: Inspired by the fact that people have diverse propensities to punish wrongdoers, we study a spatial public goods game with defectors and different types of punishing cooperators. During the game, cooperators punish defectors with class-specific probabilities and subsequently share the associated costs of sanctioning. We show that in the presence of different punishing cooperators the highest level of public cooperation is always attainable through a selection mechanism. Interestingly, the selection does not necessarily favor the evolution of punishers who would be able to prevail on their own against the defectors, nor does it always hinder the evolution of punishers who would be unable to prevail on their own. Instead, the evolutionary success of punishing strategies depends sensitively on their invasion velocities, which in turn reveals fascinating examples of both competition and cooperation among them. Furthermore, we show that under favorable conditions, when punishment is not strictly necessary for the maintenance of public cooperation, the less aggressive, mild form of sanctioning is the sole victor of the selection process. Our work reveals that natural strategy selection cannot only promote, but sometimes also hinders competition among prosocial strategies.
University of Göttingen1, Hungarian Academy of Sciences2, University of Cambridge3, Life Sciences Institute4, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences5, University of Bern6, University of Latvia7, Institut national de la recherche agronomique8, Aleksandras Stulginskis University9, Technische Universität München10, Slovak Academy of Sciences11, University of Tartu12, University of Zagreb13, University of Maribor14, University of Münster15, Humboldt University of Berlin16, Stockholm University17, Lüneburg University18, University of Siena19, Babeș-Bolyai University20, University of Bonn21, University of Lisbon22, University of Alcalá23, Autonomous University of Barcelona24, Butterfly Conservation25
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue that the continued underrepresentation of the low-intensity farmland in Central and Eastern Europe in the international literature and EU policy is impeding the development of sound, evidence-based conservation interventions.
Abstract: A large proportion of European biodiversity today depends on habitat provided by low-intensity farming practices, yet this resource is declining as European agriculture intensifies. Within the European Union, particularly the central and eastern new member states have retained relatively large areas of species-rich farmland, but despite increased investment in nature conservation here in recent years, farmland biodiversity trends appear to be worsening. Although the high biodiversity value of Central and Eastern European farmland has long been reported, the amount of research in the international literature focused on farmland biodiversity in this region remains comparatively tiny, and measures within the EU Common Agricultural Policy are relatively poorly adapted to support it. In this opinion study, we argue that, 10 years after the accession of the first eastern EU new member states, the continued under-representation of the low-intensity farmland in Central and Eastern Europe in the international literature and EU policy is impeding the development of sound, evidence-based conservation interventions. The biodiversity benefits for Europe of existing low-intensity farmland, particularly in the central and eastern states, should be harnessed before they are lost. Instead of waiting for species-rich farmland to further decline, targeted research and monitoring to create locally appropriate conservation strategies for these habitats is needed now.
TL;DR: A concise but comprehensive overview of firefly algorithms that are enhanced with chaotic maps is presented, to describe in detail the advantages and pitfalls of the many different chaotic maps, as well as to outline promising avenues and open problems for future research.
TL;DR: The model from the study should contribute new knowledge concerning privacy issues and their shaping of self-disclosure on social networking sites and help networking sites service providers understand how to encourage users to disclose more information.
TL;DR: It is shown that albuminuria is a continuum and that GFR can start to decline before progression to overt nephropathy, which could explain why patients with type 2 diabetes can have renal insufficiency even before the onset of overt nePHropathy.
TL;DR: The mechanisms underlying the acetic acid tolerance exhibited by several bacterial strains are reviewed and a comparison of how these bacterial adaptive responses to acetic Acid stress fit to those described in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is performed.
Abstract: Acetic acid is a weak organic acid exerting a toxic effect to most microorganisms at concentrations as low as 0.5 wt%. This toxic effect results mostly from acetic acid dissociation inside microbial cells, causing a decrease of intracellular pH and metabolic disturbance by the anion, among other deleterious effects. These microbial inhibition mechanisms enable acetic acid to be used as a preservative, although its usefulness is limited by the emergence of highly tolerant spoilage strains. Several biotechnological processes are also inhibited by the accumulation of acetic acid in the growth medium including production of bioethanol from lignocellulosics, wine making, and microbe-based production of acetic acid itself. To design better preservation strategies based on acetic acid and to improve the robustness of industrial biotechnological processes limited by this acid’s toxicity, it is essential to deepen the understanding of the underlying toxicity mechanisms. In this sense, adaptive responses that improve tolerance to acetic acid have been well studied in Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Strains highly tolerant to acetic acid, either isolated from natural environments or specifically engineered for this effect, represent a unique reservoir of information that could increase our understanding of acetic acid tolerance and contribute to the design of additional tolerance mechanisms. In this article, the mechanisms underlying the acetic acid tolerance exhibited by several bacterial strains are reviewed, with emphasis on the knowledge gathered in acetic acid bacteria and E. coli. A comparison of how these bacterial adaptive responses to acetic acid stress fit to those described in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is also performed. A systematic comparison of the similarities and dissimilarities of the ways by which different microbial systems surpass the deleterious effects of acetic acid toxicity has not been performed so far, although such exchange of knowledge can open the door to the design of novel approaches aiming the development of acetic acid-tolerant strains with increased industrial robustness in a synthetic biology perspective.
TL;DR: The essentials of aquaporin protein function are summarized, the latest progress in this fascinating area of membrane research and development is reviewed and two main approaches have been suggested based on planar membranes and vesicles respectively.
TL;DR: It is shown that an appropriate fraction of conformists within the population introduces an effective surface tension around cooperative clusters and ensures smooth interfaces between different strategy domains and this mechanism works even under the most testing conditions and is robust against variations of the interaction network.
Abstract: The pursuit of highest payoffs in evolutionary social dilemmas is risky and sometimes inferior to conformity. Choosing the most common strategy within the interaction range is safer because it ensures that the payoff of an individual will not be much lower than average. Herding instincts and crowd behaviour in humans and social animals also compel to conformity in their own right. Motivated by these facts, we here study the impact of conformity on the evolution of cooperation in social dilemmas. We show that an appropriate fraction of conformists within the population introduces an effective surface tension around cooperative clusters and ensures smooth interfaces between different strategy domains. Payoff-driven players brake the symmetry in favour of cooperation and enable an expansion of clusters past the boundaries imposed by traditional network reciprocity. This mechanism works even under the most testing conditions, and it is robust against variations of the interaction network as long as degree-normalized payoffs are applied. Conformity may thus be beneficial for the resolution of social dilemmas.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors carried out a state-of-the-art study on the technologies or control systems of natural light in buildings, concentrating on those control methods which not only protect the occupants from direct solar glare but also maximize natural light penetration in buildings based on the occupants preferences, whilst allowing for a reduction in electrical consumption for lighting and cooling.
Abstract: The residential sector is responsible for approximately a quarter of energy consumption in Europe. This consumption, together with that of other buildings, mainly from the tertiary sector, makes up 40% of total energy consumption and 36% of CO2 emissions. Artificial lighting makes up 14% of electrical consumption in the European Union and 19% worldwide. Through the use of well-designed natural lighting, controlled by technologies or systems which guarantee accessibility from all areas inside buildings, energy consumption for lighting and air conditioning can be kept to a minimum. The authors of this article carried out a state of the art on the technologies or control systems of natural light in buildings, concentrating on those control methods which not only protect the occupants from direct solar glare but also maximize natural light penetration in buildings based on the occupants׳ preferences, whilst allowing for a reduction in electrical consumption for lighting and cooling. All of the control and/or natural light guidance systems and/or strategies guarantee the penetration of daylight into the building, thus reducing the electrical energy consumption for lighting and cooling. At the same time they improve the thermal and visual comfort of the users of the buildings. However various studies have also brought to light certain disadvantages to these systems.
TL;DR: Herbs have been integral to both traditional and non‐traditional forms of medicine dating back at least 5000 years and pose great potential for effective treatment of minor wounds, according to this review.
Abstract: Herbs have been integral to both traditional and non-traditional forms of medicine dating back at least 5000 years. The enduring popularity of herbal medicines may be explained by the perception that herbs cause minimal unwanted side effects. More recently, scientists increasingly rely on modern scientific methods and evidence-based medicine to prove efficacy of herbal medicines and focus on better understanding of mechanisms of their action. However, information concerning quantitative human health benefits of herbal medicines is still rare or dispersed, limiting their proper valuation. Preparations from traditional medicinal plants are often used for wound healing purposes covering a broad area of different skin-related diseases. Herbal medicines in wound management involve disinfection, debridement, and provision of a suitable environment for aiding the natural course of healing. Here we report on 22 plants used as wound healing agents in traditional medicine around the world. The aim of this review is therefore to review herbal medicines, which pose great potential for effective treatment of minor wounds.
TL;DR: In a mouse model of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), long-term treatment withDXM improved islet insulin content, islet cell mass and blood glucose control and in a small clinical trial it was found that individuals with T2DM treated with DXM showed enhanced serum insulin concentrations and glucose tolerance.
Abstract: In the nervous system, NMDA receptors (NMDARs) participate in neurotransmission and modulate the viability of neurons. In contrast, little is known about the role of NMDARs in pancreatic islets and the insulin-secreting beta cells whose functional impairment contributes to diabetes mellitus. Here we found that inhibition of NMDARs in mouse and human islets enhanced their glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) and survival of islet cells. Further, NMDAR inhibition prolonged the amount of time that glucose-stimulated beta cells spent in a depolarized state with high cytosolic Ca(2+) concentrations. We also noticed that, in vivo, the NMDAR antagonist dextromethorphan (DXM) enhanced glucose tolerance in mice, and that in vitro dextrorphan, the main metabolite of DXM, amplified the stimulatory effect of exendin-4 on GSIS. In a mouse model of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), long-term treatment with DXM improved islet insulin content, islet cell mass and blood glucose control. Further, in a small clinical trial we found that individuals with T2DM treated with DXM showed enhanced serum insulin concentrations and glucose tolerance. Our data highlight the possibility that antagonists of NMDARs may provide a useful adjunct treatment for diabetes.
TL;DR: This Special Issue is devoted to networks of networks, structure, dynamics and evolution, as well as to the study of emergent properties in multi-layered systems in general.
Abstract: This is an introduction to the special issue titled “Networks of networks” that is in the making at Chaos, Solitons & Fractals. Recent research and reviews attest to the fact that networks of networks are the next frontier in network science [1] , [2] , [3] , [4] , [5] , [6] , [7] . Not only are interactions limited and thus inadequately described by well-mixed models, it is also a fact that the networks that should be an integral part of such models are often interconnected, thus making the processes that are unfolding on them interdependent. From the World economy and transportation systems to social media, it is clear that processes taking place in one network might significantly affect what is happening in many other networks. Within an interdependent system, each type of interaction has a certain relevance and meaning, so that treating all the links identically inevitably leads to information loss. Networks of networks, interdependent networks, or multilayer networks are therefore a much better and realistic description of such systems, and this Special Issue is devoted to their structure, dynamics and evolution, as well as to the study of emergent properties in multi-layered systems in general. Topics of interest include but are not limited to the spread of epidemics and information, percolation, diffusion, synchronization, collective behavior, and evolutionary games on networks of networks. Interdisciplinary work on all aspects of networks of networks, regardless of background and motivation, is very welcome.
01 Jan 2015
TL;DR: In this article, the technical and economic feasibility of adding an ultra-filtration process as a pre-treatment for removing dissolved and colloidal contaminants > 0.4μm, and to eliminate membrane fouling before a final reverse osmosis process resulting in permeate that would meet reuse criteria.
TL;DR: In this article, the quasi-static and dynamic compressive crush performance of newly developed in-situ foam-filled tubes (FFTs) made of light aluminium alloys prepared by powder compact foaming technique was investigated.
TL;DR: In this paper, an analytical travel time model for the computation of travel cycle time for shuttle-based storage and retrieval systems (in continuation SBS/RS) is presented, which considers the operating characteristics of the elevators lifting table and the shuttle carrier.
Abstract: This paper presents analytical travel time model for the computation of travel (cycle) time for shuttle-based storage and retrieval systems (in continuation SBS/RS). The proposed model considers the operating characteristics of the elevators lifting table and the shuttle carrier, such as acceleration and deceleration and the maximum velocity. Assuming uniform distributed storage rack locations and using the probability theory, the expressions of the cumulative distribution functions with which the mean travel time is calculated, have been determined. The proposed model enables the calculation of the mean travel (cycle) time for the single and dual command cycles, from which the performance of SBS/RS can be evaluated. The approximation model and a simulation model of SBS/RS have been used to compare the performances of the proposed analytical travel time model. The analysis shows that regarding all examined types of SBS/RS, the results of proposed analytical travel time model for SBS/RS correlate with the results of simulation models of SBS/RS.
TL;DR: In this article, the mass spectrum of pi(+)pi(-)psi(2S) with two coherent Breit-Wigner functions is fit with identical mass and width but different couplings to electron-positron pairs.
Abstract: We report measurement of the cross section of e(+)e(-) -> pi(+)pi(-)psi(2S) between 4.0 and 5.5 GeV, based on an analysis of initial state radiation events in a 980 fb(-1) data sample recorded with the Belle detector. The properties of the Y(4360) and Y(4660) states are determined. Fitting the mass spectrum of pi(+)pi(-)psi(2S) with two coherent Breit-Wigner functions, we find two solutions with identical mass and width but different couplings to electron-positron pairs: M-Y(4360) = (4347 +/- 6 +/- 3) MeV/c(2), Gamma(Y(4360)) = (103 +/- 9 +/- 5) MeV, M-Y(4660) = (4652 +/- 10 +/- 8) MeV/c(2), Gamma(Y(4660)) = (68 +/- 11 +/- 1) MeV; and B[Y(4360) -> pi(+)pi(-)psi(2S)] . Gamma(e+e-)(Y(4360)) = (10.9 +/- 0.6 +/- 0.7) eV and B[Y(4660) -> pi(+)pi(-)psi(2S)] . Gamma(e+e-)(Y(4660)) = (8.1 +/- 1.1 +/- 0.5) eV for one solution; or B[Y(4360) -> pi(+)pi(-)psi(2S)] . Gamma(e+e-)(Y(4360)) = (9.2 +/- 0.6 +/- 0.6) eV and B[Y(4660) -> pi(+)pi(-)psi(2S)] . Gamma(e+e-)(Y(4660)) = (2.0 +/- 0.3 +/- 0.2) eV for the other. Here, the first errors are statistical and the second systematic. Evidence for a charged charmoniumlike structure at 4.05 GeV/c(2) is observed in the pi(+/-)psi(2S) intermediate state in the Y(4360) decays.
TL;DR: Insight is presented into an adaptation and self- Adaptation mechanism within differential evolution, covering not only how but moreover – when this mechanism generates new values for control parameters, focusing on the iteration-temporal randomness of the self-adaptive control parameters.
Abstract: This paper presents insight into an adaptation and self-adaptation mechanism within differential evolution, covering not only how but moreover – when this mechanism generates new values for control parameters, focusing on the iteration-temporal randomness of the self-adaptive control parameters. In particular, this randomness is controlled by a randomness level parameter, which influences the control parameters values׳ dynamics and their propagation through suitable individuals׳ improvement contributions during ellitistic selection. Thereby, the randomness level parameter defines the chaotic behavior of self-adaptive control parameter values׳ instances. A Differential Evolution (DE) algorithm for Real Parameter Single Objective Optimization is utilized as an application of this mechanism, to analyze the impact of the randomness level parameter as used inside the evolutionary algorithm parameter adaptation and control mechanism, yielding statistically significant different algorithm performances and ranks on different randomness level parameter values. Moreover, the impacts of different randomness configurations on the number of improvements, improvement scales, and adaptation frequencies, are shown, in order to present a deeper insight into the influences and causes using different randomness level parameter configurations, to present the influence of randomization frequency on propagation stability. Since DE variant algorithms with the mechanism of control parameters self-adaptation are widely applied, this study might help in increasing the performances of these different variants and their applications.
TL;DR: A novel intelligent planning method for sports training sessions is introduced, where the training plans are generated on digital computers using the bat algorithm according to reliable data obtained from sports watches.
TL;DR: Probiotic intervention with B. breve strains has shown a positive effect on decreasing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α in children with CD on GFD.
Abstract: Increasing evidence suggests that not only genetics, but also environmental factors like gut microbiota dysbiosis play an important role in the pathogenesis of celiac disease (CD). The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of two probiotic strains Bifidobacterium breve BR03 and B. breve B632 on serum production of anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin 10 (IL-10) and pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in children with CD. The study was a double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial that included 49 children with CD on gluten-free diet (GFD) randomized into two groups and 18 healthy children in the control group. The first group (24 children with CD) daily received B. breve BR03 and B632 (2 × 109 colony-forming units) and the second group (25 children with CD) received placebo for 3 months. TNF-α levels were significantly decreased in the first group after receiving B. breve for 3 months. On follow-up, 3 months after receiving probiotics, TNF-α levels increased again. Children with CD who were on GFD for less than 1 year showed similar baseline TNF-α levels as children who were on GFD for more than 1 year. IL-10 levels were in all groups of patients below detection level. Probiotic intervention with B. breve strains has shown a positive effect on decreasing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α in children with CD on GFD.