Coevolutionary,coexisting learning and teaching agents model for prisoner’s dilemma games enhancing cooperation with assortative heterogeneous networks

Unlike other natural network systems, assortativity can be observed in most human social networks, although it has been reported that a social dilemma situation represented by the prisoner’s dilemma favors dissortativity to enhance cooperation. We established a new coevolutionary model for both agents’ strategy and network topology, where teaching and learning agents coexist. Remarkably, this model enables agents’ enhancing cooperation more than a learners-only model on a time-frozen scale-free network and produces an underlying assortative network with a fair degree of power-law distribution. The model may imply how and why assortative networks are adaptive in human society.     

Tissue gadolinium deposition in renally impaired rats exposed to different gadolinium-based MRI contrast agents: Evaluation with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS)

ObjectivesTo quantify tissue gadolinium (Gd) deposition in renally impaired rats exposed to Gd-EOB-DTPA and other Gd-based MRI contrast agents by means of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and to compare the differences in distribution among major organs as possible triggers for nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF).MethodsA total of 15 renally impaired rats were injected with Gd-EOB-DTPA, Gd-DTPA-BMA and Gd-HP-DO3A. Gd contents of skin, liver, kidney, lung, heart, spleen, diaphragm and femoral muscle were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Histological assessment was also conducted.ResultsTissue Gd deposition in all organs was significantly higher (P = 0.005 ~ 0.009) in the Gd-DTPA-BMA group than in the Gd-HP-DO3A and Gd-EOB-DTPA groups. In the Gd-DTPA-BMA group, Gd was predominantly deposited in kidney (1306 ± 605.7 μg/g), followed by skin, liver, lung, spleen, femoral muscle, diaphragm and heart. Comparing Gd-HP-DO3A and Gd-EOB-DTPA groups, Gd depositions in the kidney, liver and lung were significantly lower (P = 0.009 ~ 0.011) in the Gd-EOB-DTPA group than in the Gd-HP-DO3A group although no significant differences were seen for any other organs.ConclusionsGd-EOB-DTPA is a stable and safe Gd-based contrast agent (GBCA) showing lower Gd deposition in major organs in renally impaired rats, compared with other GBCAs. This fact suggests that the risk of NSF onset would be low in the use of Gd-EOB-DTPA.     

Effect of laser intensity on fast-electron-beam divergence in solid-density plasmas

Metal foil targets were irradiated with 1 mum wavelength (lambda) laser pulses of 5 ps duration and focused intensities (I) of up to 4x10;{19} W cm;{-2}, giving values of both Ilambda;{2} and pulse duration comparable to those required for fast ignition inertial fusion. The divergence of the electrons accelerated into the target was determined from spatially resolved measurements of x-ray K_{alpha} emission and from transverse probing of the plasma formed on the back of the foils. Comparison of the divergence with other published data shows that it increases with Ilambda;{2} and is independent of pulse duration. Two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations reproduce these results, indicating that it is a fundamental property of the laser-plasma interaction.     

The rotational spectrum of the NiS radical in the X3Sigma- state

The rotational spectrum of the NiS radical in the X(3)Sigma(-) state was observed by employing a source-modulation microwave spectrometer. The NiS radical was generated in a free space cell by a dc glow discharge in H(2)S diluted with Ar. The nickel atoms were supplied by the sputtering reaction from a nickel cathode. Rotational transitions with J = 11-10 to 25-24 were measured in the region between 135 and 314 GHz. Rotational, centrifugal distortion and several fine-structure constants were determined by a least-squares analysis. Other spectroscopic parameters such as dissociation energy, vibrational wavenumber and equilibrium bond length were also derived from the determined molecular constants. Excitation energies of the lowest (3)Pi and (1)Sigma(+) states were estimated from the fine-structure constants, lambda and gamma.     

Proton acceleration to 40 MeV using a high intensity, high contrast optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification/Ti:sapphire hybrid laser system

Using a high-contrast (10(10):1) and high-intensity (10(21) W/cm(2)) laser pulse with the duration of 40 fs from an optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification/Ti:sapphire laser, a 40 MeV proton bunch is obtained, which is a record for laser pulse with energy less than 10 J. The efficiency for generation of protons with kinetic energy above 15 MeV is 0.1%.     

Electrodialytic separation of potassium ions from sodium ions in the presence of crown ether using a cation-exchange membrane

The separation of potassium and sodium ions from their mixture was performed by electrodialyzing a mixed solution of potassium chloride and sodium chloride in the presence of 18-crown-6 using a commercial cation-exchange membrane. After 18-crown-6 had been impregnated in the membrane, the mixed solution containing 18-crown-6 was electrodialyzed as the desalting-side solution. The permeation of potassium ions through the membrane decreased remarkably and the electrical resistance of the membrane increased during electrodialysis with increasing concentration of 18-crown-6 in the solution. Because potassium ions form a more stable complex with 18-crown-6 than sodium ions and because the complex permeated through the membrane with difficulty, sodium ions are thought to selectively permeate through the membrane. The current efficiency in electrodialysis was greater than 97.0%. Received: 1 June 1999/Accepted in revised form: 13 August 1999     

Mixings and CP violations of theB^0 - \bar B^0 system in the four-generation model

We study the mixings and CP violations in the \(B^0 - \bar B^0 \) system together with the \(K^0 - \bar K^0 \) one in the four-generation model, taking into account the ARGUS data for the \(B_d^0 - \bar B_d^0 \) mixing. We take typical six cases of the mixing hierarchy and search for the allowed regions of three phases in the 4×4KM matrix. The CP violating parameter ? _K in the \(K^0 - \bar K^0 \) system gives a severe constraint for the phases, and the smaller mixing than that in the three-generation model is predicted for the \(B_s^0 - \bar B_s^0 \) system. The asymmetry parameters for the two-body non-leptonic decays of theB ⁰ and \(\bar B^0 \) mesons are also predicted.