Speaker
Alberto Antonioni, Carlos III University of Madrid

Description

We all need to rely on cooperation with other individuals in many aspects of everyday life, such as teamwork and economic exchange in anonymous markets. In this seminar I will present two laboratory experiments which focus on the impact of information and reputation on human behavior when people engage cooperative interactions on dynamic networks. In the first study, we investigate whether and how the ability to make or break links in social networks fosters cooperation, paying particular attention to whether information on an individual’s actions is freely available to potential partners. Studying the role of information is relevant as complete knowledge on other people’s actions is often not available for free. In the second work, we focus our attention on the role of individual reputation, an indispensable tool to guide decisions about social and economic interactions with individuals otherwise unknown. Usually, information about prospective counterparts is incomplete, often being limited to an average success rate. Uncertainty on reputation is further increased by fraud, which is increasingly becoming a cause of concern. To address these issues, we have designed an experiment where participants could spend money to have their observable cooperativeness increased. Our findings point to the importance of ensuring the truthfulness of reputation for a more cooperative and fair society.

Speaker
Lluís Alsedà (UAB-Departament de Matemátiques)

Description

In certain classes of dynamical systems invariant sets with a strange geometry appear. For example the iteration of two-dimensional quasi- periodically forced skew product, under certain conditions, gives us
Strange Non-Chaotic Attractors. To obtain analytical approximation of these objects it seems more natural to use wavelets instead of the more usual "fourier approach". The aim of the talk is to describe the algoritm for
the semi-analitical computation of the invariant object (numerical computations of the wavelet coefficients) using both daubechies and Haar wavelets. The aim for this exercise is twofold. From one side to be able to
study bifurcations and "pinching" of the objectand from another side to get estimates of the regularity of the object. The study of this regularity depending on parameters may give another point of view to the
"fractalization routes" described in the literature and that are currently under discussion.

Description

IberSinc is a Research Network in dynamics and synchronization of complex networks. The main goal is to increase the interaction between theoretical and experimental groups to obtain the maximum performance of both perspectives. The network members are renowned national groups in the study of dynamical systems, complex networks, experimentation with biological systems and analysis of brain activity. The proposal wants to reinforce the contacts already initiated through the previous IberSync initiative, funded along the years 2011-2012 by the Program for Complementary Actions 2010. IberSinc was a major boost for the interaction among participants, following in numerous joint publications. In the current proposal, the Research Network plans to articulate a sequence of actions (annual meeting, courses, exchange of researchers, seminars, website, shared databases, publishing a book) aimed at increasing collaboration between groups, to disseminate results and optimize theoretical and experimental resources. It is also planned to open up our activities to the private sector participants who have shown their interest in the potential results obtained within IberSinc, in order to promote the transfer of research results and to create new professional opportunities to the researchers trained within IberSinc.

Speaker
Nelson Fernández

Description

Coastal ecosystems are natural foci of mosquitoes, arboviruses and vertebrate reservoirs. The study of complex interactions between these elements in coastal ecosystems can explain the emergence or “Jump” to alternative hosts, such as human populations, of infectious diseases. However, the studies about interactions networks involved in arboviral transmission are limited. The conventional methodology used for the relationship establishment are based on the frequencies calculation. Consequently, the ecological relationship between vertebrate-host and mosquitoes are scarcely identified. Currently, it is no clear how transmission interactions in natural areas could change when ecosystems are impacted by human intervention and the disequilibrium of the natural patterns take place. In this context, this study focuses on the characterization and analysis of the interaction networks of arboviruses, mangrove fauna, and human beings. Hence, we detected arboviruses belonging to two genus (Alphavirus/Flavivirus) between 2011 – 2014, in wild mosquitoes from a different ecosystems associated with a coastal zone in the northwestern region in Colombia. Molecular techniques and sequencing were made for virus detecting and blood-meal identification. The information characterized about mosquitoes, virus detected and blood-meal identification was used for estimate interaction networks. Networks were created from connectivity maps of epidemiological agents and their interactions. Directed and weighted networks were generated for each kind of biotope and biocoenosis. A global network was obtained to analyze the whole ecosystem. Networks visualization was performed using Cytoscape and Igraph R package. The results indicate that some mosquito species are the vector- bridge with his extensive capacity of feeding for several host-species. Also, the high representation for avian fauna on inferring networks and possible ways for viral traffic suggest the possible emergence of some pathogens as West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis virus, Yellow Fever virus, and Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis virus. The complex traffic and circulation of arboviral pathogens in coastal ecosystems obtained demonstrate the importance of virological surveillance activities and computational analysis task.

Description

We are pleased to host the  Symposium of the Departament of Experimental and Health Sciences (DCEXS), which will be held on Wednesday, September 21st 2016, at the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB) Auditorium.

This year the Symposium is devoted to the emerging field of systems biology, whose goal is to understand living cells and organisms as a whole, using an interdisciplinary combination of theory, numerical simulations, and detailed quantitative measurements of biological processes. The symposium will also serve as the closing event of the 2016International Conference on Systems Biology, organized this year in Barcelona by UPF and CRG (http://www.icsb2016barcelona.org/).

Organizers
UPF & CRG