Adaptive cyclically dominating game on co-evolving networks: Numerical and analytic results

A co-evolving and adaptive Rock (R)-Paper (P)-Scissors (S) game (ARPS) in which an agent uses one of three cyclically dominating strategies is proposed and studied numerically and analytically. An agent takes adaptive actions to achieve a neighborhood to his advantage by rewiring a dissatisfying link with a probability $p$ or switching strategy with a probability $1-p$. Numerical results revealed two phases in the steady state. An active phase for $p<p_{\text{cri}}$ has one connected network of agents using different strategies who are continually interacting and taking adaptive actions. A frozen phase for $p>p_{\text{cri}}$ has three separate clusters of agents using only R, P, and S, respectively with terminated adaptive actions. A mean-field theory of link densities in co-evolving network is formulated in a general way that can be readily modified to other co-evolving network problems of multiple strategies. The analytic results agree with simulation results on ARPS well. We point out the different probabilities of winning, losing, and drawing a game among the agents as the origin of the small discrepancy between analytic and simulation results. As a result of the adaptive actions, agents of higher degrees are often those being taken advantage of. Agents with a smaller (larger) degree than the mean degree have a higher (smaller) probability of winning than losing. The results are useful in future attempts on formulating more accurate theories.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figure

Neural mechanisms underlying adaptive actions after slips

An increase in cognitive control has been systematically observed in responses produced immediately after the commission of an error. Such responses show a delay in reaction time (post-error slowing) and an increase in accuracy. To characterize the neurophysiological mechanism involved in the adaptation of cognitive control, we examined oscillatory electrical brain activity by electroencephalogram and its corresponding neural network by event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging in three experiments. We identified a new oscillatory thetabeta component related to the degree of post-error slowing in the correct responses following an erroneous trial. Additionally, we found that the activity of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the right inferior frontal cortex, and the right superior frontal cortex was correlated with the degree of caution shown in the trial following the commission of an error. Given the overlap between this brain network and the regions activated by the need to inhibit motor responses in a stop-signal manipulation, we conclude that the increase in cognitive control observed after the commission of an error is implemented through the participation of an inhibitory mechanism

Graduate Students Research Presentation Series

Governance and its Role in Community Adaptations to Environmental Stresses under Decentralization Programs in Southwestern Uruguay Abstract: Since the turn of the 21st century, climate change and globalization have critically affected the southwestern region of Uruguay. Community responses to environmental stresses created by natural and anthropogenic phenomena have been addressed by recent political decentralization policies and programs. Based on semi-structured interviews with key informants from the market, state, and civil society, participant observation and reports from local public meetings and assemblies, this study explores how community governance processes under the decentralization programs promoted through Municipios and Mesas de Desarrollo Rural influenced adaptive actions to environmental stresses in four communities of southwestern Uruguay. The governance processes focused on consultancy, involvement, and collaboration, which mostly facilitated adaptive actions from the national government. Decentralized governance facilitated information exchange between the actors involved, but community empowerment represented a challenge for the development of adaptive actions at the local level due to the limited resources and dependency on outside state institutions

Response to ‘Protected areas and climate change Reflections from a practitioner's perspective

Cliquet et al. 1 provide a thought-provoking analysis of the challenges posed to the EU's protected areas by climate change. This paper seeks to build on some of the perspectives they brought to what is a highly challenging area of nature conservation law, policy and practice. While there is much to support in their analysis of the relationships between protected areas and climate change, there are two key strands we seek to develop further, based on the RSPB's experience of this area of nature conservation policy and practice: first, is the ecological model for adapting to climate change and second, the legal framework provided by the Birds2 and Habitats3 Directives (the Nature Directives) as it relates to the delivery of such adaptive actions

Changing social contracts in climate-change adaptation

Risks from extreme weather events are mediated through state, civil society and individual action 1 , 2 . We propose evolving social contracts as a primary mechanism by which adaptation to climate change proceeds. We use a natural experiment of policy and social contexts of the UK and Ireland affected by the same meteorological event and resultant flooding in November 2009. We analyse data from policy documents and from household surveys of 356 residents in western Ireland and northwest England. We find significant differences between perceptions of individual responsibility for protection across the jurisdictions and between perceptions of future risk from populations directly affected by flooding events. These explain differences in stated willingness to take individual adaptive actions when state support retrenches. We therefore show that expectations for state protection are critical in mediating impacts and promoting longer-term adaptation. We argue that making social contracts explicit may smooth pathways to effective and legitimate adaptation

Blahut-Arimoto Algorithm and Code Design for Action-Dependent Source Coding Problems

The source coding problem with action-dependent side information at the decoder has recently been introduced to model data acquisition in resource-constrained systems. In this paper, an efficient algorithm for numerical computation of the rate-distortion-cost function for this problem is proposed, and a convergence proof is provided. Moreover, a two-stage code design based on multiplexing is put forth, whereby the first stage encodes the actions and the second stage is composed of an array of classical Wyner-Ziv codes, one for each action. Specific coding/decoding strategies are designed based on LDGM codes and message passing. Through numerical examples, the proposed code design is shown to achieve performance close to the lower bound dictated by the rate-distortion-cost function.Comment: Extended version of a paper submitted to ISI

Economic impacts of climate change adaptation/mitigation in the east midlands stage 2 report

This study builds intelligence regarding the impacts of climate change on the region and creates insights as to how the likely economic, environmental and social impacts can be mitigated, adaptive actions undertaken and market opportunities exploited by businesses in the region. This stage 2 report presents a number of detailed sector case studies

Preparing for and adapting to climate change impacts: Next steps for the Washington state department of National Resources Aquatic Resources Program

In response to a growing body of research on projected climate change impacts to Washington State’s coastal areas, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) Aquatic Resources Program (the Program) initiated a climate change preparedness effort in 2009 via the development of a Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (the Strategy)i. The Strategy answers the question “What are the next steps that the Program can take to begin preparing for and adapting to climate change impacts in Washington’s coastal areas?” by considering how projected climate change impacts may effect: (1) Washington’s state-owned aquatic landsii, (2) the Program’s management activities, and (3) DNR’s statutorily established guidelines for managing Washington’s state-owned aquatic lands for the benefit of the public. The Program manages Washington’s state-owned aquatic lands according to the guidelines set forth in Revised Code of Washington 79-105-030, which stipulates that DNR must manage state-owned aquatic lands in a manner which provides a balance of the following public benefits: (1) Encouraging direct public uses and access; (2) Fostering water-dependent uses; (3) Ensuring environmental protection; (4) Utilizing renewable resources. (RCW 79-105-030) The law also stipulates that generating revenue in a manner consistent with these four benefits is a public benefit (RCW 79-105-030). Many of the next steps identified in the Strategy build off of recommendations provided by earlier climate change preparation and adaptation efforts in Washington State, most notably those provided by the Preparation and Adaptation Working Group, which were convened by Washington State Executive Order 70-02 in 2007, and those made in the Washington Climate Change Impacts Assessment (Climate Impacts Group, 2009). (PDF contains 4 pages

Planning for climate change by Queensland coastal councils

The Queensland Coastal Plan requires councils to prepare coastal hazard adaptation plans for those parts of their urban areas at risk from a projected sea level rise of 80cm by 2100. This paper reviews adaptation actions in climate change strategies prepared by four urban Queensland coastal councils (e.g. Cairns, Gold Coast, Redland, and Sunshine Coast), and one community-based climate adaptation action plan for Bribie Island in Moreton Bay. The actions in these climate change plans are analysed for their adaptive response categories: Emphasising Nature, Emphasising Development and Managed Nature (Vasey-Ellis, 2009), along with Council Governance of climate change, and Emphasising Communities. Climate change planning and infrastructure responses by Queensland coastal councils mainly focus on protecting coastal development from erosion and other climate hazards, and building community resilience, supplemented by ‘soft’ environmental actions protecting nature. While some climate plans included actions for shoreline erosion, coastal inundation, and storm surges, only one addressed sea level rise impacts on buildings and heritage (i.e. Redland)