1,858 research outputs found
Modeling the emergence of universality in color naming patterns
The empirical evidence that human color categorization exhibits some
universal patterns beyond superficial discrepancies across different cultures
is a major breakthrough in cognitive science. As observed in the World Color
Survey (WCS), indeed, any two groups of individuals develop quite different
categorization patterns, but some universal properties can be identified by a
statistical analysis over a large number of populations. Here, we reproduce the
WCS in a numerical model in which different populations develop independently
their own categorization systems by playing elementary language games. We find
that a simple perceptual constraint shared by all humans, namely the human Just
Noticeable Difference (JND), is sufficient to trigger the emergence of
universal patterns that unconstrained cultural interaction fails to produce. We
test the results of our experiment against real data by performing the same
statistical analysis proposed to quantify the universal tendencies shown in the
WCS [Kay P and Regier T. (2003) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 100: 9085-9089], and
obtain an excellent quantitative agreement. This work confirms that synthetic
modeling has nowadays reached the maturity to contribute significantly to the
ongoing debate in cognitive science.Comment: Supplementery Information available here
http://www.pnas.org/content/107/6/2403/suppl/DCSupplementa
Post-critical set and non existence of preserved meromorphic two-forms
We present a family of birational transformations in depending on
two, or three, parameters which does not, generically, preserve meromorphic
two-forms. With the introduction of the orbit of the critical set (vanishing
condition of the Jacobian), also called ``post-critical set'', we get some new
structures, some "non-analytic" two-form which reduce to meromorphic two-forms
for particular subvarieties in the parameter space. On these subvarieties, the
iterates of the critical set have a polynomial growth in the \emph{degrees of
the parameters}, while one has an exponential growth out of these subspaces.
The analysis of our birational transformation in is first carried out
using Diller-Favre criterion in order to find the complexity reduction of the
mapping. The integrable cases are found. The identification between the
complexity growth and the topological entropy is, one more time, verified. We
perform plots of the post-critical set, as well as calculations of Lyapunov
exponents for many orbits, confirming that generically no meromorphic two-form
can be preserved for this mapping. These birational transformations in ,
which, generically, do not preserve any meromorphic two-form, are extremely
similar to other birational transformations we previously studied, which do
preserve meromorphic two-forms. We note that these two sets of birational
transformations exhibit totally similar results as far as topological
complexity is concerned, but drastically different results as far as a more
``probabilistic'' approach of dynamical systems is concerned (Lyapunov
exponents). With these examples we see that the existence of a preserved
meromorphic two-form explains most of the (numerical) discrepancy between the
topological and probabilistic approach of dynamical systems.Comment: 34 pages, 7 figure
UK parents' attitudes towards meningococcal group B (MenB) vaccination: a qualitative analysis
OBJECTIVES: (1) To explore existing knowledge of, and attitudes, to group B meningococcal disease and serogroup B meningococcal (MenB) vaccine among parents of young children. (2) To seek views on their information needs.
DESIGN: Cross-sectional qualitative study using individual and group interviews conducted in February and March 2015, prior to the introduction of MenB vaccine (Bexsero) into the UK childhood immunisation schedule.
SETTING: Community centres, mother and toddler groups, parents’ homes and workplaces in London and Yorkshire.
PARTICIPANTS: 60 parents of children under 2 years of age recruited via mother and baby groups and via an advert posted to a midwife-led Facebook group.
RESULTS: Although recognising the severity of meningitis and septicaemia, parents’ knowledge of group B meningococcal disease and MenB vaccine was poor. While nervous about fever, most said they would take their child for MenB vaccination despite its link to fever. Most parents had liquid paracetamol at home. Many were willing to administer it after MenB vaccination as a preventive measure, although some had concerns. There were mixed views on the acceptability of four vaccinations at the 12-month booster visit; some preferred one visit, while others favoured spreading the vaccines over two visits. Parents were clear on the information they required before attending the immunisation appointment.
CONCLUSIONS: The successful implementation of the MenB vaccination programme depends on its acceptance by parents. In view of parents’ recognition of the severity of meningitis and septicaemia, and successful introduction of other vaccines to prevent bacterial meningitis and septicaemia, the MenB vaccination programme is likely to be successful. However, the need for additional injections, the likelihood of post-immunisation fever and its management are issues about which parents will need information and reassurance from healthcare professionals. Public Health England has developed written information for parents, informed by these findings
Weighted pluricomplex energy
We study the complex Monge-Ampre operator on the classes of finite
pluricomplex energy in the general case
( i.e. the total Monge-Ampre mass may be infinite). We establish an
interpretation of these classes in terms of the speed of decrease of the
capacity of sublevel sets and give a complete description of the range of the
operator on the classes Comment: Contrary to what we claimed in the previous version, in Theorem 5.1
we generalize some Theorem of Urban Cegrell but we do not give a new proof.
To appear in Potenial Analysi
Green Currents for Meromorphic Maps of Compact K\"ahler Manifolds
We consider the dynamics of meromorphic maps of compact K\"ahler manifolds.
In this work, our goal is to locate the non-nef locus of invariant classes and
provide necessary and sufficient conditions for existence of Green currents in
codimension one.Comment: Statement of Theorem 1.5 is slightly improved. Proposition 5.2 and
Theorem 5.3 are adde
Canalization of the evolutionary trajectory of the human influenza virus
Since its emergence in 1968, influenza A (H3N2) has evolved extensively in
genotype and antigenic phenotype. Antigenic evolution occurs in the context of
a two-dimensional 'antigenic map', while genetic evolution shows a
characteristic ladder-like genealogical tree. Here, we use a large-scale
individual-based model to show that evolution in a Euclidean antigenic space
provides a remarkable correspondence between model behavior and the
epidemiological, antigenic, genealogical and geographic patterns observed in
influenza virus. We find that evolution away from existing human immunity
results in rapid population turnover in the influenza virus and that this
population turnover occurs primarily along a single antigenic axis. Thus,
selective dynamics induce a canalized evolutionary trajectory, in which the
evolutionary fate of the influenza population is surprisingly repeatable and
hence, in theory, predictable.Comment: 29 pages, 5 figures, 10 supporting figure
The role of insulin receptor substrate 2 in hypothalamic and β cell function
Insulin receptor substrate 2 (Irs2) plays complex roles in energy homeostasis. We generated mice lacking Irs2 in β cells and a population of hypothalamic neurons (RIPCreIrs2KO), in all neurons (NesCreIrs2KO), and in proopiomelanocortin neurons (POMCCreIrs2KO) to determine the role of Irs2 in the CNS and β cell. RIPCreIrs2KO mice displayed impaired glucose tolerance and reduced β cell mass. Overt diabetes did not ensue, because β cells escaping Cre-mediated recombination progressively populated islets. RIPCreIrs2KO and NesCreIrs2KO mice displayed hyperphagia, obesity, and increased body length, which suggests altered melanocortin action. POMCCreIrs2KO mice did not display this phenotype. RIPCreIrs2KO and NesCreIrs2KO mice retained leptin sensitivity, which suggests that CNS Irs2 pathways are not required for leptin action. NesCreIrs2KO and POMCCreIrs2KO mice did not display reduced β cell mass, but NesCreIrs2KO mice displayed mild abnormalities of glucose homeostasis. RIPCre neurons did not express POMC or neuropeptide Y. Insulin and a melanocortin agonist depolarized RIPCre neurons, whereas leptin was ineffective. Insulin hyperpolarized and leptin depolarized POMC neurons. Our findings demonstrate a critical role for IRS2 in β cell and hypothalamic function and provide insights into the role of RIPCre neurons, a distinct hypothalamic neuronal population, in growth and energy homeostasis
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