Homoclinic Bifurcations for the Henon Map

Chaotic dynamics can be effectively studied by continuation from an anti-integrable limit. We use this limit to assign global symbols to orbits and use continuation from the limit to study their bifurcations. We find a bound on the parameter range for which the Henon map exhibits a complete binary horseshoe as well as a subshift of finite type. We classify homoclinic bifurcations, and study those for the area preserving case in detail. Simple forcing relations between homoclinic orbits are established. We show that a symmetry of the map gives rise to constraints on certain sequences of homoclinic bifurcations. Our numerical studies also identify the bifurcations that bound intervals on which the topological entropy is apparently constant.Comment: To appear in PhysicaD: 43 Pages, 14 figure

What Makes Some People Think Astrology Is Scientific?

Citizens in both North America and Europe are apt to read horoscope columns in newspapers and magazines. While some people read these casually and purely for entertainment, some believe that astrology has scientific status and can provide real insight into events and personality. Using data from a European survey, this article explores some of the reasons why some people think that astrology is scientific and how astrology is viewed in relation to other knowledge-producing practices. Three hypotheses in particular are tested. The first is that some Europeans lack the necessary scientific literacy to distinguish science from pseudoscience. The second is that people are confused about what astrology actually is. The third is derived from Adorno’s work on authoritarianism and the occult and postulates that those who adhere to authoritarian values are more likely to believe in astrological claims. Support is found for all three hypotheses. </jats:p

Identification of specific circular RNA expression patterns and microRNA interaction networks in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) regulate mRNA translation by binding to microRNAs (miRNAs), and their expression is altered in diverse disorders, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and Parkinson's disease. Here, we compare circRNA expression patterns in the temporal cortex and hippocampus of patients with pharmacoresistant mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) and healthy controls. Nine circRNAs showed significant differential expression, including circRNA-HOMER1, which is expressed in synapses. Further, we identified miRNA binding sites within the sequences of differentially expressed (DE) circRNAs; expression levels of mRNAs correlated with changes in complementary miRNAs. Gene set enrichment analysis of mRNA targets revealed functions in heterocyclic compound binding, regulation of transcription, and signal transduction, which maintain the structure and function of hippocampal neurons. The circRNA-miRNA-mRNA interaction networks illuminate the molecular changes in MTLE, which may be pathogenic or an effect of the disease or treatments and suggests that DE circRNAs and associated miRNAs may be novel therapeutic targets.Paroxysmal Cerebral Disorder

Paleobiology of titanosaurs: reproduction, development, histology, pneumaticity, locomotion and neuroanatomy from the South American fossil record

Fil: García, Rodolfo A.. Instituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología. Museo Provincial Carlos Ameghino. Cipolletti; ArgentinaFil: Salgado, Leonardo. Instituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología. General Roca. Río Negro; ArgentinaFil: Fernández, Mariela. Inibioma-Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche. Bariloche. Río Negro; ArgentinaFil: Cerda, Ignacio A.. Instituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología. Museo Provincial Carlos Ameghino. Cipolletti; ArgentinaFil: Carabajal, Ariana Paulina. Museo Carmen Funes. Plaza Huincul. Neuquén; ArgentinaFil: Otero, Alejandro. Museo de La Plata. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Coria, Rodolfo A.. Instituto de Paleobiología y Geología. Universidad Nacional de Río Negro. Neuquén; ArgentinaFil: Fiorelli, Lucas E.. Centro Regional de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia Tecnológica. Anillaco. La Rioja; Argentin

UK General Population Utility Values for the SIDECAR-D Instrument Measuring the Impact of Caring for People With Dementia

Objectives: Dementia affects many people, with numbers expected to grow as populations age. Many people with dementia receive informal/family/unpaid care, for example, from a spouse or child, which may affect carer quality of life. Measuring the effectiveness of health/social care interventions for carers requires a value measure of the quality-of-life impact of caring. This motivated development of the Scales Measuring the Impact of Dementia on Carers-D (SIDECAR-D) instrument. This study aimed to obtain general population values for SIDECAR-D to aid incorporating the impact of caring in economic evaluation. Methods: Members of the UK general public completed a best–worst scaling object case survey, which included the 18 SIDECAR-D items and EQ-5D-3L descriptions. Responses were analyzed using scale-adjusted finite mixture models. Relative importance scores (RISs) for the 18 SIDECAR-D items formed the SIDECAR-D relative scale measuring the relative impact of caring. The SIDECAR-D tariff, on the full health = 1, dead = 0 scale, was derived by rescaling EQ-5D-3L and SIDECAR-D RISs so the EQ-5D-3L RISs equaled anchored valuations of the EQ-5D-3L pits state from a visual analog scale task. Results: Five hundred ten respondents completed the survey. The model had 2 parameter and 3 scale classes. Additive utility decrements of SIDECAR-D items ranged from –0.05 to –0.162. Utility scores range from 0.95 for someone affirming 1 item to –0.297 for someone affirming all 18. Conclusion: SIDECAR-D is a needs-based scale of the impact on quality of life of caring for someone with dementia, with a valuation tariff to support its use in economic evaluation

Machine learning algorithms performed no better than regression models for prognostication in traumatic brain injury

Objective: We aimed to explore the added value of common machine learning (ML) algorithms for prediction of outcome for moderate and severe traumatic brain injury. Study Design and Setting: We performed logistic regression (LR), lasso regression, and ridge regression with key baseline predictors in the IMPACT-II database (15 studies, n = 11,022). ML algorithms included support vector machines, random forests, gradient boosting machines, and artificial neural networks and were trained using the same predictors. To assess generalizability of predictions, we performed internal, internal-external, and external validation on the recent CENTER-TBI study (patients with Glasgow Coma Scale <13, n = 1,554). Both calibration (calibration slope/intercept) and discrimination (area under the curve) was quantified. Results: In the IMPACT-II database, 3,332/11,022 (30%) died and 5,233(48%) had unfavorable outcome (Glasgow Outcome Scale less than 4). In the CENTER-TBI study, 348/1,554(29%) died and 651(54%) had unfavorable outcome. Discrimination and calibration varied widely between the studies and less so between the studied algorithms. The mean area under the curve was 0.82 for mortality and 0.77 for unfavorable outcomes in the CENTER-TBI study. Conclusion: ML algorithms may not outperform traditional regression approaches in a low-dimensional setting for outcome prediction after moderate or severe traumatic brain injury. Similar to regression-based prediction models, ML algorithms should be rigorously validated to ensure applicability to new populations

Variation in Structure and Process of Care in Traumatic Brain Injury: Provider Profiles of European Neurotrauma Centers Participating in the CENTER-TBI Study.

INTRODUCTION: The strength of evidence underpinning care and treatment recommendations in traumatic brain injury (TBI) is low. Comparative effectiveness research (CER) has been proposed as a framework to provide evidence for optimal care for TBI patients. The first step in CER is to map the existing variation. The aim of current study is to quantify variation in general structural and process characteristics among centers participating in the Collaborative European NeuroTrauma Effectiveness Research in Traumatic Brain Injury (CENTER-TBI) study. METHODS: We designed a set of 11 provider profiling questionnaires with 321 questions about various aspects of TBI care, chosen based on literature and expert opinion. After pilot testing, questionnaires were disseminated to 71 centers from 20 countries participating in the CENTER-TBI study. Reliability of questionnaires was estimated by calculating a concordance rate among 5% duplicate questions. RESULTS: All 71 centers completed the questionnaires. Median concordance rate among duplicate questions was 0.85. The majority of centers were academic hospitals (n = 65, 92%), designated as a level I trauma center (n = 48, 68%) and situated in an urban location (n = 70, 99%). The availability of facilities for neuro-trauma care varied across centers; e.g. 40 (57%) had a dedicated neuro-intensive care unit (ICU), 36 (51%) had an in-hospital rehabilitation unit and the organization of the ICU was closed in 64% (n = 45) of the centers. In addition, we found wide variation in processes of care, such as the ICU admission policy and intracranial pressure monitoring policy among centers. CONCLUSION: Even among high-volume, specialized neurotrauma centers there is substantial variation in structures and processes of TBI care. This variation provides an opportunity to study effectiveness of specific aspects of TBI care and to identify best practices with CER approaches

Search for leptophobic Z ' bosons decaying into four-lepton final states in proton-proton collisions at root s=8 TeV

Peer reviewe

Search for black holes and other new phenomena in high-multiplicity final states in proton-proton collisions at root s=13 TeV

Peer reviewe