Epistemic Landscapes Reloaded: An Examination of Agent-Based Models in Social Epistemology

Weisberg and Muldoon’s epistemic landscape model (ELM) has been one of the most significant contributions to the use of agent-based models in philosophy. The model provides an innovative approach to establishing the optimal distribution of cognitive labor in scientific communities, using an epistemic landscape. In the paper, we provide a critical examination of ELM. First, we show that the computing mechanism for ELM is correct insofar as we are able to replicate the results using another programming language. Second, we show that small changes in the rules that determine the behavior of individual agents can lead to important changes in simulation results. Accordingly, we claim that ELM results are robust with respect to the computing mechanism, but not necessarily across parameter space. We conclude by reflecting on the possible lessons to be gained from ELM as a class of simulations or cluster of models

Run-time Support to Manage Architectural Variability Speci ed with CVL

The execution context in which pervasive systems or mobile computing run changes continuously. Hence, applications for these systems should be adapted at run-time according to the current context. In order to implement a context-aware dynamic reconfiguration service, most approaches usually require to model at design-time both the list of all possible configurations and the plans to switch among them. In this paper we present an alternative approach for the automatic run-time generation of application configurations and the reconfiguration plans. The generated configurations are optimal regarding di erent criteria, such as functionality or resource consumption (e.g. battery or memory). This is achieved by: (1) modelling architectural variability at design-time using Common Variability Language (CVL), and (2) using a genetic algorithm that finds at run-time nearly-optimal configurations using the information provided by the variability model. We also specify a case study and we use it to evaluate our approach, showing that it is efficient and suitable for devices with scarce resources.Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucia Tech y proyectos de investigación TIN2008-01942, P09-TIC-5231 and INTER-TRUST FP7-317731

Calidad de Vida en las Residencias de Ancianos ( Quality of Life in Nursing Homes)

OBJETIVO: Determinar qué aspectos de la asistencia mejoran e indican calidad de vida en los ancianos. Identificar y analizar los modelos de atención que aumentan la calidad de vida en las residencias. METODOLOGÍA: Este estudio es una revisión bibliográfica con la selección de las publicaciones más recientes de los últimos 10 años. Puesto que no existe consenso sobre qué es calidad de vida, se han seguido los 100 criterios de calidad de vida que la la Sociedad Española de Geriatría y Gerontología (SEEG) considera recomendable cumplir para ofrecer calidad de vida en las residencias. Además, se han seleccionado las evaluaciones de 5 estudios quasi- experimentales para analizar y comparar la atención centrada en la persona con la atención tradicional. Los estudios seleccionados han sido llevados a cabo a nivel nacional, europeo e internacional. CONCLUSIONES: la organización de las residencias en módulos de convivencia con modelo de atención centrado en la persona (MACP), mejora la calidad de vida del residente frente a la atención tradicional. Vivir como en casa indica calidad de vida.Departamento de EnfermeríaGrado en Enfermerí

Scientific ignorance: probing the limits of scientific research and knowledge production

The aim of the paper is to clarify the concept of scientific ignorance: what is it, what are its sources, and when is it epistemically detrimental to science. While some sources of scientific ignorance come inevitably with the process of knowledge acquisition, others are deliberately created. The former includes selection processes, inductive reasoning, and cognitive biases, while the latter includes scientific fraud. Another important source of scientific ignorance appears when scientists introduce methodological biases through micro-decisions in the research process. I provide three examples from medical research to illustrate this point. I argue further that methodological biases present a challenge, in so far as they are no easily classifiable as deliberate: they might also be the result of entrenched research practices within a scientific community. Strategies to identify and prevent methodological biases in research should take into account such difference.; El objetivo del artículo es aclarar el concepto de ignorancia científica: qué es, cuáles son sus fuentes y cuándo es epistémicamente perjudicial para la ciencia. Mientras que algunas fuentes de ignorancia científica vienen dadas inevitablemente con el proceso de adquisición de conocimiento, otras se crean deliberadamente. Las primeras incluyen los procesos de selección, razonamiento inductivo y sesgos cognitivos, mientras que las segundas incluyen el fraude científico. Otra fuente importante de ignorancia científica aparece cuando los científicos introducen sesgos metodológicos a través de micro-decisiones en el proceso de investigación. Proporciono tres ejemplos de investigación médica para ilustrar este punto.Además, sostengo que los sesgos metodológicos representan un desafío, en la medida en que no son fácilmente clasificables como deliberados: también podrían ser el resultado de prácticas de investigación arraigadas dentro de una comunidad científica. Las estrategias para identificar y prevenir los sesgos metodológicos en la investigación deben tener en cuenta dicha diferencia

Willingness to pay for a reduction in the mortality risk after a myocardial infarction: an aplication of the contingent valuation method to the case of eplerenone

Background: In order to allocate health care resources more efficiently it is necessary to relate health improvements provided by new medicines with their cost. It is necessary to ascertain when the additional cost of introducing a new health technology is justified by the additional health gain produced. Eplerenone is a new medicine that reduces the risk of death after myocardial infarction (MI) but produces additional cost to the health system. The contingent valuation approach can be used to measure the monetary value of this risk reduction. Objective: to estimate society’s willingness to pay (WTP) for a new medicine that reduces by 2% the risk of death after MI. Methods: We used a contingent valuation approach to evaluate WTP amongst members of the general population. We used the ex-ante and the ex-post approach. In the ex-ante approach subjects are asked if they would accept an increase in their taxes in order to have access to Eplerenone should they need it in the future. In the ex-post approach subjects are asked if they would pay a certain amount of money as co-payment per month during five years if they suffered a MI. We used the Dichotomous Choice method, using five bids in each approach. The WTP was estimated using both single-bound and double-bound dichotomous choice (SBDC, DBDC). Extensive piloting (n=187) preceded the final survey (n=350). Results: The WTP in the ex-ante case was €58 per year under both SBDC and DBDC. In the ex-post case monthly WTP was €144 for the SBDC and €85 for the DBDC. Subjects with higher income and subjects with a higher perception of risk showed a higher WTP (pcontingent valuation, myocardial infarction, mortality, cost-benefit.

A tool for programming with interaction nets

Proceedings of the Eighth International Workshop on Rule Based Programming (RULE 2007)This paper introduces INblobs, a visual tool developed at Minho for integrated development with Interaction Nets. Most of the existing tools take as input interaction nets and interaction rules represented in a textual format. INblobs is first of all a visual editor that allows users to edit interaction systems (both interaction nets and interaction rules) graphically, and to convert them to textual notation. This can then be used as input to other tools that implement reduction of nets. INblobs also allows the user to reduce nets within the tool, and includes a mechanism that automatically selects the next active pair to be reduced, following one of the given reduction strategies. The paper also describes other features of the tool, such as the creation of rules from pre-defined templates.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

Combining interaction nets with externally defined programs

Many calculi, for instance the lambda-calculus and term rewriting systems, have benefitted from extensions, especially to include data structures and operations which are more naturally defined in another language. A simple example of this is PCF where the lambda-calculus is extended to include natural numbers and some basic functions over this type, which avoids having to use inefficient encodings of numbers. In this paper we present a generalization of interaction nets along these lines. We begin by adding a fixed set of constants and predefined functions, before presenting the main contribution of the paper which is a system of interaction nets combined with an external language where functions and richer data types can be defined

Performance Evaluation of Non-Hitless Spectrum Defragmentation Algorithms in Elastic Optical Networks

Fragmentation in Elastic Optical Networks is an issue caused by isolated, non-aligned, and non-contiguous frequency slots that can not be used to allocate new connection request to the network, due to the optical layer restrictions imposed to the Routing and Spectrum Assignment (RSA) algorithms. To deal with this issue, several studies about Spectrum Defragmentation have been presented. In this work, we analyze the most important Non-Hitless Defragmentation Algorithms found in the literature, with proactive and reactive approaches that include rerouting and non-rerouting schemes, and compare their performance in terms of Blocking Probability, Entropy, and Bandwidth Fragmentation Ratio. Simulations results showed that the Fragmentation Aware schemes outperformed the other algorithms in low traffic load, but the Reactive schemes got better results in high traffic load.Sociedad Argentina de Informática e Investigación Operativa (SADIO

A Review on Cryptocurrency Transaction Methods for Money Laundering

Cryptocurrencies are considered relevant assets and they are currently used as an investment or to carry out transactions. However, specific characteristics commonly associated with the cryptocurrencies such as irreversibility, immutability, decentralized architecture, absence of control authority, mobility, and pseudo-anonymity make them appealing for money laundering activities. Thus, the collection and characterization of current cryptocurrency-based methods used for money laundering are paramount to understanding the circulation flows of physical and digital money and preventing this illegal activity. In this paper, a collection of cryptocurrency transaction methods is presented and distributed through the money laundering life cycle. Each method is analyzed and classified according to the phase of money laundering it corresponds to. The result of this article may in the future help design efficient strategies to prevent illegal money laundering activities

Testing the role of mate recognition proteins in a incipient ecological spreciation process

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