On the naturalisation of teleology: self-organisation, autopoiesis and teleodynamics

In recent decades, several theories have claimed to explain the teleological causality of organisms as a function of self-organising and self-producing processes. The most widely cited theories of this sort are variations of autopoiesis, originally introduced by Maturana and Varela. More recent modifications of autopoietic theory have focused on system organisation, closure of constraints and autonomy to account for organism teleology. This article argues that the treatment of teleology in autopoiesis and other organisation theories is inconclusive for three reasons: First, non-living self-organising processes like autocatalysis meet the defining features of autopoiesis without being teleological; second, organisational approaches, whether defined in terms of the closure of constraints, self-determination or autonomy, are unable to specify teleological normativity, that is, the individuation of an ultimate beneficiary; third, all self-organised systems produce local order by maximising the throughput of energy and/or material (obeying the maximum entropy production (MEP) principle) and thereby are specifically organised to undermine their own critical boundary conditions. Despite these inadequacies, an alternative approach called teleodynamics accounts for teleology. This theory shows how multiple self-organising processes can be collectively linked so that they counter each other’s MEP principle tendencies to become codependent. Teleodynamics embraces – not ignoring – the difficulties of self-organisation, but reinstates teleology as a radical phase transition distinguishing systems embodying an orientation towards their own beneficial ends from those that lack normative character

Non-Invertible Defects in 5d, Boundaries and Holography

We show that very simple theories of abelian gauge fields with a cubic Chern-Simons term in 5d have an infinite number of non-invertible co-dimension two defects. They arise by dressing the symmetry operators of the broken electric 1-form symmetry with a suitable topological field theory, for any rational angle. We further discuss the same theories in the presence of a 4d boundary, and more particularly in a holographic setting. There we find that the bulk defects, when pushed to the boundary, have various different fates. Most notably, they can become co-dimension one non-invertible defects of a boundary theory with an ABJ anomaly.Comment: v3: Journal Versio

Un modelo basado en agentes para el análisis de la segregación étnica espacial urbana

Se pretende analizar la segregación étnica espacial urbana mediante un modelo basado en agentes. Con dicho propósito, se ha estudiado el efecto de variables como la densidad de la población, el nivel de intolerancia hacia grupos étnicos diferentes al propio, el grado de heterogeneidad cultural, el tamaño del vecindario y el tamaño de las minorías en la segregación étnica espacial urbana (medida a través del índice de disimilaridad). En particular, se han realizado una serie de experimentos virtuales con un modelo basado en agentes construido a partir del modelo de Schelling, pero con presupuestos sobre el comportamiento de los individuos más realistas. Los resultados de los experimentos virtuales podrían ayudar a diseñar políticas sociales dirigidas a reducir la segregación étnica espacial urbana en sociedades multiétnicas. This work attempts to analyse the urban spatial ethnic segregation through an agent-based model. For that purpose, it studies the effect of variables as the density of population, the level of intolerance towards different ethnic groups, the level of cultural diversity, the size of neighbourhood and the size of minorities on the urban spatial ethnic segregation (measured by the index of dissimilarity). In particular, it carries out virtual experiments with an agent-based model building from Schelling''s model, but with assumptions about the behaviour of individuals more realistic. The results of virtual experiments could help to design social policies in order to reduce the urban spatial ethnic segregation in multiethnic societies

The Octagon and the non-supersymmetric string landscape

We present an orientifold of a toric singularity allowing for a configuration of fractional branes which corresponds to a gauge theory that dynamically breaks supersymmetry in a stable vacuum. This model represents the first such instance within the gauge/gravity duality

In vitro and in vivo TNFa synthesis modulation by methylguanidine, an uremic catabolyte

Original article can be found at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00243205 Copyright Elsevier Inc.We have investigated whether methylguanidine (MG), an uremic toxin, modulates the expression of the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and nitric oxide (NO) release in vitro in LPS-induced J774 macrophages.Peer reviewe

Final version of the software running operationally for the demonstration

This report includes the description and the manuals (both at User and Administrator level) for the OSPAC service and its application

Extracorporeal Support: Improves Donor Renal Graft Function After Cardiac Death

Donors after cardiac death (DCD) could increase the organ pool. Data supports good long-term renal graft survival. However, DCDs are 50 mL/h in all DCDs, except in DCD-30 (6.8 mL/h ± 1.7). DCD-30 had lower CrCl (0.9 mL/min ± 0.2) and higher UrPr >200 mg/dL, compared to other DCDs >10 mL/min and <160 mg/dL, respectively. Normothermic ECS can resuscitate kidneys to transplantable status after 30 min of cardiac arrest/WI.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/79164/1/j.1600-6143.2010.03063.x.pd

Report of the first international liver transplantation society expert panel consensus conference on renal insufficiency in liver transplantation

No abstract.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/64330/1/21877_ftp.pd

Postsurgical pain outcome of vertical and transverse abdominal incision: Design of a randomized controlled equivalence trial [ISRCTN60734227]

BACKGROUND: There are two ways to open the abdominal cavity in elective general surgery: vertically or transversely. Various clinical studies and a meta-analysis have postulated that the transverse approach is superior to other approaches as regards complications. However, in a recent survey it was shown that 90 % of all abdominal incisions in visceral surgery are still vertical incisions. This discrepancy between existing recommendations of clinical trials and clinical practice could be explained by the lack of acceptance of these results due to a number of deficits in the study design and analysis, subsequent low internal validity, and therefore limited external generalisability. The objective of this study is to address the issue from the patient's perspective. METHODS: This is an intraoperatively randomized controlled observer and patient-blinded two-group parallel equivalence trial. The study setting is the Department of General-, Visceral-, Trauma Surgery and Outpatient Clinic of the University of Heidelberg, Medical School. A total of 172 patients of both genders, aged over 18 years who are scheduled for an elective abdominal operation and are eligible for either a transverse or vertical incision. To show equivalence of the two approaches or the superiority of one of them from the perspective of the patient, a primary endpoint is defined: the pain experienced by the patient (VAS 0–100) on day two after surgery and the amount of analgesic required (piritramide [mg/h]). A confidence interval approach will be used for analysis. A global α-Level of 0.05 and a power of 0.8 is guaranteed, resulting in a size of 86 patients for each group. Secondary endpoints are: time interval to open and close the abdomen, early-onset complications (frequency of burst abdomen, postoperative pulmonary complications, and wound infection) and late complications (frequency of incisional hernias). Different outcome variables will be ranked by patients and surgeons to assess the relevance of possible endpoints from the patients' and surgeons' perspective. CONCLUSION: This is a randomized controlled observer and patient-blinded two-group parallel trial to answer the question if the transverse abdominal incision is equivalent to the vertical one due to the described endpoints

Urgent revascularization of liver allografts after early hepatic artery thrombosis

Between April 1993 and May 1995, 17 adult orthotopic liver transplant recipients were found to have early hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT) after a median of 7 postoperative days (mean, 11). The HAT was diagnosed in all cases by duplex ultrasound. Thrombectomy was performed with urgent revascularization (UR), using an interposition arterial graft procured from the cadaveric liver donor, and arterial patency was verified with intraoperative angiography. In seven cases, intra-arterial urokinase was administered after the thrombectomy. Fifteen (88%) of the livers remained arterialized throughout the follow-up period (median, 15 months); the remaining two patients developed recurrent HAT after 6 and 8 months. Although there was a high rate of subsequent complications, 11 (65%) of the patients are alive without retransplantation, with a mean follow-up of 17 months. Despite having a patent hepatic artery, the remaining six patients (35%) died from infectious complications that usually were present before the UR. Thus, UR effectively restored arterial inflow in 88% of the patients with early HAT. The ultimate outcome was determined mainly by the presence of intra- abdominal complications at the time of UR. In conclusion, UR, rather than retransplantation, should be considered the prime treatment option for patients who develop early posttransplant HAT