Innovating on Well Biofouling Remediation: A Bacteriophage Cocktail Approach

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Temporal network sparsity and the slowing down of spreading

Interactions in time-varying complex systems are often very heterogeneous at the topological level (who interacts with whom) and at the temporal level (when interactions occur and how often). While it is known that temporal heterogeneities often have strong effects on dynamical processes, e.g. the burstiness of contact sequences is associated with slower spreading dynamics, the picture is far from complete. In this paper, we show that temporal heterogeneities result in temporal sparsity} at the time scale of average inter-event times, and that temporal sparsity determines the amount of slowdown of Susceptible-Infectious (SI) spreading dynamics on temporal networks. This result is based on the analysis of several empirical temporal network data sets. An approximate solution for a simple network model confirms the association between temporal sparsity and slowdown of SI spreading dynamics. Since deterministic SI spreading always follows the fastest temporal paths, our results generalize -- paths are slower to traverse because of temporal sparsity, and therefore all dynamical processes are slower as well

Correlated bursts and the role of memory range

Inhomogeneous temporal processes in natural and social phenomena have been described by bursts that are rapidly occurring events within short time periods alternating with long periods of low activity. In addition to the analysis of heavy-tailed inter-event time distributions, higher-order correlations between inter-event times, called correlated bursts, have been studied only recently. As the possible mechanisms underlying such correlated bursts are far from being fully understood, we devise a simple model for correlated bursts by using a self-exciting point process with variable memory range. Here the probability that a new event occurs is determined by a memory function that is the sum of decaying memories of the past events. In order to incorporate the noise and/or limited memory capacity of systems, we apply two memory loss mechanisms, namely either fixed number or variable number of memories. By using theoretical analysis and numerical simulations we find that excessive amount of memory effect may lead to a Poissonian process, which implies that for memory effect there exists an intermediate range that will generate correlated bursts of magnitude comparable to empirical findings. Hence our results provide deeper understanding of how long-range memory affects correlated bursts.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figure

Innovation and Nested Preferential Growth in Chess Playing Behavior

Complexity develops via the incorporation of innovative properties. Chess is one of the most complex strategy games, where expert contenders exercise decision making by imitating old games or introducing innovations. In this work, we study innovation in chess by analyzing how different move sequences are played at the population level. It is found that the probability of exploring a new or innovative move decreases as a power law with the frequency of the preceding move sequence. Chess players also exploit already known move sequences according to their frequencies, following a preferential growth mechanism. Furthermore, innovation in chess exhibits Heaps' law suggesting similarities with the process of vocabulary growth. We propose a robust generative mechanism based on nested Yule-Simon preferential growth processes that reproduces the empirical observations. These results, supporting the self-similar nature of innovations in chess are important in the context of decision making in a competitive scenario, and extend the scope of relevant findings recently discovered regarding the emergence of Zipf's law in chess.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in Europhysics Letters (EPL

The transient foreigner:Restrictions on citizenship acquisition in Chile and Colombia for those said to be ‘passing through’

This article explores the constitutional regulation of birthright ius soli citizenship in two Latin American countries which restrict access to citizenship for the children of foreigners deemed to be passing through the countries. Access to citizenship is a significant marker of membership, setting the boundaries of inclusion and exclusion within and across states. Choosing the cases of Chile and Colombia, this article uses historical, institutional and comparative analysis in order to excavate the evolving conceptions of citizenship in those two countries, with particular reference to the concepts of the ‘transient foreigner’ and of ‘domicile’. The case studies provide an excellent laboratory within which to examine the evolution of constitutional ideas of citizenship and ‘the people’. In Colombia, the outcome of our investigation shows that there is unlikely to be significant long term change in the citizenship regime towards a more generalised acceptance of unconditional ius soli, notwithstanding the substantial shorter term measures taken to accommodate the children of undocumented migrants from Venezuela and to respond to international pressure. In Chile, combined with other, so far arrested, constitutional work in the citizenship space as part of a wider reform process, there may be a slow journey towards a different constitutional future for so-called ‘transient foreigners’ and others excluded within the state. Already, however, Chile has introduced legislation to cement a more limited concept of ‘transient foreigner’, linking this work on citizenship to the wider domain of migration governance

The ART approach: clinical aspects reviewed

The success of ART as a caries management approach is supported by more than 20 years of scientific evidence. ART follows the contemporary concepts of modern cariology and restorative dentistry. It challenges treatment concepts such as step-wise excavation and the need for complete removal of affected dentine. The ART approach so far has mainly used high-viscosity glass-ionomer as the sealant and restorative material. Cariostatic and remineralization properties have been ascribed to this material which requires further research to establish its clinical relevance. The adhesion of high-viscosity glass-ionomer to enamel in pits and fissures is apparently strong, as its remnants, blocking the pits and fissures, have been considered a possible reason for the low prevalence of carious lesion development after the glass-ionomer has clinically disappeared from it. Encapsulated high-viscosity glass-ionomers may lead to higher restoration survival results than those of the hand-mixed version and should, therefore, not be neglected when using ART. Similarly, the use of resin-modified glass-ionomer with ART should be researched. The effectiveness of ART when compared to conventional caries management approaches has been shown in numerous studies. Proper case selection is an important factor for long-lasting ART restoration survival. This is based on the caries risk situation of the individual, the size of the cavity opening, the strategic position of the cavitated tooth and the presence of adequate caries control measures. As the operator is one of the main causes for failure of ART restorations, attending a well-conducted ART training course is mandatory for successful implementation of ART

Contextual analysis framework for bursty dynamics

To understand the origin of bursty dynamics in natural and social processes we provide a general analysis framework, in which the temporal process is decomposed into sub-processes and then the bursts in sub-processes, called contextual bursts, are combined to collective bursts in the original process. For the combination of sub-processes, it is required to consider the distribution of different contexts over the original process. Based on minimal assumptions for inter-event time statistics, we present a theoretical analysis for the relationship between contextual and collective inter-event time distributions. Our analysis framework helps to exploit contextual information available in decomposable bursty dynamics.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Review of psychotherapeutic interventions for people with schizophrenia

In recent years, various clinical practice guidelines have been developed for people with schizophrenia recommending different psychotherapeutic interventions. The objective of this study is to identify, review and compare the recommendations in these guidelines on the efficacy of psychotherapeutic interventions in schizophrenia. We conducted a computerized search of the main clinical practice guideline developers and repositories, identifying five different clinical practice guidelines. We extracted descriptive information from each and compared their recommendations on the efficacy of psychotherapeutic interventions. They were evidence-based consensus guidelines developed by multidisciplinary groups. Family intervention, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), social skills training, arts therapies, cognitive rehabilitation, psychoeducation, psychodynamic psychotherapy and counselling were recommended in the identified guidelines. There was strong consensus on the efficacy of CBT and family intervention and high-quality evidence supporting their use. When choosing psychotherapeutic interventions for people with schizophrenia, it is recommended that mental health professionals take clinical practice guidelines into account as well as the setting in which they are being applied, since implementation of health-care interventions is associated with the characteristics of the service system. Schizophrenia treatment should include biological, psychosocial and community intervention

Revisión de intervenciones psicoterapéuticas para personas con esquizofrenia

In recent years, various clinical practice guidelines have been developed for people with schizophrenia recommending different psychotherapeutic interventions. The objective of this study is to identify, review and compare the recommendations in these guidelines on the efficacy of psychotherapeutic interventions in schizophrenia. We conducted a computerized search of the main clinical practice guideline developers and repositories, identifying five different clinical practice guidelines. We extracted descriptive information from each and compared their recommendations on the efficacy of psychotherapeutic interventions. They were evidence-based consensus guidelines developed by multidisciplinary groups. Family intervention, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), social skills training, arts therapies, cognitive rehabilitation, psychoeducation, psychodynamic psychotherapy and counselling were recommended in the identified guidelines. There was strong consensus on the efficacy of CBT and family intervention and high-quality evidence supporting their use. When choosing psychotherapeutic interventions for people with schizophrenia, it is recommended that mental health professionals take clinical practice guidelines into account as well as the setting in which they are being applied, since implementation of health-care interventions is associated with the characteristics of the service system. Schizophrenia treatment should include biological, psychosocial and community interventionsEn los últimos años han aparecido varias guías de práctica clínica para personas con esquizofrenia que recomiendan diversas intervenciones psicoterapéuticas. El objetivo de este estudio es identificar, revisar y comparar las recomendaciones sobre la eficacia de las intervenciones psicoterapéuticas en la esquizofrenia de estas guías. Se realizó una búsqueda electrónica sobre la esquizofrenia en los principales elaboradores y repositorios de guías de práctica clínica. Se identificaron cinco guías de práctica clínica. Se extrajeron datos descriptivos de cada una y se compararon sus recomendaciones sobre las intervenciones psicoterapéuticas. Las guías fueron desarrolladas por grupos multidisciplinarios, consensuadas y se basaban en la evidencia. El arte terapia, la terapia cognitivo-conductual (TCC), la rehabilitación cognitiva, el asesoramiento, la intervención familiar, la psicoterapia psicodinámica, la psicoeducación y entrenamiento en habilidades sociales se recomendaban en las guías identificadas. Hubo un alto consenso sobre la eficacia de la TCC y de la intervención familiar, así como evidencias de alta calidad que apoyaban su uso. Al elegir intervenciones psicoterapéuticas para personas con esquizofrenia, se recomienda que los profesionales de la salud mental tengan en cuenta las guías de práctica clínica y el contexto en el que se ofrecerán ya que las características del sistema están asociadas a la implementación de estas intervenciones. El tratamiento de la esquizofrenia debe incluir intervenciones biológicas, psicosociales y comunitaria