Self-organization and social science

Abstract Complexity science and its methodological applications have increased in popularity in social science during the last two decades. One key concept within complexity science is that of self-organization. Self-organization is used to refer to the emergence of stable patterns through autonomous and self-reinforcing dynamics at the micro-level. In spite of its potential relevance for the study of social dynamics, the articulation and use of the concept of self-organization has been kept within the boundaries of complexity science and links to and from mainstream social science are scarce. These links can be difficult to establish, even for researchers working in social complexity with a background in social science, because of the theoretical and conceptual diversity and fragmentation in traditional social science. This article is meant to serve as a first step in the process of overcoming this lack of cross-fertilization between complexity and mainstream social science. A systematic review of the concept of self-organization and a critical discussion of similar notions in mainstream social science is presented, in an effort to help practitioners within subareas of complexity science to identify literature from traditional social science that could potentially inform their research

Problems on water quality standards and monitoring in Nigeria

Problems on water quality standards and monitoring in Nigeri

Relative value of ruminally degradable and undegradable protein on the utilization of low-quality prairie hay by steers

An experiment was performed to investigate the impact of providing six levels of ruminally degradable protein (RDP; protein that is available to ruminal microbes) in combination with two levels of ruminally undegradable protein (RUP; protein that is not available to the ruminal microbes, but can be digested directly by cattle) on the intake and digestion of low-quality prairie hay. Twelve steers were provided unlimited access to low-quality prairie hay (5.3% crude protein and 71.7% neutral detergent fiber) throughout the trial. To simulate dietary RUP, casein was infused abomasally once daily at either 0 or 0.087% of body weight. To simulate dietary RDP, casein was infused ruminally once daily at 0, 0.029, 0.058, 0.087, 0.116, or 0.145% of body weight. As provision of RDP increased, forage intake and fiber digestion increased. Supplementing with RUP alone increased forage intake but not fiber digestion, although the intake response was not as large as providing the same amount of RDP. In conclusion, RUP is less efficient than RDP in stimulating forage intake and digestion

Design and characterization of hybrid III–V concentrator photovoltaic–thermoelectric receivers under primary and secondary optical elements

Lattice-matched monolithic triple-junction Concentrator Photovoltaic (CPV) cells (InGa(0.495)P/GaIn(0.012)As/Ge) were electrically and thermally interfaced to two Thermoelectric (TE) Peltier module designs. An electrical and thermal model of the hybrid receivers was modelled in COMSOL Multiphysics software v5.3 to improve CPV cell cooling whilst increasing photon energy conversion efficiency. The receivers were measured for current-voltage characteristics with the CPV cell only (with sylguard encapsulant), under single secondary optical element (SOE) at x2.5 optical concentration, and under Fresnel lens primary optical element (POE) concentration between x313 and x480. Measurements were taken in solar simulators at Cardiff and Jaén Universities, and on-sun with dual-axis tracking at Jaén University. The hybrid receivers were electrically, thermally and theoretically investigated. The electrical performance data for the cells under variable irradiance and cell temperature conditions were measured using the integrated thermoelectric module as both a temperature sensor and as a solid-state heat pump. The performance of six SOE-CPV-TE hybrid devices were evaluated within two 3-receiver strings under primary optical concentration with measured acceptance angles of 1.00o and 0.89o, similar to commercially sourced CPV modules. A six-parameter one-diode equivalent electrical model was developed for the multi-junction CPV cells with SOE and POE. This was applied to extract six model parameters with the experimental I-V curves of type A receiver at 1, 3 and 500 concentration ratios. Standard test conditions (1000W/m2, 25oC and AM1.5G spectrum) were assumed based on trust-region-reflective least squares algorithm in MATLAB. The model fitted the experimental I-V curves satisfactorily with a mean error of 4.44%, and the optical intensity gain coefficient of SOE and POE is as high as 0.91, in comparison with 0.50-0.86 for crossed compound parabolic concentrators (CCPC). The determined values of diode reverse saturation current, combined series resistance and shunt resistance were similar to those of monocrystalline PV cell/modules in our previous publications. The model may be applicable to performance prediction of multi-junction CPV cells in the future

Endometriosis classification, staging and reporting systems: a review on the road to a universally accepted endometriosis classification,

BACKGROUND: In the field of endometriosis, several classification, staging and reporting systems have been developed. However, endometriosis classification, staging and reporting systems that have been published and validated for use in clinical practice have not been systematically reviewed up to now. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the current review is to provide a historical overview of these different systems based on an assessment of published studies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic Pubmed literature search was performed. Data were extracted and summarised. RESULTS: Twenty-two endometriosis classification, staging and reporting systems have been published between 1973 and 2021, each developed for specific and different purposes. There is still no international agreement on how to describe the disease. Studies evaluating different systems are summarised showing a discrepancy between the intended and the evaluated purpose, and a general lack of validation data confirming a correlation with pain symptoms or quality of life for any of the current systems. A few studies confirm the value of the Enzian system for surgical description of deep endometriosis. With regards to infertility, the endometriosis fertility index has been confirmed valid for its intended purpose. CONCLUSIONS: Of the 22 endometriosis classification, staging and reporting systems identified in this historical overview, only a few have been evaluated, in 46 studies, for the purpose for which they were developed. It can be concluded that there is no international agreement on how to describe endometriosis or how to classify it, and that most classification/staging systems show no or very little correlation with patient outcomes. WHAT IS NEW? This overview of existing systems is a first step in working towards a universally accepted endometriosis classification

Bridging Indigenous and science-based knowledge in coastal and marine research, monitoring, and management in Canada

Background: Drawing upon multiple types of knowledge (e.g., Indigenous knowledge, local knowledge, science-based knowledge) strengthens the evidence-base for policy advice, decision making, and environmental management. While the benefits of incorporating multiple types of knowledge in environmental research and management are many, doing so has remained a challenge. This systematic map examined the extent, range, and nature of the published literature (i.e., commercially published and grey) that seeks to respectively bridge Indigenous and science-based knowledge in coastal and marine research and management in Canada. Methods: This systematic map applied standardized search terms across four databases focused on commercially published literature, carefully selected specialist websites, and two web-based search engines. In addition, reference sections of relevant review articles were cross-checked to identify articles that may not have been found using the search strategy. Search results were screened in two sequential stages; (1) at title and abstract; and (2) at full text following a published protocol. All case studies included were coded using a standard questionnaire. A narrative synthesis approach was used to identify trends in the evidence, knowledge gaps, and knowledge clusters. Results: A total of 62 articles that spanned 71 Canadian case studies were included in the systematic map. Studies across the coastal and marine regions of Inuit Nunangat accounted for the majority of the studies. Whether the focus is on management and decision making or research and monitoring, the predominant ecological scale was at the species level, accounting for over two-thirds of the included studies. There were 24 distinct coastal and marine species of central focus across the studies. Nunavut had the greatest taxonomic coverage as studies conducted to date cover 13 different genera. The predominant methodology employed for combining and/or including Indigenous knowledge was case study design, which accounted for over half of the studies. Other methodologies employed for combining and/or including different ways of knowing included: (i) community-based participatory research; (ii) mixed methods; (iii) ethnography; and (iv) simulation modelling. There are a suite of methods utilized for documenting and translating Indigenous knowledge and an equally diverse tool box of methods used in the collection of scientific data. Over half of the case studies involved Indigenous knowledge systems of the Inuit, while another significant proportion involved Indigenous knowledge systems of First Nations, reflecting 21 unique nations. We found that demographics of knowledge holders were generally not reported in the articles reviewed. Conclusions: The results of this systematic m

Quantum entanglement and information processing via excitons in optically-driven quantum dots

We show how optically-driven coupled quantum dots can be used to prepare maximally entangled Bell and Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger states. Manipulation of the strength and duration of the selective light-pulses needed for producing these highly entangled states provides us with crucial elements for the processing of solid-state based quantum information. Theoretical predictions suggest that several hundred single quantum bit rotations and Controlled-Not gates could be performed before decoherence of the excitonic states takes place.Comment: 3 separate PostScript Figures + 7 pages. Typos corrected. Minor changes added. This updated version is to appear in PR

Saturn's icy satellites and rings investigated by Cassini - VIMS. III. Radial compositional variability

In the last few years Cassini-VIMS, the Visible and Infared Mapping Spectrometer, returned to us a comprehensive view of the Saturn's icy satellites and rings. After having analyzed the satellites' spectral properties (Filacchione et al. (2007a)) and their distribution across the satellites' hemispheres (Filacchione et al. (2010)), we proceed in this paper to investigate the radial variability of icy satellites (principal and minor) and main rings average spectral properties. This analysis is done by using 2,264 disk-integrated observations of the satellites and a 12x700 pixels-wide rings radial mosaic acquired with a spatial resolution of about 125 km/pixel. The comparative analysis of these data allows us to retrieve the amount of both water ice and red contaminant materials distributed across Saturn's system and the typical surface regolith grain sizes. These measurements highlight very striking differences in the population here analyzed, which vary from the almost uncontaminated and water ice-rich surfaces of Enceladus and Calypso to the metal/organic-rich and red surfaces of Iapetus' leading hemisphere and Phoebe. Rings spectra appear more red than the icy satellites in the visible range but show more intense 1.5-2.0 micron band depths. The correlations among spectral slopes, band depths, visual albedo and phase permit us to cluster the saturnian population in different spectral classes which are detected not only among the principal satellites and rings but among co-orbital minor moons as well. Finally, we have applied Hapke's theory to retrieve the best spectral fits to Saturn's inner regular satellites using the same methodology applied previously for Rhea data discussed in Ciarniello et al. (2011).Comment: 44 pages, 27 figures, 7 tables. Submitted to Icaru

Large-scale pharmacogenomic study of sulfonylureas and the QT, JT and QRS intervals: CHARGE Pharmacogenomics Working Group

Sulfonylureas, a commonly used class of medication used to treat type 2 diabetes, have been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Their effects on QT interval duration and related electrocardiographic phenotypes are potential mechanisms for this adverse effect. In 11 ethnically diverse cohorts that included 71 857 European, African-American and Hispanic/Latino ancestry individuals with repeated measures of medication use and electrocardiogram (ECG) measurements, we conducted a pharmacogenomic genome-wide association study of sulfonylurea use and three ECG phenotypes: QT, JT and QRS intervals. In ancestry-specific meta-analyses, eight novel pharmacogenomic loci met the threshold for genome-wide significance (P<5 × 10−8), and a pharmacokinetic variant in CYP2C9 (rs1057910) that has been associated with sulfonylurea-related treatment effects and other adverse drug reactions in previous studies was replicated. Additional research is needed to replicate the novel findings and to understand their biological basis

Quantum information processing with superconducting qubits in a microwave field

We investigate the quantum dynamics of a Cooper-pair box with a superconducting loop in the presence of a nonclassical microwave field. We demonstrate the existence of Rabi oscillations for both single- and multi-photon processes and, moreover, we propose a new quantum computing scheme (including one-bit and conditional two-bit gates) based on Josephson qubits coupled through microwaves.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figur