Bifurcation gaps in asymmetric and high-dimensional hypercycles

Hypercycles are catalytic systems with cyclic architecture. These systems have been suggested to play a key role in the maintenance and increase of information in prebiotic replicators. It is known that for a large enough number of hypercycle species (n>4 the coexistence of all hypercycle members is governed by a stable periodic orbit. Previous research has characterized saddle-node (s-n) bifurcations involving abrupt transitions from stable hypercycles to extinction of all hypercycle members, or, alternatively, involving the outcompetition of the hypercycle by so-called mutant sequences or parasites. Recently, the presence of a bifurcation gap between a s-n bifurcation of periodic orbits and a s-n of fixed points has been described for symmetric five-member hypercycles. This gap was found between the value of the replication quality factor Q from which the periodic orbit vanishes (QPO)and the value where two unstable (nonzero) equilibrium points collide (QSS). Here, we explore the persistence of this gap considering asymmetries in replication rates in five-member hypercycles as well as considering symmetric, larger hypercycles. Our results indicate that both the asymmetry in Malthusian replication constants and the increase in hypercycle members enlarge the size of this gap. The implications of this phenomenon are discussed in the context of delayed transitions associated to the so-called saddle remnants. Read More: https://www.worldscientific.com/doi/abs/10.1142/S021812741830001X Read More: https://www.worldscientific.com/doi/abs/10.1142/S021812741830001XPeer ReviewedPreprin

VALIDACIÓN DE NUEVOS ESQUEMAS DE COORDINACIÓN TSO/DSO PARA FAVORECER LA INTEGRACIÓN DE ENERGÍAS RENOVABLES EN EL SISTEMA ELÉCTRICO EN EL HORIZONTE 2030+ - EL PROYECTO SMARTNET

El proyecto SmartNet se enmarca dentro del programa H2020 de la Comisión Europea. Con una duración de tres años y 22 socios entre Industria, Centros de Investigación y Universidades, tiene como objetivo el desarrollo e implementación de soluciones novedosas que permitan incrementar la proporción de energías renovables en el sistema eléctrico en el horizonte 2030+. Para ello, se han definido cinco esquemas de coordinación TSO/DSO orientados a definir la solución óptima para la provisión de servicios auxiliares desde las redes de distribución al sistema de transporte, así como los mecanismos de intercambio de información necesarios. Estos esquemas de coordinación se van a simular y, finalmente validar en tres pilotos en Italia, Dinamarca y España.European Commission's H202

Absolutism, Relativism, and Universalism in Personality Traits Across Cultures: The Case of the Big Five

Personality is a broad concept used to organize the myriad ways that people differ psychologically from one another. There is evidence that such differences have been important to humans everywhere, in that personality-relevant terms appear in all known languages. Empirical attempts to identify the most useful individual differences and their structure have emphasized cross-cultural evidence, but rigid adherence to a Big Five model has sometimes meant ignoring heterogenous results. We start with a framework for more precisely defining the universality versus cultural-specificity of personality concepts and models in order to better assess cross-cultural evidence. As this 50th anniversary of the IACCP is also the 50th anniversary of the first large lexical study of personality and more or less of the Big Five model, we take the opportunity to explore both how personality has been studied across contexts using the lexical method, and in 100 articles on personality topics (most using questionnaires) that were identified in the pages of JCCP. Personality articles in JCCP, classified into three types based on their balance of emic and etic components, illustrate larger trends in personality psychology. With the benefit of hindsight, we reflect on what each type has to offer going forward, and we encourage cross-cultural personality psychologists to go beyond imposed etic studies that seek primarily to confirm Western models in other contexts. The kinds of insights that more integrative emic and etic approaches can bring to the study of psychology across cultures are highlighted, and a future research agenda is provided

Международная конференция «Природные ресурсы, ландшафты и климат в истории России и сопредельных стран», посвящённая 200-летию академика А.Ф. Миддендорфа

This was an international interdiscipinary conference, at which historians, geographers, zoologists and specialists in other disciplines from various universities and academic institutions in Russia and foreign countries met to examine issues of environmental history, the history of the reception and construction of natural resources and landscapes, the history of the study of climate and its influence on the history of Russia and neighbouring countries over the course of several centuries. A special focus was made on the presentation of materials which shed light on the role of natural factors in the history of studying and developing peripheral regions with complex climatic conditions, such as Siberia and the Russian North. In this regard, it was very important that the conference was connected with the name of the outstanding Russian scholar, zoologist and geographer, Academician of the Imperial Academy of Sciences, Alexander von Middendorf, who made an exceptional contribution to the study of Siberia and other outlying regions of the Russian Empire. The activities of Middendorff and his contemporaries demonstrated the importance of St. Petersburg as one of the centres of world science. Problems of studying and utilizing natural resources are listed among the most urgent for contemporary Russia. At the same time, the very understanding of natural resources is in need of conceptualization, including in a historical context. Understanding the historical implications of the “construction” of particular natural objects as resources, the peculiarities of the interrelationship between society and those resources, conceptions of how the significance of individual resources in the life of society changes in different periods, cannot be understood without historical research. The tasks of the conference were the following: studies of the historical bases and traditions of natural resource use in Russia; uncovering the roles of expert and local knowledge and the practices of natural resource use, destruction and changes in these traditions; analysis of the conceptualization of natural resources and natural forces of production in various historical periods of the functioning of the Russian state and among various social groups in Russian society; description and analysis of the circulation of knowledge about the environment of Russia in the Russian and international scientific space in various historical periods; revealing the features of the formation of images of nature in Russia and neighbouring territories; and also the perception of its landscapes, including urban landscapes; describing the contexts of how significant natural and cultural sites functioned in historical memory

Barriers to rural women entrepreneurs in Oman

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyse the barriers confronted by rural women entrepreneurs in Oman. The study focusses on women living in rural and mountain areas who aspire to move beyond their traditional family roles. It identifies several problems including accessing funding for new ventures and innovative activities, a lack of skills-based training and limited family support. Design/methodology/approach: Based on 57 responses to a semi-structured questionnaire, and face to face qualitative interviews with ten women entrepreneurs. Quantitative responses are evaluated and ranked in terms of their mean score, standard deviation and the intensity of each factor shaping rural women entrepreneurship. Five qualitative cases are presented. Findings: Although Oman is arguably one of the more progressive Arab countries regarding gender equality and women empowerment, the findings exhibit socio-cultural concerns which hamper women entrepreneurial venture creations and their subsequent success. The findings of the research are discussed using the three dimensions of entrepreneurship identified by Wenneker and Thurik (1999). The three dimensions are: conditions leading to entrepreneurship, characteristics of entrepreneurship and outcomes of entrepreneurship. Practical implications: Suggests that Omani policymakers should consider how women entrepreneurs can be better supported so that they can diversify household income by starting new ventures while simultaneously contributing to the socio-economic development of the region. A number of suggestions on how this can be achieved are presented. Originality/value: Research on rural women entrepreneurship in the context of an Arab country is scarce and the study can provide an overview of the obstacles and the support required for the development of the rural women entrepreneurship in this region