Reduced Fertility and Asymptotics of the Logistic Model

This logistic model includes three age groups. Juveniles do not reproduce, and old individuals reproduce at a reduced rate. Pairings between individuals of different fertility rates may lead to multiple equilibria and bi-stability:the total population converges to different limits depending on its initial size. The behavior is correlated with transition rates from high to low fertility groups and with the frequency of pairing among the various groups of reproduction level. The proportions of adults at equilibrium are roots of a quartic polynomial, alternating sinks and saddles. Necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of bi-stability are provided for a simplified model

Concrete Subsurface Crack Detection Using Thermal Imaging in a Deep Neural Network

The article discusses how impact actions, such as conflict and warfare, can negatively impact the structural integrity of concrete structures and how detecting hidden defects in concrete structures is difficult without expert knowledge. The paper presents a new technique that combines thermal imaging and artificial intelligence to detect hidden defects in concrete structures. The authors trained an AI model on simulated data and achieved a validation accuracy of 99.93%. They then conducted a laboratory experiment to create a dataset of concrete blocks with and without subsurface cracks and trained a new model, which achieved a validation accuracy of 100%. The article concludes that AI can detect hidden defects and subsurface cracks in concrete structures by classifying thermal images of concrete surfaces

The impact of trade preferences on multilateral tariff cuts: evidence for Japan

Opposing theoretical predictions about the effects of trade preferences on multilateral tariff cuts point to the need for empirical analysis to determine whether preferential trade agreements promote or hinder multilateral trade liberalization. This paper examines the impact of Japan’s trade preferences on its multi-lateral tariff reductions. Using detailed product level data, we find that Japan’s Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) acted as a stumbling block for the country’s external tariff liberalization during the Uruguay Round of multi-lateral trade negotiations

Effectiveness of an R-based software to detect closed-loop cardiovascular interactions and baroreflex impairment in human subjects from the EUROBAVAR data set

We recently developed an R-based software that could model closedloop cardiovascular interactions. In this study, we applied this tool on the EUROBAVAR data set to further test its applicability. The aim of this work is to test the effectiveness of our software to identify cardiovascular regulatory mechanisms and baroreflex impairment from these data. We first uploaded each recording into our software to model the interactions present between systolic blood pressure (SBP) and IBI by employing a wavelet detrending and multivariate autoregressive modeling algorithm. Then, our software estimated causal coherence and Gaussian-weighted baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) indexes from each model at the low frequency (LF, 0.04-0.15 Hz, sympathetic) and high frequency (HF, 0.15-0.4 Hz, parasympathetic) bands. Immediate variability transfer from SBP to IBI was also computed for each subject. Our results showed that, when standing, the estimates of only two subjects, B005 and B010, were below percentile P10 of the BRS distribution (0.719 ms/mmHg at HF, 1.678 ms/mmHg at LF) at both bands. A literature review indicated that these two subjects had a baroreflex impairment. In non-baroreflex-impaired subjects, causal coherence from IBI to SBP at LF was significantly predominant at rest when compared with the coupling from SBP to IBI (p < 0.001). This predominance disappeared during standing due to changes in the couplings, suggesting a baroreflex interaction. Closed-loop BRS supineto- standing ratios in these subjects were 1.69 ± 0.93 (LF band) and 3.1 ± 1.32 (HF band), showing a significantly decreased BRS during standing position (p < 0.01, LF; p < 0.001, HF). Immediate transfer also decreased during standing (p < 0.001). In conclusion, our software managed to evaluate causal closed-loop interactions between cardiovascular variables from the data set, evidencing a baroreflex coupling, Thus, this allows it to be a useful tool for baroreceptor evaluations.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Peer-to-peer medical student education: design, experience and evaluation of the impact in learning of 2nd year medical students from the University of Malaga

Escape rooms have been trending in the past years among young adults, as teamwork, ingenuity and knowledge merge in a both distended but competitive environment. Inspired by it, a physiology escape room was designed for second year medical students of the Faculty of Medicine in Malaga on a peer-to-peer teaching basis. Indeed, physiology intern students from higher courses structured a practical escape room that covered the topics of the first human physiology course, focusing on cardiovascular and respiratory physiology. As a result, these students replaced regular teachers in this activity, taking control of the design, promotion, preparation, execution, evaluation and follow-up of the event. The escape room was done in mid-December, when all practical and theoretical content of the subject had already been delivered. It was divided in four stages, two for each topic, adding a final case, connected to the beginning of the activity. Participants were asked to team up freely in groups of 4-6 students. This activity was done during three years, readapting the structure to evaluate impact on students’ learning and exam results. Our statistical analysis showed an increase in final exam grade of students that participated in escape room with a magnitude of 1.03 ± 0.65 points (p < 0.005) compared with those who did not, as well as an increase in global final grade with a magnitude of 1.34 ± 0.83 points (p < 0.005). Additionally, the students that participated showed a significantly higher performance in the final exam regarding cardiovascular (p < 10- 4) and respiratory-related questions (p < 0.005). Furthermore, positive feedback was given by participants on how they found the activity, independently on the impact in grade (as this was done prior to the exam). We conclude this teaching tool should be furtherly assessed in following years in order to implement a peer-topeer teaching structure that can maximize its utility to medical students.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Processes, Roles and Their Interactions

Taking an interaction network oriented perspective in informatics raises the challenge to describe deterministic finite systems which take part in networks of nondeterministic interactions. The traditional approach to describe processes as stepwise executable activities which are not based on the ordinarily nondeterministic interaction shows strong centralization tendencies. As suggested in this article, viewing processes and their interactions as complementary can circumvent these centralization tendencies. The description of both, processes and their interactions is based on the same building blocks, namely finite input output automata (or transducers). Processes are viewed as finite systems that take part in multiple, ordinarily nondeterministic interactions. The interactions between processes are described as protocols. The effects of communication between processes as well as the necessary coordination of different interactions within a processes are both based on the restriction of the transition relation of product automata. The channel based outer coupling represents the causal relation between the output and the input of different systems. The coordination condition based inner coupling represents the causal relation between the input and output of a single system. All steps are illustrated with the example of a network of resource administration processes which is supposed to provide requesting user processes exclusive access to a single resource.Comment: In Proceedings IWIGP 2012, arXiv:1202.422

The Disunity of Consciousness

It is commonplace for both philosophers and cognitive scientists to express their allegiance to the "unity of consciousness". This is the claim that a subject’s phenomenal consciousness, at any one moment in time, is a single thing. This view has had a major influence on computational theories of consciousness. In particular, what we call single-track theories dominate the literature, theories which contend that our conscious experience is the result of a single consciousness-making process or mechanism in the brain. We argue that the orthodox view is quite wrong: phenomenal experience is not a unity, in the sense of being a single thing at each instant. It is a multiplicity, an aggregate of phenomenal elements, each of which is the product of a distinct consciousness-making mechanism in the brain. Consequently, cognitive science is in need of a multi-track theory of consciousness; a computational model that acknowledges both the manifold nature of experience, and its distributed neural basis

Evaluation of renal perfusion in hyperthyroid cats before and after radioiodine treatment

Background: Hyperthyroidism and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are common in elderly cats. Consequently, both diseases often occur concurrently. Furthermore, renal function is affected by thyroid status. Because changes in renal perfusion play an important role in functional renal changes in hyperthyroid cats, investigation of renal perfusion may provide novel insights. Objectives: To evaluate renal perfusion in hyperthyroid cats with contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS). Animals: A total of 42 hyperthyroid cats was included and evaluated before and 1 month after radioiodine treatment. Methods: Prospective intrasubject clinical trial of contrast-enhanced ultrasound using a commercial contrast agent (SonoVue) to evaluate renal perfusion. Time-intensity curves were created, and perfusion parameters were calculated by off-line software. A linear mixed model was used to examine differences between pre-and post-treatment perfusion parameters. Results: An increase in several time-related perfusion parameters was observed after radioiodine treatment, indicating a decreased blood velocity upon resolution of the hyperthyroid state. Furthermore, a small post-treatment decrease in peak enhancement was present in the renal medulla, suggesting a lower medullary blood volume. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Contrast-enhanced ultrasound indicated a higher cortical and medullary blood velocity and higher medullary blood volume in hyperthyroid cats before radioactive treatment in comparison with 1-month post-treatment control

Engineering bacteriocin-mediated resistance against the plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae.

The plant pathogen, Pseudomonas syringae (Ps), together with related Ps species, infects and attacks a wide range of agronomically important crops, including tomato, kiwifruit, pepper, olive and soybean, causing economic losses. Currently, chemicals and introduced resistance genes are used to protect plants against these pathogens but have limited success and may have adverse environmental impacts. Consequently, there is a pressing need to develop alternative strategies to combat bacterial disease in crops. One such strategy involves using narrow-spectrum protein antibiotics (so-called bacteriocins), which diverse bacteria use to compete against closely related species. Here, we demonstrate that one bacteriocin, putidacin L1 (PL1), can be expressed in an active form at high levels in Arabidopsis and in Nicotiana benthamiana in planta to provide effective resistance against diverse pathovars of Ps. Furthermore, we find that Ps strains that mutate to acquire tolerance to PL1 lose their O-antigen, exhibit reduced motility and still cannot induce disease symptoms in PL1-transgenic Arabidopsis. Our results provide proof-of-principle that the transgene-mediated expression of a bacteriocin in planta can provide effective disease resistance to bacterial pathogens. Thus, the expression of bacteriocins in crops might offer an effective strategy for managing bacterial disease, in the same way that the genetic modification of crops to express insecticidal proteins has proven to be an extremely successful strategy for pest management. Crucially, nearly all genera of bacteria, including many plant pathogenic species, produce bacteriocins, providing an extensive source of these antimicrobial agents