Phase transitions in dependence of apex predator decaying ratio in a cyclic dominant system

Cyclic dominant systems, like rock-paper-scissors game, are frequently used to explain biodiversity in nature, where mobility, reproduction and intransitive competition are on stage to provide the coexistence of competitors. A significantly new situation emerges if we introduce an apex predator who can superior all members of the mentioned three-species system. In the latter case the evolution may terminate into three qualitatively different destinations depending on the apex predator decaying ratio $q$. In particular, the whole population goes extinct or all four species survive or only the original three-species system remains alive as we vary the control parameter. These solutions are separated by a discontinuous and a continuous phase transitions at critical $q$ values. Our results highlight that cyclic dominant competition can offer a stable way to survive even in a predator-prey-like system that can be maintained for large interval of critical parameter values.Comment: version to appear in EPL. 7 pages, 7 figure

Towards a knowledge-based system to assist the Brazilian data-collecting system operation

A study is reported which was carried out to show how a knowledge-based approach would lead to a flexible tool to assist the operation task in a satellite-based environmental data collection system. Some characteristics of a hypothesized system comprised of a satellite and a network of Interrogable Data Collecting Platforms (IDCPs) are pointed out. The Knowledge-Based Planning Assistant System (KBPAS) and some aspects about how knowledge is organized in the IDCP's domain are briefly described