Entrainment of marginally stable excitation waves by spatially extended sub-threshold periodic forcing

We analyze the effects of spatially extended periodic forcing on the dynamics of one-dimensional excitation waves. Entrainment of unstable primary waves has been studied numerically for different amplitudes and frequencies of additional sub-threshold stimuli. We determined entrainment regimes under which excitation blocks were transformed into consistent 1:1 responses. These responses were spatially homogeneous and synchronized in the entire excitable medium. Compared to primary pulses, pulses entrained by secondary stimulations were stable at considerably shorter periods which decreased at higher amplitudes and greater number of secondary stimuli. Our results suggest a practical methodology for stabilization of excitation in reaction-diffusion media with regions of reduced excitability.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figure

Method and System for Producing Full Motion Media to Display on a Spherical Surface

A method and system for producing full motion media for display on a spherical surface is described. The method may include selecting a subject of full motion media for display on a spherical surface. The method may then include capturing the selected subject as full motion media (e.g., full motion video) in a rectilinear domain. The method may then include processing the full motion media in the rectilinear domain for display on a spherical surface, such as by orienting the full motion media, adding rotation to the full motion media, processing edges of the full motion media, and/or distorting the full motion media in the rectilinear domain for instance. After processing the full motion media, the method may additionally include providing the processed full motion media to a spherical projection system, such as a Science on a Sphere system

Techniques pour améliorer l’attention et l’engagement dans le traitement des patients souffrant de schizophrénie avec de graves déficits cognitifs (troisième partie)

Malgré l’existence de plusieurs interventions psychiatriques de groupe efficaces, beaucoup de patients gravement atteints sont incapables d’en bénéficier en raison de leur incapacité à maintenir leur attention lors des sessions de groupe. L’inattention pourrait être due à un ou plusieurs facteurs, dont un déficit d’attention, une faible motivation, aux effets sédatifs de la médication, et aux hallucinations et pensées troublantes dont l’effet interfère. Les interventions typiques de réhabilitation cognitive existantes pour la schizophrénie n’abordent pas ces facteurs, mais ciblent les fonctions de haut niveau comme la mémoire, l’apprentissage, la résolution de problèmes et le fonctionnement exécutif. Dans cet article, les auteurs décrivent des techniques qui insistent sur l’attention et l’engagement des patients gravement atteints et réfractaires aux traitements. Ces techniques concernent à la fois les interventions individuelles et les interventions de groupe.While many effective group-based psychiatric rehabilitation interventions now exist, many severely disabled patients are unable to benefit from them due to a reduced ability to pay attention in group sessions. Moreover, inattentiveness can be due to one or more of multiple factors, including a sustained attention deficit, poor motivation, sedating side effects of medication, and the interfering effects of hallucinations and disturbing thoughts. Existing cognitive rehabilitation interventions for schizophrenia typically do not address these factors, instead targeting higher level functions such as memory, learning, problem-solving, and executive functioning. In this paper, we describe techniques for promoting attentiveness and treatment engagement among severely disabled “treatment-refractory” patients. This includes both individual and group-based interventions.A pesar de la existencia de varias intervenciones psiquiátricas de grupos eficaces, muchos pacientes gravemente afectados son incapaces de beneficiarse con ellas debido a su incapacidad de mantener la atención durante las sesiones de grupo. La falta de atención podría deberse a uno o varios factores, entre ellos a un déficit de atención, una motivación débil, los efectos sedativos de la medicación y las alucinaciones y pensamientos perturbadores cuyo efecto interfiere. Las intervenciones típicas de rehabilitación cognitiva existentes para la esquizofrenia no abordan estos factores, pero se enfocan en las funciones de nivel elevado como la memoria, el aprendizaje, la resolución de problemas y el funcionamiento ejecutivo. En este artículo, los autores describen las técnicas que insisten en la atención y la implicación de los pacientes gravemente afectados y refractarios a los tratamientos. Estas técnicas conciernen a la vez a las intervenciones individuales y a las intervenciones de grupo.Apesar da existência de várias intervenções psiquiátricas de grupo eficazes, muitos pacientes gravemente atingidos são incapazes de usufruir destas intervenções por causa de sua incapacidade em manter a atenção durante sessões de grupo. A falta de atenção poderia ser devida a um ou vários fatores, entre eles a um déficit de atenção, a uma baixa motivação, aos efeitos sedativos da medicação e às alucinações e pensamentos perturbadores cujo efeito pode interferir no tratamento. As intervenções típicas de reabilitação cognitiva existentes para a esquizofrenia não abordam estes fatores, mas visam as funções de alto nível como a memória, a aprendizagem, a resolução de problemas e o funcionamento executivo. Neste artigo, os autores descrevem técnicas que insistem na atenção e no empenho dos pacientes gravemente atingidos e refratários aos tratamentos. Estas técnicas tratam ao mesmo tempo das intervenções individuais e das intervenções de grupo

Should Americans back the Marshall plan?

https://stars.library.ucf.edu/prism/1594/thumbnail.jp

Quasiperiodic Patterns in Boundary-Modulated Excitable Waves

We investigate the impact of the domain shape on wave propagation in excitable media. Channelled domains with sinusoidal boundaries are considered. Trains of fronts generated periodically at an extreme of the channel are found to adopt a quasiperiodic spatial configuration stroboscopically frozen in time. The phenomenon is studied in a model for the photo-sensitive Belousov-Zabotinsky reaction, but we give a theoretical derivation of the spatial return maps prescribing the height and position of the successive fronts that is valid for arbitrary excitable reaction-diffusion systems.Comment: 4 pages (figures included

Social Science and the Analysis of Environmental Policy

As much as environmental problems manifest themselves as problems with the natural environment, environmental problems--and their solutions--are ultimately social and behavioral in nature. Just as the natural sciences provide a basis for understanding the need for environmental policy and informing its design, the social sciences also contribute in significant ways to the understanding of the behavioral sources of environmental problems, both in terms of individual incentives and collective action challenges. In addition, the social sciences have contributed much to the understanding of the ways that laws and other institutions can be designed to solve environmental problems. In this paper, we distill core intellectual frameworks from among the social sciences that scaffold modern environmental policy in industrialized country contexts—focusing on key contributions principally from political science, economics, psychology, and sociology to the analysis of environmental problems and their solutions. These frameworks underlie how environmental problems are defined at multiple scales and the conceptualization and empirical testing of policy solutions that seek to shape human behavior in ways that improve environmental quality and promote sustainable economic growth. With the planet facing continued environmental threats, improving environmental policy decision making depends on the insights and frameworks of social science research in addition to those of the natural sciences

Management-Based Regulation

Environmental regulators have embraced management-based regulation as a flexible instrument for addressing a range of important problems often poorly addressed by other types of regulations. Under management-based regulation, regulated firms must engage in management-related activities oriented toward addressing targeted problems—such as planning and analysis to mitigate risk and the implementation of internal management systems geared towards continuous improvement. In contrast with more restrictive forms of regulation which can impose one-size-fits-all solutions, management-based regulation offers firms greater operational choice about how to solve regulatory problems, leveraging firms’ internal informational advantage to innovate and search for alternative measures to achieve the intended results more cost-effectively. Drawing on both illustrative cases of management-based regulation and on available empirical research, this chapter explains management-based regulation’s relative advantages and disadvantages as well as the likely conditions for its effective use