Tricks and trucks: Ten years of organizational renewal at DAF?

Organizational Change;Lean Production;DAF;production

Fists of Zen and A Touch of Fury: Identity struggles in Hong Kong martial arts cinema

El cine de artes marciales hongkonés se ha desarrollado históricamente a lo largo de dos subgéneros: el cine wuxia y el cine kung fu; dos subgéneros semejantes, de orígenes coincidentes y evolución en diálogo, pero que muestran características semánticas y sintácticas particulares. En este sentido, el presente trabajo propone su caracterización desvelando tanto las diferencias palpables entre ambos como la coherencia interna de cada uno de ellos. Para ello, se ahonda en la etimología de los vocablos con los que habitualmente se identifican, con la intención de aclarar algunas confusiones terminológicas y exponer las singularidades a las que dichas expresiones aluden. Seguidamente, se exponen las tradiciones culturales con las que se vincula cada género, demostrando que las diferencias entre ambos géneros reproducen divisiones geohistóricas superiores, que son fundamentales en la cultura china. Finalmente, se comparan algunas de las características temáticas, narrativas y estéticas de cada categoría textual atendiendo a su coherencia interna y a su particular vinculación a las tradiciones culturales antes expuestas.Hong Kong’s martial arts cinema has developed historically along two subgenres: wuxia and kung fu films. Though similar subgenres with coincidental origins and dialectical evolutions, both show specific semantic and syntactic elements. In this sense, the present work suggests their characterization, revealing their tangible differences as well as their internal coherence. In order to do so, the text examines the etymology of the words usually identified with these subgenres. The aim is clarifying some terminological misunderstandings and exposing the singularities that these expressions allude to. Then, I refer to the cultural traditions to which each genre is linked, demonstrating that the differences between the two reproduce superior geohistorical divisions fundamental to Chinese culture. Finally, I compare some of the thematic, narrative and aesthetic features of each textual category considering their internal coherence as well as their particular link to the cultural traditions above discuss

Impact of intrinsic biophysical diversity on the activity of spiking neurons

We study the effect of intrinsic heterogeneity on the activity of a population of leaky integrate-and-fire neurons. By rescaling the dynamical equation, we derive mathematical relations between multiple neuronal parameters and a fluctuating input noise. To this end, common input to heterogeneous neurons is conceived as an identical noise with neuron-specific mean and variance. As a consequence, the neuronal output rates can differ considerably, and their relative spike timing becomes desynchronized. This theory can quantitatively explain some recent experimental findings.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

Evidence for an evolutionary antagonism between Mrr and Type III modification systems

The Mrr protein of Escherichia coli is a laterally acquired Type IV restriction endonuclease with specificity for methylated DNA. While Mrr nuclease activity can be elicited by high-pressure stress in E. coli MG1655, its (over)expression per se does not confer any obvious toxicity. In this study, however, we discovered that Mrr of E. coli MG1655 causes distinct genotoxicity when expressed in Salmonella typhimurium LT2. Genetic screening enabled us to contribute this toxicity entirely to the presence of the endogenous Type III restriction modification system (StyLTI) of S. typhimurium LT2. The StyLTI system consists of the Mod DNA methyltransferase and the Res restriction endonuclease, and we revealed that expression of the LT2 mod gene was sufficient to trigger Mrr activity in E. coli MG1655. Moreover, we could demonstrate that horizontal acquisition of the MG1655 mrr locus can drive the loss of endogenous Mod functionality present in S. typhimurium LT2 and E. coli ED1a, and observed a strong anti-correlation between close homologues of MG1655 mrr and LT2 mod in the genome database. This apparent evolutionary antagonism is further discussed in the light of a possible role for Mrr as defense mechanism against the establishment of epigenetic regulation by foreign DNA methyltransferases

Relevance of Dynamic Clustering to Biological Networks

Network of nonlinear dynamical elements often show clustering of synchronization by chaotic instability. Relevance of the clustering to ecological, immune, neural, and cellular networks is discussed, with the emphasis of partially ordered states with chaotic itinerancy. First, clustering with bit structures in a hypercubic lattice is studied. Spontaneous formation and destruction of relevant bits are found, which give self-organizing, and chaotic genetic algorithms. When spontaneous changes of effective couplings are introduced, chaotic itinerancy of clusterings is widely seen through a feedback mechanism, which supports dynamic stability allowing for complexity and diversity, known as homeochaos. Second, synaptic dynamics of couplings is studied in relation with neural dynamics. The clustering structure is formed with a balance between external inputs and internal dynamics. Last, an extension allowing for the growth of the number of elements is given, in connection with cell differentiation. Effective time sharing system of resources is formed in partially ordered states.Comment: submitted to Physica D, no figures include

Revealing Network Connectivity From Dynamics

We present a method to infer network connectivity from collective dynamics in networks of synchronizing phase oscillators. We study the long-term stationary response to temporally constant driving. For a given driving condition, measuring the phase differences and the collective frequency reveals information about how the oscillators are interconnected. Sufficiently many repetitions for different driving conditions yield the entire network connectivity from measuring the dynamics only. For sparsely connected networks we obtain good predictions of the actual connectivity even for formally under-determined problems.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figure

Structural Models of Cortical Networks with Long-Range Connectivity

Most current studies of neuronal activity dynamics in cortex are based on network models with completely random wiring. Such models are chosen for mathematical convenience, rather than biological grounds, and additionally reflect the notorious lack of knowledge about the neuroanatomical microstructure. Here, we describe some families of new, more realistic network models and explore some of their properties. Specifically, we consider spatially embedded networks and impose specific distance-dependent connectivity profiles. Each of these network models can cover the range from purely local to completely random connectivity, controlled by a single parameter. Stochastic graph theory is then used to describe and analyze the structure and the topology of these networks

Hoe punitief is België?

Hoe punitief is België? De gevangenispopulatie stijgt al jaren, de gemeenschapsgerichte straffen kennen een sterke opmars en er worden gemeentelijke administratieve sancties ingevoerd. Het lijkt wel alsof we méér en harder straffen. Tegelijk spreekt men over straffeloosheid: er zou geen eenduidig vervolgingsbeleid zijn, de korte vrijheidsstraffen worden niet uitgevoerd, voorlopige invrijheidstellingen worden misbruikt om de overbevolking op te lossen, het softe karakter van elektronisch toezicht wordt aangeklaagd, enzovoort. De aandacht voor slachtoffers zou dan weer een strenger beleid in de hand werken. Hoe moeten we deze paradoxale tendensen begrijpen? Is er sprake van een verharding van het strafbeleid en waaruit zou dit dan blijken? Hoe verhoudt de bestraffingspraktijk zich tegenover de evoluerende criminaliteit? Wat is de visie van de burger over het straffen? Wordt er selectief opgetreden tegen bepaalde groepen in de samenleving? Hoe moeten we de samenhang zien met bredere maatschappelijke ontwikkelingen? Academici en bevoorrechte getuigen uit het bestraffingsveld geven in dit boek een eerste aanzet tot antwoord op deze vragen

Precisely Timed Signal Transmission in Neocortical Networks with Reliable Intermediate-Range Projections

The mammalian neocortex has a remarkable ability to precisely reproduce behavioral sequences or to reliably retrieve stored information. In contrast, spiking activity in behaving animals shows a considerable trial-to-trial variability and temporal irregularity. The signal propagation and processing underlying these conflicting observations is based on fundamental neurophysiological processes like synaptic transmission, signal integration within single cells, and spike formation. Each of these steps in the neuronal signaling chain has been studied separately to a great extend, but it has been difficult to judge how they interact and sum up in active sub-networks of neocortical cells. In the present study, we experimentally assessed the precision and reliability of small neocortical networks consisting of trans-columnar, intermediate-range projections (200–1000 μm) on a millisecond time-scale. Employing photo-uncaging of glutamate in acute slices, we activated a number of distant presynaptic cells in a spatio-temporally precisely controlled manner, while monitoring the resulting membrane potential fluctuations of a postsynaptic cell. We found that signal integration in this part of the network is highly reliable and temporally precise. As numerical simulations showed, the residual membrane potential variability can be attributed to amplitude variability in synaptic transmission and may significantly contribute to trial-to-trial output variability of a rate signal. However, it does not impair the temporal accuracy of signal integration. We conclude that signals from intermediate-range projections onto neocortical neurons are propagated and integrated in a highly reliable and precise manner, and may serve as a substrate for temporally precise signal transmission in neocortical networks