Environmental feedback incorporated on a collective decision making model

We study a collective decision making model where each player needs to commit to one of two options. The fractions of committed individuals are the states of this evolutionary model. As element of novelty we incorporate environmental feedback to our model, which translates to system parameters that are now depending on the state of the system. In the first scenario of environmental feedback, we show how we reach a stable unique equilibrium that only depends on the factor of spontaneous commitment. In a second and third scenario, we show that under a suitable form of environmental feedback, we obtain limit cycles in the behavior. All our findings are covered by simulations.</p

Strong Structural Controllability of Systems on Colored Graphs

This paper deals with structural controllability of leader-follower networks. The system matrix defining the network dynamics is a pattern matrix in which a priori given entries are equal to zero, while the remaining entries take nonzero values. The network is called strongly structurally controllable if for all choices of real values for the nonzero entries in the pattern matrix, the system is controllable in the classical sense. In this paper we introduce a more general notion of strong structural controllability which deals with the situation that given nonzero entries in the system's pattern matrix are constrained to take identical nonzero values. The constraint of identical nonzero entries can be caused by symmetry considerations or physical constraints on the network. The aim of this paper is to establish graph theoretic conditions for this more general property of strong structural controllability.Comment: 13 page

Strong structural controllability of systems on colored graphs

This article deals with strong structural controllability of leader-follower networks. The system matrix defining the network dynamics is a pattern matrix, in which a priori given entries are equal to zero, while the remaining entries take nonzero values. These nonzero entries correspond to edges in the network graph. The network is called strongly structurally controllable if for all choices of real values for the nonzero entries in the pattern matrix, the system is controllable in the classical sense. The novelty of this article is that we consider the situation that prespecified nonzero entries in the system's pattern matrix are constrained to take identical (nonzero) values. These constraints can be caused by symmetry properties or physical constraints on the network. Restricting the system matrices to those satisfying these constraints yields a new notion of strong structural controllability. The aim of this article is to establish graph-theoretic conditions for this more general property of strong structural controllability

Pragmatic Quasi-Experimental Controlled Trial Evaluating the Outcomes of Blended CBT Compared to Face-to-Face CBT and Treatment as Usual for Adolescents with Depressive Disorders

Depression is a major problem in youth mental health. Current treatment is on average effective, but adolescents are hesitant to seek help. Blended treatment could lower the barriers to seeking treatment. Evidence on effectiveness is, however, scarce. The present pragmatic quasi-experimental controlled trial aimed to compare the outcomes of blended cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to face-to-face CBT and treatment as usual. A total of 129 adolescents with clinical depression (82.2% female), aged 13–22 (M = 16.60, SD = 2.03) received blended CBT, face-to-face CBT or treatment as usual. Clinical diagnosis, depressive symptoms, and secondary outcomes were assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and six-months follow-up. Participants receiving blended CBT were, compared to participants receiving face-to-face CBT and treatment as usual, evenly likely to be in remission from their depressive disorder at post-intervention and at six-month follow-up. Depressive symptoms decreased significantly over time in all three conditions, and changes were not significantly different between conditions. Other secondary outcomes (suicide risk, internalizing and externalizing symptoms, severity of depression, and global functioning) did not differ between treatment conditions at post-intervention and six-month follow-up. Since there was no evidence for favorable outcomes for face-to-face therapies above blended CBT, blended CBT may also be an effective treatment format in clinical practice