Recent mortality trends in Croatia

In the last few decades, very little research has been published concerning mortality in Croatia. This paper discusses mortality trends in Croatia in the last two decades with particular emphasis on age-specific death rates, causes of death, and life expectancy. The aim of the research is to determine the changes in mortality trends, discuss the underlying causes and their impact. The analysis will rely on the official mortality data provided by the Croatian Bureau of Statistics and Human Mortality Database. The results show that life expectancy at birth has increased (particularly for men), but it is still below the EU average. Significant positive changes were observed in age-specific death rates and infant mortality rates. As for the causes of death, there has been a notable decrease in the share of deaths caused by circulatory system diseases, and an increase in the share of deaths caused by neoplasms

LABLOG. Laboratorio di logica

La scelta di costruire un percorso incentrato sulla logica/logica matematica è stata motivata dalla constatazione di un fatto piuttosto comune nella Scuola Secondaria Superiore italiana: l’insegnamento della logica, e della logica matematica in particolare, quando non viene accuratamente evitato, trasmette spesso un’immagine di grande rigidità. Generalmente, vengono proposti attività e contenuti che veicolano un’immagine quasi “strumentale” del calcolo logico basati su una superficiale (se non brutale) discussione attorno al concetto di “verità”. Inoltre, quella della logica matematica è un’esperienza che viene proposta, usualmente, nelle prime classi della Scuola Secondaria Superiore quando – azzardiamo – certi livelli di astrazione filosofica sono piuttosto ostici, a meno di epurare, appunto, l’intera esperienza da qualsiasi spunto critico di discussione che condurrebbe inevitabilmente a discorsi attorno alla questione dei fondamenti e alle teorie fondazionali

Mettiamoci in gioco

Il laboratorio qui descritto introduce gli elementi fondamentali della teoria dei giochi e delle decisioni attraverso lo studio di alcuni tra i più interessanti giochi d’ingegno (tra questi: Le Torri di Hanoi, Burr esagonale, Quattro in riga, Labirinto tridimensionale). Iniziando dall’osservazione e dalla manipolazione di un modello tridimensionale in legno, gli allievi sono stati sollecitati a mettersi alla prova, giocando contro un avversario o contro se stessi. Partendo da una ricerca euristica delle soluzioni e delle più efficaci strategie di gioco, sono stati poi accompagnati nello studio delle caratteristiche, della storia e delle possibili soluzioni di ciascun rompicapo, fino ad approdare al concetto matematico su cui si fonda.The laboratory described here introduces the basic elements of game theory and decisions through the study of some of the most interesting game of skill (among them: The towers of Hanoi, the Burr, Four in a row, the 3D Maze). Starting from the observation and manipulation of a three-dimensional wooden model, students were encouraged to put themselves to the test, playing against an opponent or against themselves. First, the students started to find heuristic solutions and considered which are the most effective strategies of the game. Later, they were guided in the study of the characteristics, history and possible solutions to each puzzle until they grasped the underlying mathematical concept

Mettiamoci in gioco

Il laboratorio qui descritto introduce gli elementi fondamentali della teoria dei giochi e delle decisioni attraverso lo studio di alcuni tra i più interessanti giochi d’ingegno (tra questi: Le Torri di Hanoi, Burr esagonale, Quattro in riga, Labirinto tridimensionale). Iniziando dall’osservazione e dalla manipolazione di un modello tridimensionale in legno, gli allievi sono stati sollecitati a mettersi alla prova, giocando contro un avversario o contro se stessi. Partendo da una ricerca euristica delle soluzioni e delle più efficaci strategie di gioco, sono stati poi accompagnati nello studio delle caratteristiche, della storia e delle possibili soluzioni di ciascun rompicapo, fino ad approdare al concetto matematico su cui si fonda

The brain-computer analogy "A special issue"

In this review essay, we give a detailed synopsis of the twelve contributions which are collected in a Special Issue in Frontiers Ecology and Evolution, based on the research topic "Current Thoughts on the Brain-Computer Analogy All Metaphors Are Wrong, But Some Are Useful." The synopsis is complemented by a graphical summary, a matrix which links articles to selected concepts. As first identified by Turing, all authors in this Special Issue recognize semantics as a crucial concern in the brain-computer analogy debate, and consequently address a number of such issues. What is missing, we believe, is the distinction between metaphor and analogy, which we reevaluate, describe in some detail, and offer a definition for the latter. To enrich the debate, we also deem necessary to develop on the evolutionary theories of the brain, of which we provide an overview. This article closes with thoughts on creativity in Science, for we concur with the stance that metaphors and analogies, and their esthetic impact, are essential to the creative process, be it in Sciences as well as in Arts

Recent marriage and childbearing trends in Croatia and Slovenia: A comparative review

The paper discusses the marriage and childbearing trends in Croatia and Slovenia from 1985 to 2017. We made a comparative review of several indicators related to marriage and childbearing trends: mean ages of women at first marriage and first childbirth, birth rates, births within and outside marriage, total fertility rate, tempo-adjusted fertility rate, age-specific fertility rates, and marriage rate. The analysis is based on the official statistical data provided by the statistical offices of both countries and Human Fertility Database. Many of the indicators, including the birth rate, total fertility rate and age-specific fertility rate, are somewhat more favourable in Slovenia than in Croatia. One of the major differences between the two countries is that in Slovenia the connection between marriage and childbearing is not as nearly significant as in Croatia

Distribution of the mammalian-wide interspersed repeats (MIRs) in the isochores of the human genome

AbstractThe distribution of MIRs (mammalian-wide interspersed repeats) was investigated in 164 human sequences (≥100 kb), which were assigned, according to their GC level, to isochore families L, H1, H2 and H3. MIR elements, whose total number in the genome was estimated to be about 3.3×105, were found to be unevenly distributed in human isochores. The majority of MIRs (55%) were found in the L isochore family. In contrast, MIR density was highest in H2, closely followed by H1, whereas densities in L and H3 were 2- and 3-fold lower than in H2, respectively. For this reason, the assessment of MIR distribution by inter-repeat PCR led to an overestimation of MIR numbers in H2 isochore and an underestimation in L isochores

Incidental News: How Young People Consume News on Social Media

This paper examines the dynamics of news consumption on social media through sixteen open-ended interviews with young users from Argentina. It adopts a texto-material perspective to explore the role of technology and users’ motivations, actions and interpretations. The interviews reveal that the ideal-typical mode in which young users consume news on social media can be characterized with the notion of “incidental news”: most young users get the news on their mobile devices as part of their constant connection to media platforms; they encounter the news all the time, rather than looking for it; but click on them only sporadically and spend little time engaging with the content. Thus, the news becomes un-differentiated from the rest of the social and entertainment information. This mode of news access marks a significant discontinuity with the consumption of news on other media. It also raises major editorial and political implications