Synchronisation effects on the behavioural performance and information dynamics of a simulated minimally cognitive robotic agent

Oscillatory activity is ubiquitous in nervous systems, with solid evidence that synchronisation mechanisms underpin cognitive processes. Nevertheless, its informational content and relationship with behaviour are still to be fully understood. In addition, cognitive systems cannot be properly appreciated without taking into account brain–body– environment interactions. In this paper, we developed a model based on the Kuramoto Model of coupled phase oscillators to explore the role of neural synchronisation in the performance of a simulated robotic agent in two different minimally cognitive tasks. We show that there is a statistically significant difference in performance and evolvability depending on the synchronisation regime of the network. In both tasks, a combination of information flow and dynamical analyses show that networks with a definite, but not too strong, propensity for synchronisation are more able to reconfigure, to organise themselves functionally and to adapt to different behavioural conditions. The results highlight the asymmetry of information flow and its behavioural correspondence. Importantly, it also shows that neural synchronisation dynamics, when suitably flexible and reconfigurable, can generate minimally cognitive embodied behaviour

Support for Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding support for mothers of newborn babies in neonatal units is the basis for successful breastfeeding. With this, health professionals should educate the key members of the family and the environment surrounding the family about the benefits of breast milk in the first months of life and how to encourage and support the mother in the first months of life breastfeeding days. Exclusive breastfeeding is the most effective intervention to reduce infant morbidity and mortality and is estimated to prevent 13% of infant mortality under 5 years in low-income countries. However, the rate of exclusive breastfeeding is alarmingly low in developing countries. Mothers who face problems in breastfeeding immediately turn to high-quality milk formulas. Therefore, it is very important to assume the responsibility of health professionals to identify and adequately manage breastfeeding problems. UNICEF/World Health Organization, through the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI), has recommended good health care practices that support breastfeeding to increase the likelihood of optimal breastfeeding. The focus of breastfeeding in preterm infants and hospitalized term infants should must worry on the physical, emotional, legal, and social difficulties that may occur in the mother. It is necessary to consciously strengthen these terms for a successful breastfeeding

Addressing the ultimate form of cyber security control: a multiple case study for the internet kill switch

The purpose of this project is to study a policy called “shutdown of the Internet.” Preliminary findings show that this policy is a form of governmental control that has been used or considered by both, democratic and non-democratic governments, in the name of national security. This project adopts the securitization theory of the Copenhagen School and uses a multiple case study approach to analyze the arguments democratic and hybrid regimes use to justify shutting down the Internet. Data collection followed an Internet search process analyzing news, political speech and national statutes related to telecommunications law. Collected documents were coded and analyzed according the categories of the rhetorical speech using computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software. The research questions are: RQ1: What is the global scope of the Internet shut down phenomena? RQ2: What justifications do democratic and hybrid regimes use to shut down or to consider shutting down the Internet

National Identities in Central American in a Comparative Perspective: The Modern Public Sphere and the Celebration of Centennial of Central American Independence September 15, 1921

The University of Kansas has long historical connections with Central America and the many Central Americans who have earned graduate degrees at KU. This work is part of the Central American Theses and Dissertations collection in KU ScholarWorks and is being made freely available with permission of the author through the efforts of Professor Emeritus Charles Stansifer of the History department and the staff of the Scholarly Communications program at the University of Kansas Libraries’ Center for Digital Scholarship.In each of the Central American countries, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, the degree of development of the public sphere and political practices determined the way in which national identity discourses were elaborated, disseminated, and appropriated by society. The public sphere and political practices also shaped these discourses in each national culture, and in the long run they develop a democratic culture. Through the study of the public sphere and political practices, this study shows how collective action opened or widened spaces for popular participation and how it transformed the understanding of politics in the first decades of the twentieth century Central America. This study analyzes national identity discourses, specifically those given during the Independence Day celebrations in Central America from 1870 to 1921. In addition, this study examines how diverse social actors approached national identity during the celebration of the centennial of Independence in September 15, 1921 to understand the role of celebrations and the alliances between political leaders and popular groups, and the function of intellectuals in the social organization. This approach provides a different way to examine the relationship between the Liberal state and its "citizens," and how Central American society understood citizenship in the 1920s

ADDRESSING THE ULTIMATE FORM OF CYBERSECURITY CONTROL, A MULTIPLE CASE STUDY FOR THE ‘INTERNET KILL SWITCH’

The Internet has proved its capacity to defy the nation-states’ traditional borders. Facing this circumstance, governments became eager to control its infrastructure, as they did in the past with other forms of communication and they have attempted to shut down the Internet in several occasions. Academics and non-governmental organizations have focused their attention on authoritarian regimes because of the impact of Internet shutdowns on human rights. However, this extreme action of government control has also been part of the debate in non-authoritarian regimes. Thus, this dissertation contributes to the academic debate by analyzing democratic and hybrid regimes, their political discourse and concrete actions to shut down the Internet or to consider doing it. This process starts by questioning the traditional belief that democratic governments, self-defenders of the freedom as a human right, would not consider shutting down the Internet. This dissertation is an exploratory study of the rhetoric and actual factors that enable democratic and hybrid regimes to shut down the Internet or consider doing it as part of their national security strategy. This project started by adopting a definition of what an Internet shutdown is, the government attempt to stop all Internet activity within the borders of its nation-state, also known as Internet Kill Switch . The research design for this project carries an online data collection and a comparative case study to answer the research questions that drive this dissertation. Data collection included reputable sources and a triangulation process for validity purposes. The process of online data collection started by developing an inclusion and exclusion criteria to select the case studies. Using the theoretical framework of the Securitization theory of the Copenhagen School, this study identified the arguments democratic, and hybrid regimes use to justify shutting down the Internet. At the same time, this project determined the audiences they try to address and what they understand as a national security situation. Case studies include three well-consolidated democracies, U.S., U.K. and Australia, and two hybrid regimes, Russia and Venezuela. These nation-states were involved in an Internet shutdown, or their governments considered doing it under different circumstances. To identify the political, legal and technical factors that enable a democratic and hybrid regime to shut down the Internet, this project determined specific variables to analyze. For comparative purposes, this project also incorporated two-young-democracies, Brazil and Mexico, and one hybrid regime, Turkey. These last three governments never shut down the Internet and did not consider doing it. From the comparison between regimes politically similar, this research identified similarities and differences in the factors that enable a government to shut down the Internet. The second contribution comes from a conceptual point of view, by clarifying the differences between terms. In this regard, this study challenges the assimilation of shutting down the entire Internet with censorship episodes as if they were equal practices. Finally, from an academic point of view, this dissertation determined that there are no substantial differences between the rhetoric and political, legal and technical factors that enable democratic and hybrid regimes to shut down the Internet

From the classical method of teaching grammar to a pedagogical grammar: an experience to find a path to promote oral production

For a long time I was thinking about what would be the topic that I could work as theme of my research project. The first activity that my professor told the me that I needed to make was a participant observation, she proposed me some specific categories, I had to complete it and did the group description, when I completed it, I found that students showed a problematic situation because they did not like grammar explanations and they looked for several excuses to listen to the teacher, we believed that it could be an interesting topic to investigate because this problem is not just particular for a group of learners but also, it is a frequent circumstance of the majority of student

Business plan NGO: digital competences school for underprivileged youth in Colombia

The following business plan presents a NGO that develops digital competence in Colombian underprivileged youth. Its objective is to increase the use of ICT for working and entrepreneur doing both: providing free lessons to youth and delivering digital outsourcing services to companies. To develop a suitable high-quality digital competence model and a sustainable business plan the inputs considered were: 1) The literature review: contains a PEST analysis to adjust the European DIGITCOMP model to the Colombian context, and the analysis of the Sesame Workshop business case as a success reference of an educative NGO. 2) The competitive analysis: evaluates the opportunities and threats of the outsourcing services industry where the NGO acquires financial resources and the weaknesses and strengths of the institution in comparison with others. 3) In-Depth interviews: examines the thoughts, perspectives, and knowledge of the owners of MSMEs regarding digital competence and the use of ICT. The outputs of the analysis are; the adapted version of DIGITCOMP presented in the product section of the marketing policy; the formulation of the development strategy for the NGO; and the policies for its implementation.O plano de negócios apresenta uma ONG que desenvolve a competência digital em jovens carentes da Colômbia. Seu objectivo é aumentar o uso das TIC para trabalhar: com o fornecimento de aulas gratuitas, e prestação de serviços de outsourcing digitais. Para desenvolver um modelo de competências adequado de alta qualidade e um plano de negócios sustentável as entradas consideradas foram: 1) A revisão da literatura: contém uma análise PEST para ajustar o modelo europeu DIGITCOMP ao contexto colombiano e análise o Sesame Workshop como referência o sucesso de uma ONG educativa. 2)A análise da concorrência: avalia as oportunidades e ameaças da indústria de serviços de outsourcing, onde a ONG adquire recursos financeiros e os pontos fracos e fortes da instituição, em comparação com os outros. 3)Entrevistas em profundidade: examina os pensamentos, perspectivas e conhecimento dos proprietários de MPMEs concernentes à competência digital e a utilização das TIC. Os resultados do análise são; a versão adaptada do DIGITCOMP apresentado na seção produto da política de marketing; a formulação da estratégia de desenvolvimento para a ONG; e as políticas para a sua implementação

AMCO Methodology: A Review and a Teaching Proposal

Treball Final de Màster Universitari en Ensenyament i Adquisició de la Llengua Anglesa en Contextos Multilingües. Codi: SAY531. Curs: 2016/201

Evolutionary robotics and neuroscience

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