Complexity Digest 2008.51

18-Dec-2008

PDF files of our annual editions are available at www.comdig.de/AnnualEditions.html

Aletter from Gottfried Mayer to our readers and friends is at http://www.comdig.de/GMLetter.html

For individual e-mail subscriptions go to Subscriptions.
Previous issue 2008.50 | Next issue 2008.52

Content

  1. The Food Crisis Isn't Over, Nature
    1. Economics: Crazy Money, Science
  2. Offshoring In The Core: Russian Software Firms Onshoring In The USA, Global Networks
  3. Complex Decision? Don't Think About It, ScienceDaily
    1. Thinking Like A President: How Power Affects Complex Decision Making, ScienceDaily
    2. Inside The Consumer Mind: Brain Scans Reveal Choice Mechanism, ScienceDaily
  4. Virtual Organisations Become A Reality, Innovations-report
  5. Selective Adaptation Of WTO Transparency Norms And Local Practices In China And Japan, J. Int. Econ. Law
  6. Science And Religion: Bracing for Islamic Creationism, Science
    1. How The Brain Thinks About Crime And Punishment, ScienceDaily
  7. Towards Responsible Use Of Cognitive-Enhancing Drugs By The Healthy, Nature
    1. Observing Brain During Normal Activity, Innovations-report
  8. Why Are Some People Left-Handed? An Evolutionary Perspective, Phil. Tran. Biol. Sc.
  9. Understanding Brain Tumor Growth Through Applying Weather Forecasting Technology, ScienceDaily
  10. Ant Gives Port Of Rotterdam A Good Example, Innovations-report
  11. Developmental Biology: On Growth And Force, Science
  12. Gene Mutation Is Tied to Fast Fat Breakdown, NY Times
  13. Immunology: T Cells Get Tired, Nature
    1. Immunology: Chaperone Puts the Brakes On, Science
  14. Malaria: Vaccine Comes Another Step Closer, Science
  15. Mathematical Models Of Adaptive Immunity, Innovations-report
  16. Ecology: When Juniper and Woody Plants Invade, Water May Retreat, Science
  17. Human Body Pose Estimation With Particle Swarm Optimisation, Evol. Compu.
  18. Physics: Stringing Together a Solid State, Science
  19. Complex Challenges: Global Terrorist Networks
    1. 2009: War On Terror Part II, ISN Security Watch
  20. Links & Snippets
    1. Other Publications
    2. Webcast Announcements
    3. Conference Announcements
    4. Other Announcements

  1. The Food Crisis Isn't Over, Nature Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpts: Although the credit crunch has lowered the price of food, a global recession now raises the hunger pains of the most vulnerable. The stage is set for the next international food crisis, (...).

    Between 2005 and summer 2008, the international prices of wheat and maize (corn) tripled, and that of rice grew fivefold. Poor people typically spend 50-70% of their income on food, and their wages did not adjust quickly enough to compensate for their shrinking purchasing power. From 2003-05 to 2007, the number of undernourished people increased from some 848 million to 923 million, largely because of the food-price crisis1.

    1. Economics: Crazy Money, Science Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpts: Humans aren't rational, as the recent economic crisis shows. So why should financial theories assume that they are?(...)

      "One of the biggest factors in the current crisis is human behavior," says Andrew Lo, a financial economist at MIT Sloan School of Management in Cambridge, Massachusetts. However, the classical theory of finance simply does not address human psychology. It looks more like a physical science than a social science--relying on the premises that markets are "efficient," immediately reflecting new information, and investors are "rational," always acting in their self-interest. Although industry and regulators don't adopt classical finance theory wholesale, its assumptions underlie many of their choices.

  2. Offshoring In The Core: Russian Software Firms Onshoring In The USA, Global Networks Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpts: Offshoring and outsourcing have become the buzzwords of the IT community and the popular media discourse about the current era of globalization in services. Acknowledging the geographic perspective expressed in these dominant terms, in this article I examine the processes and activities that are oriented in the opposite direction. Capturing this inversion, I develop the concept of 'onshoring' and use research material from fieldwork conducted with IT firms in St Petersburg, Russia and their affiliates, agents and clients in the USA to provide an empirical case study. (...) I document and examine the less acknowledged complex flows and practices of onshoring. (...)

  3. Complex Decision? Don't Think About It, ScienceDaily Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpts: When faced with a difficult decision, we try to come up with the best choice by carefully considering all of the options, maybe even resorting to lists and lots of sleepless nights. So it may be surprising that recent studies have suggested that the best way to deal with complex decisions is to not think about them at all-that unconscious thought will help us make the best choices. Although this may seem like an appealing strategy, new research (...) cautions that there are limitations in the efficacy of unconscious thought making the best decisions. (...)

    1. Thinking Like A President: How Power Affects Complex Decision Making, ScienceDaily Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpts: Presidential scholars have written volumes trying to understand the presidential mind. How can anyone juggle so many complicated decisions? Do those seeking office have a unique approach to decision making? Studies have suggested that power changes not only a person's responsibilities, but also the way they think. Now, a new study (...) indicates that having power may lead people to automatically think in a way that makes complex decision-making easier. (...) The conscious mind is not able to consider every possibility-attempts to do so bog the mind down in too much detail. Unconscious thinkers are better (...).

    2. Inside The Consumer Mind: Brain Scans Reveal Choice Mechanism, ScienceDaily Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpts: That gorgeous sweater has your name written on it. But, those red suede pumps are calling your name too. What goes through your mind as you consider these choices? During normal economic times, you might indulge in a whole new wardrobe. But now, with considerably tighter budgets, consumers don't have the luxury of saying "It's the holidays -- I'll just buy both!" What happens in buyers' brains as they consider difficult choices? What can retailers do to make the choice process easier for consumers? (...) has conducted research that shows that decision making is simplified when a consumer considers a third, less attractive option. (...)

  4. Virtual Organisations Become A Reality, Innovations-report Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpt: European researchers have developed a suite of tools that make it simple, safe and secure to deploy grid computer systems across corporations and throughout the supply chain. The work means that virtual organisations can become a reality. Virtual organisations are entering the real world thanks to the work of the SIMDAT project, which leveraged the power of grids to seamlessly and securely deliver services and data across organisational boundaries. It has meant, in just one small example of the team's work, that setting up partnerships in the pharmaceutical industry now takes weeks or even days instead of months. (...)

  5. Selective Adaptation Of WTO Transparency Norms And Local Practices In China And Japan, J. Int. Econ. Law Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpts: This article focuses on the importance of Chinese and Japanese local practices, their regulatory infrastructure and local cultural norms related to transparency as factors in the selective adaptation of the World Trade Organization norms. International laws can acquire a variety of local meanings that require an understanding of the local history and culture in addition to knowledge of the local economy and laws. This article analyzes the selective adaptation paradigm, (...). This article argues that a shift in perception of regulatory transparency norms in China and Japan has occurred, and that this shift has had important economic and political consequences internally and externally, (...).

  6. Science And Religion: Bracing for Islamic Creationism, Science Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpts: To avoid a vast rejection of evolution in the Muslim world, scientists can present the theory as the bedrock of biology and can stress its practical applications.

    (...) the next major battle over evolution is likely to take place in the Muslim world (i.e., predominantly Islamic countries, as well as in countries where there are large Muslim populations). Relatively poor education standards, in combination with frequent misinformation about evolutionary ideas, make the Muslim world a fertile ground for rejection of the theory. In addition, there already exists a growing and highly influential Islamic creationist movement.

    1. How The Brain Thinks About Crime And Punishment, ScienceDaily Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpts: In a pioneering, interdisciplinary study combining law and neuroscience, researchers (...) peered inside people's minds to watch how the brain thinks about crime and punishment. When someone is accused of committing a crime, it is the responsibility of impartial third parties, generally jurors and judges, to determine if that person is guilty and, if so, how much he or she should be punished. But how does one's brain actually make these decisions? The researchers found that two distinct areas of the brain assess guilt and decide penalty. (...) "We were looking for brain activity reflecting how people reason about the differences in the scenarios," said (...).

  7. Towards Responsible Use Of Cognitive-Enhancing Drugs By The Healthy, Nature Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpts: Society must respond to the growing demand for cognitive enhancement. That response must start by rejecting the idea that 'enhancement' is a dirty word, (...).

    In this article, we propose actions that will help society accept the benefits of enhancement, given appropriate research and evolved regulation. Prescription drugs are regulated as such not for their enhancing properties but primarily for considerations of safety and potential abuse. Still, cognitive enhancement has much to offer individuals and society, and a proper societal response will involve making enhancements available while managing their risks.

    1. Observing Brain During Normal Activity, Innovations-report Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpts: The Swartz Center for Computational Neuroscience at UC San Diego will create a new imagining process to study human body/brain dynamics of subjects engaged in normal activity in ordinary room environments. The work, (...) aims at developing a concurrent brain and body imaging modality MoBI ("Mobile Brain/Body Imaging") Explaining the project, (...) said, "Although functional brain imaging has allowed many new insights into human brain function, so far no imaging modality has allowed scientists to study brain dynamics of subjects performing normal activities in a 3-D environment. The MoBI modality we are developing under this project will allow such studies for the first time." (...)

  8. Why Are Some People Left-Handed? An Evolutionary Perspective, Phil. Tran. Biol. Sc. Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpts: Since prehistoric times, left-handed individuals have been ubiquitous in human populations, exhibiting geographical frequency variations. Evolutionary explanations have been proposed for the persistence of the handedness polymorphism. (...) Data have suggested that left-handedness, as the rare hand preference, could represent an important strategic advantage in fighting interactions. However, the fact that left-handedness occurs at a low frequency indicates that some evolutionary costs could be associated with left-handedness. Overall, the evolutionary dynamics of this polymorphism are not fully understood. (...) We point out that hand preference is heritable, and report how hand preference is influenced by genetic, hormonal, developmental and cultural factors. (...)

  9. Understanding Brain Tumor Growth Through Applying Weather Forecasting Technology, ScienceDaily Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpts: Researchers (...) are applying weather forecast technology to model and track the growth patterns of brain tumors. The technology allows researchers to study various growth patterns of brain tumors and apply treatment parameters to determine the best option for patients. It will forecast how a patient's tumor may grow with different treatment scenarios, help physicians make a much more informed prognosis and be used as a patient consulting tool. (...)

  10. Ant Gives Port Of Rotterdam A Good Example, Innovations-report Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpts: According to researcher Albert Douma, (...) it is possible to optimize the handling of inland container barges in the port of Rotterdam without management from the top. This is similar to the way in which ants organize themselves, without a central director. As a result of his ‘multi-agent' approach, the time barges spend in the port can be reduced considerably. Douma has developed a new method for the optimum planning of the rotation of a barge in the port: the barge loads or unloads containers at various terminals in the best possible order, that is, the order that gives the least delay. (...)

  11. Developmental Biology: On Growth And Force, Science Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpts: The physical stress on plant tissue during growth controls the precise organization of a major structural element in the plant cell. (...)

    Moreover, and perhaps fittingly, the clearest signs of this revival come from developmental biology, the field that Thompson so profoundly influenced. A striking example of this trend is found on page 1650 of this issue, where Hamant et al. (2) show that mechanical stress plays a key role in the development of plant organs.

  12. Gene Mutation Is Tied to Fast Fat Breakdown, NY Times Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpts: For the sake of heart disease research, 809 members of the Old Order Amish community agreed to go to a clinic in Lancaster, Pa., near their homes, and drink a rich milkshake that was made mostly of heavy cream. Over the next six hours, a group of investigators took samples of their blood, determining how much fat was churning through their bloodstreams.

    Most of the study participants responded as expected - their levels of triglycerides, a common form of fat in the blood, rose steadily for three to four hours and then declined. But about 5 % had an extraordinary reaction: their triglyceride levels started out low and hardly budged.

  13. Immunology: T Cells Get Tired, Nature Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpts: During chronic infection, immune systems' T cells often lose their ability to fight pathogens. Research now shows that this T-cell exhaustion is caused by complex negative-feedback pathways that depend on the types of inhibitory receptor the cells express on their surfaces.(..),p.

    Simultaneously blocking the function of two such receptors - PD-1 and LAG-3 - incompletely restored exhausted T cells' activity, indicating that multiple pathways are involved in T-cell exhaustion.

    1. Immunology: Chaperone Puts the Brakes On, Science Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpts: A molecule controls both antigen processing and cell motility, ensuring that dendritic cells efficiently activate T cells to initiate protective immunity.

      Dendritic cells function primarily as immune sentinels. In the periphery, they actively scan surrounding interstitial spaces for pathogenic invaders and internalize (through a process called endocytosis) foreign antigens present in the extracellular milieu (1). In secondary lymphoid tissues, dendritic cells shift their attention to presenting previously internalized antigen as peptides to T cells, thus alerting the immune system to an impending threat.

  14. Malaria: Vaccine Comes Another Step Closer, Science Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpts: The most advanced candidate vaccine for malaria has cleared another major hurdle and is now ready for its last and biggest test: a phase III trial of 12,000 to 16,000 children at 11 locations in seven African countries.

  15. Mathematical Models Of Adaptive Immunity, Innovations-report Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpts: More than five million people die every year from infectious diseases, despite the availability of numerous antibiotics and vaccines. The discovery of penicillin to treat bacterial infections (...) for previously incurable virus diseases such as polio and smallpox, achieved great reductions in mortality during the mid-20th century. Recently, spectacular advances in medical imaging combined with mathematical tools for modelling the human immune system have provided a base for a new push against infectious disease. (...) This should help answer the question of why a given infection is controlled by the immune system in some people, leading to prolonged adaptive immunity, while in others causes serious disease. (...)

  16. Ecology: When Juniper and Woody Plants Invade, Water May Retreat, Science Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpts: Dense plants are taking over grasslands in many areas; researchers in the U.S. Southwest are studying how they tap into water supplies--and how to keep them in check. (...)

    "A single taproot can provide a third or more of the tree's water during a drought," says Jackson.

    His study aims to determine what enables juniper to survive in these arid environments and how much ground water they are using. Funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, this research indicates that wildlife and water management would benefit from fewer of these trees.

  17. Human Body Pose Estimation With Particle Swarm Optimisation, Evol. Compu. Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpts: In this paper we address the problem of human body pose estimation from still images. A multi-view set of images of a person sitting at a table is acquired and the pose estimated. Reliable and efficient pose estimation from still images represents an important part of more complex algorithms, such as tracking human body pose in a video sequence, where it can be used to automatically initialise the tracker on the first frame. (...) We formulate the body pose estimation as an analysis-by-synthesis optimisation algorithm, where a generic 3D human body model is used to illustrate the pose (...).

  18. Physics: Stringing Together a Solid State, Science Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpts: Formulations of string theory may describe some complex electronic interactions in condensed matter systems.

    (...) A recent turn of events is leading a growing fraction of string theory research back to studying specific laboratory systems, including those of condensed matter physics.

    This shift has been possible due to recent developments in the mathematical construct known as the holographic correspondence. Also known as the anti-de Sitter/conformal field theory correspondence (or AdS/CFT for short), it relates Einstein's general theory of relativity to quantum mechanics.

  19. Complex Challenges: Global Terrorist Networks Next Article Bookmark and Share

    1. 2009: War On Terror Part II, ISN Security Watch Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpts:
      War on Terror board game
      Barack Obama on 20 January will inherit some troubling legacies, not the least of which will be the increasingly messy global war on terror, declared by the Bush administration nine days after 9/11.

      It is a war that has had an uncomfortable local dimension as well: The last seven years have seen an unprecedented rollback of constitutional civil liberties and increased surveillance of US citizens.

      The Bush administration's accomplishments have been mixed, and the so-called war's ultimate success or failure largely depended on the abilities and actions of the intelligence community.

  20. Links & Snippets Next Article Bookmark and Share

    1. Other Publications Next Article Bookmark and Share

      1. Car Key Jams Teen Drivers' Cell Phones And Texting, 2008/12/12, Innovations-report
      2. Mccain Campaign Leaks Crucial Data: Forgets To Wipe Hard Drives, I. Thomson, 2008/12/13, vnunet.com
      3. Islamic Radicalisation Among North Africans In Britain, J. G.-Mazer, Nov. 2008, Online 2008/10/13, British Journal of Politics & International Relations, DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-856X.2008.00340.x

    2. Webcast Announcements Next Article Bookmark and Share

      1. Can Ants Solve Traffic Jams?, Danielle Parsons, Slatev.com, 08/07/22

        As roads and highways become ever more clogged, Danielle Parsons tells us how researchers are studying ways to learn from nature's own traffic-flow experts: ants.

      2. 7th Intl Conf on Complex Systems (ICCS), Boston, MA, 07/10/28-11/02
      3. Reseau Nationale des Systemes Complexes , (in French), 2007
      4. World Economic Forum , Davos, Switzerland, 08/01/22-27
      5. TED Talks, TED Conferences LLC , since 2006
      6. Talking Robots: The PodCast on Robotics and AI, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Switzerland, 06/11/03
      7. Potentials of Complexity Science for Business, Governments, and the Media 2006, Budapest, Hungary, 06/08/03-05
      8. 6th Intl Conf on Complex Systems (ICCS), Boston, MA, 06/06/25-30
      9. Artificial Life X, 10th Intl Conf on the Simulation and Synthesis of Living Systems, Bloomington, IN, USA. 2006/06/03-07
      10. 6th Understanding Complex Systems Symposium, Urbana-Champaign, Il, 06/05/15-18
      11. Ralph Abraham on Complexity Digest, , Calcutta, India, 05/12/27
      12. An Afternoon with Michael Crichton, Washington, 05/11/06
      13. Illuminating the Shadow of the Future, Ann Arbor, Mi 05/09/23-25
      14. Open Network of Centres of Excellence in Complex Systems - Brainstorming Meeting, Paris, France 05/09/19-23
      15. Complexity, Science & Society Conference 2005, U. Liverpool, UK 2005/09/11-14
      16. ECAL 2005 - VIIIth European Conference on Artificial Life, Canterbury, Kent, UK 2005/09/5-9
      17. T. Irene Sanders, Executive Director and Founder, The Washington Center for Complexity & Public Policy, 05/08/27, QuickTime video (10:38 min), Podcast
      18. North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity 2005 Conference, Virtual Conference Network, St. Pete's Beach, Florida, 05/06/09-11
      19. Understanding Complex Systems - Computational Complexity and Bioinformatics, Virtual Conference Network, Urbana-Champaign, Il, UIUC, 05/05/16-19
      20. Nonlinearity, Fluctuations, and Complexity, with a celebration of the 65th birthday of Gregoire Nicolis. , Complexity Session, Universite' Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium, 05/03/16
      21. 1st European Conference on Complex Systems, Torino, Italy, 04/12/5-7
      22. From Autopoiesis to Neurophenomenology: A Tribute to Francisco Varela (1946-2001), Paris, France, 2004/06/18-20
      23. Evolutionary Epistemology, Language, and Culture, Brussels, Belgium, 04/05/26-28
      24. International Conference on Complex Systems 2004, Boston, 04/05/16-21
      25. Nonlinear Dynamics And Chaos: Lab Demonstrations, Strogatz, Steven H., Internet-First University Press, 1994
      26. CERN Webcast Service, Streamed videos of Archived Lectures and Live Events
      27. Dean LeBaron's Archive of Daily Video Commentary, Ongoing Since February 1998
      28. Edge Videos

    3. Conference Announcements Next Article Bookmark and Share

      1. NECSI Winter School, Cambridge, MA, 09/01/05-23
      2. Winter School - Chemical Discrimination and Localization using Biologically Based Olfactory Processing, San Diego, CA, 09/01/12-13
      3. COMPLEX'2009, First Intl Conf on Complex Systems: Theory and Applications, Shanghai, China, 09/02/23-25
      4. 3rd Biennial International Transdisciplinary Seminar on the Complexity Approach, Camaguey, Cuba. 09/02/23-27
      5. Models and Simulations 3 Conference, Charlottesville, USA 09/03/05-07
      6. 2nd Conf on Artificial General Intelligence (AGI-09.org), Arlington, Virginia, 09/03/06-09
      7. 2009 IEEE Symposium Series on Computational Intelligence, Nashville, Tennessee, USA,09/03/30-04/02
      8. 7th Annual Bio-IT World Conference & Expo, 09/04/27-29, Boston, MA
      9. 2nd Chaotic Modeling and Simulation International Conference (CHAOS2009), Chania, Crete, Greece, 09/06/01-05
      10. 20th Intl Conf on Noise and Fluctuations, Pisa, Italy, 09/06/14-19
      11. 17th Intl Workshop on Nonlinear Dynamics of Electronic Systems (NDES 2009), Rapperswil, Switzerland, 09/06/21-24
      12. 7th Intl Conf on Computing, Communications and Control Technologies: CCCT 2009, Orlando, Florida, USA., 09/07/10-13
      13. The 19th Annual Intl Conf Society for Chaos Theory in Psychology & Life Sciences , Milwaukee, WI USA, 09/07/23-25
      14. 2009 Intl Conf of the System Dynamics Society, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 09/07/26-30
      15. 5th Intl Conf on Fractals and Dynamic Systems in Geoscience, Townsville, Australia, 09/08/13-14

    4. Other Announcements Bookmark and Share

      1. A short notice from Dean LeBaron

        Dear ComDig Readers,

        Our editor, Dr. Gottfried Mayer, is affectionately esteemed by many of you -- as readers, you know he devotes himself unselfishly to widening our knowledge of complexity science. He was recently diagnosed with advanced colon cancer and given a timetable of a very few years. Knowing Gottfried, you can imagine that, in addition to the customary processes of chemotherapy, he would explore other frontier therapies, especially those arising out of interdisciplinary applications of complexity. These are expensive ... if he can find them.

        Many of you have sent your good wishes and indicated your desire to assist. With Gottfried's permission, I am posting this note with information, below, about how to send contributions to him. Please indicate the source since Gottfried will want to express his warm gratitude.

        I know that Gottfried, the good scientist that he is, will explain from time to time what he is doing and what the results are ... and we will follow his progress with great interest and hope.

        Dean LeBaron
        Publisher, Complexity Digest

        Bank Information:

        If your contribution is made by check:
        Please mail the check, payable to "Gottfried Mayer", to:
        Manufacturers & Traders Trust
        2080 Western Avenue
        20 Mall
        Guilderland, NY 12084 USA
        (on the back of the check, please write: "For Deposit Only: Account # 983 338 3814")

        If your contribution is made by wire:
        Manufacturers & Traders Trust
        2080 Western Avenue
        20 Mall

        Guilderland, NY 12084 USA
        SWIFT Code# MANTUS33
        UID: 209 791
        ABA routing # 022 00 00 46 [for US wire transfers]
        Account # 983 338 3814
        Ref. Gottfried Mayer


Also available in: Simple HTML format | TXT format | TXT format with links | Print