Modelling Biological Systems

2010 ◽  
pp. 51-82
Author(s):  
Eleonora Bilotta ◽  
Pietro Pantano
Keyword(s):  
Biological Systems ◽  
Evolutionary Process ◽  
Common Elements ◽  
The Common ◽  
Life On Earth

What are the mechanisms underlying biological systems’ ability to transform themselves: the ability of structures to replicate for their own goals, or to meet the specific goals of the system or environment to which they belong? What kind of evolutionary process underlies the emergence of the simple structures which joined together and replicated to produce the life on earth? How can we reproduce these functions in digital machines? More generally, what are the common elements shared by complex physical, biological, social and artificial systems?

Negotiations over Accounting Issues: The Congruency of Audit Partner and Chief Financial Officer Recalls

2005 ◽  
Vol 24 (s-1) ◽  
pp. 171-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Gibbins ◽  
Susan A. McCracken ◽  
Steven E. Salterio
Keyword(s):  
Negotiation Process ◽  
Chief Financial Officers ◽  
Chief Financial Officer ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Common Elements ◽  
Contextual Features ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
The Common ◽  
High Level ◽  
Two Sides

Much of what takes place in auditor-client management negotiations occurs in unobservable settings and normally does not result in publicly available archival records. Recent research has increasingly attempted to probe issues relating to accounting negotiations in part due to recent events in the financial world. In this paper, we compare recalls from the two sides of such negotiations, audit partners, and chief financial officers (CFOs), collected in two field questionnaires. We examine the congruency of the auditors' and the CFOs' negotiation recalls for all negotiation elements and features that were common across the two questionnaires (detailed analyses of the questionnaires are reported elsewhere). The results show largely congruent recall: only limited divergences in recall of common elements and features. Specifically, we show a high level of congruency across CFOs and audit partners in the type of issues negotiated, parties involved in resolving the issue, and the elements making up the negotiation process, including agreement on the relative importance of various common accounting contextual features. The analysis of the common accounting contextual features suggests that certain contextual features are consistently important across large numbers of negotiations, whether viewed from the audit partner's or the CFO's perspective, and hence may warrant future study. Finally, the comparative analysis allows us to identify certain common elements and contextual features that may influence both audit partners and CFOs to consider the accounting negotiation setting as mainly distributive (win-lose).

scholarly journals Identifying and measuring the common elements of naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions for autism spectrum disorder: Development of the NDBI-Fi

Autism ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (8) ◽  
pp. 2285-2297
Author(s):  
Kyle M Frost ◽  
Jessica Brian ◽  
Grace W Gengoux ◽  
Antonio Hardan ◽  
Sarah R Rieth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Behavioral Intervention ◽  
Behavioral Interventions ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Common Elements ◽  
Intervention Science ◽  
Intervention Models ◽  
The Common ◽  
Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Intervention

Naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions for young children with autism spectrum disorder share key elements. However, the extent of similarity and overlap in techniques among naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention models has not been quantified, and there is no standardized measure for assessing the implementation of their common elements. This article presents a multi-stage process which began with the development of a taxonomy of elements of naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions. Next, intervention experts identified the common elements of naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions using quantitative methods. An observational rating scheme of those common elements, the eight-item NDBI-Fi, was developed. Finally, preliminary analyses of the reliability and the validity of the NDBI-Fi were conducted using archival data from randomized controlled trials of caregiver-implemented naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions, including 87 post-intervention caregiver–child interaction videos from five sites, as well as 29 pre–post video pairs from two sites. Evaluation of the eight-item NDBI-Fi measure revealed promising psychometric properties, including evidence supporting adequate reliability, sensitivity to change, as well as concurrent, convergent, and discriminant validity. Results lend support to the utility of the NDBI-Fi as a measure of caregiver implementation of common elements across naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention models. With additional validation, this unique measure has the potential to advance intervention science in autism spectrum disorder by providing a tool which cuts across a class of evidence-based interventions. Lay abstract Naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions for young children with autism spectrum disorder share key elements. However, the extent of similarity between programs within this class of evidence-based interventions is unknown. There is also currently no tool that can be used to measure the implementation of their common elements. This article presents a multi-stage process which began with defining all intervention elements of naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions. Next, intervention experts identified the common elements of naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions using a survey. An observational rating scheme of those common elements, the eight-item NDBI-Fi, was developed. We evaluated the quality of the NDBI-Fi using videos from completed trials of caregiver-implemented naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions. Results showed that the NDBI-Fi measure has promise; it was sensitive to change, related to other similar measures, and demonstrated adequate agreement between raters. This unique measure has the potential to advance intervention science in autism spectrum disorder by providing a tool to measure the implementation of common elements across naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention models. Given that naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions have numerous shared strategies, this may ease clinicians’ uncertainty about choosing the “right” intervention package. It also suggests that there may not be a need for extensive training in more than one naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention. Future research should determine whether these common elements are part of other treatment approaches to better understand the quality of services children and families receive as part of usual care.

Classifying precontractual liability: a comparative analysis

Legal Studies ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joachim Dietrich
Keyword(s):  
Common Law ◽  
Civil Law ◽  
Tort Law ◽  
Contract Law ◽  
Common Elements ◽  
Ongoing Debate ◽  
Unjust Enrichment ◽  
The Common ◽  
Initial Focus

The common law has solved questions of liability arising in the context of precontractual negotiations by resort to a range of different doctrines and approaches, adopting in effect ‘piecemeal’ solutions to questions of precontractual liability. Consequently, debate has arisen as to how best to classify or categorise claims for precontractual work and as to which doctrines are best suited to solving problems arising from anticipated contracts. The purpose of this article is to consider this question of how best to classify (cases of) precontractual liability. The initial focus will be on the ongoing debate as to whether principles of contract law or principles of unjust enrichment can better solve problems of precontractual liability. I will be suggesting that unjust enrichment theory offers little by way of explanation of cases of precontractual liability and, indeed, draws on principles of contract law in determining questions of liability for precontractual services rendered, though it does so by formulating those principles under different guises. Irrespective, however, of the doctrines utilised by the common law to impose liability, it is possible to identify a number of common elements unifying all cases of precontractual liability. In identifying such common elements of liability, it is necessary to draw on principles of both contract and tort law. How, then, should cases of precontractual liability best be classified? A consideration of the issue of classification of precontractual liability from a perspective of German civil law will demonstrate that a better understanding of cases of precontractual liability will be gained by classifying such cases as lying between the existing categories of contract and tort.

Elemental composition of mantle tissue granules in Hyridella depressa (Unionida) from the Hawkesbury-Nepean River system, Australia: inferences from catchment chemistry

2000 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Byrne ◽  
Peter A. Vesk
Keyword(s):  
Freshwater Mussel ◽  
River System ◽  
Direct Analysis ◽  
Common Elements ◽  
Mantle Tissue ◽  
South Wales ◽  
The Common ◽  
Australian Freshwater ◽  
River Site

The Australian freshwater mussel Hyridella depressa sequesters elements in calcium phosphate (CaP) granules that form extensive aggregations in its tissues. Elements contained in these granules were determined by X-ray microanalysis of river and lake mussels from the Hawkesbury–Nepean River system, New South Wales. Granules in freeze-substituted mantle tissue were analysed to determine the variation in element profiles in granules among mussels and among sites. For the common elements Ca, P, Fe, Mg and Mn, granule composition reflected catchment lithology and site trophic status and indicated exogenous input. These were most important for differentiation among lake sites and also indicated differences between lake and river mussels. Site differences seen with some common elements in granules from lake mussels correlated with differences in water chemistry. Trace elements, particularly Al, Cu, Zn and Pb, were also important in lake and river site differentiation. The granules play a major role in element dynamics in freshwater mussel tissues and provide a focal structure for direct analysis of element accumulation by these bivalves. The results indicate that characterization of element content of granules in mussel populations would provide valuable insights into animal–element interactions in freshwater systems for ecological and ecotoxicological investigations.

The Christian character of Christian mystical experiences

1984 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 417-427
Author(s):  
Steven Payne
Keyword(s):  
Common Elements ◽  
Third Place ◽  
Cognitive Value ◽  
The Third ◽  
Affirmative Response ◽  
The Common ◽  
Mystical Experiences ◽  
Contemporary Writers ◽  
Mystical Literature

Are mystical states essentially ‘everywhere the same’? Though this question is notoriously obscure and difficult to answer, many contemporary writers on mysticism seem to favour an affirmative response to it, for a variety of reasons. First of all, some are impressed by the undeniable similarity in the testimony of mystics from widely divergent backgrounds and cultures; like most readers of mystical literature, they are deeply struck by the degree of apparent consensus between Christian, Hindu, and Buddhist contemplatives, for example. Secondly, there is a commendable desire in recent times to adopt a more positive and open-minded approach to other religions, and to acknowledge the value of their spiritual traditions; consequently, Christian authors today tend to focus on the common elements in Christian and non-Christian spiritualities, downplaying any differences. In the third place, those who wish to defend the cognitive value of mystical experiences on the basis of the ‘universal agreement’ of mystics will naturally maintain that there is a fundamental unanimity behind their different reports.

scholarly journals Establishing Analogy Categories for Bio-Inspired Design

Designs ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacquelyn Nagel ◽  
Linda Schmidt ◽  
Werner Born
Keyword(s):  
Analogical Reasoning ◽  
Design Research ◽  
Design Method ◽  
Biological Systems ◽  
Design Pedagogy ◽  
Biological Inspiration ◽  
Research And Teaching ◽  
Difficult Time ◽  
Behavior Learning ◽  
The Common

Biological systems have evolved over billions of years and cope with changing conditions through the adaptation of morphology, physiology, or behavior. Learning from these adaptations can inspire engineering innovation. Several bio-inspired design tools and methods prescribe the use of analogies, but lack details for the identification and application of promising analogies. Further, inexperienced designers tend to have a more difficult time recognizing or creating analogies from biological systems. This paper reviews biomimicry literature to establish analogy categories as a tool for knowledge transfer between biology and engineering to aid bio-inspired design that addresses the common issues. Two studies were performed with the analogy categories. A study of commercialized products verifies the set of categories, while a controlled design study demonstrates the utility of the categories. The results of both studies offer valuable information and insights into the complexity of analogical reasoning and transfer, as well as what leads to biological inspiration versus imitation. The influence on bio-inspired design pedagogy is also discussed. The breadth of the analogy categories is sufficient to capture the knowledge transferred from biology to engineering for bio-inspired design. The analogy categories are a design method independent tool and are applicable for professional product design, research, and teaching purposes.

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