Common complexes of decompositions and complex balanced equilibria of chemical reaction networks

A decomposition of a chemical reaction network (CRN) is produced by partitioning its set of reactions. The partition induces networks, called subnetworks, that are "smaller" than the given CRN which, at this point, can be called parent network. A complex is called a common complex if it occurs in at least two subnetworks in a decomposition. A decomposition is said to be incidence independent if the image of the incidence map of the parent network is the direct sum of the images of the subnetworks' incidence maps. It has been recently discovered that the complex balanced equilibria of the parent network and its subnetworks are fundamentally connected in an incidence independent decomposition. In this paper, we utilized the set of common complexes and a developed criterion to investigate decomposition’s incidence independence properties. A framework was also developed to analyze decomposition classes with similar structure and incidence independence properties. We identified decomposition classes that can be characterized by their sets of common complexes and studied their incidence independence. Some of these decomposition classes occur in some biological and chemical models. Finally, a sufficient condition was obtained for the complex balancing of some power law kinetic (PLK) systems with incidence independent and complex balanced decompositions. This condition led to a generalization of the Deficiency Zero Theorem for some PLK systems.

Developing Academics’ Capacity for Internationalizing the Curriculum: A Collaborative Autoethnography of a Cross-Institutional Project

Developing academics’ capacity for internationalizing the curriculum (IoC) is essential but challenging. There is a lack of understanding of how the IoC framework can be implemented in reality and of how educational developers can facilitate the process. This collaborative autoethnography explores the cultivation over 3 years of a community of practice for developing academics’ IoC capacity facilitated by six educational developers in three universities in Hong Kong. The findings reveal a complex balancing act among various forces in the areas of domain, community, practice, power, identity, and broader context, the last three of which are insufficiently addressed in the literature. This article adds value by illustrating how IoC theories and communities of practice interact with multiple forces in the environment and our own agency, and are negotiated within a particular context.

Lokaler Journalismus und Wirtschafts-PR

How do local journalists perceive the PR of local businesses and how are they influenced by it? This study uses guided interviews with local German journalists to explore the role of PR in local business news. It reveals a wide variety of common practices in different editorial offices. In reference to Schimank’s approach of ‘Akteur-Struktur-Dynamiken’ (actor–structure–dynamics), influences can be assigned to what journalists want to do, what expectations they perceive and what options they have. Journalists face a complex balancing process when they deal with PR conducted in their direct neighborhood. Personal characteristics and relationships are just as important as journalistic self-conceptions and the special functions of local journalism. This book depicts the influence of PR in a two-stage model that considers both manifold factors and their individual effects.

Brain Gray Matter Volume Is Modulated by Visual Input and Overall Learning Success but Not by Time Spent on Learning a Complex Balancing Task

To better understand the process of neuroplasticity, this study assesses brain changes observed by voxel-based morphometry (VBM) in response to two different learning conditions. Twenty-two young, healthy subjects learned slacklining, a complex balancing task, with either their eyes open (EO, n = 11) or their eyes closed (EC, n = 11). The learning took place three times per week for four weeks, with learning periods of 1 hour, providing a total of 12 hours of learning. The scanning and testing protocols were applied at three time-points: (1) immediately before learning (baseline), (2) immediately afterwards (post-test), and (3) two months afterwards (follow-up). The EO group performed better on the task-specific test. Significant group*time interaction effects were found in sensory-motor areas at the post-test, with increases in the EO group only. The results suggest that VBM-observed brain changes in response to learning a complex balancing task vary depending on the learning success and the availability of visual input, and not solely on the amount of time spent on learning. These findings should be taken into account by future studies using similar methodologies.

Prioritising Performance-—Where Does Health Fit In?

Elite performance encompasses a complex balancing act involving a series of professionals attempting to help an individual perform to the limit of their abilities, whilst simultaneously striving to further their capacity. Teachers and performance scientists are under pressure to try to push performers harder to be able to achieve success in competitions, performances and their career. Clinicians must strive to keep the physical and mental health of performers in as good shape as possible while they are balancing these often extreme physical and psychological training demands-—‘the show must go on.’ Efforts to better understand mechanisms that may impact both performance capacity and risk to health are therefore highly important, and feature in research presented in the current issue.