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Mathematical model offers new strategies for urban burglary prevention

A new mathematical model, inspired by age-dependent population models, analyzes urban burglary patterns and identifies key factors influencing repeat victimization. The model takes into account a burglar's age and a house's susceptibility to robbery based on its age, providing a flexible framework for prevention strategies.

SourceSociety for Industrial and Applied Mathematics·JournalSIAM Journal on Applied Dynamical Systems·DateDec 4, 2018

Zambezi Valley may soon be too hot for tsetse flies

A study based on 27 years of data from Mana Pools National Park suggests that temperature increases have caused significant declines in local tsetse fly populations. This could lead to reduced transmission of trypanosome pathogens causing sleeping sickness, but may also make other areas more suitable for the flies.

SourceStellenbosch University·JournalPLOS Medicine·DateOct 23, 2018

Bringing biology and mathematics together

The NSF-Simons Center for Mathematical and Statistical Analysis of Biology at Harvard University will focus on three fundamental questions: molecular networks, sophisticated structures, and organisms' adaptability. The center aims to integrate mathematical, statistical, and engineering approaches with biology.

Why a robot can't yet outjump a flea

A new mathematical model explains how small organisms like mantis shrimp and trap-jaw ants generate their powerful strikes with spring-loaded parts. This knowledge could help design more efficient robots, but it's unclear how these mechanisms work together for optimal performance.

SourceDuke University·JournalScience·DateApr 26, 2018

Towards better understanding of railway ballast

Researchers from CNRS and INSA Strasbourg propose a new mechanism to explain lower-than-predicted vibrations near tracks as train speed increases. They show that a large part of energy is trapped in the heterogeneous ballast layer, leading to accelerated degradation.

SourceCNRS·JournalComputational Mechanics·DateNov 22, 2017

Risk of cesarean section is heritable

A recent study by Philipp Mitteroecker and colleagues used the cliff edge model to predict that women born by Caesarean are more likely to develop FPD in their own childbirth, with a 2.8 times higher risk compared to women born vaginally.

SourceUniversity of Vienna·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateOct 16, 2017

Modeling human psychology

A mathematical model of embodied consciousness predicts states of consciousness and behavior, analyzing free energy and projective geometry. The model, developed by an international team of experts, has potential industrial applications in robotics, AI, and healthcare.

SourceUniversité de Genève·JournalJournal of Theoretical Biology·DateAug 16, 2017

The Math Alliance receives AMS award

The Math Alliance has been awarded the Mathematics Programs that Make a Difference Award by the American Mathematical Society for its work promoting diversity and inclusion in mathematics. The organization's programs have successfully addressed underrepresentation of minority groups, with a 30-fold expansion over the last decade.

Making bones stronger

A mathematical model shows that injections of peptide CK2.3 can increase bone formation and decrease bone degradation, potentially treating osteoporosis. The researchers used a combination of biological and mathematical models to calculate ideal dosages for humans and mice, aiming to develop a promising remedy for the condition.

SourceUniversity of Delaware·JournalCPT Pharmacometrics & Systems Pharmacology·DateMar 29, 2017

Better explaining the world around us

A new framework developed by the University of Queensland has improved the accuracy of biodiversity models in ecology, conservation biology, and global change research. The framework assesses species interactions and detects higher-order interactions that were previously overlooked.

SourceUniversity of Queensland·JournalNature Ecology & Evolution·DateFeb 17, 2017

Engineers eat away at Ms. Pac-Man score with artificial player

Researchers at Cornell University developed an artificial Ms. Pac-Man player that achieved a laboratory score of 43,720, surpassing the existing high score for computerized play. The player uses a decision-tree approach and demonstrates accuracy in predicting ghost movements with 94.6-percent accuracy.

SourceCornell University·JournalIEEE Transactions on Computational Intelligence and AI in Games·DateJan 23, 2017

Getting the most out of fractional models

Researchers developed a method to ensure fractional order stochastic differential inclusions can be controlled. This breakthrough applies to complex systems like financial markets and quantum systems. The team demonstrated controllability for both convex and nonconvex cases, enhancing device design and functionality.

SourceChinese Association of Automation·JournalIEEE/CAA Journal of Automatica Sinica·DateOct 27, 2016