KemalApr 18

Simulating the Corpus Clock: A Hybrid Dynamical Systems Model of Taylor’s Chronophage

The Corpus Clock sits at the corner of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. Unveiled in 2008 by Stephen Hawking, it was designed by inventor John C. Taylor as a meditation on time's relentless consumption of life. A giant golden insectoid sculpture — the Chronophage (from the Greek chronos, time, and ephagon, I ate) — crouches atop the clock face, its jaw mechanically opening and closing as it devours the passing seconds. What fascinated me about this clock is that it's deliberately […]

https://kemal.yaylali.uk/simulating-the-corpus-clock-a-hybrid-dynamical-systems-model-of-taylors-chronophage/

Steven SausJan 6
The science of how (and when) we decide to self-censor The study’s main takeaway: https://s.faithcollapsing.com/alee1#censorship #human-behavior #mathematical-modeling #psychology #science #social-media
Ars Technica NewsDec 30
The science of how (and when) we decide to speak out—or self-censor https://arstechni.ca/Ak9s #mathematicalmodeling #Humanbehavior #socialmedia #censorship #psychology #Science
The science of how (and when) we decide to self-censor

The study's main takeaway: "Be bold. It is the thing that slows down authoritarian creep."

Ars Technica
Patric NordbeckOct 31, 2025

Modeling Dynamics of Affordance Actualization

https://videos.trom.tf/w/vvJjMcn6rAgA5x9VSTi3uA

Modeling Dynamics of Affordance Actualization

PeerTube
Patric NordbeckOct 31, 2025

Modeling Dynamics of Affordance Actualization: Methodological Considerations

https://videos.trom.tf/w/jwkCo569ZrBBZgbcJbbLiy

Modeling Dynamics of Affordance Actualization: Methodological Considerations

PeerTube
Carlos Tomas GrahmOct 31, 2025

The most accurate carotid artery model to date — the first to capture both the soft, low-pressure behavior and the stiff, high-pressure response of the vessel.

Built on the same principles as Fung’s law, but improved: our 2014 α–β framework fits strain energy first, then derives pressure — like how \( F = \frac{dE}{dx} \) gives the force in a spring. Here \(E\) is the strain energy — the quantity Fung’s law was originally built around. Strain energy is differentiated to give force, and in the fits below that force corresponds to pressure.

The 1987 plot below (Fung-type) fits well only at high pressures; the 2019 plot fits low pressures. Ours is the first to capture both perfectly.

#Biomechanics #ContinuumMechanics #MathematicalModeling #StrainEnergy #FungsLaw #ConstitutiveModeling #Mechanics #NSFResearch #ScienceCommunication #ArterialMechanics

Hacker NewsMay 29, 2025

Grid-Free Approach to Partial Differential Equations on Volumetric Domains [pdf]

http://rohansawhney.io/RohanSawhneyPhDThesis.pdf

#HackerNews #GridFree #PDEs #VolumetricDomains #MathematicalModeling #ComputationalPhysics

Nicolas MoirouxApr 15, 2025

📝 [Preprint] What if insecticidal bednets increased #mosquito attraction to humans? 🦟

We explored this counterintuitive effect using a transmission model for #malaria.

🧪 Available on medRxiv: https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.04.02.25325102

#mathematicalmodeling #vectorcontrol #publichealth

The potential of attractive insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) in reducing malaria transmission: a modeling study

Introduction Recent studies suggest that insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) may actively attract malaria vectors, increasing their likelihood of coming into contact with the insecticide while potentially reducing personal protection. The impact of such attractive ITN on malaria transmission at the community level remains unclear. In this study, we developed a model to compare the effectiveness of attractive, inert and deterrent ITNs under varying levels of human usage and different degrees of physiological or behavioral resistance in malaria vectors. Methods We developed a model to simulate the host-seeking, feeding and mortality (HSFM) of mosquito vectors facing ITNs. This model allows mosquitoes to choose between two rooms based on the presence and remote influence (attractive, inert or deterrent) of ITNs. The HSFM model was then integrated into a malaria transmission model to compare the Plasmodium transmission potential (average number of infectious bites that a vector is expected to give during its lifetime) of mosquitoes exposed to these different type of ITNs under various scenarios of ITN coverage, physiological resistance (reduced ITN-induced mortality), quantitative resistance (increased indoor escape behaviors), and qualitative resistance (increased spatial-temporal avoidance of ITNs). Results The model predicts that attractive ITNs consistently reduce malaria transmission potential of vectors more effectively than inert or deterrent ITNs, even in the presence of resistant vector phenotypes. For instance, at intermediate use rate (50%), strongly attractive ITNs are expected to reduce transmission by up to 67% compared to deterrent ITNs. In resistant vector populations, attractive ITNs remained more effective overall, though the reduction in transmission were less pronounced. Conclusion Our findings suggest that both inert and attractive ITNs could enhance malaria control efforts, outperforming current deterrent ITNs, even in resistant vector populations. Shifting from deterrent to inert or attractive ITNs could significantly improve vector control strategies, warranting further research and product development to fully explore and optimize this approach. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. ### Funding Statement This study did not receive any funding ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable. Yes All data produced are available online at <https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15121769> <https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15121769>

medRxiv
Matt OsmondMar 3, 2025

@HildegardUecker and I are excited to be running the second edition of our #EvolutionaryRescue workshop series at the #MaxPlanck Plön, June 30-July 3. This time the focus is on bridging theory and experiments.

Invited speakers: Helen Alexander, Lutz Becks, Robert D Holt, Laure Olazcuaga, Jitka Polechova.

Submit an abstract by March 15 and tell your friends.

More info: https://workshops.evolbio.mpg.de/event/128/

#Evolution #ecoevo #evol_gen #MathematicalModeling #MathematicalBiology

Evolutionary Rescue - bridging the gap between theory and experiments

IMPORTANT DATES Workshop: 30 June – 3 July, 2025 The workshop starts on June 30 at 5pm and ends on July 3 in the evening. Pre-school: June 29 (afternoon) & June 30, 2025 Registration deadline: 15 March, 2025 Notification of acceptance: 22 March, 2025 OVERVIEW Evolutionary rescue is a topic of great interest, from medicine to agriculture to conservation, and from natural observations to experiments to theory. In 2023, we organised a workshop on ‘Mathematical models of evolutionary rescue’. In...

Workshops MPI for Evolutionary Biology (Indico)
Jared NormanFeb 25, 2025

We're hiring a Research Officer at the Modelling and Simulation Hub, Africa (MASHA) at the beautiful University of Cape Town! Join our team and contribute to impactful research on infectious disease dynamics and control.

This is a 36-month contract position. Apply by March 7th, 2025!

https://uct.ac.za/sites/default/files/2025-02/sci-id901-ro-masha.pdf

#research #hiring #mathematicalmodeling #infectiousdiseases #Africa

https://science.uct.ac.za/masha