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The human need to find meaning in life and the human need for connection may be two sides of the same coin, a coin forged in the developmental crucible of attachment. Our need for meaningfulness can be traced to our developmental need for connection in the attachment relationship. The free energy principle dictates that in order to resist a natural tendency towards disorder self-organizing systems must generate models that predict the hidden causes of phenomenal experience. In other words, they must make sense of things. In both an evolutionary and ontogenetic sense, the narrative self develops as a model that makes sense of experience. However, the self-model skews the interpretation of experience towards that which is predictable, or already "known." One may say it causes us to "take things personally." Meaning is felt more acutely when defenses are compromised, when the narrative self is offline. This enables meaning-making that is less egocentrically motivated. Dreams, psychosis, and psychedelic states offer glimpses of how we make sense of things absent a coherent narrative self. This has implications for the way we understand such states, and lays bare the powerful reach of attachment in shaping what we experience as meaningful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The cloud computing environment is subject to unprecedented cyber‐attacks as its infrastructure and protocols may contain vulnerabilities and bugs. Among these, Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) is chosen by most cyber extortionists, creating unusual traffic that drains cloud resources, making them inaccessible to customers and end users. Hence, security solutions to combat this attack are in high demand. The existing DDoS detection techniques in literature have many drawbacks, such as overfitting, delay in detection, low detection accuracy for attacks that target multiple victims, and high False Positive Rate (FPR). In this proposed study, an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) based hybrid GBS (Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO) + Back Propagation Network (BPN) + Self Organizing Map (SOM)) Intrusion Detection System (IDS) is proposed for intrusion detection in the cloud computing environment. The base classifier, BPN, was chosen for our research after evaluating the performance of a comprehensive set of neural network algorithms on the standard benchmark UNSW‐NS 15 dataset. BPN intrusion detection performance is further enhanced by combining it with SOM and GWO. Hybrid Feature Selection (FS) is made using a correlation‐based approach and Stratified 10‐fold cross‐validation (STCV) ranking based on Weight matrix value (W). These selected features are further fine‐tuned using metaheuristic GWO hyperparameter tuning based on a fitness function. The proposed IDS technique is validated using the standard benchmark UNSW‐NS 15 dataset, which consists of 1,75,341 and 82,332 attack cases in the training and testing datasets. This study's findings demonstrate that the proposed ANN‐based hybrid GBS IDS model outperforms other existing IDS models with a higher intrusion detection accuracy of 99.40%, fewer false alarms (0.00389), less error rate (0.001), and faster prediction time (0.29 ns). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sleep control depends on a delicate interplay among brain regions. This generates a complex temporal architecture with numerous sleep-stage transitions and intermittent fluctuations to micro-states and brief arousals. These temporal dynamics exhibit hallmarks of criticality, suggesting that tuning to criticality is essential for spontaneous sleep-stage and arousal transitions. However, how the brain maintains criticality remains not understood. Here, we investigate θ- and δ-burst dynamics during the sleep–wake cycle of rats (Sprague–Dawley, adult male) with lesion in the wake-promoting locus coeruleus (LC). We show that, in control rats, θ- and δ-bursts exhibit power-law (θ-bursts, active phase) and exponential-like (δ-bursts, quiescent phase) duration distributions, as well as powerlaw long-range temporal correlations (LRTCs)—typical of non-equilibrium systems self-organizing at criticality. Furthermore, consecutive θ- and δ-bursts durations are characterized by anti-correlated coupling, indicating a new class of self-organized criticality that emerges from underlying feedback between neuronal populations and brain areas involved in generating arousals and sleep states. In contrast, we uncover that LC lesion leads to alteration of θ- and δ-burst critical features, with change in duration distributions and correlation properties, and increase in θ–δ coupling. Notably, these LC-lesion effects are opposite to those observed for lesions in the sleep-promoting ventrolateral preoptic (VLPO) nucleus. Our findings indicate that critical dynamics of θ- and δ-bursts arise from a balanced interplay of LC and VLPO, which maintains brain tuning to criticality across the sleep–wake cycle—a nonequilibrium behavior in sleep micro-architecture at short timescales that coexists with large-scale sleep–wake homeostasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantifying the properties of complex, self-organizing systems is increasingly important for understanding the development and state of modern systems. Case studies have recommended sustainability frameworks predominately in literature, but little emphasis has been placed on methodological evaluation. Data availability is often an obstacle that constrains conventional flow-based network analysis, but a novel information-based technique (QtAC) developed by zu Castell and Schrenk overcomes these constraints by modelling interactions between agents as information transfers. This study compares the QtAC method to conventional flow analysis by applying both to the same 90-year dataset containing socio-economic data from the island of Samothraki, Greece. Resilience indicators, based on Ulanowicz's ascendency analysis, are derived on both the information- and flow-based networks. We observe that the resulting dynamics of the information-based networks align closer with complex system dynamics as theorized by the adaptive cycle model. Additionally, we discuss how QtAC offers different interpretations of network indicators when compared to usual interpretations of flow analysis. Ultimately, QtAC is shown to provide an alternative for complex systems analysis if the data situation does not allow for conventional flow-analysis. Furthermore, we show that the combination of both approaches can yield valuable new insights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Does acquiring artificial intelligence (AI) technologies from the US or China render countries more authoritarian or technologically less advantageous? In this article, we explore to what extent importing AI/high-tech from the US and/or China goes parallel with importers' (a) democratization or autocratization, (b) state capacity, and (c) technological progress across a decade (2010–2020). Our work demonstrates that not only are Chinese AI/high-tech exports not congruous with importers' democratic backsliding, but autocratization attributed to Chinese AI is also visible in importers of US AI. In addition, for most indicators, we do not observe any significant effect of acquiring AI from the US or China on importers' state capacity or technological progress across the same period. Instead, we find that the story has a global inequality dimension as Chinese exports are clustered around countries with a lower GDP per capita, whereas US high-technology exports are clustered around relatively wealthier states with slightly weaker capacity over territorial control. Overall, the article empirically demonstrates the limitations of some of the prevalent policy discourses surrounding the global diffusion of AI and its contribution to democratization, state capacity, and technological development of importer nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understandings of how visual hallucinations appear have been highly influenced by generative approaches, in particular Friston's Active Inference conceptualization. Their core proposition is that these phenomena occur when hallucinatory expectations outweigh actual sensory data. This imbalance occurs as the brain seeks to minimize informational free energy, a measure of the distance between predicted and actual sensory data in a stationary open system. We review this approach in the light of old and new information on the role of environmental factors in episodic hallucinations. In particular, we highlight the possible relationship of specific visual triggers to the onset and offset of some episodes. We use an analogy from phase transitions in physics to explore factors which might account for intermittent shifts between veridical and hallucinatory vision. In these triggered forms of hallucinations, we suggest that there is a transient disturbance in the normal one-to-one correspondence between a real object and the counterpart perception such that this correspondence becomes between the real object and a hallucination. Generative models propose that a lack of information transfer from the environment to the brain is one of the key features of hallucinations. In contrast, we submit that specific information transfer is required at onset and offset in these cases. We propose that this transient one-to-one correspondence between environment and hallucination is mediated more by aberrant discriminative than by generative inference. Discriminative inference can be conceptualized as a process for maximizing shared information between the environment and perception within a self-organizing nonstationary system. We suggest that generative inference plays the greater role in established hallucinations and in the persistence of individual hallucinatory episodes. We further explore whether thermodynamic free energy may be an additional factor in why hallucinations are temporary. Future empirical research could productively concentrate on three areas. Firstly, subjective perceptual changes and parallel variations in brain function during specific transitions between veridical and hallucinatory vision to inform models of how episodes occur. Secondly, systematic investigation of the links between environment and hallucination episodes to probe the role of information transfer in triggering transitions between veridical and hallucinatory vision. Finally, changes in hallucinatory episodes over time to elucidate the role of learning on phenomenology. These empirical data will allow the potential roles of different forms of inference in the stages of hallucinatory episodes to be elucidated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

»Selbstoptimierung neu denken: Macht, Selbst und Gemeinschaft im globalen Süden«. Our objective in this article is to expand established sociological conceptualisations of self-optimisation. We do so through an analysis of the complex histories and institutional uses of self-optimisation in the Anglophone Caribbean, with a particular focus on Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. Self-optimisation, as a recent concept in sociological enquiry, has been bound up with research on therapeutic cultures in the Global Northwest and, to a significant degree, with critiques of neoliberal forms of power and governance of the self. Through two case studies, we move beyond this relatively narrow frame of reference in socio-geographic and historical terms. First, we look at the role of self-optimisation in the plantation system of economic production and political domination in colonial Jamaica. We then consider the contemporary role of discourses of entrepreneurship and self-optimisation in the organisation of gendered social inequalities in Trinidad and Tobago and the broader Caribbean. In doing so, we contribute, first, to the analysis of institutionally situated modes of subjectivity and underlying dynamics of social power in the Anglophone Caribbean. More broadly, second, we move debates on self-optimisation beyond their current focus on the Global Northwest and explore how self-optimisation may be bound up with the social, political, and economic organisation of power in the Global South. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

»Praktische Tagträume: Selbstoptimierung durch Verbraucherlebensstile in China«. The ethos of self-optimization calls on people to imagine a desirable future state of existence and to approach this desired state by adjusting aspects of their everyday lives. This ethos depends on a specific capacity for fantasy. Therefore, this article argues that the concept of self-optimization applies not only to entrepreneurial self-making but also to consumer lifestyles and that it provides a useful critical lens for investigating cultural constructions of labor, leisure, and desire. China has been depicted a place inimical to fantasy, where dreams are denied by social and political pressures. However, in today's China personal dreams symbolize modern subjectivity. Drawing on ethnographic and textual research on self-help psychology in China, this article traces links between self-optimization and various actors, including entrepreneurs, marketers, activists, and authors, who are teaching Chinese youth to craft explicit visions of their ideal life. The article contextualizes projects of self-optimization within China's exploding consumer culture, and in a society where markets are entangled with interpersonal networks and encompassed by state policies. Within these constraints, the logic of self-optimization shapes modest and often commodified pursuits of the good life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

»Selbstoptimierung über Zahlen und digitale Parameter -- Psychische Auswirkungen des digitalen Messens und Vergleichens «. The enormous increase of quantification techniques in the digital age and their expansion into all areas of life generate new mechanisms and imperatives of self-optimization through numbers and digital parameters in relation to body, work, and relationships. The paper discusses features and aporias of increasingly parametric self-optimization as well as the paradoxes of the hermeneutics of numbers that come into play in the process. With reference to case studies from the research project "The Measured Life," psychosocial and psychological meanings of digital measuring, counting, and comparing as well as the fascination for these operations are differentiated. Of central importance are the dynamics of externalizing affect or norm regulations in the context of contemporary measurement-based self-optimization. central concept of optimization of the self in relation to self-perfection and the significance of measurement in the service of parametric self-optimization in digital societies. There is also discussion of the hermeneutics of the figures relevant for self-optimization via measurement. Part 3 is devoted to a description of the study, together with exemplary findings based on brief case studies. Part 4 summarizes and concludes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

» #ActuallyAutistic: Konkurrierende Kulturen der Expertise und des Wissens in Bezug auf die Selbstdiagnose von Autismus und ADHS auf TikTok«. In recent times, the micro-video sharing platform TikTok has become extremely popular globally, especially among young people. Psychological and medical topics are among the diverse array of issues addressed on TikTok, sometimes sparking controversies over how "accurate" or helpful the information is. One such issue concerns TikTok content relating to self-diagnosis of neurodivergent conditions such as autism and ADHD. A dominant portrayal of this phenomenon focuses on the possibilities for self-optimisation such diagnoses can offer. In this article, we discuss these issues from a sociomaterial perspective, recognising the gatherings of humans, digital platforms, content, and the affective and relational connections that comprise TikTok assemblages. Digital sociology is brought together with health sociology and the sociology of diagnosis to explore how TikToks about self-diagnosis of ADHD and autism contribute to broader discourses and practices related to self-optimisation. In particular, the socioeconomic and cultural dimensions of health and identity issues on TikTok are highlighted. We delve into the contestations over power and authority as they receive expression both in Tik- Toks and off the platform in medical/"psy" apparatuses of expertise. In so doing, both the possibilities and the limitations for digitised and algorithmic self-optimisation related to self-diagnosis via digital media are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

»Seelische Gesundheit und Erfolg, Glück und Tugend: Eine Kritik gelenkter Selbstoptimierung in der missionarischen Positiven Psychologie und Psychotherapie«. Positive Psychology (PP) and the closely related Positive Psychotherapy (PPT) are established in various countries. This article is dedicated to the central principles and axioms, concepts, findings, and ambitions of PP and PPT. This is done with critical intent. It is argued that focussing on the so-called "positive" has more than just theoretical and methodological deficits. PP and PPT are also deconstructed as an ideological and missionary worldview that propagates a "new human being." PP and PPT are currently among the strongest drivers of scientifically guided and animated self-optimisation in several institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

»Von der Selbstoptimierung zum Minimalismus - und zurück. Die Versprechen und Praktiken des Fastens in Frankreich«. This article is based on a research project about fasting, an ancient practice that is gaining popularity in France due to its potential benefits for well-being, health, and weight loss. This quest for less seems therefore to meet the neoliberal logic of performance. As such, we consider it to be an original form of self-optimization that would consist in doing more with less. Our paper shows that fasting is not only about maximizing the use of the body but also a means of self-management that can promote greater food reflexivity and even lead to lifestyle changes. The material collected combines an analysis of claims made in favor of fasting on the internet, as well as on smartphone apps, and a qualitative study conducted on people who engage in the practice (intermittent or periodic fasting). Two main findings emerged from this research. Firstly, the trajectories that led the interviewees to fasting show that engagement into this "dietary minimalism" requires to distance oneself from dietary norms and, for some, implies a phenomenon of social distinction. Next, the analysis of both purported benefits and concrete practices reveals the importance of the processual dimension: fasting seems to trigger a deconstruction of the everyday through the experience of less. Finally, food and eating appears to be a particular focal point for self-optimization that then could spill over into other areas. As an initial trial, it can open up other methods of optimization and other forms of simplification: "fasting begets fasting." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

»Selbstoptimierung und das technologisch vermittelte Selbst: Über die Ausbalancierung von Selbstfürsorge und Selbstbeherrschung«. This paper presents an analysis of technologically mediated self-relations that materialise in the use of self-tracking (ST) devices and data to monitor and track one's bodily, emotional, habitual, or productivity-related aspects. Based on ethnographical research and postphenomenological framing, two analytical concepts are employed: self-care and self-control. While seemingly opposed, both simultaneously appear and co-exist in ST practices that transcend mere self-optimisation. The dialectic interplay between self-control and self-care provides uncertainty-reducing confirmation of prior hunches, emotionally relieving reminders and algorithmic recommendations, detailed data that might be helpful in the future for pattern recognition or treatments, and an orientation that offers safety with regard to current and future decisions. Self-tracking technologies can be seen as assisting selfand life-regulation that can ultimately support personal balance and harmony. The article contributes theoretically to ST literature by extending the concept of self-optimisation to include the balancing of needs and desires between self-responsibility and gratification, goal-tracking and self-affirmation, discipline and letting go. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

»Self-tracking als diätetische Praktik«. Modern social theories often treat digital self-tracking as a form of self-optimisation that is considered paradigmatic for a contemporary society oriented towards rationalisation, continuous achievement of goals, and quantitative growth. This paper aims to complement this perspective by analysing specific digital self-tracking practices as a dietetic form of self-optimisation. Dietetics is a millennia-old therapeutic concept that can be characterized by at least three features: (1) a logic of balance, (2) striving for wholeness, and (3) the centeredness of the individual. Against this background, I analyse practices of sleep and diet tracking as dietetic variants of self-optimisation. Corresponding self-tracking practices aim, for example, at achieving balanced insulin levels or continuous deep sleep. These practices thus are considered optimised when they continuously reproduce an individually targeted functioning routine. In these cases, digital self-tracking as a form of self-optimisation is aimed less at a logic of rationalisation and more at an individual, comprehensive ensemble for maintaining the right balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

»CrossFit und Selbstoptimierung in der Populärliteratur zu Cross- Fit«. CrossFit is one of the fastest growing fitness phenomena of the last decade. Considered the largest fitness business today, CrossFit's widespread popularity has attracted increasing interest from a variety of disciplines. Despite this burgeoning scholarly attention, few analyses have focused on examining CrossFit's discourse of self-optimization and the role it plays in shaping the ideal image of the CrossFitter. The present paper addresses this question by examining the popular literature on CrossFit using a Critical Discourse Approach (CDA). Findings reveal CrossFit's understanding of self-optimization as a polyhedral and demanding process that goes beyond physical discipline to encompass all facets of the self. Five main themes of self-optimization are identified in the popular CrossFit literature: 1) failure and weakness, 2) pain and constant preparedness, 3) integral selfwork and passionate commitment, 4) constant self-improvement, and 5) community support. Drawing on previous research on the topic, the paper also reflects on the relationship between CrossFit and neoliberalism, suggesting CrossFit as a fertile ground for the humanities and social sciences to further explore the intersections between the fields of health, sport, self-optimization, and identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

»Dynamiken der Selbstoptimierung: Eine Einführung«. This introduction explores the increasing pervasiveness of discourses and practices of selfoptimisation in present-day societies. These are evident in activities such as self-tracking, fitness training, cosmetic surgery, neuroenhancement, or the consumption of nutritional supplements. The growing appeal and diffusion of these various practices testifies to the overall cultural attraction of self-optimisation, which is a multifaceted phenomenon. Against the dominant interpretation of self-optimisation as mainly driven by the logic of maximisation and growth, we argue that it can also be about minimalism or balance. At the same time, self-optimisation is strongly connected to dynamics of power and social inequality, potentially reinforcing existing social inequalities and creating new forms of domination and control. The paper starts by charting the existing research and theoretical approaches to self-optimisation, presents the contributions to the special issue, addresses a set of key domains of self-optimisation (therapeutic culture, health and well-being, digital technologies, work, and economy), and finally draws conclusions and suggests some avenues for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The invention of 3D atomic force microscopy (3D‐AFM) has enabled visualizing subnanoscale 3D hydration structures. Meanwhile, its applications to imaging flexible molecular chains have started to be experimentally explored. However, the validity and principle of such imaging have yet to be clarified by comparing experiments and simulations or cross‐observations with an alternative technique. Such studies are impeded by the lack of an appropriate model. Here, this difficulty is overcome by fabricating 3D carbon nanotube (CNT) structures flexible enough for 3D‐AFM, large enough for scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and simple enough for simulations. SEM and 3D‐AFM observations of the same model provide unambiguous evidence to support the possibility of imaging overlapped nanostructures, such as suspended CNT and underlying platinum (Pt) nanodots. Langevin dynamics simulations of such 3D‐AFM imaging clarify the imaging mechanism, where the flexible CNT is laterally displaced to allow the AFM probe access to the underlying structures. These results consistently show that 3D‐AFM images are affected by the friction between the CNT and AFM nanoprobe, yet it can be significantly suppressed by oscillating the cantilever. This study reinforces the theoretical basis of 3D‐AFM for imaging various 3D self‐organizing systems in diverse fields, from life sciences to interface sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A key feature of many developmental systems is their ability to self-organize spatial patterns of functionally distinct cell fates. To ensure proper biological function, such patterns must be established reproducibly, by controlling and even harnessing intrinsic and extrinsic fluctuations. While the relevant molecular processes are increasingly well understood, we lack a principled framework to quantify the performance of such stochastic self-organizing systems. To that end, we introduce an information-theoretic measure for self-organized fate specification during embryonic development. We show that the proposed measure assesses the total information content of fate patterns and decomposes it into interpretable contributions corresponding to the positional and correlational information. By optimizing the proposed measure, our framework provides a normative theory for developmental circuits, which we demonstrate on lateral inhibition, cell type proportioning, and reaction-diffusion models of selforganization. This paves a way toward a classification of developmental systems based on a common information-theoretic language, thereby organizing the zoo of implicated chemical and mechanical signaling processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "Embodied Psi: The Next Turn in Parapsychology" explores the challenges of providing scientific evidence for paranormal phenomena in parapsychology. It argues that traditional scientific criteria are not suitable for studying these phenomena, as they do not consider the entanglement and embodiment of psychophysical systems. The article introduces the Model of Pragmatic Information (MPI) as a framework that acknowledges the limitations and uncertainties in studying paranormal phenomena. It also discusses the concept of embodied psi and its implications for parapsychology research, suggesting that traditional experimental settings may not be appropriate and proposing a new approach that focuses on studying psi in real-world situations. The article also considers the role of the experimenter in the elusive nature of psi phenomena, rather than attributing it to supernatural entities. [Extracted from the article]

With the continuous development and progress of wireless self-organizing network communication technology, how to carry out long-distance cooperative control of multiple intelligences under the framework of an air–ground integrated wireless high-mobility self-organizing network has become a hot and difficult topic that needs to be solved urgently. This paper takes the air–ground integrated wireless high-mobility self-organizing network system as the basic framework and focuses on solving the long-distance cooperative fault-tolerant control of multi-intelligent bodies and the topological stability of a wireless mobile self-organizing network. To solve the above problems, a direct neural network with a robust adaptive fault-tolerant controller is designed in this paper. By constructing a symmetric population neural network model and combining it with the Lyapunov stabilization criterion, the system feedback matrix K has the ability of autonomous adaptive learning, and symmetrically distorts, rotates, or scales the training data to instantly adjust the system's fault-tolerant corrections and adaptive adjusting factors to resist the unknown disturbances and faults, to achieve the goals of multi-intelligent body stable control and the stable operation of a wireless high-mobility self-organizing network topology. Simulation results show that with the feedback adjustment of the multi-system under the designed controller, the multi-system as a whole has good fault-tolerant performance and autonomous learning approximation performance, and the tracking error asymptotically converges to zero. The experimental results show that the multi-flight subsystems fly stably, the air–ground integrated wireless high-mobility self-organizing network topology has good stability performance, and the maximum relative improvement of the topology stability performance is 50%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we address the following question: How can multi-robot self-organizing systems be designed so that they show the desired behavior and are able to perform tasks specified by the designers? Multi-robot self-organizing systems, e.g., swarm robots, have great potential for adapting when performing complex tasks in a changing environment. However, such systems are difficult to design due to the stochasticity of system performance and the non-linearity between the local actions/interaction and the desired global behavior. In order to address this, in this paper, we propose a framework for designing self-organizing systems using Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning (MARL) and the compromise Decision-Support Problem (cDSP) construct. The proposed framework consists of two stages, namely, preliminary design followed by design improvement. In the preliminary design stage, MARL is used to help designers train the robots so that they show stable group behavior for performing the task. In the design improvement stage, the cDSP construct is used to explore the design space and identify satisfactory solutions considering several performance indicators. Surrogate models are used to map the relationship between local parameters and global performance indicators utilizing the data generated in the preliminary design. These surrogate models represent the goals of the cDSP. Our focus in this paper is to describe the framework. A multi-robot box-pushing problem is used as an example to test the framework's efficacy. This framework is general and can be extended to design other multi-robot self-organizing systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deploying self‐organizing systems is a way to cope with the logistics sector's complex, dynamic, and stochastic nature. In such systems, automated decision‐making and decentralized or distributed control structures are combined. Such control structures reduce the complexity of decision‐making, require less computational effort, and are therefore faster, reducing the risk that changes during decision‐making render the solution invalid. These benefits of self‐organizing systems are of interest to many practitioners involved in solving real‐world problems in the logistics sector. This study, therefore, identifies and classifies research related to self‐organizing logistics (SOL) with a focus on transportation. SOL is an interdisciplinary study across many domains and relates to other concepts, such as agent‐based systems, autonomous control, and decentral systems. Yet, few papers directly identify this as self‐organization. Hence, we add to the existing literature by conducting a systematic literature review that provides insight into the field of SOL. The main contribution of this paper is two‐fold: (i) based on the findings from the literature review, we identify and synthesize 15 characteristics of SOL in a typology, and (ii) we present a two‐dimensional SOL framework alongside the axes of autonomy and cooperativity to position and contrast the broad range of literature, thereby creating order in the field of SOL and revealing promising research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing personalized product demands bring reformation to the manufacturing paradigm. Traditional manufacturing systems seldom analyze and give feedback on the data collected during production. The bottleneck between the physical and digital worlds of manufacturing systems is the lack of interoperability. In this paper, a digital twin-based self-organizing manufacturing system (DT-SOMS) is presented under the individualization paradigm. On the basis of the interconnection between smart workpieces and smart resources via decentralized digital twin models, a decentralized self-organizing network is established to achieve intelligent collaboration between tasks and resources. The mechanism of job-machine optimal assignment and adaptive optimization control is constructed to improve the capabilities of reconfiguration and responsiveness of the DT-SOMS. An implement case is designed to illustrate that the proposed DT-SOMS can realize synchronized online intelligence in the configuration of resources and response to disturbances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper summarizes and reviews Chemical Organization Theory (COT), a formalism for the analysis of complex, self-organizing systems across multiple disciplines. Its elements are resources and reactions. A reaction maps a set of resources onto another set, thus representing an elementary process that transforms resources into new resources. Reaction networks self-organize into invariant subnetworks, called 'organizations', which are attractors of their dynamics. These are characterized by closure (no new resources are added) and self-maintenance (no existing resources are lost). Thus, they provide a simple model of autopoiesis: the organization persistently recreates its own components. The resilience of organizations in the face of perturbations depends on properties such as the size of their basin of attraction and the redundancy of their reaction pathways. Application domains of COT include the origin of life, systems biology, cognition, ecology, Gaia theory, sustainability, consciousness, and social systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Repeating patterns of synovial joints are a highly conserved feature of articulated digits, with variations in joint number and location resulting in diverse digit morphologies and limb functions across the tetrapod clade. During the development of the amniote limb, joints form iteratively within the growing digit ray, as a population of distal progenitors alternately specifies joint and phalanx cell fates to segment the digit into distinct elements. While numerous molecular pathways have been implicated in this fate choice, it remains unclear how they give rise to a repeating pattern. Here, using single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial gene expression profiling, we investigate the transcriptional dynamics of interphalangeal joint specification in vivo. Combined with mathematical modeling, we predict that interactions within the BMP signaling pathway—between the ligand GDF5, the inhibitor NOGGIN, and the intracellular effector pSMAD—result in a self-organizing Turing system that forms periodic joint patterns. Our model is able to recapitulate the spatiotemporal gene expression dynamics observed in vivo, as well as phenocopy digit malformations caused by BMP pathway perturbations. By contrasting in silico simulations with in vivo morphometrics of two morphologically distinct digits, we show how changes in signaling parameters and growth dynamics can result in variations in the size and number of phalanges. Together, our results reveal a self-organizing mechanism that underpins amniote digit segmentation and its evolvability and, more broadly, illustrate how Turing systems based on a single molecular pathway may generate complex repetitive patterns in a wide variety of organisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To profile the participants using a system of self-organizing maps (SOM) based on their motor and cognitive performance during a dual-task version of the Canadian Agility and Movement Skill Assessment (Cognitive CAMSA). Methods: A total of 169 secondary school students (39.3% girls) volunteered to participate. The original CAMSA, cognitive CAMSA, the Corsi and Digit Span tests were used to assess (a) motor competence, (b) motor competence with cognitive load, and (c) cognitive performance, respectively. SOMs and the k-means clustering algorithm were used to establish the adolescents’ dual-task performance profiles. Results: Including decision making based on verbal and visual cues in the original CAMSA significantly increased the participants’ total scores but also the time required to complete the test, while the skill score remained unchanged. However, not all the participants showed changes in their performance in the same direction during the cognitive CAMSA. Person-centered analyses by SOMs and k-means clustering identified six performance profiles with variations in the cognitive, motor skill, and time scores (H5 = 146.15, H5 = 102.68, and H5 = 108.07, respectively; all p < 0.01). Conclusion: The cognitive CAMSA was shown to be a feasible field-motor test for assessing motor competence with a cognitive load in an ecological setting. Some of the profiles identified in the SOM approach represented adolescents with similar motor and cognitive performance in dual-task or single-task contexts, although other participants obtained high motor competence in single and dual-tasking while their cognitive performance declined or rose more in dual-task than in single task situations. The cognitive CAMSA emerges as a tool of great potential, applicable in educational and sports environments, to know subjects’ characteristics and try to individualize the interventions accordingly with their dual-task profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an established idea – found in science fiction, architectural studios, and scientific papers alike – of stainable buildings crafted from bio-based materials, colonized by plant and animal life, and blending seamlessly into the natural surroundings. Such buildings might one day be built, maintained and remodelled by swarms of autonomous robots, allowing them to evolve in response to the changing needs of their inhabitants. Inspired by that vision, this paper contributes to the field of swarm intelligence with a focus on robotic construction and human-swarm interaction. Along with a short literature review on robotic building, swarm intelligence and biocompatible building materials, the paper presents an open-source simulation of abstracted termite-like swarm construction. The focus is mainly on human-swarm interaction, specifically how to influence the emergent behaviour of an autonomous swarm in order to elicit a desired outcome while retaining the robustness and adaptability of a self-organized system. The simulator is used to demonstrate a set of four autonomous swarm behaviours that are representative of construction tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented which discusses articles on several topics including Samuel Taylor Coleridge's response to the Catholic Emancipation Bill, Harriet Stowe's narrative of slavery's temporality in "Uncle Tom's Cabin," and Henry James's exploration of self in "The Portrait of a Lady."

Mario Carpo's book, "Beyond Digital: Design and Automation at the End of Modernity," challenges the traditional narrative of digital architecture by proposing that the future of the field lies in the collaborative use of robots and artificial intelligence for socially and environmentally conscious design. Carpo explores the historical development of digital architecture, from computer-aided design to algorithmic techniques, and examines the limitations of the current approach to digital architecture, which he argues is hindered by its scientific managerial traits. The book also discusses the "new science" of complexity and its influence on architectural research. While the book offers valuable insights and alternative paths for computational design, it leaves important questions unanswered, such as the politics of computational design and the impact of data-intensive computational methods. A critical engagement with digital architecture requires a deeper understanding of the sociotechnical aspects of design and computation. [Extracted from the article]

Satya Priya Moulik, a distinguished surface chemist, passed away in July 2024. Moulik was born in 1936 in Barisal district, pre-independent East Bengal, and later settled in Kolkata. He earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Calcutta University and conducted extensive research in surface science, particularly in surfactant systems. Moulik published numerous research articles and played a significant role in establishing the Centre for Surface Science at Jadavpur University. He was also involved in organizing national and international seminars and conferences. Moulik's death is deeply mourned by his colleagues, friends, students, and family. [Extracted from the article]

This paper introduces a novel approach for improving gas source localization in dynamic urban environments, employing a swarm of nano-Crazyflie drones through a hybrid strategy that integrates Adaptive Robotic Particle Swarm Optimization (ARPSO) with Bidirectional Brain Emotional Learning (BBEL). The proposed method refines the ARPSO algorithm into two phases: an initial exploration phase and a subsequent seeking phase. The exploration phase activates when no gas is detected, seamlessly transitioning to the seeking phase upon gas detection. This facilitates efficient information exchange and desired velocity generation within the particle swarm. During the seeking phase, particles conduct measurements, share the global best position, intelligently navigate obstacles, and avoid collisions while directly identifying the global concentration field maximum. Unlike conventional methods, the ARPSO algorithm autonomously adapts its parameters online, mitigating algorithmic failures and local optima challenges. It also considers the limited communication of robots in complex environments, a factor often overlooked in recent methods. To enhance plume tracking robustness, facilitate the controller gain tuning process, and ensure system resilience against environmental disturbances and uncertainties, the BBEL method incorporates a sophisticated fuzzy neural network structure with reinforcement learning-based adaptation mechanisms. The stability of the closed-loop control system is rigorously proven using Lyapunov theory. Numerical simulations in complex urban scenarios validate the algorithm's effectiveness, showcasing a significant 20% improvement in turnaround time and a flawless 100% success rate with no collisions, in addition to enhanced capabilities in handling uncertainties and disturbances compared to benchmarks like ARPSO-BBEL with unlimited communication range and no delayed communications (ARPSO-BBELU), Sniffy Bug (SB)-BBELU, and ARPSO-PIDU. • Present an adaptive robotic particle swarm method for localizing the gas source. • Propose a flocking model to keep robots closer and collect gas information more precisely. • Add a robust, adaptive BBEL algorithm for tuning controllers and handling swarm uncertainties. • Evaluate our algorithm with multiple obstacles and limited communication resources. • Benchmark our algorithm in a comparative study against other strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The isolated approaching of physical, neural and mental states and the binary classification into stable traits and fluctuating states previously lead to a limited understanding concerning underlying processes and possibilities to explain, measure and regulate neural and mental performance along with the interaction of mental states and neurocognitive traits. In this article these states are integrated by i) differentiating the model of the brain as a complex, self-organizing system, ii) showing possibilities to measure this model, iii) offering a classification of mental states and iv) presenting a holistic operationalization of state regulations and trait trainings to enhance neural and mental high-performance on a macro- and micro scale. This model integrates current findings from the theory of constructed emotions, the theory of thousand brains and complex systems theory and yields several testable hypotheses to provide an integrated reference frame for future research and applied target points to regulate and enhance performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Spool CpA #6 issue on Human-Robot Interaction for Carbon-free Architecture reviews current tendencies in autonomous construction and human-robotic interaction in architecture. It aims at affirming and/or challenging research agendas in the domain of architectural robots and attempts to answer questions about (i) the fundamental framing of post-carbon autonomous construction, (ii) the interdependencies between machines, humans, and materials, and (iii) the different imple-mentation timeframes ranging from continuous transformation to leapfrogging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical compartments are essential for the origin of life. While lipid vesicles are commonly regarded as precursors of cell membranes, we propose a simpler and more primitive model based on proteinoids. Proteinoids are macromolecules formed by the thermal polymerization of amino acids, mimicking primitive proteins. They self-assemble into spherical microspheres in water. Under a temperature gradient, proteinoid microspheres (PM) dissolve and flow, forming microcapsules with thin shells. The mechanism of this process has not yet been elucidated. We hypothesize that it involves the interplay between the dissolution and flow of PM. We tested our hypothesis by applying forced flow to the PM and observing capsule formation. We found that neither heat nor flow alone can produce capsules, confirming our hypothesis. We conclude that flow-induced capsule formation is a general phenomenon and a plausible model for the origin of physical compartments in early life. • The factor of encapsulation is the interaction between the dissolution of microspheres by heat and flow. • Capsules are not formed by heat or flow alone, nor by simple dissolution and precipitation. • The movement of flow is indispensable for compartment formation and plays an important role in the origin of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitigating environmental degradation requires major innovations in environmental sustainability practices. An innovative approach for organizations to achieve sustainability objectives involves the utilization of self-organizing and self-optimizing systems integrated with digital technologies, referred to as 'digital green fusion'. In our study, we utilize the natural resource-based view as a theoretical framework to elucidate the mechanism of digital green fusion. We also examine digital-enabled green practice (DEG) and green-oriented digital practice (GED) as two key facilitators that provide avenues for organizations to enhance sustainable performance under institutional pressures. We conducted a survey involving 220 Chinese firms, followed by the utilization of hierarchical regression analysis to evaluate the proposed hypotheses. Our empirical findings from this sample of 220 Chinese firms reveal that regulatory and competitive pressure are positively associated with DEG and GED, while customer pressure does not exhibit a significant relationship. Besides, both DEG and GED exhibits noteworthy positive associations with sustainable performance. Our contribution to the field of sustainable development lies in revealing the digital green fusion mechanism, as well as elucidating its drivers and impacts. Additionally, our findings hold significant implications for both business organizations and governmental bodies in terms of realizing the sustainability within the broader context of the ongoing digital transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we address the following question: How can self-organizing system designers steer the system towards expected global behaviors that satisfy multiple conflicting performance indicators? Self-organizing systems (SOS) have advantages in performing tasks in exploratory and hazardous domains that are not suitable for humans. The design of the SOS is however difficult because negative emergence with unwanted behaviors is likely to happen and multiple conflicting performance indicators need to be considered. To address this challenge, in this paper, we propose an SOS design method using surrogate models and the compromise Decision Support Problem (cDSP) construct. Surrogate models are used to capture the relationship between low-level rules or parameters and high-level emerging system performance. And the cDSP construct is used to explore "good enough" solutions (characterized by rule adoption rates) while managing the trade-offs among conflicting performance indicators. The efficacy of the proposed method is illustrated using a multi-agent box-pushing problem in the Webots simulation environment. It is shown in the results that our method leads to a 6.9% improvement in time efficiency, an 8.4% improvement in energy efficiency, and 26.2% in system reliability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]