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The development index (DI) of a region is defined by various elements such as geography, population density, gross domestic product (GDP), GDP per capita, natural resources, markets, economic development, and other relevant factors. The traditional approach to classification usually depends on the country’s total land area measured in square kilometers. Nevertheless, the transition points between different levels of development size (small, medium, and giant) are highly subjective, resulting in frequent inconsistencies and conflicts. Fuzzy logic, a superset of conventional (Boolean) logic, extends the framework to include partial truth values, ranging from “fully true” to “totally false”. This development is especially essential since human reasoning, particularly commonsense reasoning, is approximate rather than precise. This study offers a model that uses fuzzy logic and the Mamdani fuzzy inference system (MFIS) to evaluate nine main cities in Pakistan based on their populations (POPs), gross domestic products (GDPs), and literacy rates (LR). The model includes variables for the antecedents (inputs) and the consequences (outputs). The input variables are the population (POP), GDP, and LR, while the output variable is the DI. The MFIS is used with Python programming tools, including the scikit-fuzzy library for inference and aggregation and matplotlib for graphics.

A simple two-dimensional system is introduced which suggests a qualitative dynamical relationship between (1) stock market prices in the presence of nonlinear trend-followers and nonlinear value investors, (2) the world human population with a competition between a population-dependent growth rate and a nonlinear dependence on a finite carrying capacity and (3) the failure of materials subjected to a time-varying stress with a competition between positive geometrical feedback on the damage variable and nonlinear healing. Our model keeps three key ingredients (inertia, nonlinear positive and negative feedbacks) that compete to give rise to singularities in finite time decorated by accelerating oscillations.

An evolutionary model based on bit-strings with intelligence is set up in this paper. In this model, gene is divided into two parts which relative to health and intelligence. The accumulated intelligence influences the survival process by the effect of food and space restrictions. We modify the Verhulst factor to study this effect. Both asexual and sexual model are discussed in this paper. The results show that after many time steps, stability is reached and the population self-organizes, just like the standard Penna model. The intelligence made the equilibrium to be reached larger both in asexual model and sexual model. Compared with asexual model the population size fluctuates more strongly in the sexual model.

This paper describes an evolutionary model based on sexual Penna model and shape space model with infection and immunity. Each individual is represented by Penna model with an immune system. In order to study how the infection and immunity influence the survival process, we modify the Verhulst factor. Then, we present the results of our simulations, and discuss the evolution of population and the effect of immunity respectively. In addition, we study the effect of the memory of the immune system and the effect of vaccination under different conditions.

Two models of population growth, without and with competitive and beneficial interaction between populations, are applied to analyze the evolution of populations and subpopulations relative to the world average. Norway’s population grows less than the world average. Applying the least squares method against the 1970–2018 empirics, the model predicts that Norway’s immigrants grow exponentially, exceeding 50% of Norway’s 2053 population. Other effects may influence the growth dynamics in the near future, causing different outcomes. The logistic interactive model quantifies the beneficial impact of nonimmigrants on immigrants. South Africa’s population grows more than the world average. South Africa’s white population grows mostly convexly, and similarly to the world average during 1950–1975. After a maximum in 1995, approximately zero growth occurs toward 2018. The logistic interactive model estimates increase of the white population toward a maximum, and thereafter slight decrease toward a horizontal asymptote. The model estimates beneficial impact from the white population on South Africa’s nonwhite population, and competitive opposite impact. Zimbabwe’s population also grows more than the world average. Zimbabwe’s white population grows more than the world average during 1950–1975, and thereafter decreases abruptly and asymptotically toward zero. The implication is overall negative growth during 1950–2018. Assuming different parameter values for 1950–1974 and 1975–2018, the logistic interactive model implies better curve fitting due to allowing the two populations to impact each other competitively or beneficially.

Characteristics of female and male visitors to practitioners of acupuncture were investigated in a large cross-sectional adult population in Central Norway. A total population health survey, HUNT3, conducted in 2008 with 50,827 respondents provided the data. Demographic variables, lifestyle, health, and use of conventional medicine were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression models. The one year prevalence of visiting a practitioner of acupuncture was 5.7% for females and 2.2% for males. Visitors of both genders were five times more likely to have had somatic complaints in the preceding year and were 2–3 times more likely to report poor global health than female or male non-visitors. Also, visitors of both genders were more likely to do hard physical activities every week, and they were less likely to live alone or be daily smokers. Further, female visitors were characterized by having higher education and were more likely to have a paid job than other females. Corresponding differences were not seen among males. Age showed limited associations with being a visitor, and for females only. Valid for both genders, our findings draw a picture of visitors to acupuncture treatment as persons who actively contribute to promoting their health through lifestyle choices of physical activity and non-smoking while simultaneously having worse global health and higher burdens of somatic complaints than other adults. In contrast to males, it is suggested that females may be more dependent on personal income, as indicated by higher education and being in a paid job, in choosing acupuncture treatment in addition to conventional medicine.

The phenomenon of terrorism has riveted world's unwavering attention since 9/11. The underlying study investigates the determinants of terrorism in the South Asian region. Applying negative binomial regression, the study finds that both political structure and economic conditions are responsible for terrorism. On the economic front, relative deprivation represented by income disparity is the major cause of terrorism. On the other hand, deprivation of the people of their political rights and civil liberties, exhibited by political repression, compels them to be involved in terrorist activities. Our findings illustrates that high literacy rate is one of the foremost reason for terrorism in the region.

The trajectory of Singapore's population size and composition can be mapped out with its progression through the various phases of demographic transition from high birth and death rates in the post-war years to very low birth and death rates today, all within the context of rapid economic and social development that has taken place in the past 50 years. Population planning has been integral in Singapore's national development strategy, balancing the economy's needs for more and better qualified workers with social considerations such as the dependency burden and the integration of large numbers of foreigners in a global city-state. This paper considers Singapore's population and manpower planning policies, with an account of the country's passage through the various stages of its demographic transition, and how its working age population composition has evolved. Population and labor force policies are examined with specific consideration of the social, economic and political implications resulting from those policy choices. A final section considers the challenges for the future stemming from these demographic trends.

Decreasing thermal diffusivity of YSZ can increase the thermal barrier effect. Thermal diffusivity is in direct proportion to lattice oscillation amplitude and frequency. The addition of rare earth oxide into YSZ may induce the lattice distortion, which will result in the change of lattice oscillation frequency. In the present work, combined with the experiment, a theoretical study was proposed to investigate the effect of the rare earth elements on the thermal barrier effect of YSZ using first-principal calculations implemented CASTEP program. It has been found that the addition of the rear earth element can make larger lattice distortion and favorable to reduce the thermal conductivity. The calculation results are in agreement with our experimental results.

Many compartment based epidemiological models are written as differential equation systems for various status subpopulation sizes with per person-time transfer rates between compartments. However, field data obtained by sampling at chosen times is usually provided in terms of status proportions from the total observable population (e.g., relative prevalence). Relationships between per person-time transfer rates (incidence, mortality, intervention rates) and proportions are not obvious when heterogeneity is at work because the various subpopulation sizes undergo different attrition rates and are not evolving in synchrony with the corresponding proportions. Rules are proposed to write sets of differential equations for compartment models, directly in terms of the proportions of the total observable at any time. To facilitate the writing of relationships between per person-time transfer rates and proportions, the systems are cast in network equivalent forms satisfying rules analogous to those of electrical networks (Kirchhoff's law for currents). The method is also extended to variability in the rates within a status subpopulation, considering either a fixed set of compartmental subdivisions or an inner continuum of differences in rates.

In this paper, a nonlinear mathematical model to study the effect of environmental pollution on resource biomass and human populations is proposed and analyzed. In modeling the system, it is considered that there is a limited budget to be spent on environmental cleanup and health policies. An optimal investment policy is also discussed using Pontryagin's Maximum Principle.

Natural disasters — earthquakes, hurricanes and other storms — cause substantial property damage and loss of life in many parts of the world. The relative infrequency and importance of extreme cases leads to a preferential use of simulation models over historical statistical/actuarial models in studying the impact of such catastrophes on insurance systems. Given the increasing awareness of the highly intermittent nature of geophysical phenomena, modelers need to revisit their assumptions not only of the geophysical fields, but also of the geographical distribution of insured property as well. This paper explores the distribution of insured property through the lens of multifractal theory.

Purpose: The knowledge of the normal geometrical characteristics of the proximal humerus is crucial to the success of its arthroplasty. This important information, is however, limited for the South African population. Therefore, this study investigates the three-dimensional morphometric parameters, specifically examining the intra-ancestral differences within the South African population. Methods: With the aid of geometry extraction techniques, various morphometric characteristics were measured on South African cadaveric humeri originating from three ethnicities including whites, blacks, and mixed in the ratio 1:2:4. Results: There is a significant mean difference in humeral head diameter between blacks and whites and between mixed and whites with a mean difference of $-$4.86, 95% CI ($-9.40$, $-0.32$) and $-4.50$, 95% CI ($-8.56$, $-0.44$), respectively. Similarly, for articular surface diameter, a significant mean difference of $-4.58$, 95% CI ($-9.10$, $-0.0646$) and $-4.32$, 95% CI ($-8.36$, $-0.2854$) were recorded between blacks and whites and between mixed and whites, respectively. Conclusion: The outcome of our study showed that the shape of the South African proximal humerus varies distinctively within the different ethnicities that were measured. The findings from this study may provide the data required to design and develop a new shoulder implant appropriate for South African patients.

Global Academic-Industry Partnership in Translational Research.

U.S. and Korean Research Institutes Combine Expertise in Viral Infectivity Analysis.

INDONESIA – Biomed Analysis: Indonesia needs a central science fund.

KOREA – Agilent Technologies helps City of Daegu and Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology search for biomarkers for neurological diseases.

SINGAPORE – New S$6.5m facility at NTU by SCELSE and Carl Zeiss to boost used water treatment and environmental life sciences engineering research in Singapore.

SINGAPORE – Chugai expands in Singapore with opening of second satellite research institute.

SINGAPORE – Rising Above the Present into the Next-Generation.

SINGAPORE – Austrianova Singapore announces new pancreatic cancer models.

SINGAPORE – IBN and Fortis Colorectal Hospital establish tissue bank for colorectal cancer research.

SINGAPORE – Electronic medical records progress from an enterprise-centric solution to a customer-specific application, finds Frost & Sullivan.

SINGAPORE – Global perspectives on Health IT from Harvard Medical School thought leader, Dr Blackford Middleton.

AUSTRALIA – World's first fluorescent flowers.

UNITED KINGDOM – AbD Serotec introduces bovine and ovine Dendritic Cell Growth Kits and antibodies.

USA – Medicago Successfully Completes the Production of More Than Ten Million Doses of H1N1 VLP Influenza Vaccine in One Month.

USA – Research validates BioNano genomics' mapping platform for complex human genome analysis.

USA – Nine population strategies to stop short of 9 billion.

USA – Virtual science libraries to be launched in Central Asia.

USA – Vaginal ring may help reduce HIV infections.

Current and Emerging Diagnostic and Therapeutic Developments in Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD).

International Collaborative Research Program focusing on Aging.

Anterior Segment Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography (OCTA).

Clinical Trials in our Real World.

Ophthalmology Workforce Planning and Projection – A New Integrated Approach.

The following topics are under this section:

• The Science of Healthy Ageing
• Precision medicine in oncology: charting advancements and next steps in Asia

The global stability of a nonlinear discrete population model of Volterra type is studied. The model incorporates time delays. By linearization of the model at positive solutions and construction of Liapunov functionals, sufficient conditions are obtained to ensure that a positive solution of the model is stable and attracts all positive solutions. An example shows the feasibility of our main results.

We consider the Leslie’s prey–predator model with discrete time. This model is given by a nonlinear evolution operator depending on five parameters. We show that this operator has two fixed points and define type of each fixed point depending on the parameters. Finding two invariant sets of the evolution operator, we study the dynamical systems generated by the operator on each invariant set. Depending on the parameters, we classify the dynamics between a predator and a prey of the Leslie’s model.

A mathematical model is presented here to investigate the effects of environmental pollution, intensified by urbanization, on the density of human population. Here, urbanization is assumed to grow with constant rate and also, induced through growing population and the corresponding population pressure. The model analysis, qualitatively and numerically, show that though the growth of population or population pressure is responsible for the growing urbanization, but for very large increase of urbanization, the population may not survive in the long run due to environmental pollution driven by urbanization.