In this article we briefly summarize how converging technologies challenge elements of the existing symbolic order, as shown in the contributions to this special issue. We then identify the vision of 'life as a do it yourself kit' as a common denominator in the various forms of convergence and proceed to show how this vision provokes unrest and debate about existing moral frameworks and taboos....

We introduce a new graph operator, called the weak factor graph, which is close to the well-known clique-graph operator but which rather operates in terms of bicliques in a multipartite graph, and we address the problem of the convergence of the series of graphs obtained by the iterative application of this operator. As for the clique-graph operator, it is easy to find graphs for which the seri...

The processes that determine an organism's lifespan are complex and poorly understood. Yet single gene manipulations and environmental interventions can substantially delay age-related morbidity. In this review, we focus on the two most potent modulators of longevity: insulin/insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) signaling and dietary restriction. The remarkable molecular conservation of the com...

studies pertaining convergence and its benefits for developing and underdeveloped countries, specifically latin american countries and the caribbean islands are essential because they can create the necessary grounds for further growth and development. the aim of this study is to analyze the economic growth of latin american countries and the caribbeans after their beta and sigma convergences d...

$top$-filters can be used to define $top$-convergence spaces in the lattice-valued context. Connections between $top$-convergence spaces and lattice-valued convergence spaces are given. Regularity of a $top$-convergence space has recently been defined and studied by Fang and Yue. An equivalent characterization is given in the present work in terms of convergence of closures of $top$-filters.  M...

Most algorithms for solving Markov decision processes rely on a discount factor, which ensures their convergence. It is generally assumed that using an artificially low discount factor will improve the convergence rate, while sacrificing the solution quality. We however demonstrate that using an artificially low discount factor may significantly improve the solution quality, when used in approx...

We discuss extended one-step methods of order three for the numerical solution of delay-differential equations. A convergence theorem and the numerical studies regarding the convergence factor of these methods are given. Also, we investigate the stability properties of these methods. The results of the theoretical studies are illustrated by numerical examples.

The study of different forms of preconditioners for solving a system of nonlinear equations, by using Newton’s method, is presented. The preconditioners provide numerical stability and rapid convergence with reasonable computation cost, whenever chosen accurately. Different families of iterative methods can be constructed by using a different kind of preconditioners. The multi-step iterative me...

Abstract In recent years a number of authors pointed out significant stability and convergence problems while using Cox-Ross-Rubinstein binomial method to price and hedge barrier options. Different modifications were suggested to improve the convergence and stability of the binomial method. However, as this article shows, lattice approach in general has limited stability factor when applied to ...

Industrial convergence is the key to achieving high-quality development of manufacturing industry. Based on analysis situation and level China’s producer service industry, this paper proposed four paths for from perspective industrial convergence: research design factor, information technology servitization, service-oriented reverse manufacturing. The conclusion provided some theoretical guidance