This chapter reviews measures of emergence, self-organization, complexity, homeostasis, and autopoiesis based on information theory. These measures are derived from proposed axioms and tested in two case studies: random Boolean networks and an Arctic lake ecosystem.Emergence is defined as the information a system or process produces. Self-organization is defined as the opposite of emergence, while complexity is defined as the balance between emergence and self-organization. Homeostasis reflects the stability of a system. Autopoiesis is defined as the ratio between the complexity of a system and the complexity of its environment. The proposed measures can be applied at different scales, which can be studied with multi-scale profiles.

Costos directos y aspectos clínicos de las reacciones adversas a medicamentos en pacientes hospitalizados en el servicio de medicina interna de una institución de tercer nivel de BogotáGabriel Tribiño, Carlos Maldonado, Omar Segura, Jorge Díaz Departamento de Farmacia, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia.Introducción. Las reacciones adversas a medicamentos constituyen un problema clínico frecuente en el ámbito hospitalario y aumentan los costos de la atención en salud. En Colombia son pocos los estudios realizados para evaluarlas desde el punto de vista clínico y económico. Objetivo. Determinar los costos generados por las reacciones adversas a medicamentos en pacientes hospitalizados en el servicio de medicina interna de una institución de tercer nivel e identificar sus principales características clínicas. Materiales y métodos. Se hizo seguimiento intensivo de los pacientes del servicio de medicina interna durante un período de cinco meses para detectar reacciones adversas. La información se recolectó mediante un formulario basado en el formato de reporte del INVIMA. La probabilidad de causalidad se generó mediante el algoritmo de Naranjo. Se calcularon los costos directos desde la perspectiva del pagador teniendo en cuenta la estancia adicional, los medicamentos, los exámenes paraclínicos, los procedimientos, los traslados a la unidad de cuidado intermedio o intensivo y los insumos. Resultados. Se detectaron 268 reacciones adversas en 208 de los 836 pacientes que ingresaron en el servicio (proporción de incidencia, 25,1%; razón de presencia, 0,32). El 74,3% se clasificó como probable; el 92,5% fue tipo A; el 81,3% correspondió a reacciones moderadas. El sistema más frecuentemente afectado fue el hematológico (33,9%). Los medicamentos que actúan en sangre fueron los más frecuentemente relacionados (37,6%). El costo generado por la atención de las reacciones adversas fluctuó entre $93'633.422 y $122'155.406. Conclusiones. Dado el impacto negativo de las reacciones adversas en el bienestar de los pacientes, los recursos que se emplean en su atención y la proporción importante de reacciones adversas prevenibles, se requieren programas operativos de farmacovigilancia institucional.Palabras clave: farmacoepidemiología, efectos adversos, economía de la salud, hospitalización, medicina interna Direct costs and clinical aspects of adverse drug reactions in patients admitted to a level 3 hospital internal medicine ward.Introduction. Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) occur frequently in hospitals and increase costs of health care; however, few studies have quantified the clinical and economic impact of ADRs in Colombia. Objectives. These impacts were evaluated by calculating costs associated with ADRs in patients hospitalized in the internal medicine ward of a Level 3 hospital located in Bogotá, Colombia. In addition, salient clinical features of ADRs were identified and characterized. Material and methods. Intensive follow-ups for a cohort of patients were conducted for a five month period in order to ...

My argument is that the concept of social system itself is no longer a unique heritage of the human and social sciences. In other words, this is about the complexity or complexitation of the foundation of social sciences and its disciplines, that is: the idea of social systems itself. Therefore, I study its causes and its consequences.

This paper deals with the arrow of complexification of engineering. We claim that the complexification of engineering consists in (a) that shift throughout which engineering becomes a science; thus it ceases to be a (mere) praxis or profession; (b) becoming a science, engineering can be considered as one of the sciences of complexity. In reality, the complexification of engineering is the process by which engineering can be studied, achieved, and understood in terms of knowledge, and not of goods and services any longer. Complex engineered systems and bio-inspired engineering are so far the two expressions of a complex engineering.

This article discusses the meaning and scope of biological hypercomputation (BH) that is to be considered as new research problem within the sciences of complexity. The framework here is computational, setting out that life is not a standard Turing Machine. Living systems, we claim, hypercompute, and we aim at understanding life not by what it is, but rather by what it does. The distinction is made between classical and nonclassical hypercomputation. We argue that living processes are nonclassical hypercomputation. BH implies then new computational models. Finally, we sketch out the possibilities, stances, and reach of BH.