Small Intestine example from Progress in Biophysics & Molecular Biology Special Issue 2016 From the century of the genome to the century of the organism: New theoretical approaches paper on organization. Compare with Bogdanov (click tag)

This is a stock-flow consistent model, namely a modified version of the simplest (PC) model with money and boonds.

Godley/Lavoie (2006), chapter 4

(I had to change the equation for consumption demand. The disposable income now enters with a time lag of one period. Otherwise the model would be recursive and would not work in Insight Maker. Thanks to Gene for support.)

WIP for planning  some relevant online M&S Learning Communities for Health

Level of biological organization linking cell level division and population level evolution

WIP based mostly on Jan Toporowski 2013 vol 1 and 2018 vol 2 books on Michal Kalecki: An Intellectual Biography  

.

Components of behaviour organised into domains, from NIMH Research Domain Criteria website and BMC paper and 2013 series on current controversies in psychiatry.

Go to Gene Bellinger's insight version with video link This common archetype of systems that include relapse or recidivism allows exploration of the unintended effects of increasing upstream capacity and swamping downstream capacity. The increase in the relapse rate eventually returns to swamp upstream capacity as well. A social welfare example, based on a TANF case study, from How Small System Dynamics Models Can Help the Policy Process. N. Ghaffarzadegan, J. Lyneis, GP Richardson. System Dynamics Review 27,1 (2011) 22-44 abstract Conference version here

This is a stock-flow consistent model, namely the simplest (SIM) model with government money. I have added imports and exports and an exchange rate which has an influence on consumption demand via real disposable income and real foreign demand.

Godley/Lavoie (2006), chapter 3

(I had to change the equation for consumption demand. The disposable income now enters with a time lag of one period. Otherwise the model would be recursive and would not work in Insight Maker. Thanks to Gene for support.)

WIP for SD representation of evolution ​From Mobus website and SJ Gould's big book

A shifting the burden structure occurs when there are different ways to address a situation. With one approach being easier, faster, and requiring fewer resources, which do you think gets pursued? The problem is that taking the easier path ensures one will have to take the easier path repeatedly, and makes it harder to pursue the long-term better solution. See also Archetypes.

High altitude environments challenge the physiology of mammals mainly due to hypoxic conditions. As a response to this, many mammals show molecular adaptations e.g. by mutations in the genes encoding the hemoglobins. This can result in an increase O2 affinity (and thereby a leftshifted O2 dissociation curve) which will enhance the pulmonary loading of O2. However, the shift can also hamper the O2 unloading process to the metabolic tissue. To elucidate this trade-off between loading and unloading a numerical computer model was made in the program Insigt maker based on the organism, deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus). The numerical solution was calculated by the Runge-Kutta method. A time step (dt) of 0.00001 was chosen, as the results were independent of dt at this value. This was tested by investigating the residual values of an interval of dt around 0.00001. The model showed how the trade-off is expressed at different altitudes and how the degree of advantages/disadvantages varies. Based on the model it can be suggested that the trade-off is beneficial, when the hypoxia is severe at high altitude. This is consistent with previously findings. 

 

Summary of evolution and the modern synthesis with genetics. See also the more recent extended synthesis IM-2099

This is a copy of Gene Bellinger's "Balancing Loop" Insight. I just did it to see if I could get something running! It works!

NICOLE DESARIO 

AP BIOLOGY 

JUNE 2013


There are many factors that lead to an increased risk of osteoporosis later in life. Some of these risks are congenital; fixed risks that were acquired during fetal development. Other risks are created or reduced by an individual depending on their lifestyle; which make them unfixed variables. 

Definition: OSTEOPOROSIS (Also known as degenerative bone disease) - "is a disease of bones that leads to an increased risk of fracture. In osteoporosis, the bone mineral density (BMD) of an individual is reduced, bone micro-architecture deteriorates, and the amount and variety of proteins in bone and variety of proteins in bone are altered. Osteoporosis is defined by the World Health Organization as a bone mineral density of 2.5 standard deviations or more below the mean peak bone mass (average of young healthy adults)."

NON-MODIFIABLE RISK FACTORS (Explained)

Age: Increased age increases likelihood of developing osteoporosis

Sex: Females are more likely to experience osteoporosis fragility fractures

Race: Osteoporosis is more common in people of European and Asian decent

Frame: Thin-framed individuals do not stress their bones as much as heavier-set individuals, and therefore do not have as "thick" bones, and are more likely to develop fragile bones (osteoporosis) 

Family history: 30 genes are linked to development of osteoporosis, so an individual can be anywhere between 25 and 80% more likely to develop osteoporosis if it exists in the family. (my mother has it, so I am very likely to develop it if I don't actively make the efforts to protect my bones from degenerating over time.)

Insufficient Prenatal Care: During development in the womb if a fetus does not receive appropriate nutrition, it may develop malnutrition-related deficiency diseases.

(POTENTIALLY) MODIFIABLE RISK FACTORS (Explained)

Smoking/Drinking: Excessive use could lead to increased risk because alcohol use decreases your ability to absorb nutrients. It interferes with the absorption of calcium and Vit D (stomach, pancreas and liver affected). Alcohol also kills osteoblasts, the bone-making cells. It also increases bone-damaging hormones cortisol and parathyroid hormone 

Medication Use: Some medications increase risk of osteoporosis however discontinuing use of said medications is often impossible, and therefore the modifiable risk is non-modifiable at times.

Dietary Habits: Majority of bone development happens before an individual reaches the age of 20, so if dietary requirements of calcium, vitamin D, and phosphorus are insufficient, there will be a greater chance of osteoporosis later in life. 

Hormone Levels: In females, estrogen deficiency following menopause or oophorectomy is correlated with rapid reduction in bone mineral density, while in men, a decrease in testosterone levels has a comparable (but less pronounced) effect.

Sedentary Lifestyle: Staying active and stressing your bones decreases chances of osteoporosis because it encourages osteoblastic activity, if an individual is extremely sedentary, (coupled with a thin frame possibly) they are very susceptible to osteoporosis, and should consider getting active. Also, an individual with more sun exposure absorbs more Vit D.

Fractures: Increased breakage of bones creates weak points where BMD cannot recover to what it was prior to the fracture. Individuals should stay out of fights, reduce falling, and avoid clumsy behavior.

Book Summary based on Terry Sampson's summary of Philip Ball's May 2024 Royal Society presentation. A causal loop scaffolding using Gene Bellinger's mc and mr prompts added in Jan2026

This is the Project Challenge in the Insight Maker Essentials lesson on Kumu. This lesson was developed by Gene Bellinger. I developed this relationship diagram as I was following along watching Gene introduce Insight Maker.