Run-Time Selection of Coordination Mechanisms in Multi-Agent Systems

This paper presents a framework that enables autonomous agents to dynamically select the mechanism they employ in order to coordinate their inter-related activities. Adopting this framework means coordination mechanisms move from the realm of being imposed upon the system at design time, to something that the agents select at run-time in order to fit their prevailing circumstances and their current coordination needs. Empirical analysis is used to evaluate the effect of various design alternatives for the agent's decision making mechanisms and for the coordination mechanisms themselves

Playas of inland Australia

[Abstract] Playas, mostly in the form of salinas, are characteristic of the Australian arid zone. Many are associated with lunettes in sebkha complexes or assemblages and can be attributed to the deflation of bare alluvial flats. Many playas are structurally controlled. Lake Eyre, for example, occupies a downfaulted segment of the crust, and many other playas large and small are associated with faults. Lakes Frome, Callabonna, Blanche, and Gregory each displays a linear shoreline, but also and arguably, all are located on a regional structural arc. Lake Gairdner occupies a valley probably blocked by faulting. Others may be caused by preferential weathering along fracture zones, some linear but others arcuate. Many salinas are developed in dismembered rivers channels, the position and pattern of which are structurally determined. But many owe their existence to the interaction of several of these factors. The various salts precipitated in playas constitute a significant resource, regional and local, past, present and future

Integrating testing for sexually transmissible infections into routine primary care for Aboriginal young people: a strengths-based qualitative analysis

Objectives: This paper examines factors that enabled successful integration of testing for sexually transmissible infections into routine care in Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services. Methods: This paper reports analysis of qualitative interview data recorded with 19 purposively sampled key informants in New South Wales, Australia, representing six Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services and five government health bodies supporting those services. The analysis explicitly adopted a strengths-based approach. Results: Participants reported a strong belief that routine screening overcomes shame and increases engagement with sexual health screening. Incorporating sexual health screening into general medical consultations increases the capture of asymptomatic cases. The Medicare Benefits Schedule 715 Adult Health Check was highlighted as an ideal lever for effective integration into routine care. Conclusion: Integration of testing for sexually transmissible infections into routine care is widely perceived as best practice by senior stakeholders in Aboriginal healthcare in NSW. Findings support continued work to optimise the MBS 715 as a lever to increase testing. Implications for public health: Identifying accessible strategies to increase testing for sexually transmissible infections in Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services can reduce disparities in notifications affecting Aboriginal young people

Desarrollo de formas multietapa en varias situaciones geomorfológicas y a diferentes escalas

[Abstract] That many landforms have their origins in the distant past is highlighted by the multistage concept, whereby the structural properties of bedrock which have been exploited by shallow groundwaters are taken fully into account. Fractures of various types are par- ticularly vulnerable to weathering and hence to erosion. Examples are discussed from various lithological and environmental settings - plutonic, volcanic and sedimentary rocks, and different climates

Amino acid sequence of retinal transducin at the site ADP-ribosylated by cholera toxin

Transducin was [32P]ADP-ribosylated by cholera toxin in bovine retinal rod outer segments and then partially purified on ω-amino octyl agarose to remove other ADP-ribosylated proteins. Trypsin digestion of the ADP-ribosylated transducin and further purification using boronate-polyacrylamide beads and high performance liquid chromatography yielded a single radiolabeled tetrapeptide, Ser-Arg-Val-Lys. The ADP-ribose is linked to the guanidinium group of arginine

Comparison between SELEX and single-step selection for the identification of bivalent aptamers for thrombin

The identification of bivalent aptamers for thrombin by SELEX and single-step selection are compared using next generation (massively parallel) sequencing and motif finding informatics. Results show that similar aptamers are identified by both methods

A Comparison of Reach-to-Grasp and Transport-to-Place Performance in Participants With Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Glaucoma

PURPOSE: To compare visually guided manual prehension in participants with primarily central field loss (CFL) due to age-related macular degeneration and peripheral visual field loss (PFL) due to glaucoma. This study extends current literature by comparing directly "reach-to-grasp" performance, and presents a new task of "transport-to-place" the object accurately to a new location. Data were compared to age-matched controls. METHODS: Three-dimensional motion data were collected from 17 glaucoma participants with PFL, 17 participants with age-related macular degeneration CFL and 10 age-matched control participants. Participants reached toward and grasped a cylindrical object (reach-to-grasp), and then transported and placed (transport-to-place) it at a different (predefined) peripheral location. Various kinematic indices were measured. Correlation analyses explored relationships between visual function and kinematic data. RESULTS: In the reach-to-grasp phase, CFL patients exhibited significantly longer movement and reaction times when compared to PFL participants and controls. Central field loss participants also took longer to complete the movement and made more online movements in the latter part of the reach. During the transport-to-place phase, CFL participants showed increased deceleration times, longer movement trajectory, and increased vertical wrist displacement. Central field loss also showed higher errors in placing the object at a predefined location. A number of kinematic indices correlated significantly to central visual function indices (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Significant differences in performance exist between CFL and PFL participants. Various indices correlated significantly with loss in acuity and contrast sensitivity (CS), suggesting that performance is more dependent on central visual function irrespective of underlying pathology