A coordination model for interactive components

Although presented with a variety of ‘flavours’, the notion of an interactor, as an abstract characterisation of an interactive com- ponent, is well-known in the area of formal modelling techniques for interactive systems. This paper replaces traditional, hierarchical, ‘tree-like’ composition of interactors in the specification of complex interactive sys- tems, by their exogenous coordination through general-purpose software connectors which assure the flow of data and the meet of synchronisation constraints. The paper’s technical contribution is twofold. First a modal logic is defined to express behavioural properties of both interactors and connectors. The logic is new in the sense that its modalities are indexed by fragments of sets of actions to cater for action co-occurrence. Then, this logic is used in the specification of both interactors and coordination layers which orchestrate their interconnection

Advances in multispectral and hyperspectral imaging for archaeology and art conservation

Multispectral imaging has been applied to the field of art conservation and art history since the early 1990s. It is attractive as a noninvasive imaging technique because it is fast and hence capable of imaging large areas of an object giving both spatial and spectral information. This paper gives an overview of the different instrumental designs, image processing techniques and various applications of multispectral and hyperspectral imaging to art conservation, art history and archaeology. Recent advances in the development of remote and versatile multispectral and hyperspectral imaging as well as techniques in pigment identification will be presented. Future prospects including combination of spectral imaging with other noninvasive imaging and analytical techniques will be discussed

Simulation and theory of abnormal grain growth--anisotropic grain boundary energies and mobilities

Abnormal grain growth has been studied by means of a computer-based Monte Carlo model. This model has previously been shown to reproduce many of the essential features of normal grain growth. The simulations presented in this work are based on a modified model in which two distinct types of grains are present. These two grain types might correspond to two components of different crystallographic orientation, for example. This results in three classes of grain boundaries: 1. (a) between unlike types,2. (b)between grains of the first type and3. (c) between grains of the second type, to which different grain boundary energies or different mobilities can be assigned. Most simulations started with a single grain of the first type embedded in a matrix of grains of the second type. Anisotropie grain boundary energies were modeled by assigning a higher energy to boundaries between like type than to boundaries between grains of unlike type. For this case, abnormal grain growth only occurred for an energy ratio greater than 2 and then wetting of the matrix by the abnormal grain occurred. Anisotropie grain boundary mobilities were modeled by assigning a lower mobility to boundaries between grains of like type than to boundaries between unlike type. For this case the extent of abnormal grain growth varied with the ratio of mobilities and it is tentatively concluded that there is a limiting ratio of size of the abnormal grain relative to the matrix. A simple treatment of anisotropic grain boundary mobility was developed by modifying Hillert's grain growth model [Acta metall. 13, 227 (1965)]. This theoretical treatment also produced a limiting ratio of relative size that is a simple function of the mobility ratio.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/28006/1/0000442.pd

Whole-genome sequencing reveals host factors underlying critical COVID-19

Critical COVID-19 is caused by immune-mediated inflammatory lung injury. Host genetic variation influences the development of illness requiring critical care1 or hospitalization2,3,4 after infection with SARS-CoV-2. The GenOMICC (Genetics of Mortality in Critical Care) study enables the comparison of genomes from individuals who are critically ill with those of population controls to find underlying disease mechanisms. Here we use whole-genome sequencing in 7,491 critically ill individuals compared with 48,400 controls to discover and replicate 23 independent variants that significantly predispose to critical COVID-19. We identify 16 new independent associations, including variants within genes that are involved in interferon signalling (IL10RB and PLSCR1), leucocyte differentiation (BCL11A) and blood-type antigen secretor status (FUT2). Using transcriptome-wide association and colocalization to infer the effect of gene expression on disease severity, we find evidence that implicates multiple genes—including reduced expression of a membrane flippase (ATP11A), and increased expression of a mucin (MUC1)—in critical disease. Mendelian randomization provides evidence in support of causal roles for myeloid cell adhesion molecules (SELE, ICAM5 and CD209) and the coagulation factor F8, all of which are potentially druggable targets. Our results are broadly consistent with a multi-component model of COVID-19 pathophysiology, in which at least two distinct mechanisms can predispose to life-threatening disease: failure to control viral replication; or an enhanced tendency towards pulmonary inflammation and intravascular coagulation. We show that comparison between cases of critical illness and population controls is highly efficient for the detection of therapeutically relevant mechanisms of disease