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MAS platforms as an enabler of enterprise mobilisation: The state of the art
One of the main application areas for multi-agent systems technology is enterprise mobilization, wherein the main business process actors are nomadic workers. An agent's autonomy, sociality and intelligence are highly prized features when it comes to supporting those mobile workers who are geographically isolated from the main knowledge source (i.e. the corporate Intranet) and are frequently moving from one location to another. Based on experience gained from two field trials of applications (built using for multi-agent systems technology and running on lightweight handheld devices) that support mobile business processes for telecommunications service provisioning and maintenance, this paper proposes desirable metrics for any multi-agent systems platform intended for enterprise mobilisation use. These metrics are then used to compare a number of existing multi-agent systems platforms, and based on the results, this paper identifies some areas for improvement
Contact processes with long-range interactions
A class of non-local contact processes is introduced and studied using
mean-field approximation and numerical simulations. In these processes
particles are created at a rate which decays algebraically with the distance
from the nearest particle. It is found that the transition into the absorbing
state is continuous and is characterized by continuously varying critical
exponents. This model differs from the previously studied non-local directed
percolation model, where particles are created by unrestricted Levy flights. It
is motivated by recent studies of non-equilibrium wetting indicating that this
type of non-local processes play a role in the unbinding transition. Other
non-local processes which have been suggested to exist within the context of
wetting are considered as well.Comment: Accepted with minor revisions by Journal of Statistical Mechanics:
Theory and experiment
HR-EBSD analysis of in situ stable crack growth at the micron scale
Understanding the local fracture resistance of microstructural features. such
as brittle inclusions, coatings, and interfaces at the microscale under complex
loading conditions is critical for microstructure-informed design of materials.
In this study, a novel approach has been formulated to decompose the J-integral
evaluation of the elastic energy release rate to the three-dimensional stress
intensity factors directly from experimental measurements of the elastic
deformation gradient tensors of the crack field by in situ high (angular)
resolution electron backscatter diffraction (HR-EBSD). An exemplar study is
presented of a quasi-static crack, inclined to the observed surface,
propagating on low index {hkl} planes in a (001) single crystal silicon wafer
Second-order phase transition at the phase boundary through the FeRh first-order metamagnetic phase transition
The phase coexistence present through first-order phase transitions implies the presence of phase boundary walls, which can be of finite size. Better understanding of the phase boundary wall properties will provide an insight into the dynamics of first-order phase transitions. Here, by combining x-ray photon correlation spectroscopy investigations with magnetometry measurements of magnetic relaxation through the thermally activated first-order metamagnetic phase transition present in the B2-ordered FeRh alloy, we are able to isolate the dynamic behaviour of the phase boundary wall present in this system. These investigations reveal a change in the nature of the dynamic behaviour and critical scaling of the relaxation time centred around the point of maximum phase coexistence within the phase transition. All of this behaviour can be attributed to the introduction of exchange coupling across the phase boundary wall and raises questions about the role of latent heat in dynamic behaviour of this region
Non-Perturbative QCD Treatment of High-Energy Hadron-Hadron Scattering
Total cross-sections and logarithmic slopes of the elastic scattering
cross-sections for different hadronic processes are calculated in the framework
of the model of the stochastic vacuum. The relevant parameters of this model, a
correlation length and the gluon condensate, are determined from scattering
data, and found to be in very good agreement with values coming from completely
different sources of information. A parameter-free relation is given between
total cross-sections and slope parameters, which is shown to be remarkably
valid up to the highest energies for which data exist.Comment: 60 pages, Heidelberg preprin
Bio-nanotechnology application in wastewater treatment
The nanoparticles have received high interest in the ïŹeld of medicine and water puriïŹcation, however, the nanomaterials produced by chemical and physical methods are considered hazardous, expensive, and leave behind harmful substances to the environment. This chapter aimed to focus on green-synthesized nanoparticles and their medical applications. Moreover, the chapter highlighted the applicability of the metallic nanoparticles (MNPs) in the inactivation of microbial cells due to their high surface and small particle size. Modifying nanomaterials produced by green-methods is safe, inexpensive, and easy. Therefore, the control and modiïŹcation of nanoparticles and their properties were also discussed
Outcome of hematopoietic cell transplantation for DNA double-strand break repair disorders
Background: Rare DNA breakage repair disorders predispose to infection and lymphoreticular malignancies. Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is curative, but coadministered chemotherapy or radiotherapy is damaging because of systemic radiosensitivity. We collected HCT outcome data for Nijmegen breakage syndrome, DNA ligase IV deficiency, Cernunnos-XRCC4-like factor (Cernunnos-XLF) deficiency, and ataxia-telangiectasia (AT). Methods: Data from 38 centers worldwide, including indication, donor, conditioning regimen, graft-versus-host disease, and outcome, were analyzed. Conditioning was classified as myeloablative conditioning (MAC) if it contained radiotherapy or alkylators and reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) if no alkylators and/or 150 mg/m(2) fludarabine or less and 40 mg/kg cyclophosphamide or less were used. Results: Fifty-five new, 14 updated, and 18 previously published patients were analyzed. Median age at HCT was 48 months (range, 1.5-552 months). Twenty-nine patients underwent transplantation for infection, 21 had malignancy, 13 had bone marrow failure, 13 received pre-emptive transplantation, 5 had multiple indications, and 6 had no information. Twenty-two received MAC, 59 received RIC, and 4 were infused; information was unavailable for 2 patients. Seventy-three of 77 patients with DNA ligase IV deficiency, Cernunnos-XLF deficiency, or Nijmegen breakage syndrome received conditioning. Survival was 53 (69%) of 77 and was worse for those receiving MAC than for those receiving RIC (P=.006). Most deaths occurred early after transplantation, suggesting poor tolerance of conditioning. Survival in patients with AT was 25%. Forty-one (49%) of 83 patients experienced acute GvHD, which was less frequent in those receiving RIC compared with those receiving MAC (26/56 [46%] vs 12/21 [57%], P=.45). Median follow-up was 35 months (range, 2-168 months). No secondary malignancies were reported during 15 years of follow-up. Growth and developmental delay remained after HCT; immune-mediated complications resolved. Conclusion: RIC HCT resolves DNA repair disorder associated immunodeficiency. Long-term follow-up is required for secondary malignancy surveillance. Routine HCT for AT is not recommended.Peer reviewe
Correction to: GSTM1 and GSTT1 double null genotypes determining cell fate and proliferation as potential risk factors of relapse in children with hematological malignancies after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Transplantation and immunomodulatio
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