Fog and Edge Oriented Embedded Enterprise Systems Patterns: Towards Distributed Enterprise Systems That Run on Edge and Fog Nodes

Enterprise software systems enable enterprises to enhance business and management reporting tasks in enterprise settings. Internet of Things (IoT) focuses on making interactions possible between a number of network-connected physical devices. Prominence of IoT sensors and multiple business drivers have created a contemporary need for enterprise software systems to interact with IoT devices. Business process implementations, business logic and microservices have traditionally been centralized in enterprise systems. Constraints like privacy, latency, bandwidth, connectivity and security have posed a new set of architectural challenges that can be resolved by designing enterprise systems differently so that parts of business logic and processes can run on fog and edge devices to improve privacy, minimize communication bandwidth and promote low-latency business process execution. This paper aims to propose a set of patterns for the expansion of previously-centralized enterprise systems to the edge of the network. Patterns are supported by a case study for contextualization and analysis

Explore, Exploit or Listen: Combining Human Feedback and Policy Model to Speed up Deep Reinforcement Learning in 3D Worlds

We describe a method to use discrete human feedback to enhance the performance of deep learning agents in virtual three-dimensional environments by extending deep-reinforcement learning to model the confidence and consistency of human feedback. This enables deep reinforcement learning algorithms to determine the most appropriate time to listen to the human feedback, exploit the current policy model, or explore the agent's environment. Managing the trade-off between these three strategies allows DRL agents to be robust to inconsistent or intermittent human feedback. Through experimentation using a synthetic oracle, we show that our technique improves the training speed and overall performance of deep reinforcement learning in navigating three-dimensional environments using Minecraft. We further show that our technique is robust to highly innacurate human feedback and can also operate when no human feedback is given

Integrin - Dependent Mechanotransduction in Mechanically Stimulated Human Annulus Fibrosus Cells: Evidence for an Alternative Mechanotransduction Pathway Operating with Degeneration

Intervertebral disc (IVD) cells derived from degenerate tissue respond aberrantly to mechanical stimuli, potentially due to altered mechanotransduction pathways. Elucidation of the altered, or alternative, mechanotransduction pathways operating with degeneration could yield novel targets for the treatment of IVD disease. Our aim here was to investigate the involvement of RGD-recognising integrins and associated signalling molecules in the response to cyclic tensile strain (CTS) of human annulus fibrosus (AF) cells derived from non-degenerate and degenerate IVDs. AF cells from non-degenerate and degenerate human IVDs were cyclically strained with and without function blocking RGD – peptides with 10% strain, 1.0 Hz for 20 minutes using a Flexercell® strain device. QRT-PCR and Western blotting were performed to analyse gene expression of type I collagen and ADAMTS -4, and phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK), respectively. The response to 1.0 Hz CTS differed between the two groups of AF cells, with decreased ADAMTS -4 gene expression and decreased type I collagen gene expression post load in AF cells derived from non-degenerate and degenerate IVDs, respectively. Pre-treatment of non-degenerate AF cells with RGD peptides prevented the CTS-induced decrease in ADAMTS -4 gene expression, but caused an increase in expression at 24 hours, a response not observed in degenerate AF cells where RGD pre-treatment failed to inhibit the mechano-response. In addition, FAK phosphorylation increased in CTS stimulated AF cells derived from non-degenerate, but not degenerate IVDs, with RGD pre-treatment inhibiting the CTS – dependent increase in phosphorylated FAK. Our findings suggest that RGD -integrins are involved in the 1.0 Hz CTS – induced mechano-response observed in AF cells derived from non-degenerate, but not degenerate IVDs. This data supports our previous work, suggesting an alternative mechanotransduction pathway may be operating in degenerate AF cells

Scanning Electron Microscopy of Vertebrate Cerebellar Cortex

In this study, the Golgi method for light microscopy, transmission and conventional scanning electron microscopy, the ethanol-cryofracturing technique, the freeze-fracture method for SEM, and the freeze-etching method have been used in conjunction to analyze the three-dimensional cytoarchitectonic arrangement and intracortical circuits of vertebrate cerebellar cortex. Approximately more than 100 specimens of mice, rat, teleost fishes and human cerebelli were processed by the above mentioned techniques. A chronological review of other methods for studying hidden surfaces of cerebellar nerve cell has been also described. The three-dimensional morphology, outer and inner surfaces of granule, Golgi, Purkinje and stellate cells were reviewed by means of a correlative and comparative study. The cerebellar circuits formed by mossy and climbing fibers with granule cell dendrites and Purkinje cell-granule cell synapses have been traced by ethanol-cryofracturing technique, freeze-fracture method for SEM and freeze-etching technique. These findings have been correlated with previous light and electron microscope findings published in the last century. Some advantages and limitations of each method are pointed out. The review emphasizes the paramount importance of correlating light microscope Golgi method with ethanol-cryofracturing and slicing techniques for SEM. The correlation between freeze-fracture method for SEM and freeze-etching technique provides a new approach for studying three-dimensional morphology of nerve cells at cellular and macromolecular levels. This modern methodology of three-dimensional analysis offers new potential areas for future experimental investigation in embryology and pathology of the central nervous system

Effect of CTS on the gene expression of AF cells from non-degenerate and degenerate IVDs+/− peptides.

<p>Cells derived from non-degenerate and degenerate IVDs were treated+/− RAD (50 µg/ml) or RGD (50 µg/ml) -peptides 30 minutes prior to mechanical stimulation with CTS at 10% strain, 1.0 Hz, for 20 minutes, then incubated for up to 24 hours prior to analysis. QRT-PCR was used to analyse the gene expression of A) ADAMTS -4 or B) type I collagen, relative to the housekeeping gene GAPDH and normalised to the corresponding unloaded baseline control in non-degenerate (n = 3) and degenerate (n = 3) AF cells, respectively. Black represents AF cells cyclically strained without peptide treatment, while speckles and stripes represent cells cyclically strained after treatment with RAD or RGD –peptides, respectively. Values are mean of 3 donors+/− standard error mean. *denote a significant change (<i>p</i>≤0.05) in gene expression between mechanically stimulated and unstimulated baseline control.</p

Setting and monitoring academic standards for Australian higher education: a discussion paper

This is a publisher’s version of a report published by Australian Universities Quality Agency in 2009. This version is reproduced with permission from AUQA. http://www.auqa.edu.au

Phosphorylation of FAK following treatment of AF cells derived from non-degenerate and degenerate IVDs with 1.0 Hz CTS.

<p>AF cells derived from non-degenerate (n = 4) and degenerate (n = 3) IVDs were treated+/−1.0 Hz CTS in serum-free media and total protein extracted at timepoints of up to 20 minutes. Mechanically stimulated and unstimulated A) non-degenerate and B) degenerate protein samples (5 µg/well) were separated using 10% SDS-PAGE and probed using primary antibodies against phosphorylated FAK. Blots were then stripped using a stripping buffer, re-blocked and probed using an antibody against total FAK protein. C) The density of bands was quantified using a Syngene imaging system and the ratio of phosphorylated: total FAK protein normalised to timepoint controls and plotted as % change. *denotes a significant change (<i>p</i>≤0.05) between treatment groups.</p