A Generic Agent Organisation Framework For Autonomic Systems

Autonomic computing is being advocated as a tool for managing large, complex computing systems. Specifically, self-organisation provides a suitable approach for developing such autonomic systems by incorporating self-management and adaptation properties into large-scale distributed systems. To aid in this development, this paper details a generic problem-solving agent organisation framework that can act as a modelling and simulation platform for autonomic systems. Our framework describes a set of service-providing agents accomplishing tasks through social interactions in dynamically changing organisations. We particularly focus on the organisational structure as it can be used as the basis for the design, development and evaluation of generic algorithms for self-organisation and other approaches towards autonomic systems

Two-photon luminescence thermometry: towards 3D high-resolution thermal imaging of waveguides

We report on the use of the Erbium-based luminescence thermometry to realize high resolution, three dimensional (3D) thermal imaging of optical waveguides. Proof of concept is demonstrated in a 980-nm laser pumped ultrafast laser inscribed waveguide in Er:Yb phosphate glass. Multi-photon microscopy images revealed the existence of well confined intra-waveguide temperature increments as large as 200°C for moderate 980-nm pump powers of 120 mW. Numerical simulations and experimental data reveal that thermal loading can be substantially reduced if pump events are separated more than the characteristic thermal time that for the waveguides investigated is in the millisecond time scaleThis work has been supported by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad of Spain (MINECO) (FIS2013-44174-P, MAT2013-47395-C4-1-R) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) (11274203

Morphostructural characterisation of Spanish Alano as a base for its conservation: preliminar results

Using 68 pure exemplars of the Spanish Alano Dog Breed (37 males and 31 females) we have developed a preliminary study of the breed characterisation analysing several morphostructural variables as a base for the definition of racial pattern, considering that a one of the main objectives of the project entitled Planning of the recuperation and conservation of the Spanish Alano canine breed. All the studied zoometric variables reflected bigger values if males than in females, but we could not proved statistically a clear sexual dimorphism in most of the studied variables. Our results coincide with descriptions and data published by other authors with respect to this breed. In general, from this study we conclude that this population is characterised by braquicephalic proportions, and sublongilineous body proportions, all inside a strong and compact morphostructure. It permit us to clasify this breed inside the group of light molosoids caught dogs.Sobre un total de 68 ejemplares de la raza Alano Español (37 machos y 31 hembras) se realiza un estudio de caracterización racial preliminar, analizando diversas variables morfoestructurales, como base para su utilización en la redacción del patrón racial, considerado como uno de los objetivos iniciales prioritarios en el proyecto denominado Planificación de la recuperación y conservación de la raza canina Alano Español. Todas las variables zoométricas estudiadas reflejaron valores mayores en machos que en hembras, aunque no comprobamos estadísticamente un dimorfismo sexual manifiesto en la mayoría de dichas variables. Asimismo nuestros resultados concuerdan con las descripciones y datos aportados por los distintos autores que estudiaron esta raza anteriormente. En líneas generales, de este estudio se puede concluir que la población estudiada se caracteriza por presentar características braquicéfalas, y proporciones corporales sublongilíneas dentro de una morfoestructura general fuerte y compacta, lo que nos permite encuadrar esta raza dentro del grupo de perros molosos ligeros de presa

Use of novel sensors combining local positioning and acceleration to measure feeding behavior differences associated with lameness in dairy cattle

Time constraints for dairy farmers are an important factor contributing to the under-detection of lameness, resulting in delayed or missed treatment of lame cows within many commercial dairy herds. Hence, a need exists for flexible and affordable cow-based sensor systems capable of monitoring behaviors such as time spent feeding, which may be affected by the onset of lameness. In this study a novel neck-mounted mobile sensor system that combines local positioning and activity (acceleration) was tested and validated on a commercial UK dairy farm. Position and activity data were collected over 5 consecutive days for 19 high-yield dairy cows (10 lame, 9 non-lame) that formed a subset of a larger (120 cow) management group housed in a freestall barn. A decision tree algorithm that included sensor-recorded position and accelerometer data was developed to classify a cow as doing 1 of 3 categories of behavior: (1) feeding, (2) not feeding, and (3) out of pen for milking. For each classified behavior the mean number of bouts, the mean bout duration, and the mean total duration across all bouts was determined on a daily basis, and also separately for the time periods in between milking (morning = 0630–1300 h; afternoon = 1430–2100 h; night = 2230–0500 h). A comparative analysis of the classified cow behaviors was undertaken using a Welch -test with Benjamini-t Hochberg post-hoc correction under the null hypothesis of no differences in the number or duration of behavioral bouts between the 2 test groups of lame and nonlame cows. Analysis showed that mean total daily feeding duration was significantly lower for lame cows compared with non-lame cows. Behavior was also affected by time of day with significantly lower mean total duration of feeding and higher total duration of nonfeeding in the afternoons for lame cows compared with nonlame cows. The results demonstrate how sensors that measure both position and acceleration are capable of detecting differences in feeding behavior that may be associated with lameness. Such behavioral differences could be used in the development of predictive algorithms for the prompt detection of lameness as part of a commercially viable automated behavioral monitoring system

Population Structure and Growth of the Threatened Pen Shell, Pinna rudis (Linnaeus, 1758) in a Western Mediterranean Marine Protected Area

Coastal ecosystems are being extensively degraded by human activities. Benthic, slow-growing and long-lived species are highly vulnerable to these impacts. Marine protected areas may avoid biodiversity losses through habitat protection. The pen shell Pinna rudis is a protected species, but scarce data are available on its ecology and biology. The present study is a comprehensive ecological study encompassing several unknown aspects of the growth and inner record in relation to habitat types, density and size distribu¬tion. During the summers of 2011, 2012 and 2013, a total of 418 strip transects were conducted by scuba diving in the Marine Pro¬tected Area of Cabrera National Park (39.14° N, 2.96° E). Samples were conducted across different habitats and depths, exploring 152,146.35 m2 in total. A large range of sizes and ages were recorded within the park with densities ranging from 0 to 6.89 ind./100 m2. Most pen shells were patchily distributed and concentrated mainly in caves. Two hotspots represented the highest densities ever recorded worldwide, showing a potential link to high larval accumulation and settlement. The population size structure showed a unimodal distribution with shell width ranging from 6.2 to 25.0 cm, with an average shell width of 16.0 ± 3.4 cm. The absolute growth was asymptotic, with a maximum age of 28-31 years and length of 45 cm. This study on the biology and ecology of a well-established population of Pinna rudis in the Western Mediterranean could set a baseline for the conservation of this species in other areasVersión del editor0,56

Life cycle assessment of AnMBR technology for urban wastewater treatment: A case study based on a demo-scale AnMBR system

This study aims at assessing the environmental performance of a projected full-scale anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) treating urban wastewater (UWW) at ambient temperature. To this aim, data from an AnMBR demonstration plant equipped with commercially available equipment, including industrial hollow fiber and degassing membranes, was used for projecting a full-scale facility. The use of real operation data allows to obtain robust results that contribute to improve the knowledge of the environmental performance of this technology, pointing out its strengths and the challenges that still need to be addressed. Life cycle assessment (LCA) was applied by means of Ecoinvent data base and ReCiPe2016 methodology considering 1 kg of removed COD as functional unit. Additionally, sensitivity and uncertainty analysis were conducted. Energy balance showed AnMBR performing as energy producer (net energy surplus up to - 0.688 kWh⋅kg CODrem - 1 ) and carbon sink (emissions credit up to 0.223 kgCO2eq⋅kgCODrem - 1). Results also showed energy recovery, heavy metals in sludge, dissolved methane in the effluent, and effluent nutrient content as the most important aspects affecting LCA outcome. Construction phase affected some impact categories significantly (e.g., 51-71% in mineral resource scarcity, 18-27% in fossil resource scarcity, 21-28% in water consumption), therefore its exclusion should be carefully evaluated. CHP efficiency, dissolved methane recovery, filtration productivity, membrane scouring, reactor mixing, HRT and SRT appeared most influencing parameters. Finally, actions leading to increase the recovery and valorization of dissolved methane and/or of nutrients through, for instance, fertigation, improve the environmental performance of AnMBR for UWW treatment

A particle system with explosions: law of large numbers for the density of particles and the blow-up time

Consider a system of independent random walks in the discrete torus with creation-annihilation of particles and possible explosion of the total number of particles in finite time. Rescaling space and rates for diffusion/creation/annihilation of particles, we obtain a stong law of large numbers for the density of particles in the supremum norm. The limiting object is a classical solution to the semilinear heat equation u_t =u_{xx} + f(u). If f(u)=u^p, 1<p \le 3, we also obtain a law of large numbers for the explosion time