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

Practical guidance for applying the ADNEX model from the IOTA group to discriminate between different subtypes of adnexal tumors.

All gynecologists are faced with ovarian tumors on a regular basis, and the accurate preoperative diagnosis of these masses is important because appropriate management depends on the type of tumor. Recently, the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) consortium published the Assessment of Different NEoplasias in the adneXa (ADNEX) model, the first risk model that differentiates between benign and four types of malignant ovarian tumors: borderline, stage I cancer, stage II-IV cancer, and secondary metastatic cancer. This approach is novel compared to existing tools that only differentiate between benign and malignant tumors, and therefore questions may arise on how ADNEX can be used in clinical practice. In the present paper, we first provide an in-depth discussion about the predictors used in ADNEX and the ability for risk prediction with different tumor histologies. Furthermore, we formulate suggestions about the selection and interpretation of risk cut-offs for patient stratification and choice of appropriate clinical management. This is illustrated with a few example patients. We cannot propose a generally applicable algorithm with fixed cut-offs, because (as with any risk model) this depends on the specific clinical setting in which the model will be used. Nevertheless, this paper provides a guidance on how the ADNEX model may be adopted into clinical practice

Localised module frames and Wannier bases from groupoid morita equivalences

Following the operator algebraic approach to Gabor analysis, we construct frames of translates for the Hilbert space localisation of the Morita equivalence bimodule arising from a groupoid equivalence between Hausdorff groupoids, where one of the groupoids is etale and with a compact unit space. For finitely generated and projective submodules, we show these frames are orthonormal bases if and only if the module is free. We then apply this result to the study of localised Wannier bases of spectral subspaces of Schrodinger operators with atomic potentials supported on (aperiodic) Delone sets. The noncommutative Chern numbers provide a topological obstruction to fast-decaying Wannier bases and we show this result is stable under deformations of the underlying Delone set.Analysis and Stochastic

Three-dimensional structure of an immunoglobulin light-chain dimer with amyloidogenic properties

The X-ray structure of an immunoglobulin light-chain dimer isolated from the urine as a 'Bence-Jones protein' from a patient with multiple myeloma and amyloidosis (Sea) was determined at 1.94 Angstrom resolution and refined to R and R-free factors of 0.22 and 0.25, respectively. This 'amyloidogenic' protein crystallized in the orthorhombic P2(1)2(1)2(1) space group with unit-cell parameters a=48.28, b=83.32, c=112.59 Angstrom as determined at 100 K. In the vital organs (heart and kidneys), the equivalent of the urinary protein produced fibrillar amyloid deposits which were fatal to the patient. Compared with the amyloidogenic Mcg light-chain dimer, the Sea protein was highly soluble in aqueous solutions and only crystallized at concentrations approaching 100 mg ml(-1). Both the Sea and Mcg proteins packed into crystals in highly ordered arrangements typical of strongly diffracting crystals of immunoglobulin fragments. Overall similarities and significant differences in the three-dimensional structures and crystalline properties are discussed for the Sea and Mcg Bence-Jones proteins, which together provide a generalized model of abnormalities present in lambda chains, facilitating a better understanding of amyloidosis of light-chain origin (AL)

Transcriptomic analysis of the response of Acropora millepora to hypo-osmotic stress provides insights into DMSP biosynthesis by corals

© 2017 The Author(s). Background: Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) is a small sulphur compound which is produced in prodigious amounts in the oceans and plays a pivotal role in the marine sulfur cycle. Until recently, DMSP was believed to be synthesized exclusively by photosynthetic organisms; however we now know that corals and specific bacteria can also produce this compound. Corals are major sources of DMSP, but the molecular basis for its biosynthesis is unknown in these organisms. Results: Here we used salinity stress, which is known to trigger DMSP production in other organisms, in conjunction with transcriptomics to identify coral genes likely to be involved in DMSP biosynthesis. We focused specifically on both adults and juveniles of the coral Acropora millepora: after 24 h of exposure to hyposaline conditions, DMSP concentrations increased significantly by 2.6 fold in adult corals and 1.2 fold in juveniles. Concomitantly, candidate genes enabling each of the necessary steps leading to DMSP production were up-regulated. Conclusions: The data presented strongly suggest that corals use an algal-like pathway to generate DMSP from methionine, and are able to rapidly change expression of the corresponding genes in response to environmental stress. However, our data also indicate that DMSP is unlikely to function primarily as an osmolyte in corals, instead potentially serving as a scavenger of ROS and as a molecular sink for excess methionine produced as a consequence of proteolysis and osmolyte catabolism in corals under hypo-osmotic conditions

Generalized Interpolation Material Point Approach to High Melting Explosive with Cavities Under Shock

Criterion for contacting is critically important for the Generalized Interpolation Material Point(GIMP) method. We present an improved criterion by adding a switching function. With the method dynamical response of high melting explosive(HMX) with cavities under shock is investigated. The physical model used in the present work is an elastic-to-plastic and thermal-dynamical model with Mie-Gr\"uneissen equation of state. We mainly concern the influence of various parameters, including the impacting velocity $v$, cavity size $R$, etc, to the dynamical and thermodynamical behaviors of the material. For the colliding of two bodies with a cavity in each, a secondary impacting is observed. Correspondingly, the separation distance $D$ of the two bodies has a maximum value $D_{\max}$ in between the initial and second impacts. When the initial impacting velocity $v$ is not large enough, the cavity collapses in a nearly symmetric fashion, the maximum separation distance $D_{\max}$ increases with $v$. When the initial shock wave is strong enough to collapse the cavity asymmetrically along the shock direction, the variation of $D_{\max}$ with $v$ does not show monotonic behavior. Our numerical results show clear indication that the existence of cavities in explosive helps the creation of ``hot spots''.Comment: Figs.2,4,7,11 in JPG format; Accepted for publication in J. Phys. D: Applied Physic

The VANDELS survey: Dust attenuation in star-forming galaxies at z=3−4\mathbf{z=3-4}

We present the results of a new study of dust attenuation at redshifts $3 < z < 4$ based on a sample of $236$ star-forming galaxies from the VANDELS spectroscopic survey. Motivated by results from the First Billion Years (FiBY) simulation project, we argue that the intrinsic spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of star-forming galaxies at these redshifts have a self-similar shape across the mass range $8.2 \leq$ log$(M_{\star}/M_{\odot}) \leq 10.6$ probed by our sample. Using FiBY data, we construct a set of intrinsic SED templates which incorporate both detailed star formation and chemical abundance histories, and a variety of stellar population synthesis (SPS) model assumptions. With this set of intrinsic SEDs, we present a novel approach for directly recovering the shape and normalization of the dust attenuation curve. We find, across all of the intrinsic templates considered, that the average attenuation curve for star-forming galaxies at $z\simeq3.5$ is similar in shape to the commonly-adopted Calzetti starburst law, with an average total-to-selective attenuation ratio of $R_{V}=4.18\pm0.29$. We show that the optical attenuation ($A_V$) versus stellar mass ($M_{\star}$) relation predicted using our method is consistent with recent ALMA observations of galaxies at $2<z<3$ in the \emph{Hubble} \emph{Ultra} \emph{Deep} \emph{Field} (HUDF), as well as empirical $A_V - M_{\star}$ relations predicted by a Calzetti-like law. Our results, combined with other literature data, suggest that the $A_V - M_{\star}$ relation does not evolve over the redshift range $0<z<5$, at least for galaxies with log$(M_{\star}/M_{\odot}) \gtrsim 9.5$. Finally, we present tentative evidence which suggests that the attenuation curve may become steeper at log$(M_{\star}/M_{\odot}) \lesssim 9.0$.Comment: 16 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

The VANDELS survey: Dust attenuation in star-forming galaxies at z=3−4\mathbf{z=3-4}

We present the results of a new study of dust attenuation at redshifts $3 < z < 4$ based on a sample of $236$ star-forming galaxies from the VANDELS spectroscopic survey. Motivated by results from the First Billion Years (FiBY) simulation project, we argue that the intrinsic spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of star-forming galaxies at these redshifts have a self-similar shape across the mass range $8.2 \leq$ log$(M_{\star}/M_{\odot}) \leq 10.6$ probed by our sample. Using FiBY data, we construct a set of intrinsic SED templates which incorporate both detailed star formation and chemical abundance histories, and a variety of stellar population synthesis (SPS) model assumptions. With this set of intrinsic SEDs, we present a novel approach for directly recovering the shape and normalization of the dust attenuation curve. We find, across all of the intrinsic templates considered, that the average attenuation curve for star-forming galaxies at $z\simeq3.5$ is similar in shape to the commonly-adopted Calzetti starburst law, with an average total-to-selective attenuation ratio of $R_{V}=4.18\pm0.29$. We show that the optical attenuation ($A_V$) versus stellar mass ($M_{\star}$) relation predicted using our method is consistent with recent ALMA observations of galaxies at $2<z<3$ in the \emph{Hubble} \emph{Ultra} \emph{Deep} \emph{Field} (HUDF), as well as empirical $A_V - M_{\star}$ relations predicted by a Calzetti-like law. Our results, combined with other literature data, suggest that the $A_V - M_{\star}$ relation does not evolve over the redshift range $0<z<5$, at least for galaxies with log$(M_{\star}/M_{\odot}) \gtrsim 9.5$. Finally, we present tentative evidence which suggests that the attenuation curve may become steeper at log$(M_{\star}/M_{\odot}) \lesssim 9.0$.Comment: 16 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA