Ductile fracture mechanisms in carbon manganese steel weld metals

Imperial Users onl

Efficient experimental design for the Behrens-Fisher problem with application to bioassay

A common approach in the design of experiment for the problem of comparing two means from a normal distribution is to assume knowledge of the ratio of the population variances. The optimal sampling ratio is proportional to the square root of this quantity. In this paper it is demonstrated that a misspecification of this ratio can cause a substantial loss in power of the corresponding tests. As a robust alternative a maximin approach is used to construct designs, which are efficient, whenever the experimenter is able to specify a specific region for the ratio of the population variances. The advantages of the robust designs for inference in the Behrens-Fisher problem are illustrated by means of a simulation study and an application to the design of experiment for bioassay is presented. --Behrens-Fisher problem,bioassay,design of experiment,local optimal design,robust designs

The RAG Model: a new paradigm for genetic risk stratification in multiple myeloma

Molecular studies have shown that multiple myeloma is a highly genetically heterogonous disease which may manifest itself as any number of diverse subtypes each with variable clinicopathological features and outcomes. Given this genetic heterogeneity, a universal approach to treatment of myeloma is unlikely to be successful for all patients and instead we should strive for the goal of personalised therapy using rationally informed targeted strategies. Current DNA sequencing technologies allow for whole genome and exome analysis of patient myeloma samples that yield vast amounts of genetic data and provide a mutational overview of the disease. However, the clinical utility of this information currently lags far behind the sequencing technology which is increasingly being incorporated into clinical practice. This paper attempts to address this shortcoming by proposing a novel genetically based “traffic-light” risk stratification system for myeloma, termed the RAG (Red, Amber, Green) model, which represents a simplified concept of how complex genetic data may be compressed into an aggregate risk score. The model aims to incorporate all known clinically important trisomies, translocations, and mutations in myeloma and utilise these to produce a score between 1.0 and 3.0 that can be incorporated into diagnostic, prognostic, and treatment algorithms for the patient

Autonomous Agents for Business Process Management

Traditional approaches to managing business processes are often inadequate for large-scale organisation-wide, dynamic settings. However, since Internet and Intranet technologies have become widespread, an increasing number of business processes exhibit these properties. Therefore, a new approach is needed. To this end, we describe the motivation, conceptualization, design, and implementation of a novel agent-based business process management system. The key advance of our system is that responsibility for enacting various components of the business process is delegated to a number of autonomous problem solving agents. To enact their role, these agents typically interact and negotiate with other agents in order to coordinate their actions and to buy in the services they require. This approach leads to a system that is significantly more agile and robust than its traditional counterparts. To help demonstrate these benefits, a companion paper describes the application of our system to a real-world problem faced by British Telecom

Implementing a Business Process Management System Using ADEPT: A Real-World Case Study

This article describes how the agent-based design of ADEPT (advanced decision environment for processed tasks) and implementation philosophy was used to prototype a business process management system for a real-world application. The application illustrated is based on the British Telecom (BT) business process of providing a quote to a customer for installing a network to deliver a specified type of telecommunication service. Particular emphasis is placed upon the techniques developed for specifying services, allowing heterogeneous information models to interoperate, allowing rich and flexible interagent negotiation to occur, and on the issues related to interfacing agent-based systems and humans. This article builds upon the companion article (Applied Artificial Intelligence Vol.14, no 2, pgs. 145-189) that provides details of the rationale and design of the ADEPT technology deployed in this application

Signaling integration in the rugae growth zone directs sequential SHH signaling center formation during the rostral outgrowth of the palate

AbstractEvolution of facial morphology arises from variation in the activity of developmental regulatory networks that guide the formation of specific craniofacial elements. Importantly, the acquisition of novel morphology must be integrated with a phylogenetically inherited developmental program. We have identified a unique region of the secondary palate associated with the periodic formation of rugae during the rostral outgrowth of the face. Rugae function as SHH signaling centers to pattern the elongating palatal shelves. We have found that a network of signaling genes and transcription factors is spatially organized relative to palatal rugae. Additionally, the first formed ruga is strategically positioned at the presumptive junction of the future hard and soft palate that defines anterior–posterior differences in regional growth, mesenchymal gene expression, and cell fate. We propose a molecular circuit integrating FGF and BMP signaling to control proliferation and differentiation during the sequential formation of rugae and inter-rugae domains in the palatal epithelium. The loss of p63 and Sostdc1 expression and failed rugae differentiation highlight that coordinated epithelial–mesenchymal signaling is lost in the Fgf10 mutant palate. Our results establish a genetic program that reiteratively organizes signaling domains to coordinate the growth of the secondary palate with the elongating midfacial complex

Islets in Type 2 Diabetes: In Honor of Dr. Robert C. Turner

long as the work is properly cited, the use is educational and not for profit, and the work is not altered. Se

Analyzing Multidisciplinary Team Effectiveness in an Engineering Environment: A Case Study of the West Point Steel Bridge Design Team

The West Point Steel Bridge Design Team is a group of five undergraduate seniors working to design and build a steel bridge for the annual ASCE Steel Bridge Competition. The purpose of our group’s research is to discover how multidisciplinary teams perform in academically competitive environments. This project provides a unique opportunity in the field of multidisciplinary collaborative work because the team’s success can be objectively measured against this year’s competitors and the team’s performance in previous years. The traditional structure of the West Point team consisted of three-to-five civil engineering majors. This year’s team includes a law and legal studies major and five civil engineers, two of which recently switched from systems engineering. Past designs have relied heavily on the work of previous years, which has led to stagnant performance at competitions. Our hypothesis is that by entering different perspectives into the group at an early stage, a revolutionary approach will ensue and overall performance will increase. The team did not completely disregard the designs and methods of previous teams, but the reliance on their decision-making process was more heavily scrutinized with the current multidisciplinary team. Our research is not solely limited to competitive performance. We also analyzed the decision-making process of this year’s team in comparison to previous years. While data on decision-making is not readily available, both the faculty advisor and two current team members who served on the team last year were able to provide personal insight into how the teams compare. Ultimately, this research seeks to provide groups in similar academically competitive environments an indication of whether a multidisciplinary composition will provide benefit to their team’s performance.Cockrell School of Engineerin

Stem Cell Research & Therapy marks its first anniversary

Just over a year ago we launched Stem Cell Research & Therapy with the aim of it becoming the major forum for translational research into stem cell therapies [1]. As we celebrate our first year of publication we look back at what we have achieved and how we hope to progress in our second year and beyond. Stem Cell Research & Therapy is an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal with a special emphasis on basic, translational, and clinical research into stem cell therapeutics, including animal models, and clinical trials. At launch we noted both the enormous potential of stem cell therapies and the major hurdles that have to be overcome [1]. While the past year has seen continued legal turmoil regarding government funding of embryonic stem cell research in the USA [2], stem cell research continues to progress apace internationally.Not SpecifiedDeposited by bulk impor