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Tools for Implementing Multi-Agent Systems Based on Protocols
No full textInteraction-Oriented Programming (IOP) is an approach to building a multi-agent system by modeling the interactions between its roles via a flexible interaction protocol and implementing agents to realize the interactions of the roles they play in the protocol. In recent years, we have developed an extensive suite of software that enables multi-agent system developers to apply IOP. These include tools for efficiently verifying protocols for properties such as liveness and safety and middleware that simplifies the implementation of agents. This chapter presents some of that software suite
A theory for words in Georgian : traditional constructs versus corpus annotation
No full textPart-of-speech annotation, as an exercise in categorisation, necessitates a category schema, based on some model or theory of the grammar of the language. Such a model may (sometimes, must) deviate from traditional approaches for human understanding, as exploration of theoretical issues arising from a Georgian POS schema illustrates. Consistency on classifying by form versus function is problematised by difficult pronoun/demonstrative and adjective/noun distinctions. Adverb subcategorisation illustrates exclusion of semantic/derivational distinctions that traditional approaches readily admit. Variation in plural inflection has implications for how diachronicity is handled, as does “zero case”. Postpositions make necessary a specific approach to cliticisation in which enclitic elements are handled as separate tokens bearing their own analysis. Suffixaufnahme provides a case study in inclusion versus exclusion of a rare but current phenomenon. Verb morphology illustrates how simplifying assumptions help favour abstraction of categories over descriptive exhaustiveness. Divergence between the resulting model and traditional characterisations do not invalidate either, but evidence how a model’s design is inseparable from its purpose. With regard to these select issues of Georgian grammar, this discussion aims both to demonstrate the overall argument regarding theorisation/schematisation for a specific, practical purpose (POS annotation) and to justify solutions proposed to problems at hand
Language of Mental Health
No full textThis chapter starts by describing how our language has changed from talking about mental illness to talking about mental health. It then reviews linguistic research and shows that most studies have focused on mental illness in general or specific mental disorders. Next, it reflects on the key features of the language that different people use to talk about mental health - particularly, how people with mental health conditions use metaphors to discuss their experiences and how stigma is linguistically manifested in wider societal discussions. It concludes by considering how the language of mental health may vary by culture. Key Points • Describe a key change in the language that we use to talk about this issue - a movement away from illness and disorder to health and well-being. • Present some of the key features of the language that different people use to talk about mental health - particularly, how people with mental health conditions use metaphors to discuss their experiences and how stigma is linguistically manifested in wider societal discussions. • Consider how the language of mental health may vary by culture
Being Responsible in Cybersecurity : A multi-layered Perspective
Get PDFThe paper posits that in the increasingly connected digital landscape, there is a growing need to examine the scale and scope of responsible cybersecurity. In an exploratory study that involved qualitative interviews with senior cybersecurity professionals, we identify different layers of responsible cybersecurity that span across techno-centric, human-centric, organizational (intra and inter) and societal centric perspectives. We present these in an onion-shaped framework and show that collectively these diverse perspectives highlight the linked responsibilities of different stakeholders both within and beyond the organization. The study also finds that senior leadership plays a crucial role in fostering responsible cybersecurity across the different layers. Implications for research and practice are discussed
Validating the Male Rape Myth Scale - Shortened Version (MRMS-SV) : Examining Melanson’s original factorial structure among a large nationally representative sample of the UK
Get PDFDespite extensive use in research assessing myths around male sexual victimization, the factorial structure of Melanson’s 1999 Male Rape Myth Scale [MRMS] was never psychometrically validated, meaning the relevance of scale items and dimensionality remained untested. Recruiting a nationally representative sample of 4152 UK adults, dimensionality and construct validity of the 22-item MRMS and a modified 19-item shortened version (MRMS-SV) were investigated using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). Analysis was conducted separately for the complete, male only (n = 2006), and female only (n = 2146) samples. Results indicate scores are best captured by a unidimensional solution across all samples tested, using the modified 19-item MRMS-SV version. Excellent internal reliability was observed among each sample. Research using the MRMS-SV can be confident in the scale’s unidimensional validity
Brexit and its impact on EU financial markets
Get PDFWe investigate the impact of Brexit on volatility spillovers across the EU countries. We introduce a Brexit intensity measure that assigns an intensity score reflective of the financial markets’ reaction to the events that occurred as Brexit negotiations began to unfold. We find that Brexit related events have contributed towards increased volatility transmission within the EU. Country-wise investigations show that throughout the Brexit timespan, France is the key volatility transmitter within the Union. By contrast, the UK is evidenced as a volatility transmitter during the early stages of Brexit negotiations, under Theresa May as the prime minister. Out of the smallest stock markets of the block, Ireland, Portugal, and Spain have been amongst those particularly affected
Investigating the association between urban rural classification with fragility fractures and bone density in the UK : evidence from a large observational clinical cohort
No full textObjectives Geographic variation in fracture risk exists across the UK, yet urban-rural differences in fracture risk and bone density have yet to be explored. We aimed to investigate associations between urban-rural classification and bone health outcomes in a UK clinical population. Methods We analysed patients who underwent dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scanning between June 2004–May 2025 in northwest England. Geographic status was assessed using 2011 UK Census Urban Rural Classification. Multiple imputation with parameter pooling was performed with logistic and linear regression models adjusted for FRAX risk factors to investigate the associations between urban–rural residence and major osteoporotic fractures, hip fractures, bone mineral density, and body composition. Results Of 40,951 eligible patients, 32,324 (79%) were women with mean age 68.2 years, 11,811 major osteoporotic fractures were reported including 2,208 hip fractures. No significant association existed between urban–rural status and odds of having a previous fragility fracture (major osteoporotic fractures: odds ratio (OR) 0.97, 95% CI 0.92–1.02; hip fractures: OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.90–1.07). Rural residence was associated with lower osteoporosis odds: femoral neck OR 0.86 (95% CI 0.80–0.92) and lumbar spine OR 0.85 (95% CI 0.80–0.91). Rural patients had significantly lower regional body fat: femoral fat percentage (β=-0.45, 95% CI -0.55 to -0.34, p < 0.001) and abdominal fat percentage (β=-0.43, 95% CI -0.58 to -0.29, p < 0.001). Conclusions Rural residence was associated with improved bone density and body composition but was not associated with fragility fractures in our referred UK clinical cohort
On The Origin of The Fusulinids
No full textThe earliest Fusulinida are used to assess the widely accepted hypothesis that Pseudoendothyra arose from Eostaffella, that Eostaffella arose from Eoparastaffella, and that Eoparastaffella was derived from Eoparastaffellina. The possible relationship between these taxa are examined using material from northern England. Transitional forms between Eoparastaffella and Pseudoendothyra are observed, with similar shape, profile, and wall structure, but with discernible differences in the coiling of the inner whorls, as well as a clear age overlap between these genera, which suggests a direct evolution between them. The origin of Eostaffella is not sufficiently well established and could be derived either from Eoparastaffella (as many authors have proposed) or from the dainellid Paralysella. Thus, it cannot be ruled out that the order Fusulinida might be polyphyletic. The genus Eoparastaffellina is considered a valid genus and independent from Eoparastaffella with their inclusion in the different orders of Endothyrida and Fusulinida, respectively
Euclid : An emulator for baryonic effects on the matter bispectrum
Get PDFUnderstanding the impact of baryonic processes such as star formation and active galactic nuclei (AGN) feedback on matter clustering is crucial to ensure precise and unbiased cosmological inference. Most theoretical models of baryonic effects to date focus on two-point statistics, neglecting higher-order contributions. This work develops a fast and accurate emulator for baryonic effects on the matter bispectrum, a key non-Gaussian statistic in the nonlinear regime. We employ high-resolution -body simulations from the BACCO suite and apply a combination of cutting-edge techniques such as cosmology scaling and baryonification to efficiently span a large cosmological and astrophysical parameter space. A deep neural network is trained to emulate baryonic effects on the matter bispectrum measured in simulations, capturing modifications across various scales and redshifts relevant to Euclid. We validate the emulator accuracy and robustness using an analysis of \Euclid mock data, employing predictions from the state-of-the-art FLAMINGO hydrodynamical simulations. The emulator reproduces baryonic suppression in the bispectrum to better than 2 for the percentile across most triangle configurations for and ensures consistency between cosmological posteriors inferred from second- and third-order weak lensing statistics. These results demonstrate that our emulator meets the high-precision requirements of the Euclid mission for at least the first data release and provides reliable forecasts of the cosmological information contained in the small-scale matter bispectrum. This underscores the potential of emulation techniques to bridge the gap between complex baryonic physics and observational data, maximising the scientific output of Euclid