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Despite distinct diagnostic criteria, several gastrointestinal pathologies can masquerade haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) during the peripartum period. Acute fatty liver of pregnancy, HELLP (haemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and low platelets) syndrome, miliary tuberculosis, visceral leishmaniasis, abdominal surgical emergencies, haemolytic anaemias and haematological malignancies may have clinical and laboratory presentation similar to that of HLH. In this report, we present the case of a 26-year-old woman with 38-weeks' gestation and abdominal pain, vomiting, intermittent fever and non-productive cough for 1-2 months. A thorough investigation suggested HLH and the patient was successfully treated with corticosteroids. This patient demonstrates the importance of a focused investigation strategy and timely management to prevent mortality and morbidity to both the mother and fetus in this rare and fatal disease.

To combat the dreaded diseases in rice like bacterial blight and blast, host plant resistance has been advocated as a sustainable method. Through the present study, we have successfully incorporated three major bacterial blight (BB) resistance genes viz., Xa21, xa13 and xa5 into NLR3449, a high yielding, blast resistant, fine-grain type popular rice variety through marker-assisted backcross breeding. Foreground selection was carried out using PCR based, gene-specific markers viz., pTA248 (Xa21), xa13prom (xa13) and xa5FM (xa5) at each generation of backcrossing, while 127 polymorphic SSR markers spanning on 12 chromosomes were used for background selection and backcrossing was limited to two rounds. At BC2F1 generation, a single plant (NLR-87-10) with 89.9% recovery and possessing all the three bacterial blight resistance genes was forwarded to BC2F2 generation. A solitary BC2F2 plant viz., NLR-87-10-106 possessing all the three resistance genes and > 90% genome recovery was identified and advanced through selfing till BC2F4 generation by adopting pedigree method. Three best lines at BC2F4 lines, possessing high level of resistance against bacterial blight and blast and equivalent or superior to NLR 34449 in terms of yield, grain quality and agro-morphological traits have been identified and advanced for multi-location trials.

In healthcare not only sensory instruments, but also in connectivity, recording and display systems, technology plays an important role. It is important to keep track of different medical parameters and post-operative days. As a result, the most recent advancement in healthcare communication methods using IOT and LIFI has been adopted. The Internet of Things (IoT) acts as a catalyst for healthcare and is used in a wide variety of applications. The Arduino microcontroller is used as a conduit in this project to connect with a variety of sensors, including a temperature sensor, a respiratory sensor, and a heart rate sensor. The microcontroller collects sensor information and transmits it via IOT to the network, and thus monitors medical parameters in real time. The physician will view the data at any time. Furthermore, the controller is attached to the buzzer to signal the controller to change the sensor output. The key problem with remote patient surveillance systems is that only approved users can view data remotely and provide the data for the target end. The issue of protection can be solved by sending documents over the internet, which is secured by password, and the doctors will access the information via the html web page. Warning message is sent to the doctor via IOT attached to the controller next to the instance of extremity. This is why this machine can effectively accomplish rapid provisional medicines. With low energy consumption, fast set-up, high performance and time to time response, this device is capable.

Cloud computing and big data analytics are, without a doubt, two of the most important technologies to enter the mainstream IT industry in recent years. Surprisingly, the two technologies are coming together to deliver powerful results and benefits for businesses. Cloud computing is already changing the way IT services are provided by so called cloud companies and how businesses and users interact with IT resources. Big Data is a data analysis methodology enables by recent advances in information and communications technology. However, big data analysis requires a huge amount of computing resources making adoption costs of big data technology is not affordable for many small to medium enterprises. In this paper, we outline the the benefits and challenges involved in deploying big data analytics through cloud computing. We argue that cloud computing can support the storage and computing requirements of big data analytics. We discuss how the consolidation of these two dominant technologies can enhance the process of big data mining enabling businesses to improve decision-making processes. We also highlight the issues and risks that should be addressed when using a so called CLaaS, cloud-based service model.

The elite Indian rice hybrid, DRRH3 is highly susceptible to two major diseases, bacterial blight (BB) and blast, which limit its productivity significantly. In the present study, we have introgressed two major genes, viz., Xa21 and Pi54 conferring resistance against BB and blast, respectively into RPHR-1005, the male parent of DRRH3 through marker-assisted backcross breeding (MABB) and analyzed the backcross derived plants for their resistance against BB and blast. RPBio Patho-2 was used as a donor for both the resistance genes. Gene-specific markers were used for the foreground selection of Xa21 and Pi54 at each stage of backcrossing and markers specific for the major fertility restorer genes, Rf3 and Rf4 were used only at BC1F1 generation for foreground selection. Background selection was done using 62 polymorphic SSR markers and marker-assisted backcrossing was continued till BC3 generation. At BC3F4, through intensive phenotype-based selections 15 promising lines (ABLs) possessing high level of resistance against BB and blast, high yield, fine-grain type, complete fertility restoration along with better panicle exsertion and taller plant type as compared to RPHR-1005 were identified and test crossed with APMS 6 A, the female parent of DRRH3. The newly derived hybrids (i.e. improved versions of DRRH3) were observed to possess high level of resistance against BB and blast along with medium-slender grain type and yield level better than or equivalent to that of DRRH3. Our study exemplifies the utility of MABB for targeted improvement of multiple traits in hybrid rice.

Bacterial blight (BB) of rice caused by the pathogen Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae and the insect gall midge (GM) (Orseolia oryzae) are two major constraints of rice production. The present study was carried out to improve RPHR-1005, a stable restorer line of the fine-grain-type rice hybrid DRRH-3, for BB and GM resistance through marker-assisted backcross breeding (MABB). Two major GM resistance genes, Gm4 and Gm8, and a major BB resistance gene, Xa21, were selected as target genes for transfer to RPHR-1005. Two sets of backcrosses were carried out to combine either Xa21 + Gm4 or Xa21+ Gm8 into RPHR-1005 using breeding lines in the genetic background of ISM possessing either Gm4 or Gm8 along with Xa21. Foreground selection was performed for Xa21, Gm4, Gm8, and the major fertility restorer genes Rf3 and Rf4 using gene-specific markers, while 61 polymorphic simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were used for background selection and marker-assisted backcrossing was continued until BC2 generation. A promising homozygous backcross-derived plant at the BC2F2 generation possessing Xa21 + Gm4, and another possessing Xa21 + Gm8, were intercrossed to stack the target resistance genes. At ICF 4 (inter-crossed F4) , three promising lines possessing the three target resistance genes in a homozygous condition along with fine-grain type, complete fertility restoration, and better panicle exsertion than RPHR-1005 have been identified. Among these, a single line, # RPIC-16-65-125, showed better yield, was highly resistant to BB and GM, was of medium–slender grain type, and had complete fertility restoration along with better panicle exsertion and taller plant type than RPHR-1005. This is the first report of combining resistance against BB and GM in the genetic background of a hybrid rice parental line.

ABO incompatibility is the commonest reason for rejection of donors in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). The donor pool could be expanded by 25 % to 35 % if the ABO barrier is overcome. In the absence of pre-conditioning, transplantation across the blood groups is fraught with the almost universal risk of antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) that rapidly leads to graft loss. However, AMR can be prevented by removal of preformed antibodies and reducing their production by B cells. We describe our initial experience of three cases of ABO-incompatible (ABO-i) LDLT: a 42-year-old male, an 8-month-old male and a 28-month-old female, all of blood group O+ who received blood group B + right lobe, B + left lateral segment, and A + left lateral segment liver grafts, respectively. Pre-LDLT conditioning included administration of anti-CD20 antibody (Rituximab(®)) to the adult 4 weeks prior, and four to seven sessions of double-filtration plasmapheresis to all, to remove preformed antibodies and achieve anti-donor blood group antibody (ADA) titers of ≤ 1:16 IgG and ≤ 1:8 IgM, respectively. In addition, cases 1 and 3 received mycophenolate mofetil for 7 days prior to LDLT. After LDLT, all three patients achieved normal graft function over 8-17 days with no evidence of AMR and without the need for further plasmapheresis. Postoperative complications included portal vein thrombosis (one successfully re-explored), CMV (one), Pseudomonas and Klebsiella sepsis (one each), and abdominal collection (one treated with percutaneous drainage). All are currently well with normal graft function and low ADA titers at 8, 16, and 19 months after ABO-i LDLT.

Genetically modified crops are one of the prudent options for enhancing the production and productivity of crop plants by safeguarding from the losses due to biotic and abiotic stresses. Agrobacterium-mediated and biolistic transformation methods are used to develop transgenic crop plants in which selectable marker genes (SMG) are generally deployed to identify 'true' transformants. The commonly used SMG obtained from prokaryotic sources when employed in transgenic plants pose risks due to their lethal nature during selection process. In the recent past, some non-lethal SMGs have been identified and used for selection of transformants with increased precision and high selection efficiency. Considering the concerns related to bio-safety of the environment, it is desirable to remove the SMG in order to maximize the commercial success through wide adoption and public acceptance of genetically modified (GM) food crops. In this review, we examine the availability, and the suitability of wide range of non-lethal selection markers and elimination of SMG methods to develop marker-free transgenics for achieving global food security. As the strategies for marker-free plants are still in proof-of-concept stage, adaptation of new genomics tools for identification of novel non-lethal marker systems and its application for developing marker-free transgenics would further strengthen the crop improvement program.

Summary The present investigation was carried out with the following objectives: (i) to identify EST-SSR marker allele(s) capable of distinguishing 12 popular rice varieties cultivated in India, and (ii) to validate the utility of the genotype specific EST-SSR markers in seed genetic purity assessments. A set of 98 EST-SSR markers located across the 12 chromosomes of rice were used for finger-printing the selected rice varieties, out of which 24 EST-SSR markers were observed to be informative enough to distinguish all the 12 rice varieties considered in the study. A set of nine EST-SSR markers (RMES2-1, RMES2-2, RMES7-2, RMES12-2, JGT03-29.2, JGT07-22.8, JGT07-25.2, JGT10-5.7 and JGT12-18.6) exhibited unique alleles for seven rice varieties (Swarna, MTU 1001, Tellahamsa, Krishnahamsa, JGL 384, JGL 1798 and Vikas) and could serve as molecular IDs (Identities) for these varieties. To validate the utility of the EST-SSR markers in genetic purity assessment, foundation seed lotsof MTU 1001, Tellahamsa, Krishnahamsa and Vikas were assessed for their genetic purity using both EST-SSRmarker analysis and 12 morphological characters in a grow-out test (GOT). The impurities detected in the EST-SSR marker analysis were 2-3% higher as compared to those detected based on morphological characters in GOT.The results indicated practical utility of the EST-SSR markers in assessing the genetic purity of the rice varieties.

Background: Human milk banking depends on donations and characterization of donors seems important. We aimed to determine prevalence of human milk donors and profile of regular donors and their infants.Methods: Cross-sectional study done on human milk donors in model HMB in tertiary NICU for six months. Donors who had donated for more than 30% of their hospital stay considered as regular donors. Their sociodemographic and clinical profile along with their infant status recorded from history, examination and health records.Results: Prevalence of Human milk donors in our HMB was 71.3% and that of regular donors was 27.08%. 616 eligible to donate. 234 regular donors included separating 382 defaulters. Excluding 17, 217 regular donors enrolled. Religious beliefs did not deter donation. 65.43% had school education. 90% donors belonged to middle socioeconomic class. Three fourths already had 2 living children. Majority delivered vaginally (62.67%) in health facility offering level II neonatal NICU care (42.86%). Regular donors stayed in hospital with their sick infants for mean (SD) period of 13 (4.21) days. Mean (SD) Post-natal age of commencement of milk donation among regular donors was 9 (3.47) days. Breast-feeding rate was 87.09%. Regular donors had delivered very low birth weight (42.86%), SGA (53.46%) infants who stayed in hospital for mean (SD) duration 18 (6.86) days.Conclusions: The prevalence of Human milk donors in our HMB was 71.3%. Only one third of them were regular donors. No religious barriers for donation observed. Educated socioeconomically secure multiparous donors made sustained donations. Health status and length of Postnatal stay in hospital of mothers and infants seemed to have a bearing on sustained donation.

Background: Aqueous chlorhexidine applied repeatedly may predispose to increased gram negative bacterial colonization in preterm skin due to its higher bactericidal action against gram positive bacteria and absence of alcohol. The objective was to study the difference in rates of gram negative bacterial colonization in skin swabs taken from axilla and groin on day 7 after multiple applications of 0.5% aqueous chlorhexidine and placebo (sterile water).Methods: Double blinded, randomised controlled trial recruiting preterm infants(28-34weeks) weighing ≥1000grams, stratified(28-31:32-34week) and randomly allocated to receive multiple body cleansing every 48hours starting from 6hours within birth during first postnatal week. Intervention group received cleansing with 0.5%chlorhexidine wipes and controls cleansed with similar looking sterile water wipes. Comparison of Proportions of swabs showing Gram negative bacterial growth in swabs taken from axilla and groin on day 7 of life after 3 cleansings (primary), at recruitment, 24 and 48 hours after first cleansing (secondary) were outcomes measured.Results: Of 137 eligible neonates, 120 enrolled and 59 infants received chlorhexidine cleansing and 61 received sterile water. At the end of first week, the rate of skin colonization with gram negative bacteria after multiple applications of 0.5% aqueous chlorhexidine was comparable with sterile water cleansing in both axilla (40.9% vs 51.1%, p=0.432) and groin (60.7% vs 54.3%, p=0.592). There was no difference in the rate of gram negative bacterial colonization in axilla and groin skin at 24 and 48 hours after single application also.Conclusions: Aqueous chlorhexidine even after multiple cleansings at 48hours intervals soon after birth has not predisposed to colonization with gram negative bacterial in preterm infants admitted in NICU.

Fragrance development in rice has been reported due to a 8-bp deletion in the exon 7 of badh2 gene located on Chromosome 8S. Multiplex markers targeting the functional InDel polymorphism was earlier reported for genotyping fragrance trait, but the marker was observed to be inconsistent and difficult to use. We have developed a simple, co-dominant, functional marker for fragrance trait, which can be resolved in an agarose gel and validated in Basmati and non-Basmati aromatic rice varieties and in a mapping population segregated for fragrance trait. The marker targets the InDel polymorphism in badh2 gene and amplifies 95 and 103 bp fragments in fragrant and non-fragrant genotypes, respectively. The newly developed marker was highly efficient in discriminating all fragrant and non-fragrant genotypes and showed perfect co-segregation with the trait of fragrance in the mapping population. We recommend the use of this simple, low-cost marker in routine genotyping for fragrance trait in large scale breeding materials and germplasm.

Abiotic stresses including drought, salinity and cold are a major challenge for sustainable food production as they may decrease the potential yields in crop plants by 70 %. Success in breeding for better adapted varieties to abiotic stresses depends upon intensive efforts using novel biotechnological approaches, including molecular biology, genetics, plant and cell physiology and breeding. Many abiotic stress-induced genes have been identified and some have been cloned. The use of current molecular biology tools to reveal the control mechanisms of abiotic-stress tolerance, and for engineering stress-tolerant crops is based on the expression of specific stress-related genes. Hence, plant genetic engineering and molecular-marker approaches allow development of abiotic stress-tolerant germplasm. Transgenic plants carrying genes for abiotic stress tolerance are being developed, mainly by using Agrobacterium and biolistic methods; transgenics carrying different genes relating to abiotic stress tolerance have been developed in crop plants like rice, wheat, maize, sugarcane, tobacco, Arabidopsis, groundnut, tomato and potato. This chapter focuses on recent progress in using transgenic technology for the improvement of abiotic-stress tolerance in plants. It includes discussion of metabolic engineering for biosynthesis and accumulation of compatible osmolytes (i.e. proline, glycine betaine, ectoine and polyols), reactive oxygen species formation under abiotic stress, ROS scavenging and detoxification in plant cells, single gene transgenic versus multiple genes and transcription factors and their roles in management of abiotic stresses.

transfusions (1160 vs 700 mL) were higher in children

The issue of goodwill has been debated in many countries throughout the world. Despite numerous efforts and the existence of accounting standards and exposure drafts issued by various professional bodies internationally, there is yet to be a universally accepted accounting treatment for goodwill. The opinion on this subject differs and changes frequently. The dichotomy of having to preserve prescribed recognition criteria on the one hand and the need to report useful information on the other has led to the many controversial issues debated on the subject of goodwill. This study centres around the international accounting treatment of goodwill in the past, present and future. This study reviewed some of the issues that surrounded the accounting for goodwill where it was found that goodwill accounting had faced many problems. Besides problems, this project also looks into the prospect of the accounting for goodwill in the cyberspace era and emergence of the knowledge‐based economy. This study confirms that controversy remains internationally with no solution in sight in the foreseeable future internationally.

Biotechnological tools like molecular markers can add precision to breeding and accelerate breeding efforts. Towards this objective, our research team at ICAR-IIRR has applied marker-assisted breeding (MAB) for improvement of multiple traits like resistance against bacterial blight, blast, gall midge and BPH, heterosis related traits, improvement of low soil P tolerance, grain quality and yield. Through marker-assisted backcross breeding (MABB), a high-yielding, bacterial blight resistant rice variety possessing fine-grain type and low glycemic index (GI), named Improved Samba Mahsuri (ISM) has been developed and released for cultivation by farmers. MABB has also been applied for improving bacterial blight resistance of a few important traditional and evolved Basmati rice varieties and hybrid rice parental lines. A novel bacterial blight resistance gene, Xa33 has been identified from an accession of the wild rice, O. nivara, fine-mapped and transferred into several elite genetic backgrounds. Novel sources of resistance against bacterial blight and blast diseases have been identified and characterized and major blast resistance have been transferred to several elite genetic backgrounds and a major QTL associated with neck blast resistance has been identified from wild rice. Additionally, genepyramid lines possessing resistance against gall midge have also been developed and a novel and highly effective BPH resistance gene has also been identified and mapped with molecular marker and few promising donors possessing resistance against sheath blight have been identified. A molecular marker-based assay has been designed for rapid and accurate determination of impurities in seed-lots of rice hybrids and their parental lines and functional markers have been developed for the traits relevant to hybrid rice, viz., wide-compatibility, wild-abortive cytoplasmic male sterility and fertility restoration. Functional markers have also been developed for major grain quality determining genes, fgr and GS3 and a major QTL controlling gelatinization temperature has been identified through molecular mapping. The major QTL responsible for low soil phosphorus (P tolerance, viz., Pup1 has been transferred to Improved Samba Mahsuri, MTU1010 and IR64 and novel, non-Pup1 type donors have been identified for the trait. Four major yield enhancing genes, viz., Gn1a, SCM2, OsSPL14 and GW5 have been transferred to elite rice cultivars, viz., Improved Samba Mahsuri, Swarna, MTU1010 and NDR359.

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), a gram positive soil bacteria was first identified and named by Japanese microbiologist Shigetane Ishiwata in 1901. During sporulation Bt produces proteinaceous parasporal crystal proteins called δ-endotoxins, or Cry proteins, which are insecticidal. Numerous Cry proteins have been isolated and characterized from different Bt strains with activity against insects, mites and nematodes. Sprayable formulations containing these Cry proteins as active ingredients have contributed significantly in the field of insect pest management. Since the first cloning of cry genes from Bt,1 scientists have successively demonstrated that plants could be genetically engineered to express these cry genes for the control of dreadful insect pests. Eventually, the first transgenic crop expressing Btcry1Ac gene in cotton was approved in 1996 for commercial cultivation in the USA to manage bollworms.

* BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To determine the optimal wavelength for subconjunctival laser suture lysis. * MATERIALS AND METHODS: 130 black monofilament 10-0 nylon sutures were sewn subconjunctivally into the bare sclera of enucleated rabbit globes. The lowest energy levels facilitating laser suture lysis were determined for the argon green (514.5 NM), argon blue-green (488.0 NM, 514.5 NM), and krypton red (647.1 NM) wavelengths. In addition, absorption spectroscopy was performed on the suture material and conjunctiva using the Perkin Elmer W/VIS Lambda 2 spectrometer. * RESULTS: Krypton red produced the fewest buttonhole defects, and it was also the most efficient energy source for suture lysis (P = 0.0001) under nontenectomized conjunctiva. Absorbance spectra studies revealed peak absorbance at 628 NM for the 10-0 nylon suture material. * CONCLUSIONS: Based on animal and absorption spectroscopy studies, krypton red may be a safer and more efficient wavelength for subconjunctival laser suture lysis. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers 1999;30:560-564.]

In this paper the development of a fuzzy logic based software agent for bilateral e-negotiation is considered. The developed fuzzy logic based intelligent agent is applied to a laptop purchasing model which allows users that have limited knowledge on different range of laptops available, to define the different attributes of laptop in human language such as low, medium or high price, speed, screen size and other attributes. The intelligent agent then performs an automatic evaluation on how close an item matches user preferences using fuzzy logic based decision-making built into the intelligent agent. We develop tactic for the intelligent agent so that it can change its decision making for example how much the agent should increase counter offer in its negotiation, depending on laptop utility score, offer price of the laptop and remaining negotiation time. Simulation results show that the buyer agent concedes more (i.e. raises its offer price) if laptop attributes being negotiated meets its client preferences better and concedes less if otherwise.

The rapid growth of the Internet, networking systems, and wireless and web technologies is stimulating more and more companies to provide e-commerce applications. E-commerce application developers have the problem of creating enterprise-wide and world-wide applications that must operate across corporations and continents of the world. Such ecommerce applications are difficult to produce with traditional software technologies. An agent is a software entity that applies Artificial Intelligence techniques to choose the best of actions to perform in order to reach a goal specified by the user. It should be proactive, flexible, dynamic and autonomous, and should act in an intelligent manner to the changes produced in its environment. A multi-agent system (MAS) may be defined as a collection of agents that communicate between themselves to coordinate their activities in order to be able to solve collectively a problem that could not be solved by an individual agent (Sycara, 1998; Wooldridge, 2010). Multi-agent systems have been shown to be suitable to domains with the following characteristics (Moreno and Isern, 2002):  Knowledge is distributed in different locations.  Several entities have to join their problem-solving abilities to be able to solve a complex problem.  The problem in the domain may be decomposed into a set of different sub-problems, even if they have some kind of inter-dependencies.

When presented with an attack graph, network administrator may raise question on how to harden the network. To defend his network, network administrator should be supplied with list of all attack paths that can compromise the network. With this list, he can decide which paths are worth paying attention to and defending against. In the event of limited resources, network administrator may only be interested in certain critical paths which cause worst network attack. Attack graph alone is not always helpful on its own and needs additional work for this purpose. In this paper we present the use of a Fuzzy Cognitive Map which is converted from attack graph with genetic algorithm to find attack scenarios causing worst impact on network security. The identified scenarios can then help network administrator to mitigate risks associated with the attack scenarios and improve his network security.

The development of the Decision Support Framework (DSF) for software testing provides a solid basis for assisting the software test manager in assessing the risk of achieving successful software testing. To further enhance the DSF, the DSF has been expanded beyond its static and dynamic analysis perspectives.

Transmission measurements at intensities (fluences) above 500 MW/cm2 (2.5 J/cm2) reveal that the nonlinear absorption in photodarkened samples of semiconductor doped glass is higher than in undarkened ones. A comparison of the saturation behavior in these materials and UV photodarkened host glass supports the model of a photodarkening mechanism based on absorption by electrons trapped in the host glass.

Agent-mediated e-commerce is rapidly emerging as a new paradigm to develop business intelligent systems. Such systems are built upon the foundations of agent technology with a strong emphasis on the automated negotiation capabilities. In this paper, we address negotiation problems where agreements must resolve several different attributes. We propose a one-to-many multi-issue negotiation model based on the Pareto optimal theory. The proposed model is capable of processing agents’ preferences and arriving to an optimal solution from a set of alternatives by ranking them according to the score that they achieved. We present our prototype system architecture, together with a discussion of the underlying negotiation framework. We then illustrate on our implementation efforts using the JADE and Eclipse platform. Our concluding remarks and possible further work are presented.

Optical pumping of polymer sheets containing laser dyes and TiO(2) nanoparticle scatterers results in emissions that exhibit laser behavior with linewidths as low as 4 nm. The input-output characteristics, effects of index matching on the emission, damage thresholds, wavelength stability, and possible applications of these new materials are discussed.

This paper discusses a framework to assist test managers to evaluate the use of AI techniques as a potential tool in software testing. Fuzzy Cognitive Maps (FCMs) are employed to evaluate the framework and make decision analysis easier. A what-if analysis is presented that explores the general application of the framework. Simulations are performed to show the effectiveness of the proposed method. The framework proposed is innovative and it assists managers in making efficient decisions.

Agent-mediated eCommerce (AMEC) is rapidly emerging as a new paradigm to develop distributed and intelligent eCommerce systems. Such systems are built upon the foundations of agent technology with a strong emphasis on the automated negotiation. In this paper, we address negotiation problems where agreements must resolve several different issues. We propose a one-to-many multi-attribute negotiation model based on the decision making theory. The proposed model is capable of processing agents’ preferences and arriving to an optimal solution from a set of alternatives by ranking them according to the score that they achieved. We present our experimental system architecture, together with a discussion of the underlying negotiation framework. We then report on our prototype implementation using the JADE and Eclipse platform and illustrate it with an example in eCommerce. Our concluding remarks and future research are presented.

This paper attempts to extend current research efforts in cloud computing by creating a value model for ICT organisations to objectively determine to invest in either cloud computing or continue investing with on premise hosting options. The model will attempt to factor ICT organisations’ business attributes, financial attributes and technical attributes to provide a balanced view. Previously the authors of this paper have proposed a Cloud Computing Tipping Point model to address these gaps in research. The author also attempts to enable the model with package of services to exchange information with 3 rd parties and agents that consumes the model. This paper attempts to validate the Cloud Computing Tipping Point model by leveraging surveys. The paper also attempts to validate the model by creating an artifact to demonstrate the model’s capability. It continues to discusses the authors attempt to enable service centric capability by leveraging service oriented architecture (SOA) concepts. This paper concludes by introducing a standard based XML taxonomy to exchange information between the model and its clients or agents.

The use of artificial intelligent (AI) techniques for testing software applications has been investigated for over a decade. This paper proposes a framework to assist test managers to evaluate the use of AI techniques as a potential tool to test software. The framework is designed to facilitate decision making and provoke the decision maker into a better understanding of the use of AI techniques as a testing tool. We provide an overview of the framework and its components. Fuzzy Cognitive Maps (FCMs) are employed to evaluate the framework and make decision analysis easier, and therefore help the decision making process about the use of AI techniques to test software. What-if analysis is used to explore and illustrate the general application of the framework.

The narrow-linewidth laser emission from a scattering gain medium can be forced to oscillate in a narrower emission bandwidth with the introduction of a seed in much the same way as the injection-seeding technique used to produce single-mode oscillation from conventional lasers. The system exhibits complete spectral collapse at all wavelengths other than that of the seed and a large enhancement of the isotropic emission peak intensity. A theory explaining the emission characteristics and the minimum threshold seed energy required for locking is presented.

This paper examines an agent-mediated collaborative negotiation framework for e-commerce. This paper specifically focuses on travel industry. Individual customers and travel agencies will both be able to benefit from the usage of the system, since its negotiation strategies will not depend on price only, but several attributes, such as the number of rooms, the required facilities, and so on. The key issues in automating negotiation are the negotiation protocol, the negotiation object, and the negotiation strategy. Our paper addresses these issues by discussing the development of an agent-mediated e-commerce system using the FIPA compatible agent development framework, the JADE platform. Finally we provide our conclusions and discuss possible future work.

An agent-based system is characterised by an agent's autonomous behaviour, which behaviour is the main difference between the concepts of agent and object. Agent autonomous behaviour is the ability of an agent to cooperate instead of integrate; therefore, the structure of agent-based systems consists of loosely coupled agents. In such an environment, the relationship between the agents is unlocked, so conventional, predefined integration software techniques are not an option because the agents need an open-architecture type of integration (cooperation) to achieve their tasks jointly. The aim of this research paper is to provide an evidence of how the ontology approach can play a role in modelling agent autonomous behaviour. The research explores the ontology software technologies used for semantic web applications, and designs a case study as an example of a set of services. In the implementation phase, the research uses the web ontology software development languages XML, RDFS, OWL, and Altova semanticWork to set up and develop the case study. The result is presented and plans for future work are discussed.

Agent systems differ from more traditional software systems because agents are intended to be independent autonomous, reactive, pro-active and sociable software entities. Due to these unique characteristics developing agent systems has been a very challenging task for agent researchers and application developers. JADE (Java Agent DEvelopment Framework) is an agent development tool, implemented in JAVA and FIPA-compliant. Although JADE provides all the mandatory components (FIPA) for the development of autonomous agents, it lacks the ability to include intelligent behaviour to individual agents. JESS (Java Expert System Shell), a rule-based programming environment written in Java, provides a powerful tool for developing systems with intelligent reasoning abilities. This paper examines the use of both JADE and JESS for the development intelligent agent systems and shares the experience of the authors in the development of a Personal Travel Assistant (PTA).

A novel agent based protocol for computer and network security based on multifactor fusion of passwords and facial biometrics for user authentication is proposed in this paper. The protocol uses multiple factors for authentication involving a combination of passwords and face biometric template on the smart card and the user workstation. The biometric match is performed by a module running on the user's workstation, authenticated by a mobile agent coming from a reliable server. The proposed protocol uses the current cryptographic tokens without requiring any hardware or software changes.

Agent cooperation is a central component of many multi-agent systems. To be successful in open, multi-agent environments, agents must be capable of dynamically forming a team and solving a problem by cooperating with each other. Such an autonomous agent cooperation process has the potential to execute a plan to achieve a common goal. To date numerous methodologies for agent-oriented software engineering (AOSE) have been proposed in the literature. However, those methodologies lack the ability to model agent cooperation strategies effectively. This research work proposes a set of artefacts to extend Prometheus development methodology in order to support agent cooperation. We will illustrate the extended Prometheus methodology using an example from the domain of e-commerce. The results are presented and our future work is discussed.

Agent-Oriented Software Development is one of the recent contributions to the field of Software Engineering. To date numerous methodologies for agent-oriented software development have been proposed in the literature. However, their application to real-world problems is still limited due to their lack of maturity. Evaluating their strengths and weaknesses is an important step towards developing better methodologies in the future. This paper presents research results obtained by applying three agent-oriented methodologies, namely ROADMAP, MaSE and Prometheus in the context of an E-commerce system. The results are presented and future work is discussed.

Agent technology has been claimed to be a promising tool for creating e-commerce applications. To develop a multi-agent e-commerce system effectively, the developers have to deal with several issues such as agent characteristics, agent functionalities, protocols, communication, cooperation and coordination. JADE (Java Agent Development Environment), an open source software framework, is currently the state-of-the-art tool used for developing multi-agent systems. In this paper, our aim is to present our experience in designing and developing an e-commerce multi-agent system with JADE. Our objective is realised through the presentation of the analysis, design and implementation phases of an agent software system we currently develop in the context of travel industry. We will also discuss some lessons we have learned in using the JADE platform.

Multi-agent systems (MAS) are collections of autonomous intelligent entities that collaborate in the joint resolution of a complex problem. In this paper we argue that MAS are well suited to tackle travel industry problems, and propose a multi-agent architecture for the travel support system. Our paper explores some of the methodologies for multi-agent systems development and examines an open source Java toolkit called, JADE for building a multi-agent system for travel industry support.

This paper gives an overview of agents and its importance in various applications for decision support. A brief description of a typology of agent standards, and relevant technologies in health care are summarized. A summary of our current research work conducted at the Medical Informatics research laboratory on multi-agent architecture is presented. Results from a multi-agent prototype developed for scheduling meetings is discussed and how the architecture can be extended to model health care management for chronic ailments is briefly presented.

THE radiative properties of an atomic or molecular system may be altered significantly in the presence of coherent optical scattering1,2. In the course of investigating the radiative properties of a laser dye dispersed in a strongly scattering medium (a colloidal suspension of titanium dioxide particles), we have found that the emissions from such systems can exhibit spectral and temporal properties characteristic of a multimode laser oscillator, even though the systems contain no external cavity. The threshold excitation energy for laser action is surprisingly low. We suggest that these composite systems might find applications in laser instrumentation and photonics.

Space vector pulse width modulation (SVPWM) technique has become the most popular and important PWM techniques for three-phase voltage source inverters (VSI) fed control of induction, brushless dc, switched reluctance (SR) and permanent magnet synchronous motors. SVPWM is a method of pre-calculation of switching timing instants for various sections of target output which has options in terms of positioning vectors inside every sampling interval. Even though the basic structure for all SVPWM variants is same, there are more options in the arrangement of the voltage vectors in each sector. Competency of difference SVPWM variants can be understood through their analog equivalencies (reference). This paper presents eight different variations of SVPWM. A comparative evaluation of all these variants in terms of attributes such as switching loss factor (SLF), distortion factor (DF) and total harmonic distortion (THD) in output line voltage is reported. Simulation results are provided to illustrate the analysis.

A laser model based on feedback produced by scattering has been developed to explain the narrow linewidth emission and input-output behavior observed in scattering gain media. The model is based on the transient two-level laser equations and includes the detailed spectral properties of the dye gain system. Monte Carlo methods were employed to calculate the threshold gain required for modeling the input-output and linewidth emission characteristics.

Intense optical pumping of solutions of high-gain laser dyes and TiO(2) nanoscatterers in methanol is found to result in narrow-linewidth bichromatic emission. Experimental studies of the long-wavelength emission peak show that weak pumping of the scattering gain medium by the primary lasing emission results in a random system that lases at longer wavelengths. Measurements with other dyes show that the bichromatic emission effect is very general.

Intense isotropic laser emission from an optically pumped scattering gain medium has been used to induce isotropic lasing in an adjacent scattering gain medium at a longer wavelength. The energy-transfer mechanism between the media involved has been studied with a simple model based on radiation-transfer theory. The applications of this effect for wavelength-domain coding are also discussed.