We introduce a spatial stochastic process on the lattice Z to model mass extinctions. Each site of the lattice may host a flock of up toN individuals. Each individual may give birth to a new individual at the same site at rate φ until the maximum of N individuals has been reached at the site. Once the flock reaches N individuals then, and only then, it starts giving birth on each of the 2d neig...

Flocking is a emergent behavior exhibited by many different animal species, including birds and fish. In our work we consider adding a small set of influencing agents, that are under our control, into a flock. Following ad hoc teamwork methodology, we assume that we are given knowledge of, but no direct control over, the rest of the flock. In our ongoing work highlighted in this abstract, we ar...

The purpose of this paper is to describe and evaluate a new algorithm for optimization. The new algorithm is named the Genetic Flock Algorithm. This algorithm is a type of hybrid of a Genetic Algorithm and a Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm. The paper discusses strengths and weaknesses of these two algorithms. It then explains how the Genetic Flock Algorithm combines features of both and g...

This trial examined the effect of 2 turkey breeder hen ages (33 or 55 wk of age) on performance, intestinal histology, and inflammatory immune response of female turkey poults grown to market weight. Using a randomized design, female poults were separated by breeder flock age (n = 8 floor pens/breeder flock age; n = 26 poults/pen; 0.195 m(2)/bird), fed identical commercial diets (9 phases), and...

The purpose of this study was to survey infections with Salmonella spp. in poultry flocks in the vicinity of Tehran and to determine the most frequent serogroups and serotypes implicated. Twenty-eight samples of pullet, layer, and broiler flocks were randomly collected (n=1463), including freshly dropped feces from live birds or visceral organs from dead birds. In most flocks, 60 samples were t...

SUMMARY Uruguay's national sheep performance recording scheme (Flock-Testing Se 1 described. Recent developments of the scheme are discussed. The sChemery,~ plemented and supervised by the Uruguayan Wool Secretariat (SUL). Cent S of responsabilities by SUL and continued co-participation of breeders a~11a tists are identified as the main factors contributing to the scheme's s ~ is suggested that...

In this paper, we present a flocking model where agents are equipped with navigational and obstacle avoidance capabilities that conform to user defined paths and formation shape requirements. In particular, we adopt an agent-based paradigm to achieve flexible formation handling at both the individual and flock level. The proposed model is studied under three different scenarios where flexible f...

The widespread use of GPS devices on cars enables the collection of time-dependent positions of vehicles and, hence, of their movements on the road network. It is possible to analyze such huge collection of data to look for critical situation on the traffic flow. The offline analysis of traffic congestions represents a challenging task for urban mobility managers. This kind of analysis can be u...

In Italy, organic egg production farms use free-range housing systems with a big outdoor area and a flock of no more than 500 hens. With additional devices and/or farming procedures, the whole flock could be forced to stay in the outdoor area for a limited time of the day. As a consequence, ozone treatments of housing areas could be performed in order to reduce the levels of atmospheric ammonia...