Policies are used to control the behavior of large-scale systems. After policies are designed and before policies are implemented, it should be possible to analyze the policies and verify that they behave as expected. Graph transformations provide a good method to carry out the analysis and verification because of the intuitive representation of policies and the mature theory. Here, we show how...

A phase-field approach for quantitative simulations of grain growth in anisotropic systems is introduced, together with a new methodology to derive appropriate model parameters that reproduce given misorientation and inclination dependent grain boundary energy and mobility in the simulations. The proposed model formulation and parameter choice guarantee a constant diffuse interface width and co...

Note that if ∑ agg ∈ I, then ∑ ag = 0 so that ∑ agg = ∑ agg− ∑ ag1 = ∑ ag(g−1), so that every element in I is a Z-linear combination of the elements g− 1 (g ∈ G, g 6= 1). Also, if ∑ ag(g− 1) = 0, it follows that ag = 0 for all g so that the elements g − 1 (g ∈ G, g 6= 1) are linearly independent. (b) Notice that the ideal generated by the elements s− 1 (s ∈ S) is the same as the ideal generated...

truction combined with measures such as the improvement of dwelling houses and the better storage of grain to lessen the rat population? Admittedly the I M. S is merely advisory in such matters, but for what it is worth I venture to express the following opinions, viz. (i) That in years to come it will be recognised that the one and only method of dealing successfully with Bubonic Plague is rig...

Four studies (N = 643) supported the hypothesis that social exclusion would reduce the global perception of life as meaningful. Social exclusion was manipulated experimentally by having a confederate refuse to meet participants after seeing their videotaped introduction (Study 1) and by ostracizing participants in a computerized ball-tossing game (Study 2). Compared to control condition and acc...

The error rate of RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RdRp) affects the mutation frequency in a population of viral RNAs. Using chikungunya virus (CHIKV), we describe a unique arbovirus fidelity variant with a single C483Y amino acid change in the nsP4 RdRp that increases replication fidelity and generates populations with reduced genetic diversity. In mosquitoes, high fidelity CHIKV presents lower ...

The Sicilian Gambit: an opening move that loses the game? The Sicilian Gambit is the title of a review article on antiarrhythmic drug therapy published simultaneously in the European Heart Journal and Circulation in 1991 1 ' 1. The rather peculiar name is a reference to the Queen's Gambit (an opening move in chess) and the fact that the article, considered by the authors as an 'opening move' in...

Merchant fees and reward programs generate an implicit monetary transfer from “cash” users to credit card users because merchants generally do not set differential prices for card users to recoup the costs of merchant fees. On average, each cash-using household transfers $50 to households that use credit cards, and each credit card using household receives a subsidy of $240 every year. Among ca...

Polyploidy can result in both evolutionary dead-ends and successful evolutionary transitions. A pair of recent papers indicates that adapting meiosis is a necessary step on the way to becoming a successful polyploid.