Strong mobility, which allows an external thread to transparently migrate an agent at any time, is difficult to implement in Java since the Java Virtual Machine does not allow serializing the runtime stack. We give an overview of our implementation strategy for strong mobility in which each agent thread maintains its own serializable execution state at all times. We explain how to solve the syn...

Task parallelism is ubiquitous in modern applications for event-based, distributed, or reactive systems. In this type of programming, the ability to cancel a running task arises as a critical feature. Although there are a variety of cancellation techniques, a comprehensive account of their characteristics is missing. This paper provides a classification of task cancellation patterns, as well as...

Orb-web weaving spiders depend upon the mechanical performance of capture threads to absorb the energy of flying prey. Most orb-weavers spin wet capture threads with core fibers of flagelliform silk. These threads are extremely compliant and extensible due to the folding of their constituent proteins into molecular nanosprings and hydration by a surrounding coating of aqueous glue. In contrast,...