Reactive Actions Research Articles

On inner shearing constraints for a direct beam model coarsely describing warping

We investigate inner shearing constraints for a direct one-dimensional beam model coarsely de- scribing warping. In particular, we study how they af- fect the field equations for the elastic buckling of open thin-walled beams. We show that the distinction be- tween the axes of the shear centres and of the centroids is crucial for the kinematics of the beam, and to derive expression of reactive actions, hence of buckling criti- cal conditions. We also show how a suitable definition of the warping inertial action and properly introduced inner shearing constraints yield the field equations of the literature for the beam in a general dynamic set- ting.

Origins of Ship Safety Requirements Formulated by International Maritime Organization

Abstract The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations deals with international shipping. Its primary purpose is to develop and maintain a comprehensive regulatory framework for shipping and its remit today includes: safety, environmental concerns, legal matters, etc. In order to achieve its objectives, the IMO has promoted the adoption of some documents such as conventions, codes and recommendations concerning maritime safety, the prevention of pollution and related matters. Many of these documents include the ship safety requirements. In order to apply them to ships, they first should be generated, prepared and recorded. This paper deals exactly with the origins of ship safety requirements. Depending on the safety requirement origins, the IMO actions can get the reactive or proactive character. Reactive actions are used in response to a particular situation being observed, whereas proactive actions involve acting in advance of a future situation, rather than just reacting. It means taking control and making things happen rather than just adjusting to a situation or waiting for something to happen. In the paper, development of safety technical requirements for ships is presented based on experience of the author as a chairperson of Polish department for Subcommittee of Ship and Equipment Design (DE) of International Maritime Organization.

로드맵 기반 경로에서의 그룹 이동 시뮬레이션

로드맵 기반 계획은 목표 지향적인 이동을 위해 로보틱스 분야에서 많이 사용되는 경로 계획 방식이며 최근 컴퓨터 게임과 같은 컴퓨터 애니메이션 세계에서 많이 응용되고 있다. 그러나 컴퓨터 캐릭터가 로드맵 방식으로 계획된 경로 이동을 기존의 로보틱스 분야와 같은 방식으로 하면 자연스럽게 보이지 않는 단점이 있다. 컴퓨터 애니메이션 분야에서 실제적이고 자연스러운 이동을 가능하게 하는 플로킹은 로드맵과는 달리 계획에 의존하지 않고 몇 가지 규칙만으로 빠르게 캐릭터의 이동을 가능하게 하지만 상태를 갖지 않으므로 목표 지향적인 이동은 불가능하다. 그러므로 본 논문에서는 로드맵에 의해 경로를 계획하고 계획된 경로를 그룹이 자연스럽게 이동하도록 반응적 행동과 결합하여 시뮬레이션하는 방법을 제안한다. 이를 위해 로드맵 기반 경로의 특징을 분석하여 그룹의 리더가 자연스럽게 궤적을 추종하는데 필요한 조타 행동들과 나머지 멤버들이 주변 장애물 상태를 파악하면서 다양한 방법으로 리더를 따르도록 하는 조타 행동을 정의하고 구현하도록 한다. 구현된 조타 행동들을 이용하여 로드맵 기반 계획 방법들과 형상공간 모델링의 가능한 조합에 대해 이동 시뮬레이션하고 결과를 보여준다. 또한 경로 계획이 움직이는 물체는 점을 환산한 형상공간에서 이루어져 장애물 충돌 감지를 효과적으로 할 수 있음을 보여준다. The roadmap-based planning is a path planning method which is used widely for a goal-directed movement in Robotics and has been applied to the world of computer animation such as computer games. However it is unnatural for computer characters to follow the path planned by the roadmap method as it is performed in Robotics. Flocking which is used for realistic and natural movements in computer animation enables character's movement by using a few simple rules without planning unlike the roadmap method. However it is impossible to achieve a goal-directed movement with flocking only because it does not keep states. In this paper we propose a simulation method which combines planning based on the road map with reactive actions for natural movements along the path planned. We define and implement steering behaviors for a leader which are needed to follow the trajectory naturally by analysing characteristics of roadmap-based paths and for the rest of members which follow the leader in various manners by detecting obstacles. The simulations are performed and demonstrated by using the implemented steering behaviors on every possible combination of roadmap-based path planning methods and models of configuration spaces. We also show that the detection of obstacle-collisions can be done effectively because paths are planned in the configuration space in which a moving object is reduced to a point.

Lactoferricin B Inhibits the Phosphorylation of the Two-Component System Response Regulators BasR and CreB

Natural antimicrobial peptides provide fundamental protection for multicellular organisms from microbes, such as Lactoferricin B (Lfcin B). Many studies have shown that Lfcin B penetrates the cell membrane and has intracellular activities. To elucidate the intracellular behavior of Lfcin B, we first used Escherichia coli K12 proteome chips to identify the intracellular targets of Lfcin B. The results showed that Lfcin B binds to two response regulators, BasR and CreB, of the two-component system. For further analysis, we conducted several in vitro and in vivo experiments and utilized bioinformatics methods. The electrophoretic mobility shift assays and kinase assays indicate that Lfcin B inhibits the phosphorylation of the response regulators (BasR and CreB) and their cognate sensor kinases (BasS and CreC). Antibacterial assays showed that Lfcin B reduced E. coli's tolerance to environmental stimuli, such as excessive ferric ions and minimal medium conditions. This is the first study to show that an antimicrobial peptide inhibits the growth of bacteria by influencing the phosphorylation of a two-component system directly.

Longitudinal Investigation of the Link Between Proactive and Reactive Aggression and Disciplinary Actions in an After-School Care Program

The current study longitudinally investigated relations between proactive (goal-oriented, calculated) and reactive (response to perceived threat) aggression and disciplinary actions in an after-school care program in a sample of 147 school-age children (Mean age = 8.22 years; 54.4% male). In addition, perceived best friend delinquency was examined as a moderator of the relations between proactive and reactive aggression and disciplinary actions. As expected, high levels of proactive aggression were associated with high levels of disciplinary actions. Reactive aggression, in contrast, was negatively associated with disciplinary actions 2-months later. Finally, perceived best friend delinquency moderated the association between proactive, but not reactive, aggression and disciplinary actions. However, this interaction effect was only marginally statistically significant (p = .06). Implications for findings and future directions are discussed.

The quick and the dead: when reaction beats intention.

Everyday behaviour involves a trade-off between planned actions and reaction to environmental events. Evidence from neurophysiology, neurology and functional brain imaging suggests different neural bases for the control of different movement types. Here we develop a behavioural paradigm to test movement dynamics for intentional versus reaction movements and provide evidence for a ‘reactive advantage’ in movement execution, whereby the same action is executed faster in reaction to an opponent. We placed pairs of participants in competition with each other to make a series of button presses. Within-subject analysis of movement times revealed a 10 per cent benefit for reactive actions. This was maintained when opponents performed dissimilar actions, and when participants competed against a computer, suggesting that the effect is not related to facilitation produced by action observation. Rather, faster ballistic movements may be a general property of reactive motor control, potentially providing a useful means of promoting survival.

Brain substrates of behavioral programs associated with self-regulation.

The present paper proposes that four neuromodulator systems underpin highly generalized behavioral sets, but each targets either dorsomedial or ventrolateral cortical systems, where it produces its effects in either a proactive or reactive orientation to the environment. This way systems are discriminated that control reactive approach (dopaminergic), reactive avoidance (cholinergic), proactive behavior (noradrenergic), and withdrawal (serotonergic). This model is compared with models of temperament, affect, personality, and so-called two-system models from psychology. Although the present model converges with previous models that point to a basic scheme underlying temperamental and affective space, at the same time it suggest that specific additional discriminations are necessary to improve descriptive fit to data and solve inconsistencies and confusions. We demonstrate how proactive and reactive actions and controls can be confused, and that this has many potential implications for psychology and neurobiology. We uncover conceptual problems regarding constructs such as effortful control, positive affect, approach-avoidance, extraversion, impulsivity, impulse-control, and goal-directedness of behavior. By delineating those problems, our approach also opens up ways to tackle them.

Design and implementation of a navigation system for autonomous mobile robots

In this paper, a navigation system for autonomous mobile robots is proposed. Our navigation system is a hybrid of behaviour-based and model-based navigation systems. In our system, a behaviour-based subsystem is in charge of low-level reactive actions, and a model-based subsystem is responsible for high-level planned actions. If there are obstacles in the way, the navigation system will use our obstacle avoidance algorithm to navigate around these obstacles and keep the robot moving towards the destination. On the basis of our experimental results, our navigation system can navigate the robot to the destination effectively.

Intellectual capital and economic espionage: new crimes and new protections

PurposeIntellectual capital's (IC's) rising value in the production of wealth has been mirrored by its increasing vulnerability to crime. Among these are the increasing frequency of cybercrime, the intangible nature of IC which facilitates theft and the lack of legal remedies for the theft of IC. Taken together, these factors have created a new environment in which IC is uniquely at risk from financial crime. The purpose of this paper is to attempt to examine the efficacy in current legal remedies and formulate suggestions for better protecting IC.Design/methodology/approachThe analysis is conceptual, using frameworks drawn from legal scholarship and traditional views of law‐enforcement practice.FindingsThis paper explores the risks of crime inherent in IC and a distributed cyber environment in greater detail in order to demonstrate that traditional legal remedies are largely ineffective to protect IC property rights and that, given this policy environment and the nature of IC itself, prevention is the only reasonable means for protecting IC.Research limitations/implicationsConceptual papers offer an intrinsically different form of evidence than empirical studies. Significant public debate prior to enacting legislation and subsequent empirical testing of the paper's propositions, if enacted into legislation, are strongly encouraged.Practical implicationsThe paper includes implications for the development of legal protections based on guarding sensitive information at its source, rather than traditional reactive policing and legal actions after a theft has been committed.Originality/valueThis paper fulfils an identified need to propose useful and concrete legal solutions that deal with the increasing importance of IC and the concomitant frequency of crimes that involve its theft.

Guidelines to apply CBR in real-time multi-agent systems

In real-time Multi-Agent Systems, Real-Time Agents merge intelligent deliberative techniques with real-time reactive actions in a distributed environment. CBR has been successfully applied in Multi-Agent Systems as deliberative mechanism for agents. However, in the case of Real-Time Multi-Agent Systems the temporal restrictions of their Real-Time Agents make their deliberation process to be temporally bounded. Therefore, this paper presents a guide to temporally bound the CBR to adapt it to be used as deliberative mechanism for Real-Time Agents.

Multirobot Formations Based on the Queue-Formation Scheme With Limited Communication

In this paper, we investigate the operation of the queue-formation structure (or Q-structure) in multirobot teams with limited communication. Information flow can be divided into two time scales: (1) the fast-time scale where the robots' reactive actions are determined based only on local communication and (2) the slow-time scale, where information required is less demanding, can be collected over a longer time, and intermittent information loss can be afforded. Therefore, there is no need for global information at all times, reducing the overall communication load. In addition, a dynamic target determination algorithm, based on the Q-structure, is used to produce a series of targets that incrementally guide each robot into formation. It provides greater control over the distance between robots on the same queue, instead of relying on inter robot repulsive distance, and, allows better formation scaling. An analysis of the convergence of the system of robots and realistic simulation studies are provided.

La atención primaria y el poder resolutivo del sistema de salud: un estudio desde los profesionales

To identify professionals' view of the problem-solving capacity of primary care in the health system.Interpretative study, based on the Grounded Theory method and the focus-group technique.Eight primary care centres.In all, 198 professionals: 86 physicians, 69 nurse and 43 who were not health professionals.Data were obtained by: open questions in the focus groups, recording and transcription of the contributions; division of the text into autonomous sense units; sense units grouped by their common characteristics; inductive definition of each category; relationship between categories and triangulation of inter-team data.The problem-solving capacity of professionals should be characterized by: care for the bio-psycho-social demands and needs of the population; the integration of the following dimensions of professional competence: communication and teamwork; the promotion of prevention and public education. However, health-care daily practice prioritised quantitative parameters linked to reactive actions that were distant from the singularity of patients' pathologies.The desired problem-solving capacity of primary health care is threatened by excessive quantitative measurement, by shortcomings in human resources and facilities, and by the well-known lack of time in health-care delivery.

Gestão ambiental portuária: desafios e possibilidades

Este artigo trata dos desafios trazidos pela implementação de reformas portuárias a partir da Lei de Modernização dos Portos (Lei nº 8.630/93). Entre eles, está o da gestão ambiental, ainda não adequadamente incorporada ao sistema portuário brasileiro. As iniciativas de gestão ambiental não fazem parte do setor de planejamento portuário, levando a ações desarticuladas e reativas, fruto da visão que considera a regulamentação ambiental um fator que ameaça a competitividade das empresas. Para os autores, a adequação às normas ambientais traz oportunidades de melhoria para o negócio portuário. O artigo apresenta panoramas da gestão ambiental portuária nacional e internacional, assim como exemplos de ecoinovações e de práticas de gestão ambiental em portos europeus e norte-americanos, ressaltando que a gestão ambiental deve ir além da microescala (a gestão dos problemas rotineiros), incorporando-se à macroescala (a gestão da zona costeira), para que o novo modelo portuário seja economicamente competitivo com benefícios socioambientais.

Patterns and coordination of collective action in small and very small business: the case of a tourist village in the Pyrenees

Often, to overcome its structural lack of resources, small firms may find in collective actions an alternative to acquire, exploit and benefit from exterior resources, neither loosing autonomy nor making heavy investments. As in any other cooperation, forms of collective actions may be diverse and motives varied. The purpose of this paper is to analyse patterns and modes of coordination of collective actions in small and very small businesses. As a result of our exploratory research, of the practices in a village in the French Pyrenees, it appears that depending on the initiative of the collective action, modes of coordination are different. If the action arises through the initiative of the businesses (pro-active actions), the coordination is essentially based on trust. Further, if the action emanates from an institution (reactive actions); there may be no direct links between the firms, and the same institution will play a central role in their relations.

Nurses? reactions to alarms in a neonatal intensive care unit

Neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), like other intensive care units, are intended to provide immediate responses to any change in the patient’s condition. Patient-monitoring alarms and alarms from other medical equipment are very common in these units, and most alarms have no clinical significance. This study addresses the question of how alarms affect nurses’ actions by measuring the occurrence of alarms from different causes in a NICU, recording the nurses’ reactions, and analyzing the relationship between the alarms and the actions. The results show that nurses often do not respond directly to alarms, but, rather, use them as additional sources of information in their ongoing flow of actions. The probabilities for their responding to an alarm depend on the causes of the alarm, its duration, and the characteristics of the patient. These findings support the view that experienced nurses dynamically adjust their activities according to the information they receive from alarm systems and other sources, and that they combine their reactive actions with the periodic performance of routine tasks.

Intentions, self‐monitoring and abnormal experiences

Conscious awareness of intentionality is considered to be a product of specialized monitoring processes which distinguish intentional, goal‐directed actions from unintentional, passive/ reactive actions. When goals are not met or unfavourable conditions arise, this ability to distinguish intentional and unintentional enables us to direct adaptive efforts towards either changing plans and goals or towards altering the environment. The formulation is discussed in relation to monitoring theories of consciousness and the concept of ‘locus of control’, and is developed to explain several common psychological disorders in terms of dysfunctional monitoring of intentions. It is suggested that it could provide a theoretical basis for psychological treatment methods.