Belief revision for adaptive negotiation agents

Existing negotiation agents are primitive in terms of what they can learn and how responsive they are towards the changing negotiation contexts. These weaknesses can be alleviated if an expressive representation language is used to represent negotiation contexts and a sound inference mechanism is applied to reason about the preferential changes arising in these negotiation contexts. This paper illustrates a novel adaptive negotiation agent model, which is underpinned by the well-known AGM belief revision logic. Our preliminary experiments show that the performance of the belief-based adaptive negotiation agents is promising.

Phylogenetic revision of Agapophytinae subf.n. (Diptera : Therevidae) based on molecular and morphological evidence

Agapophytinae subf.n. is a highly diverse lineage of Australasian Therevidae, comprising eight described and two new genera: Agapophytus Guerin-Meneville, Acupalpa Krober, Acraspisa Krober, Belonalys Krober, Bonjeania Irwin & Lyneborg, Parapsilocephala Krober, Acatopygia Krober, Laxotela Winterton & Irwin, Pipinnipons gen.n. and Patanothrix gen.n. A genus-level cladistic analysis of the subfamily was undertaken using sixty-eight adult morphological characters and c. 1000 base pairs of the elongation factor-1 alpha (EF-1 alpha) protein coding gene. The morphological data partition produced three most parsimonious cladograms, whereas the molecular data partition gave a single most parsimonious cladogram, which did not match any of the cladograms found in the morphological analysis. The level of congruence between the data partitions was determined using the partition homogeneity test (HTF) and Wilcoxon signed ranks rest. Despite being significantly incongruent in at least one of the incongruence tests, the partitions were combined in a simultaneous analysis. The combined data yielded a single cladogram that was better supported than that of the individual partitions analysed separately. The relative contributions of the data partitions to support for individual nodes on the combined cladogram were investigated using Partitioned Bremer Support. The level of support for many nodes on the combined cladogram was non-additive and often greater than the sum of support for the respective nodes on individual partitions. This synergistic interaction between incongruent data partitions indicates a common phylogenetic signal in both partitions. It also suggests that criteria for partition combination based solely on incongruence may be misleading. The phylogenetic relationships of the genera are discussed using the combined data. A key to genera of Agapophytinae is presented, with genera diagnosed and figured. Two new genera are described: Patanothrix with a new species (Pat. skevingtoni) and Pat. wilsoni (Mann) transferred from Parapsilocephala, and Pipinnipons with a new species (Pip. kroeberi). Pipinnipons fascipennis (Krober) is transferred from Squamopygin Krober and Pip. imitans (Mann) is transferred from Agapophytus. Agapophytus bicolor (Krober) is transferred from Parapsilocephala. Agapophytus varipennis Mann is synonymised with Aga, queenslandi Krober and Aga. flavicornis Mann is synonymised with Aga. pallidicornis (Krober).

Improving the evidence base for anaesthesia

This paper is a brief report of the symposium, Improving the Evidence Base for Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, organized by the MASTER Anaesthesia Trial Study Group at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists, Newcastle, N.S.W. on Tuesday, May 5, 1998.

Base-catalysed rearrangements of 5-oxodihydroisoxazoles

Five distinct pathways for the reaction of isoxazol-5(2H)-ones with bases or nucleophiles have been reported, and are detailed herein. That investigated in greatest detail, and of greatest application in heterocyclic synthesis, is that of isoxazolones unsubstituted at C-3, in which the sequentially formed ketenimine, alpha-lactone and ketene may all react with a nucleophile.

An investigation of pretend play, mental state terms and false belief understanding: In search of a metarepresentational link

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between false belief comprehension, the exhibition of pretend play and the use of mental state terms in pre-school children. Ferry children, aged between 36 and 54 months were videotaped engaging in free play with each parent. The exhibit-ion of six distinct acts of pretend play and the expression of 16 mental sr:ate terms were coded during play. Each child was also administered a pantomime task and three standard false belief casks. Reliable associations were also found between false belief performance and the pretence categories of object substitution and role assignment, and the exhibition of imaginary object pantomimes. Moreover, the use of mental state terms was positively correlated with false belief and the pretence categories of object substitution, imaginary play and role assignment, and negatively correlated with the exhibition of body part object pantomimes. These findings indicate that the development of a mental state lexicon and some, bur not all, components of pretend play are dependent on the capacity for metarepresentational cognition.

Structure revision and assignment of absolute stereochemistry of a marine C-21 bisfuranoterpene

The C-21 bisfuranoterpene (-)-isotetradehydrofurospongin-1 (6), previously isolated from a Western Australian Spongia sp., has been reisolated from a specimen of Spirastrella papilosa collected during scientific trawling operations in the Great Australian Eight. A 2D NMR analysis of 6 has prompted reassignment of the published structure 5, while degradation and chiral HPLC analysis have allowed determination of the absolute stereochemistry.

A revision of Benedenia Diesing, 1858 including a redescription of B-sciaenae (van Beneden, 1856) Odhner, 1905 and recognition of Menziesia Gibson, 1976 (Monogenea : Capsalidae)

Benedenia Diesing, 1858, a genus of capsalid (benedeniine) monogeneans, is redefined. The generic diagnosis is amended to include: the path of tendons in the haptor from extrinsic muscles in the body; presence and form of the marginal valve; a penis occupying a penis canal with weakly muscular wall; a weakly muscular accessory gland reservoir proximal to the penis and enclosed by a proximal extension of the wall of the penis canal; male and female genital apertures usually common, rarely separate; vagina with pore usually close to the common genital pore but may open in mid body between the germarium and the common genital pore, or anterior to the common genital pore. A conservative approach is adopted and the generic diagnosis is clarified and broadened to accommodate species that display some variation in reproductive anatomy, especially of the female system. We argue against potential alternative actions such as defining Benedenia strictly to contain species with separate male and female genital apertures and against recognition of a separate genus, Tareenia Hussey, 1986, for species with a vaginal pore anterior to the common genital pore. Under our conception, Benedenia comprises 21 species: B. sciaenae (van Beneden, 1856) Odhner, 1905 (type species); B. acanthopagri (Hussey, 1986) comb. nov.; B. anticavaginata Byrnes, 1986; B. bodiani Yamaguti, 1968; B. elongata (Yamaguti, 1968) Egorova, 1997; B. epinepheli (Yamaguti, 1937) Meserve, 1938; B. hawaiiensis Yamaguti, 1968; B. hendorffi(von Linstow, 1889) Odhner, 1905; B. hoshinai Ogawa, 1984; B. innobilitata Burhnheim Gomes and Varela, 1973: B. jaliscana Bravo-Hollis, 1952; B. lolo Yamaguti, 1968; B. lutjani Whittington and Kearn, 1993: B. monticellii (Parona and Perugia, 1895) Johnston, 1929; B. ovata (Goto, 1894) Johnston. 1929: B. pompatica Burhnheim, Gomes and Varela, 1973; B. rohdei Whittington, Kearn and Beverley-Burton, 1994; B. scari Yamaguti, 1968; B. sekii (Yamaguti, 1937) Meserve, 1938; B, seriolae (Yamaguti, 1934) Meserve, 1938; and B. synagris Yamaguti, 1953. The type species, B. sciaenae, is redescribed based on new material from Australia. No types for this taxon were designated and we have assigned a series of voucher specimens. Tareenia acanthopagri Hussey, 1986 becomes B. acanthopagri (Hussey, 1986) comb. nov. and T. anticavaginata (Byrnes, 1986) Egorova, 1997 and T. lutjani (Whittington and Kearn, 1993) Egorova, 1997 are returned to Benedenia as B. anticavaginata and B. lutjani Benedenia akaisaki Iwata, 1990 is considered a synonym of B. ovata and B. kintoki Iwata, 1990 is considered a synonym of B. elongata. Two species, B, madai Ishii and Sawada, 1938 and B. pagrosomi Ishii and Sawada, 1938, are considered species inquirendae. Based on the redefinition of Benedenia, the diagnosis for the Benedeniinae is amended. Tareenia is synonymized with Benedenia but Menziesia Gibson, 1976 is recognized and its generic diagnosis amended to include: anterior attachment organs tending to form a 'hooded' appearance; prominent anterior gland cells between the pharynx and the anterior margin of the body: long penis, tapering proximally, occupying a penis canal with weakly muscular wall: penis canal and penis describe a sigmoid; accessory gland reservoir dorsal and alongside, or posterior and lateral to, proximal end of the penis and enclosed by a proximal extension of the wall of the penis canal. Under this conception. Menziesia comprises: M. noblei (Menzies. 1946) Gibson, 1976 (type species); M. malaboni (Velasquez. 1982) comb. nov.: M. merinthe (Yamaguti, 1968) Gibson. 1976: M. ovalis (Yamaguti, 1968) Gibson, 1976: and M. sebastodis (Yamaguti, 1934) comb, nov. A key to valid species of Benedenia and Menziesia is provided and a list is presented of published records of undescribed or unattributed species of Benedenia. Some protocols are suggested for preparation of benedeniine material to enhance future taxonomic studies and comparisons. The host-specificity and geographic distribution of species in these revised genera are discussed. The composition of the Capsalidae is discussed and some difficulties in defining and distinguishing between its different subfamilies are considered.