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Excessive intake of sweets is a predisposing factor for metabolic disorders, and fructose, as one of the major dietary sugars in the diet, has been shown to be a major cause of obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. These disorders are usually associated with immune dysfunction. Therefore, exploring the effects of a high fructose diet on the immune system may provide insight into the underlying mechanisms of these diseases. We synthesized the available evidence to suggest that excessive fructose intake disrupts the body's immune homeostasis by promoting immune cell metabolic rearrangements, alterations in gut microbial community structure, and intestinal barrier permeability. Indeed, not only does fructose itself affect immune system homeostasis, but its metabolites also have a profound influence. The metabolites from fructolysis are mainly produced in the small intestine and liver and subsequently enter the systemic circulation. Elevated levels of fructose metabolites, such as uric acid, FFAs, and lactate, are closely associated with oxidative stress and local tissue and organ inflammatory responses. In this review, we will focus on the link between fructose and inflammatory responses. In the meanwhile, we will also briefly summarize the studies of cancer development and immune escape mediated by fructose, as it might be beneficial for cancer immunotherapy.

Metastasis and chemoresistance are the leading causes of death in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). microRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) may be useful as diagnostic, therapeutic and prognostic markers for HCC. In this study, we set out to investigate the possible role of miR-381 in HCC development and chemoresistance along with the related mechanism. Microarray-based gene expression profiling was carried out to analyze the expression of SET domain bifurcated 1 (SETDB1) and histone methyltransferase enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) followed by validation in clinical HCC tissues and cells. The potential binding between miR-381 and SETDB1 was found and verified. Then, the role of SETDB1 in HCC in relation to miR-381 and protein kinase B (AKT) pathway was explored through gain- and loss-of-function approaches. After expression determination of EZH2, SETDB1, miR-381, and AKT pathway-related factors, their reactions were analyzed and their functional roles in HCC progression and chemoresistance were investigated

The prevailing property management philosophy in China is outdated and is therefore not useful for improving the sustainability of buildings and their facilities. However, the introduction and integration of basic ecological concepts in the existing studies of ecological property management theory has been limited. The analysis related to the methods for and the influencing factors on ecological behavior implementation has hardly been covered. Based on the use of grounded theory, this paper conducts an in-depth analysis of property management ecological behavior by setting the influencing factors as the research target. First, a literature review is conducted to identify the definition of property management ecological behavior. Based on the theory of planned behavior, a preliminary theoretical model of the factors influencing ecological behavior in property management is constructed. Then, the research framework and a data analysis scheme are designed based on grounded theory. An in-depth review is used to gather information on property management in community and public housing. The interview data are coded and analyzed with the help of NVivo11 software to identify the influencing factors of the property management ecological behavior in China. Studies have shown that factors influencing property management ecological behavior include stimulus, status, scenario, and result. The stimulus factors include government regulations, market pressure, and social supervision. The status factors include scale, nature, capabilities, value, environmental awareness of managers, and financial situation. The scenario factors include service cost, resource availability, object factor, and owner willingness. The result factors include the profits of the company and the satisfaction of the owners. This study comprehensively identifies the influencing factors of the property management ecological behavior in China and enriches the definition of property management ecological behavior. A theoretical model of influencing factors of property management ecological behavior is built and employed to systematically analyze the characteristics of the ecological behavior of property service companies. This study provides a foundation for further analysis of the mechanisms guiding ecological behavior among property management companies in China.

Accurate assessment of a project's progress enables managers to control and manage costs and schedule. Automating the processes to monitor and inspect the progress of works in construction, and ensure that the data acquired and retrieved are able to produce an accurate ‘as-built’ model is an issue that has received ubiquitous attention in the literature. Emphasis has been placed on utilizing technologies such as mobile augmented reality, laser scanners, and computer visions to monitor and control physical objects that possess geometrical properties. Connected systems such as Electrical, Instrumentation and Control Systems (EICS), however, do not possess geometrical properties and as a result have been overlooked, receiving limited attention. This paper utilizes a digital System Information Model (SIM) to enable a project control system based on human-machine interactions, to be developed, in order to monitor progress during the construction of connected systems. By incorporating the design, schedules, activities, and tasks into a digital, cloud-based model, the system enables different parties involved in a project to synchronously work together. Information can be recorded, distributed and shared in real-time therefore significantly improving decision-making, the approvals process, and management of information. A SIM is discipline-specific and there is a need to ensure its interoperability with building information modeling software. Therefore, a bi-directional link between the SIM and the project's overall schedule and three-dimensional model needs to be developed in the future.

Long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM

Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) is a crucial physiological and pathological process takes place in the endoplasmic reticulum that usually induced by various intracellular and extracellular factors. It causes multiple diseases, including breast cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, and premature ovarian failure that mainly associates with the ovarian granulosa cells. To effectively alleviate and cure the ERS and following diseases, molecular signaling pathways that are responsible for inducing ERS must be deeply investigated. There are many intracellular pathways to initiate the ERS, among which, detailed molecular mechanism the UFM1-specific ligase 1 (UFL1) gene induced analogous ubiquitylation related pathway is still unclear. However, some researches have reported that the UFL1 gene is responsible for initiating the ERS in the ovarian granulosa cell and premature ovarian failure. In this article, a new, highly possible molecular signaling pathway is proposed and hoping to provide a unique aspect for the following researches about ERS, especially in the ovarian granulosa cell.

In order to efficiently utilize mushroom-processing waste discharge, insoluble fiber (FVIF) from aged Flammulina velutipes stipe was prepared with a series of wet milling steps of colloid mill (CM), PFI, low pressure homogenization (LPH) and high pressure homogenization (HPH) and formed into film by casting method. The SEM images depicted that morphology and size of FVIF varied (fibrous to spherical; 5 um to 50 nm) with a tendency of uniform and micronization as homogenization intensity increased. Accordingly, HPH-fiber film presented a smoother surface and more compact internal structure, especially a higher tensile strength (49.83 ± 3.63 MPa) and a better barrier property to water vapor (0.095 ± 0.003a g·mm/m2·h·kPa) and oxygen (9.96 ± 0.63 meq/kg). Moreover, HPH benefited the film's thermal stability, color and transparency. It confirmed that film performance is closely associated with fiber morphology and HPH provides a potential approach to develop new edible film from mushroom byproducts.

Rail infrastructure that operates at its optimum will be economical and sustainable and thus positively contribute to the productivity and competitiveness of an economy. The health of rail infrastructure, however, needs to be monitored, measured and maintained, which falls within the remit of asset managers who are often charged with balancing costs, opportunities and risks against the desired performance of the assets and their respective systems at varying levels. Having appropriate and reliable information about an asset is pivotal for enabling asset management to support decision-making, planning and execution of activities and tasks of assets, particularly during operations and maintenance. But, having access to the right information at the right time, has been and remains a pervasive problem, hinders an asset owner’s ability to ensure their rail infrastructure performance is being optimized. A new approach to facilitate the acquisition and integration of information to support digital asset management (DAM) for rail infrastructure is presented. The research uses a case study to empirically assess the quality of ‘as-built’ documentation for electrical systems of Bayswater railway station that forms an integral part of the Forrestfield Airport Linkage project, in Perth Western Australia. Errors, omissions and information redundancy contained within the existing ‘as-built’ documentation is quantified. Then, a case for the adoption of a Systems Information Model is put forward as the rail industry moves toward a digital future and seeks to future-proof their assets and networks.

The quality of information contained in tender documentation produced using Computer-Aided-Design (CAD) and provided in a hard-copy format to an electrical engineering contractor for a port expansion facility, which formed an integral part of an Iron Ore mega-project is analyzed. A System Information Model (SIM), which is an object oriented approach, was retrospectively constructed from the documentation provided to assist the contractor with their tender bid preparation. During the creation of the SIM, a total of 426 errors and omissions were found to be contained within the 77 tender ‘drawing’ documents supplied to the contractor by an Engineering, Construction, Procurement and Management (EPCM). Surprisingly, 70 drawings referenced in the tender documentation, and the Input/Output lists and Cause/Effect drawings were not provided. Yet, the electrical contractor was required by the EPCM organization to provide a lump sum bid and also guarantee the proposed schedule would be met; the financial risks were too high and as a result the contractor decided not to submit a bid. It is suggested that if the original tender documentation had been prepared using a SIM rather than CAD, the quality of information presented to the contractor would have enabled them to submit a competitive bid for the works. The research concludes that the economic performance and productivity of mining projects can be significantly improved by using a SIM to engineer and document electrical instrumentation and control (EIC) systems.

Low productivity levels have contributed to the cost and schedule overruns that have plagued the construction of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) processing facilities in Australia. Traditional paper based methods such as Computer-Aided-Design have been relied upon to create, manage, store and retrieve information throughout each phase of a project's lifecycle for Electrical, Instrumentation and Control Systems (EICS). As a result of utilizing CAD to document (e.g., specifications, and ‘as-builts’) ECIS, the propensity for errors, omissions and information redundancy to occur, significantly increases. Attending to issues of this nature during the construction of a facility can result in scope changes, losses in productivity, and increases in project costs. Using a case study, this paper examines the nature of the documentation produced to up-grade a domestic gas metering system that formed an integral part of a LNG plant's production process. Issues hindering productivity during the production of the documentation, communication and information exchanges, and change management involved with the deliver of the EICS are presented. In addressing problems identified in the case study, it is suggested that EICS for an LNG plant should be digitized (i.e process of converting information into a digital format) using a Systems Information Model to ensure effective and efficient production and management of information throughout its lifecycle, and contribute towards safeguarding the assets integrity.

Governments in Australia place great emphasis on the development and expansion of their rail networks to improve productivity and service the increasing needs and demands from businesses and commuters. A case study approach is used to analyze the cost performance of 16 rail projects constructed by a contractor between 2011 and 2014, which ranged from AU$3.4 to AU$353 million. Findings indicate that scope changes during construction were the key contributors that lead to the amendment of each project’s original contractual value. As a result, there is a need for public and private sector asset owners to establish a cost contingency using a probabilistic rather than a deterministic approach to accommodate the potential for scope changes during construction. To improve cost certainty during the construction of rail projects, it is suggested that use of collaborative forms of procurement juxtaposed with the use of Building Information Modelling and Systems Information Modelling are implemented. The utilization of such technological and process innovations can provide public and private sector asset owners charged with delivering and maintaining their rail networks with confidence projects can be delivered within budget and are resilient to unexpected events and adaptable to changing needs, uses or capacities.

Architectural heritages, especially heritages of tourism, were destroyed in the process of urban reconstruction of China because of lacking protection from stakeholders. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify the critical stakeholders to perform the responsibility of protection. The paper, focusing on architectural heritage of tourism, aims to identify the most important stakeholders for making them realize their critical roles in maintaining architectural heritages. Moreover, this paper also aims to evaluate the enthusiasm of stakeholders. As a result, the stakeholders with high importance and enthusiasm would be the critical stakeholders in maintaining architectural heritages. Thirteen stakeholders were selected through comprehensive literature review and the reality of China. A questionnaire survey was conducted with the qualified respondents in Mainland China. A five-point Likert scale and other statistical methods were used for achieving the results of evaluation. The findings demonstrated local government, central government, real estate development enterprise, expert groups, administration of architectural heritage protection, and construction company of architectural heritage are considered as the critical stakeholders for the sustainable development (SD) of architectural heritage of tourism. Finally, some helpful implications were introduced for improving the efficiency of participation and cooperation among all stakeholders.

Quality of CAD generated 'As-built' documentation is evaluated for a High Voltage Switchgear System.CAD drawings are used to create a Systems Information Model.Significant errors, omissions and information redundancy identified in the CAD drawings.CAD drawings took 10,680 man-h to develop compared to 80 man-h required to construct a SIM.A SIM should be to design and document electrical control instrumentation systems. The quality of computer-aided-design (CAD) generated 'As-built' documentation is evaluated for a High Voltage Switchgear System (HVSS), which forms part of a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition up-grade within a geo-thermal power plant. A total of 267 CAD drawings for the HVSS were used to create a Systems Information Model (SIM) whereby the physical components and associated connections were constructed in an object orientated database. Throughout the modelling process a considerable amount of errors and information redundancy were identified and examples are presented. The production of the CAD drawings took 10,680 man-h in stark contrast to the 80 man-h required to construct the SIM, illustrating the efficiency and effectiveness of SIM compared to CAD for the documentation of electrical instrumentation and control systems (EICS). To realise this significant potential cost and productivity saving requires a shift in mindset and a move beyond the use of CAD, to an object oriented SIM, with a 1:1 relationship between objects in the model, and components in the real world.

The electrical instrumentation control systems (EICS) ‘As-built’ documentations of a copper mine were found to possess a significant errors and omissions, which hindered the asset owner’s ability to undertake effective and efficient operations and maintenance. A Systems Information Model (SIM) was used to retrospectively create a connected system to ensure all physical equipment and the associated connections that were constructed are modelled in an object-orientated database. In creating the SIM, the existing errors and omissions in the ‘As-built’ documentation were quantified, and cost savings that could be achieved for a future planned copper mine, with a similar design, were identified. The limitations of using conventional computer-aided-design (CAD) to design and document EICS are discussed. It is recommended that retrospectively creating a SIM can provide owners and operators with significant productivity benefits as well as ensure the asset’s integrity. The case study presented provides asset owners and operators with the empirical evidence to challenge conventional thinking surrounding the design, engineering and documentation of EICS using CAD and alternatively consider the use of SIM.

The mining industry in Australia is in a period of intense introspection as it seeks to improve its productivity and competitiveness in global markets. With mining projects experiencing increasing overruns on capital expenditure, there is a need to re-examine existing business practices to address the prevailing productivity crisis that the industry is experiencing. In addressing this issue, within the context of electrical instrumentation and control systems (EICS), a case study that examines the development of a systems information model (SIM) to improve productivity during the engineering, construction, maintenance, and operations processes of a magnetite iron ore processing plant is presented and discussed. By transforming the established document oriented information exchanges that are typically used in EICS projects to a more collaborative data-sharing environment, processes were streamlined and errors, as a result of duplication and inconsistency, were significantly prevented from occurring. While still working within the restriction of discipline-specific models, the creation of a SIM is the first step towards an integrated and interoperable data without a reliance on drawings.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine the unproductive time and additional cost to re-engineer a safety control system for a Floating Production Storage Offloading vessel that was originally engineered and documented in computer-aided design (CAD). Design/methodology/approach – The “As-Built” drawings contained numerous errors and omissions, which resulted in a “requests for information” being raised and productivity rates reduced – these costs and productivity losses are quantified. The use of CAD to originally engineer and document the safety control system was found to be inefficient as a 1:n relationship existed. Systems Information Models (SIMs) presents an alternative method to produce engineering documentation for the safety control system; where a 1:1 relationship is created between the model and the real objects. By constructing a 1:1 model, information redundancy can be eliminated, which reduces the propensity for errors and omissions to be made by engineers. Findings – The use of a SIM to re-engineer and document the new safety control system resulted in significant productivity benefits being achieved. Consequently, it is proffered that a paradigm shift from a 1:n to 1:1 perspective is required for engineering electrical and instrumentation systems so as to ameliorate the quality of documentation produced and productivity. Originality/value – The paper concludes by suggesting that future research is required to examine how processes and procedures can be re-designed to accommodate the use of a SIM.

The responsibility borne by governmental departments measured by a set of indicators is a key factor affecting the performance of urban sustainability. Thus, responsibility analysis can guide the selection of sustainability indicators. In line with the principle of Management by Objective (MBO), this paper aims to introduce a responsibility-based method, named Strategic goal-Responsibility department-Response (SRR), for selecting sustainable urbanization indicators. By applying this method, indicators are selected from the perspective of concerned departments’ responsibility. In developing the SRR model, the tool of Responsibility Assignment Matrix is used to identify the concerned departments who assume responsibilities in the process of implementing sustainable urbanization. The content analysis is used to analyze the work scope and definitions of the concerned departments and sustainable urbanization indicators that can measure the responsibility performance of the concerned departments are filtered out. A case study of Jinan city in China is used to demonstrate the procedures of using the proposed method. Based on the strategic goals of Jinan city, 20 responsibility departments and 152 initial indicators are identified by using the SRR framework. The case study reveals that the method is a feasible and effective tool in assisting policy makers to select sustainable urbanization indicators.

The proper understanding of the urbanization bubble is very important to assist local governments in adopting strategies to mitigate the effects of the bubble and guide urbanization toward sustainable development. This paper presents a method of measuring the urbanization bubble with particular reference to China. In referring to the definition of an economic bubble, this study defines the urbanization bubble as a dynamic process in which urbanization rate (UR) deviates from four urbanization performance variables comprising the proportion of urban population with registration (TRP), urban construction land area (TBA), level of industrial development (LID) and level of public facilities (LPF). Four coordinates are formed between the rate of urbanization and the four performance variables to examine the practice of urbanization in terms of four quadrants. The ratios between changes in urbanization rate and the changes of the four urbanization performance variables are introduced to measure the urbanization bubble. The method is tested through a case study to show that the coordinate method has the potential to help policy makers detect any bubble in the process of urbanization.

In this paper, we consider a fractional optimal control problem governed by system of linear differential equations, where its cost function is expressed as the ratio of convex and concave functions. The problem is a hard nonconvex optimal control problem and application of Pontriyagin's principle does not always guarantee finding a global optimal control. Even this type of problems in a finite dimensional space is known as NP hard. This optimal control problem can, in principle, be solved by Dinkhelbach algorithm [10]. However, it leads to solving a sequence of hard D.C programming problems in its finite dimensional analogy. To overcome this difficulty, we introduce a reachable set for the linear system. In this way, the problem is reduced to a quasiconvex maximization problem in a finite dimensional space. Based on a global optimality condition, we propose an algorithm for solving this fractional optimal control problem and we show that the algorithm generates a sequence of local optimal controls with improved cost values. The proposed algorithm is then applied to several test problems, where the global optimal cost value is obtained for each case.

Although urbanization can promote social and economic development, it can also cause various problems. As the key decision makers of urbanization, local governments should be able to evaluate urbanization performance, summarize experiences, and find problems caused by urbanization. This paper introduces a hybrid Entropy–McKinsey Matrix method for evaluating sustainable urbanization. The McKinsey Matrix is commonly referred to as the GE Matrix. The values of a development index (DI) and coordination index (CI) are calculated by employing the Entropy method and are used as a basis for constructing a GE Matrix. The matrix can assist in assessing sustainable urbanization performance by locating the urbanization state point. A case study of the city of Jinan in China demonstrates the process of using the evaluation method. The case study reveals that the method is an effective tool in helping policy makers understand the performance of urban sustainability and therefore formulate suitable strategies for guiding urbanization toward better sustainability.

The Chinese government is a promoting sustainable urbanization process to develop future cities, and various indicator systems have been introduced for guiding the sustainable urbanization practice. This paper examines the effectiveness of these existing indicator systems introduced in China. Nine sample indicator systems were collected and compared. Principal criteria selected to analyze the effectiveness of the nine samples was based on a literature review. This study reveals that the existing indicator systems have limitations for guiding sustainable urbanization practice and the differences between the various indicator systems present barriers for their effective application. It is found that no official department in China supervises the application of these indicators. The lack of a systematic method for establishing indicators is considered as a major reason for contributing to the limited effectiveness of these established indicators. There is a need to develop an effective method to supervise decision makers to establish and select effective indicators.

A shape-controllable, highly ordered, two-dimensional gold cavity array (GCA) electrode was prepared by electrodeposition using a closely packed monolayer of 1.2 μm-diameter polystyrene spheres as a template and was characterized by FESEM and XRD. A significant enhancement for the electrooxidation of dopamine at this nanostructured electrode was found due to the increased amount of the active surface area. By electropolymerizing a poly(metanilic acid) thin film on its surface, the enhanced electrochemical properties of the GCA electrode were maintained, and the antifouling property was improved. The SWV technique was used for the trace determination of DA, and the dependence of current vs. concentration was linear from 0.2 to 100 μM with a regression coefficient of 0.9988, and the detection limit of DA was ∼0.08 μM. Furthermore, the signals of DA and UA can be well distinguished at this poly(metanilic acid) modified GCA electrode. The proposed method was applied to the selective and precise analysis of DA in commercial injections.

Using a case study, errors, omissions and information redundancy contained in the electrical and instrumentation (EI 86 cables and components appeared twice and 12 cables and components appeared thrice. As a result of the errors, omissions and redundancy, requests for information (RFIs) were required. Retrospective analysis indicates that the indirect cost of raising the RFIs to the contractor was estimated to be approximately 9% of the cost of the E&I contract. To address the problems of errors, omissions and redundancy, it is suggested that there is a need to adopt an object orientated system information model (SIM) for E&I engineering design and documentation. It is demonstrated in the case study that the use of a SIM could bring significant improvements in productivity and reduce the cost of eng...

Documentation errors have been identified as a significant problem within the construction and engineering industry. Errors contained with contract documents can contribute to loss of profit, reduced productivity, and cost and time overruns as well as contractual disputes. Research has identified that as much as 60% of variations in construction and engineering projects are a result of errors and omissions contained within poor quality documentation. Considering this alarming statistic and the impact that poor quality documentation can have on productivity, the research presented in this paper classifies and quantifies errors in 106 drawings and the cable schedule used to document for the electrical package for an Iron Ore Stacker Conveyor. The research reveals that Computer Aided Design (CAD) used to produce the electrical drawings was ineffective, inefficient and costly to produce as they contained an array of errors. In addressing the need to eliminate documentation errors and improve productivity, the cable schedule is used to create a Systems Information Management to develop a 1:1 object orientated model using the software Dynamic Asset Documentation. As a result, of using this approach it is estimated that a 94% cost saving and a substantial improvement in productivity could have been attained in this particular case.

Optimizing construction project scheduling has received a considerable amount of attention over the past 20 years. As a result, a plethora of methods and algorithms have been developed to address specific scenarios or problems. A review of the methods and algorithms that have been developed to examine the area of construction schedule optimization (CSO) is undertaken. The developed algorithms for solving the CSO problem can be classified into three methods: mathematical, heuristic and metaheuristic. The application of these methods to various scheduling problems is discussed and implications for future research are identified.

Scope Cruciferous vegetable consumption is associated with favorable health outcomes. Bioactive compounds arising in these, especially isothiocyanates, exert effects that contribute to prevention of disease, in large part through the attenuation of inflammation and oxidative stress. However, much about isothiocyanate metabolites and their role as biomarkers of crucifer intake remain unknown. Methods and results The utility and limitations of 2-thiothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (TTCA) as a urinary biomarker of broccoli beverage intake are tested in a randomized crossover clinical trial where 50 participants consumed either a glucoraphanin-rich (GRR) or sulforaphane-rich (SFR) beverage. Compared to run-in and wash-out periods, significantly higher urinary TTCA is observed after broccoli beverage consumption. Measurements also show that TTCA is present in beverage powders and in all tested cruciferous vegetables. GRR results in excretion of ≈87% of the ingested TTCA while SFR results in excretion of ≈176%. Elevated urinary TTCA is observed in rats administered 100 µmol kg-1 SFN. Unlike SFN, TTCA does not activate Nrf2-mediated cytoprotective signaling. Conclusion Collectively, TTCA appears to be a common isothiocyanate-derived metabolite that has the capacity to be utilized as a biomarker of cruciferous vegetables that would be beneficial for objective and quantitative tracking of intake in studies.

On-site construction stage has been considered as the key in practicing the view of green construction. Moreover, the unity of awareness and actions of on-site contractors on green construction plays a conclusive role through the implementation of green principles on the construction site. This study aims to investigate the awareness on green construction and to identify the gaps between the awareness and activities in adopting green specifications from the perspective of on-site personnel. A questionnaire survey was conducted with on-site personnel in Mainland China for identifying the gaps between the awareness and activities in the adoption of green construction. The results show that the level of awareness on a certain green requirement is higher than the performance of implementation. Nine groups with large gaps between awareness and activities are identified. Activities about pumping groundwater, burning wooden scraps, preventing strong light, reducing construction sound and noise, adopting green material, optimizing material plan, adopting water recycling devices, and employing energy efficiency machine cannot support high green construction awareness. Moreover, the &ldquo, utilization of natural resources on-site&rdquo, has the lowest performance with both low level of awareness and activities. This paper also suggests some useful implications for governments and departments of construction administrations to take measures in ensuring the thorough implementation of green activities on the construction site.

Mobile agent has shown its promise as a powerful means to complement and enhance existing technology in various application areas. In particular, existing work has demonstrated that MA can simplify the development and improve the performance of certain classes of distributed applications, especially for those running on a wide-area, heterogeneous, and dynamic networking environment like the Internet. In our previous work, we extended the application of MA to the design of distributed control functions, which require the maintenance of logical relationship among and/or coordination of proc- essing entities in a distributed system. A novel framework is presented for structuring and building distributed systems, which use cooperating mobile agents as an aid to carry out coordination and cooperation tasks in distributed systems. The framework has been used for designing various distributed control functions such as load balancing and mutual ex- clusion in our previous work. In this paper, we use the framework to propose a novel ap- proach to detecting deadlocks in distributed system by using mobile agents, which dem- onstrates the advantage of being adaptive and flexible of mobile agents. We first describe the MAEDD (Mobile Agent Enabled Deadlock Detection) scheme, in which mobile agents are dispatched to collect and analyze deadlock information distributed across the network sites and, based on the analysis, to detect and resolve deadlocks. Then the design of an adaptive hybrid algorithm derived from the framework is presented. The algorithm can dynamically adapt itself to the changes in system state by using different deadlock detec- tion strategies. The performance of the proposed algorithm has been evaluated using simulations. The results show that the algorithm can outperform existing algorithms that use a fixed deadlock detection strategy.

The χ-calculus is an important evolution for mobile process calculi. Open congruence is widely studied in χ-calculus. However, there still lacks an algorithm for checking this bisimulation relation. In this paper, the symbolic technique is applied to the research of χ-calculus and an efficient characterization for strong open congruence which does not involve quantification over substitutions is given. Based on it, an algorithm, which instantiates bound names 'on-the-fly', is developed to check strong open congruence for finite control processes.