Dynamic Content Enabled Microservice for Business Applications in Distributed Cloudlet Cloud Network

This study introduces Mob-Cloud, a mobility aware adaptiveoffloading system that incorporates a mobile device as a thick client, ad-hoc networking, cloudlet DC, and remote cloud to improve the performance and availability of microservices services. These cloudlet cloud has emerged as a popular model for bringingthe benefits of cloud computing to the proximity of mobile devices. the microservices preliminary goal is to improve service availability as well as performance and mobility features. The impact of dynamic changes in mobile content (e.g., network status, bandwidth, latency, and location) on the task offloading model is observed by proposing a mobility aware adaptive task offloading algorithm aware microservices, which makes a task offloading decision at runtime on selecting optimal wireless network channels and suitable offloading resources. The decision problem, which is well-known as an NP-hard issue, is the subject of this work. However, for the entire proposed microservices system has the following phases: I adaptive offloading decision based on real-time information, (ii) workflow task scheduling phase, (iii) mobility model phase to motivate end-users to invoke cloud services seamlessly while roaming, and (iv) faulttolerant phase to deal with failure (either network or node). We conduct real-world experiments on the built instruments to assess the online algorithm's overall performance. Compared to baseline task offloading solutions, the evaluation findings show that online algorithm incorporates dynamic adjustments on offloading decision during run-timeand achieves a massive reduction in overall response time with better service availability.

Spatial pattern completion deficits in older adults

Aging may have an impact on the CA3 autoassociative network of the hippocampus, posited by computational models as supporting pattern completion. Twenty-five young (YAs) and 25 older adults (OAs) performed a spatial pattern completion task using a computerized navigational paradigm analogous to a rodent pattern completion task reliant on the CA3. Participants identified a previously seen goal location, and the availability of distal cues in the environment was manipulated such that 0, 2, or 4 cues were missing. Performance in both groups declined as a function of decreased cue availability. However, controlling for age differences in task performance during a pre-experimental baseline task, OAs performed equivalently to YAs when all cues were available, but worse than YAs as the number of cues decreased. These findings suggest spatial pattern completion may be impaired in OAs. We discuss these findings in the context of a growing body of literature suggesting age-related imbalances in pattern separation vs. pattern completion.

Spatial pattern completion deficits in older adults

Aging may have an impact on the CA3 autoassociative network of the hippocampus, posited by computational models as supporting pattern completion. Twenty-five young (YAs) and 25 older adults (OAs) performed a spatial pattern completion task using a computerized navigational paradigm analogous to a rodent pattern completion task reliant on the CA3. Participants identified a previously seen goal location, and the availability of distal cues in the environment was manipulated such that 0, 2, or 4 cues were missing. Performance in both groups declined as a function of decreased cue availability. However, controlling for age differences in task performance during a pre-experimental baseline task, OAs performed equivalently to YAs when all cues were available, but worse than YAs as the number of cues decreased. These findings suggest spatial pattern completion may be impaired in OAs. We discuss these findings in the context of a growing body of literature suggesting age-related imbalances in pattern separation vs. pattern completion.

Imagining Emotional Events Benefits Future-Oriented Decisions

How does imagining future events – whether positive or negative – influence our choices in the present? Prior work has shown the simulation of hypothetical future events, dubbed episodic future thinking, can alter the propensity to engage in delay discounting (the tendency to devalue future rewards) and does so in a valence specific manner. Some research shows that positive episodic future thinking reduces delay discounting, whereas negative future thinking augments it. However, more recent research indicates that both positive and negative episodic future thinking reduce delay discounting, suggesting an effect of episodic future thinking that is independent of valence (Bulley et al., 2019). In the present study, we sought to replicate and extend these latter findings. Here, participants (N = 604) completed an online study. In the baseline task, participants completed a delay discounting task. In the experimental task, they engaged in episodic future thinking before completing a second delay discounting task. Participants were randomly assigned to engage in either positive, neutral, or negative episodic future thinking. In accordance with Bulley et al., we found that episodic future thinking, regardless of valence, reduced delay discounting. Although episodic future thinking shifted decision-making in all conditions, the effect was stronger when participants engaged in positive episodic future thinking, even after accounting for personal relevance and vividness of imagined events. These findings suggest that episodic future thinking may promote future-oriented choices by contextualizing the future, and this effect is further strengthened when the future is tied to positive emotion.

Imagining Emotional Events Benefits Future-Oriented Decisions

How does imagining future events – whether positive or negative – influence our choices in the present? Prior work has shown the simulation of hypothetical future events, dubbed episodic future thinking, can alter the propensity to engage in delay discounting (the tendency to devalue future rewards) and does so in a valence specific manner. Some research shows that positive episodic future thinking reduces delay discounting, whereas negative future thinking augments it. However, more recent research indicates that both positive and negative episodic future thinking reduce delay discounting, suggesting an effect of episodic future thinking that is independent of valence (Bulley et al., 2019). In the present study, we sought to replicate and extend these latter findings. Here, participants (N = 604) completed an online study. In the baseline task, participants completed a delay discounting task. In the experimental task, they engaged in episodic future thinking before completing a second delay discounting task. Participants were randomly assigned to engage in either positive, neutral, or negative episodic future thinking. In accordance with Bulley et al., we found that episodic future thinking, regardless of valence, reduced delay discounting. Although episodic future thinking shifted decision-making in all conditions, the effect was stronger when participants engaged in positive episodic future thinking, even after accounting for personal relevance and vividness of imagined events. These findings suggest that episodic future thinking may promote future-oriented choices by contextualizing the future, and this effect is further strengthened when the future is tied to positive emotion.

Motor variability prior to learning is a poor predictor of the ability to adopt new movement solutions

Many contexts in motor learning require a learner to change from an existing movement solution to a novel movement solution to perform the same task. Recent evidence has pointed to motor variability prior to learning as a potential marker for predicting individual differences in motor learning. However, it is not known if this variability is predictive of the ability to adopt a new movement solution for the same task. Here, we examined this question in the context of a redundant precision task requiring control of motor variability. Fifty young adults learned a precision task that involved throwing a virtual puck toward a target using both hands. Because the speed of the puck depended on the sum of speeds of both hands, this task could be achieved using multiple solutions. Participants initially performed a baseline task where there was no constraint on the movement solution, and then performed a novel task where they were constrained to adopt a specific movement solution requiring asymmetric left and right hand speeds. Results showed that participants were able to learn the new solution, and this change was associated with changes in both the amount and structure of variability. However, individual differences in baseline motor variability were only weakly correlated with initial and final task performance when using the new solution, with greater variability being associated with higher errors. We also found a strong specificity component – initial variability when using the new solution was highly correlated with final task performance with the new solution, but once again, higher variability was associated with greater errors. These results suggest that motor variability is not necessarily indicative of flexibility and highlight the need to consider the task context in determining the relation between motor variability and learning.

A Predictive-Reactive Approach with Genetic Programming and Cooperative Coevolution for the Uncertain Capacitated Arc Routing Problem

The uncertain capacitated arc routing problem is of great significance for its wide applications in the real world. In the uncertain capacitated arc routing problem, variables such as task demands and travel costs are realised in real time. This may cause the predefined solution to become ineffective and/or infeasible. There are two main challenges in solving this problem. One is to obtain a high-quality and robust baseline task sequence, and the other is to design an effective recourse policy to adjust the baseline task sequence when it becomes infeasible and/or ineffective during the execution. Existing studies typically only tackle one challenge (the other being addressed using a naive strategy). No existing work optimises the baseline task sequence and recourse policy simultaneously. To fill this gap, we propose a novel proactive-reactive approach, which represents a solution as a baseline task sequence and a recourse policy. The two components are optimised under a cooperative coevolution framework, in which the baseline task sequence is evolved by an estimation of distribution algorithm, and the recourse policy is evolved by genetic programming. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm, called Solution-Policy Coevolver, significantly outperforms the state-of-the-art algorithms to the uncertain capacitated arc routing problem for the ugdb and uval benchmark instances. Through further analysis, we discovered that route failure is not always detrimental. Instead, in certain cases (e.g., when the vehicle is on the way back to the depot) allowing route failure can lead to better solutions.

Implicit Theories about Athletic Ability Modulate the Effects of If-Then Planning on Performance in a Standardized Endurance Task

Muscular strength has a strong positive impact on cardiometabolic health and fitness. However, building up strength endurance requires effortful exercises. From a health perspective, it is important to understand which psychological strategies help people deal with straining exercise. Self-regulation strategies like if-then planning (also known as implementation intentions) appear particularly promising because they might directly alter how people deal with exercise-induced sensations. However, research on the effects of if-then planning on exercise performance has yielded mixed results so far. One possible reason for these inconsistent results is the lack of tailored interventions and the neglect of potential moderators. To address this, we investigated the efficacy of if-then plans that were tailored to perceived limits of endurance performance (i.e., perceptions of exertion versus pain). In addition, we investigated the effects of these tailored if-then plans while taking into account the potentially moderating effects of individual differences in implicit theories. Specifically, we were interested in the role of implicit theories about athletic performance (i.e., entity versus incremental beliefs) and about the limitation of athletic performance by mental versus physical factors (i.e., mind-over-body beliefs). N = 66 male students (age: M = 25.8 years, SD = 3.2) performed a static muscular endurance task twice (measurement: baseline task vs. main task) and were randomly assigned to a goal or an implementation intention condition. They were instructed to hold two intertwined rings for as long as possible while avoiding contacts between them (measure of performance: time-to-failure and errors). After the baseline task, participants were either given an implementation intention or were simply asked to rehearse the task instructions. The content of the instruction depended on whether they ascribed ultimate baseline task termination to perceptions of exertion or pain. After the main task, implicit theories on athletic ability were assessed. No differences in performance emerged between conditions. In the implementation intention condition, however, stronger entity beliefs were associated with increasing time-to-failure when participants planned to ignore exertion but with decreasing time-to-failure when they planned to ignore pain. This pattern of results was reversed with regard to mind-over-body beliefs. These findings indicate that the efficacy of psychological strategies hinges on recreational athletes’ beliefs regarding athletic performance.

Implicit theories about athletic ability modulate the effects of if-then planning on performance in a standardized endurance task

Muscular strength has a strong positive impact on cardiometabolic health and fitness. However, building up strength endurance requires effortful exercises. From a health perspective, it is important to understand which psychological strategies help people deal with straining exercise. Consequently, we investigated the efficacy of implementation intentions tailored to perceived limits of endurance performance (i.e., perceptions of exertion versus pain) combined with potentially moderating effects of individual differences in implicit theories on athletic performance (i.e., entity versus incremental beliefs) and about the limitation of athletic performance by mental versus physical factors (i.e., mind-over-body beliefs). N = 66 male students (age: M = 25.8 years, SD = 3.2) performed a static muscular endurance task twice (Measurement: baseline task vs. main task) and were randomly assigned to a goal or an implementation intention condition. They were instructed to hold two intertwined rings with for as long as possible while avoiding contacts between them (Measure of performance: time-to-failure and errors). After the baseline task, participants were either given an implementation intention or were simply asked to rehearse the task instructions. The content of the instruction depended on whether they ascribed ultimate baseline task termination to perceptions of exertion or pain. After the main task, implicit theories on athletic ability were assessed. No differences in performance emerged between conditions. In the implementation intention condition, however, stronger entity beliefs were associated with increasing time-to-failure when participants planned to ignore exertion but with decreasing time-to-failure when they planned to ignore pain. This pattern of results was reversed with regard to mind-over-body beliefs. These findings indicate that the efficacy of psychological strategies hinges on recreational athletes’ beliefs’ regarding athletic performance.

Implicit theories about athletic ability modulate the effects of if-then planning on performance in a standardized endurance task

Muscular strength has a strong positive impact on cardiometabolic health and fitness. However, building up strength endurance requires effortful exercises. From a health perspective, it is important to understand which psychological strategies help people deal with straining exercise. Consequently, we investigated the efficacy of implementation intentions tailored to perceived limits of endurance performance (i.e., perceptions of exertion versus pain) combined with potentially moderating effects of individual differences in implicit theories on athletic performance (i.e., entity versus incremental beliefs) and about the limitation of athletic performance by mental versus physical factors (i.e., mind-over-body beliefs). N = 66 male students (age: M = 25.8 years, SD = 3.2) performed a static muscular endurance task twice (Measurement: baseline task vs. main task) and were randomly assigned to a goal or an implementation intention condition. They were instructed to hold two intertwined rings with for as long as possible while avoiding contacts between them (Measure of performance: time-to-failure and errors). After the baseline task, participants were either given an implementation intention or were simply asked to rehearse the task instructions. The content of the instruction depended on whether they ascribed ultimate baseline task termination to perceptions of exertion or pain. After the main task, implicit theories on athletic ability were assessed. No differences in performance emerged between conditions. In the implementation intention condition, however, stronger entity beliefs were associated with increasing time-to-failure when participants planned to ignore exertion but with decreasing time-to-failure when they planned to ignore pain. This pattern of results was reversed with regard to mind-over-body beliefs. These findings indicate that the efficacy of psychological strategies hinges on recreational athletes’ beliefs’ regarding athletic performance.