Intelligent agents enabling negotiated control of pervasive environments

One of the important goals of the intelligent buildings especially in commercial applications is not only to minimize the energy consumption but also to enhance the occupant’s comfort. However, most of current development in the intelligent buildings focuses on an implementation of the automatic building control systems that can support energy efficiency approach. The consideration of occupants’ preferences is not adequate. To improve occupant’s wellbeing and energy efficiency in intelligent environments, we develop four types of agent combined together to form a multi-agent system to control the intelligent buildings. Users’ preferential conflicts are discussed. Furthermore, a negotiation mechanism for conflict resolution, has been proposed in order to reach an agreement, and has been represented in syntax directed translation schemes for future implementation and testing. Keywords: conflict resolution, intelligent buildings, multi-agent systems (MAS), negotiation strategy, syntax directed translation schemes (SDTS).

Anxious adults vs cool children: children's view on smoking and addiction

Tobacco addiction represents a major public health problem, and most addicted smokers take up the habit during adolescence. We need to know why. With the aim of gaining a better understanding of the meanings smoking and tobacco addiction hold for young people, 85 focused interviews were conducted with adolescent children from economically deprived areas of Northern Ireland. Through adopting a qualitative approach within the community rather than the school context, the adolescent children were given the opportunity to freely express their views in confidence. Children seem to differentiate conceptually between child smoking and adult smoking. Whereas adults smoke to cope with life and are thus perceived by children as lacking control over their consumption, child smoking is motivated by attempts to achieve the status of cool and hard, and to gain group membership. Adults have personal reasons for smoking, while child smoking is profoundly social. Adults are perceived as dependent on nicotine, and addiction is at the core of the children's understanding of adult smoking. Child smoking, on the other hand, is seen as oriented around social relations so that addiction is less relevant. These ideas leave young people vulnerable to nicotine addiction. It is clearly important that health promotion efforts seek to understand and take into account the actions of children within the context of their own world-view to secure their health

Sub-agent elements for control methods in multi-agent energy management system

Increased penetration of generation and decentralised control are considered to be feasible and effective solution for reducing cost and emissions and hence efficiency associated with power generation and distribution. Distributed generation in combination with the multi-agent technology are perfect candidates for this solution. Pro-active and autonomous nature of multi-agent systems can provide an effective platform for decentralised control whilst improving reliability and flexibility of the grid.

Incorporating HACCP into national food control systems - Analyzing progress in the United Arab Emirates

Today governments and other parties involved in food control are under constant pressure to find more efficient and effective mechanisms to carry out their mandates for food control. This has led to international recognition of the importance of the HACCP system as a food control tool and guidance on the role of government agencies in the application of such a system has been developed. Based on this international guidance, four main elements identified as key activities have been used in this study to evaluate the progress of HACCP implementation in the UAE. The internal Strengths and Weaknesses, as well as the external Opportunities and Threats that the government is facing towards the implementation of a HACCP-based food control system have been identified. The analysis shows that the government’s dedicated role has been an essential driving force to encourage the implementation of a HACCP-based food control system. Some areas of difficulty, including the dependence on high levels of food imports, are highlighted.

The system identification and control of Hammerstein system using non-uniform rational B-spline neural network and particle swarm optimization

In this paper a new system identification algorithm is introduced for Hammerstein systems based on observational input/output data. The nonlinear static function in the Hammerstein system is modelled using a non-uniform rational B-spline (NURB) neural network. The proposed system identification algorithm for this NURB network based Hammerstein system consists of two successive stages. First the shaping parameters in NURB network are estimated using a particle swarm optimization (PSO) procedure. Then the remaining parameters are estimated by the method of the singular value decomposition (SVD). Numerical examples including a model based controller are utilized to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed approach. The controller consists of computing the inverse of the nonlinear static function approximated by NURB network, followed by a linear pole assignment controller.

Designing and implementing livestock value chain studies: a practical aid for Highly Pathogenic and Emerging Disease (HPED) control

Value chain studies, including production system and market chain studies, are essential to value chain analysis, which when coupled with disease risk analysis is a powerful tool to identify key constraints and opportunities for disease control based on risk management in a livestock production and marketing system. Several production system and market chain studies have been conducted to support disease control interventions in South East Asia. This practical aid summarizes experiences and lessons learned from the implementation of such value chain studies in South East Asia. Based on these experiences it prioritizes the required data for the respective purpose of a value chain study and recommends data collection as well as data analysis tools. This practical aid is intended as an adjunct to the FAO value chain approach and animal diseases risk management guidelines document. Further practical advice is provided for more effective use of value chain studies in South and South East Asia as part of animal health decision support.

Stress field control of eruption dynamics at a rift volcano: Nyamuragira, D.R.Congo

Using the record of 30 flank eruptions over the last 110 years at Nyamuragira, we have tested the relationship between the eruption dynamics and the local stress field. There are two groups of eruptions based on their duration (< 80days >) that are also clustered in space and time. We find that the eruptions fed by dykes parallel to the East African Rift Valley have longer durations (and larger volumes) than those eruptions fed by dykes with other orientations. This is compatible with a model for compressible magma transported through an elastic-walled dyke in a differential stress field from an over-pressured reservoir (Woods et al., 2006). The observed pattern of eruptive fissures is consistent with a local stress field modified by a northwest-trending, right lateral slip fault that is part of the northern transfer zone of the Kivu Basin rift segment. We have also re-tested with new data the stochastic eruption models for Nyamuragira of Burt et al. (1994). The time-predictable, pressure-threshold model remains the best fit and is consistent with the typically observed declining rate of sulphur dioxide emission during the first few days of eruption with lava emission from a depressurising, closed, crustal reservoir. The 2.4-fold increase in long-term eruption rate that occurred after 1977 is confirmed in the new analysis. Since that change, the record has been dominated by short-duration eruptions fed by dykes perpendicular to the Rift. We suggest that the intrusion of a major dyke during the 1977 volcano-tectonic event at neighbouring Nyiragongo volcano inhibited subsequent dyke formation on the southern flanks of Nyamuragira and this may also have resulted in more dykes reaching the surface elsewhere. Thus that sudden change in output was a result of a changed stress field that forced more of the deep magma supply to the surface. Another volcano-tectonic event in 2002 may also have changed the magma output rate at Nyamuragira.

Change, rigidity & delay in the UK system of land-use development control

The British system of development control is time-consuming and uncertain in outcome. Moreover, it is becoming increasingly overloaded as it has gradually switched away from being centred on a traditional ‘is it an appropriate land-use?’ type approach to one based on multi-faceted inspections of projects and negotiations over the distribution of the potential financial gains arising from them. Recent policy developments have centred on improving the operation of development control. This paper argues that more fundamental issues may be a stake as well. Important market changes have increased workloads. Furthermore, the UK planning system's institutional framework encourages change to move in specific directions, which is not always helpful. If expectations of increased long-term housing supply are to be met more substantial changes to development control may be essential but hard to achieve.