Modularity and Openness in Modeling Multi-Agent Systems

We revisit the formalism of modular interpreted systems (MIS) which encourages modular and open modeling of synchronous multi-agent systems. The original formulation of MIS did not live entirely up to its promise. In this paper, we propose how to improve modularity and openness of MIS by changing the structure of interference functions. These relatively small changes allow for surprisingly high flexibility when modeling actual multi-agent systems. We demonstrate this on two well-known examples, namely the trains, tunnel and controller, and the dining cryptographers. Perhaps more importantly, we propose how the notions of multi-agency and openness, crucial for multi-agent systems, can be precisely defined based on their MIS representations.Comment: In Proceedings GandALF 2013, arXiv:1307.416

Easing the Transition from Inspiration to Implementation: A Rapid Prototyping Platform for Wireless Medium Access Control Protocols

Packet broadcast networks are in widespread use in modern wireless communication systems. Medium access control is a key functionality within such technologies. A substantial research effort has been and continues to be invested into the study of existing protocols and the development of new and specialised ones. Academic researchers are restricted in their studies by an absence of suitable wireless MAC protocol development methods. This thesis describes an environment which allows rapid prototyping and evaluation of wireless medium access control protocols. The proposed design flow allows specification of the protocol using the specification and description language (SDL) formal description technique. A tool is presented to convert the SDL protocol description into a C++ model suitable for integration into both simulation and implementation environments. Simulations at various levels of abstraction are shown to be relevant at different stages of protocol design. Environments based on the Cinderella SDL simulator and the ns-2 network simulator have been developed which allow early functional verification, along with detailed and accurate performance analysis of protocols under development. A hardware platform is presented which allows implementation of protocols with flexibility in the hardware/software trade-off. Measurement facilities are integral to the hardware framework, and provide a means for accurate real-world feedback on protocol performance

Spartan Daily, May 1, 1935

Volume 23, Issue 125https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/spartandaily/2302/thumbnail.jp

Strengthening Advocacy, Communication and Brand Recognition through Social Media in West Africa

Social media provides the public a space to promote discourse on issues facing society. This space has become a veritable avenue for civil society organisations (CSOs) to expand their networks and widen participation in their causes. A number of CSOs in the region have used social media effectively to strengthen their communication and outreach strategies

Special Libraries, December 1942

Volume 33, Issue 10https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/sla_sl_1942/1009/thumbnail.jp

Access to Audio-visual Contents, Exclusivity and Anticommons in New Media Markets

Media markets are characterized by strong peculiarities that often call for longterm exclusivity contracts between content providers and distributors or for vertical or horizontal integration. This paper analyzes and compares the economic effects of existing alternative systems of access to valuable content for new media platforms, under the lens of technological convergence and 'network neutrality'. The analysis suggests the increasing need for a coordinated regulatory framework aimed at balancing costs and benefits of the different models in order to ensure that the development of new markets and new technologies in the age of media convergence is not hindered by "anticommons" tragedies.contents, new media, anticommons, antitrust.

How Do I Address You? Modelling addressing behavior based on an analysis of a multi-modal corpora of conversational discourse

Addressing is a special kind of referring and thus principles of multi-modal referring expression generation will also be basic for generation of address terms and addressing gestures for conversational agents. Addressing is a special kind of referring because of the different (second person instead of object) role that the referent has in the interaction. Based on an analysis of addressing behaviour in multi-party face-to-face conversations (meetings, TV discussions as well as theater plays), we present outlines of a model for generating multi-modal verbal and non-verbal addressing behaviour for agents in multi-party interactions

O, Miami: How a Festival Infused a City with Poetry

After receiving his MFA from FIU in 2008, P. Scott Cunningham launched his own poetry-focused faux-school, the University of Wynwood, which stages colorfully offbeat events in the geographic heart of Miami's art scene, reflecting Cunningham's desire to take contemporary poetry far from its academic comfort zone. What he eventually envisioned moved dramatically beyond the University of Wynwood's playfully unorthodox readings. Spurred on by a Knight Foundation arts grant, Cunningham brainstormed a project which would not only be a "world-class" event in itself, but transformational for Miami writ large. His idea? O, Miami -- a poetry festival as wry in tone and all encompassing in scope as its very name, one which would attempt to, with a nod to Joyce, make poetry general throughout the city. This is a report of the inaugural festival