Dynamic Monitoring in PANGEA Platform Using Event-Tracing Mechanisms

The use of distributed multi-agent systems (MAS) have increased in recent years, with the growing potential to handle large volumes of data and coordinate the operations of many organizations. In these systems, each agent independently handles a set of specialized tasks and cooperates to achieve the goals of the system and a high degree of flexibility. Multi-agent systems have become the most effective and widely used form of developing this type of application in which communication among various devices must be both reliable and efficient. One of the problems related to distribute computing is message passing, which is related to the interaction and coordination among intelligent agents. Consequently, a multi-agent architecture must necessarily provide a robust communication platform and control mechanisms. This paper presents the integration of an event-tracing model in an agent platform called PANGEA. Adding this new capability, the platform allows improving the monitoring and analysis of the information that agents can send/receive in order to fulfil their goals more efficiently

TRAMMAS: Enhancing Communication in Multiagent Systems

Tesis por compendio[EN] Over the last years, multiagent systems have been proven to be a powerful and versatile paradigm, with a big potential when it comes to solving complex problems in dynamic and distributed environments, due to their flexible and adaptive behavior. This potential does not only come from the individual features of agents (such as autonomy, reactivity or reasoning power), but also to their capability to communicate, cooperate and coordinate in order to fulfill their goals. In fact, it is this social behavior what makes multiagent systems so powerful, much more than the individual capabilities of agents. The social behavior of multiagent systems is usually developed by means of high level abstractions, protocols and languages, which normally rely on (or at least, benefit from) agents being able to communicate and interact indirectly. However, in the development process, such high level concepts habitually become weakly supported, with mechanisms such as traditional messaging, massive broadcasting, blackboard systems or ad hoc solutions. This lack of an appropriate way to support indirect communication in actual multiagent systems compromises their potential. This PhD thesis proposes the use of event tracing as a flexible, effective and efficient support for indirect interaction and communication in multiagent systems. The main contribution of this thesis is TRAMMAS, a generic, abstract model for event tracing support in multiagent systems. The model allows all entities in the system to share their information as trace events, so that any other entity which require this information is able to receive it. Along with the model, the thesis also presents an abstract architecture, which redefines the model in terms of a set of tracing facilities that can be then easily incorporated to an actual multiagent platform. This architecture follows a service-oriented approach, so that the tracing facilities are provided in the same way than other traditional services offered by the platform. In this way, event tracing can be considered as an additional information provider for entities in the multiagent system, and as such, it can be integrated from the earliest stages of the development process.[ES] A lo largo de los últimos años, los sistemas multiagente han demostrado ser un paradigma potente y versátil, con un gran potencial a la hora de resolver problemas complejos en entornos dinámicos y distribuidos, gracias a su comportamiento flexible y adaptativo. Este potencial no es debido únicamente a las características individuales de los agentes (como son su autonomía, y su capacidades de reacción y de razonamiento), sino que también se debe a su capacidad de comunicación y cooperación a la hora de conseguir sus objetivos. De hecho, por encima de la capacidad individual de los agentes, es este comportamiento social el que dota de potencial a los sistemas multiagente. El comportamiento social de los sistemas multiagente suele desarrollarse empleando abstracciones, protocolos y lenguajes de alto nivel, los cuales, a su vez, se basan normalmente en la capacidad para comunicarse e interactuar de manera indirecta de los agentes (o como mínimo, se benefician en gran medida de dicha capacidad). Sin embargo, en el proceso de desarrollo software, estos conceptos de alto nivel son soportados habitualmente de manera débil, mediante mecanismos como la mensajería tradicional, la difusión masiva, o el uso de pizarras, o mediante soluciones totalmente ad hoc. Esta carencia de un soporte genérico y apropiado para la comunicación indirecta en los sistemas multiagente reales compromete su potencial. Esta tesis doctoral propone el uso del trazado de eventos como un soporte flexible, efectivo y eficiente para la comunicación indirecta en sistemas multiagente. La principal contribución de esta tesis es TRAMMAS, un modelo genérico y abstracto para dar soporte al trazado de eventos en sistemas multiagente. El modelo permite a cualquier entidad del sistema compartir su información en forma de eventos de traza, de tal manera que cualquier otra entidad que requiera esta información sea capaz de recibirla. Junto con el modelo, la tesis también presenta una arquitectura {abs}{trac}{ta}, que redefine el modelo como un conjunto de funcionalidades que pueden ser fácilmente incorporadas a una plataforma multiagente real. Esta arquitectura sigue un enfoque orientado a servicios, de modo que las funcionalidades de traza son ofrecidas por parte de la plataforma de manera similar a los servicios tradicionales. De esta forma, el trazado de eventos puede ser considerado como una fuente adicional de información para las entidades del sistema multiagente y, como tal, puede integrarse en el proceso de desarrollo software desde sus primeras etapas.[CA] Al llarg dels últims anys, els sistemes multiagent han demostrat ser un paradigma potent i versàtil, amb un gran potencial a l'hora de resoldre problemes complexes a entorns dinàmics i distribuïts, gràcies al seu comportament flexible i adaptatiu. Aquest potencial no és només degut a les característiques individuals dels agents (com són la seua autonomia, i les capacitats de reacció i raonament), sinó també a la seua capacitat de comunicació i cooperació a l'hora d'aconseguir els seus objectius. De fet, per damunt de la capacitat individual dels agents, es aquest comportament social el que dóna potencial als sistemes multiagent. El comportament social dels sistemes multiagent solen desenvolupar-se utilitzant abstraccions, protocols i llenguatges d'alt nivell, els quals, al seu torn, es basen normalment a la capacitat dels agents de comunicar-se i interactuar de manera indirecta (o com a mínim, es beneficien en gran mesura d'aquesta capacitat). Tanmateix, al procés de desenvolupament software, aquests conceptes d'alt nivell son suportats habitualment d'una manera dèbil, mitjançant mecanismes com la missatgeria tradicional, la difusió massiva o l'ús de pissarres, o mitjançant solucions totalment ad hoc. Aquesta carència d'un suport genèric i apropiat per a la comunicació indirecta als sistemes multiagent reals compromet el seu potencial. Aquesta tesi doctoral proposa l'ús del traçat d'esdeveniments com un suport flexible, efectiu i eficient per a la comunicació indirecta a sistemes multiagent. La principal contribució d'aquesta tesi és TRAMMAS, un model genèric i abstracte per a donar suport al traçat d'esdeveniments a sistemes multiagent. El model permet a qualsevol entitat del sistema compartir la seua informació amb la forma d'esdeveniments de traça, de tal forma que qualsevol altra entitat que necessite aquesta informació siga capaç de rebre-la. Junt amb el model, la tesi també presenta una arquitectura abstracta, que redefineix el model com un conjunt de funcionalitats que poden ser fàcilment incorporades a una plataforma multiagent real. Aquesta arquitectura segueix un enfoc orientat a serveis, de manera que les funcionalitats de traça són oferides per part de la plataforma de manera similar als serveis tradicionals. D'aquesta manera, el traçat d'esdeveniments pot ser considerat com una font addicional d'informació per a les entitats del sistema multiagent, i com a tal, pot integrar-se al procés de desenvolupament software des de les seues primeres etapes.Búrdalo Rapa, LA. (2016). TRAMMAS: Enhancing Communication in Multiagent Systems [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/61765TESISCompendi

Improving the Tracing System in PANGEA Using the TRAMMAS Model

This paper presents the integration of the tracing model TRAMMAS in an agent platform called PANGEA. This platform allows to developed multiagent systems modeled as Virtual Organizations. The concepts of roles, organizations and norms are fully supported by the platform assuring flexibility and scalability. Before TRAMMAS, this platform uses a Sniffer Agent to trace the information reducing its scalability as a centralized mechanism. TRAMMAS proposes the use of event tracing in multiagent systems, as an indirect interaction and coordination mechanism to improve the amount and quality of the information that agents can perceive in order to fulfill their goals more efficiently. Moreover, the event tracing system can help reducing the amount of unnecessary information

New platform for intelligent context-based distributed information fusion

Tesis por compendio de publicaciones[ES]Durante las últimas décadas, las redes de sensores se han vuelto cada vez más importantes y hoy en día están presentes en prácticamente todos los sectores de nuestra sociedad. Su gran capacidad para adquirir datos y actuar sobre el entorno, puede facilitar la construcción de sistemas sensibles al contexto, que permitan un análisis detallado y flexible de los procesos que ocurren y los servicios que se pueden proporcionar a los usuarios. Esta tesis doctoral se presenta en el formato de “Compendio de Artículos”, de tal forma que las principales características de la arquitectura multi-agente distribuida propuesta para facilitar la interconexión de redes de sensores se presentan en tres artículos bien diferenciados. Se ha planteado una arquitectura modular y ligera para dispositivos limitados computacionalmente, diseñando un mecanismo de comunicación flexible que permite la interacción entre diferentes agentes embebidos, desplegados en dispositivos de tamaño reducido. Se propone un nuevo modelo de agente embebido, como mecanismo de extensión para la plataforma PANGEA. Además, se diseña un nuevo modelo de organización virtual de agentes especializada en la fusión de información. De esta forma, los agentes inteligentes tienen en cuenta las características de las organizaciones existentes en el entorno a la hora de proporcionar servicios. El modelo de fusión de información presenta una arquitectura claramente diferenciada en 4 niveles, siendo capaz de obtener la información proporcionada por las redes de sensores (capas inferiores) para ser integrada con organizaciones virtuales de agentes (capas superiores). El filtrado de señales, minería de datos, sistemas de razonamiento basados en casos y otras técnicas de Inteligencia Artificial han sido aplicadas para la consecución exitosa de esta investigación. Una de las principales innovaciones que pretendo con mi estudio, es investigar acerca de nuevos mecanismos que permitan la adición dinámica de redes de sensores combinando diferentes tecnologías con el propósito final de exponer un conjunto de servicios de usuario de forma distribuida. En este sentido, se propondrá una arquitectura multiagente basada en organizaciones virtuales que gestione de forma autónoma la infraestructura subyacente constituida por el hardware y los diferentes sensores

Multi-Agent Approach Using LoRaWAN Devices: An Airport Case Study

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Fusion system based on multi-agent systems to merge data from WSN

This paper presents an intelligent multi-agent system that is aimed at improving healthcare and assistance to elderly and dependent people in geriatric residences and at their homes. The system is based on the PANGEA multi-agent architecture, which provides a high-level framework for intelligent information fusion and management. The system makes use of wireless sensor networks and a real-time locating system to obtain heterogeneous data, and is able to provide autonomous responses according to the environment status. The high-level development of the system that extracts and stores information plays an essential role to deal with the avalanche of context data. In our case, the multi-agent system approach results satisfactorily because each agent that represents an autonomous entity with different capabilities and offers different services works collaboratively with each other. Several tests have been performed on this platform to evaluate/demonstrate its validity

Multi-Agent Information Fusion System to manage data from a WSN in a residential home

With the increase of intelligent systems based on Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) and the use of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) in context-aware scenarios, information fusion has become an essential part of this kind of systems where the information is distributed among nodes or agents. This paper presents a new MAS specially designed to manage data from WSNs, which was tested in a residential home for the elderly. The proposed MAS architecture is based on virtual organizations, and incorporates social behaviors to improve the information fusion processes. The data that the system manages and analyzes correspond to the actual data of the activities of a resident. Data is collected as the information event counts detected by the sensors in a specific time interval, typically one day. We have designed a system that improves the quality of life of dependant people, especially elderly, by fusioning data obtained by multiple sensors and information of their daily activities. The high development of systems that extract and store information make essential to improve the mechanisms to deal with the avalanche of context data. In our case, the MAS approach results appropriated because each agent can represent an autonomous entity with different capabilities and offering different services but collaborating among them. Several tests have been performed to evaluate this platform and preliminary results and the conclusions are presented in this paper

Kinematic Plate Models of the Neoproterozoic

Plate tectonic reconstructions traditionally use a combination of palaeomagnetic and geological data to model the changing positions of continents throughout Earth history. Plate reconstructions are particularly useful because they provide a framework for testing a range of hypotheses pertaining to climate, seawater chemistry, evolutionary patterns and the relationship between mantle and surface. During the Mesozoic and Cenozoic these are underpinned by data from the ocean basins that preserve relative plate motions, and data from hotspot chains and tomographic imaging of subducted slabs within the mantle to constrain absolute plate motions. For earlier times, neither ocean basins nor subducted slabs are preserved to assist with constructing plate models. Previously published plate models are usually built around times that have high quality palaeomagnetic data and between these times, the motion of continental crust is usually interpolated. Alternatively, regional tectonic models are developed predominantly from using geological data but without integrating the model into a global context. Additionally, until now all global plate models for the Neoproterozoic model only describe the configurations of continental blocks and do not explicitly consider the spatial and temporal evolution of plate boundaries. In this thesis, I present the first topological plate model of the Neoproterozoic that traces the dynamic evolution and interaction of tectonic plates, which encompass the entire earth. This model synthesises new geological and palaeomagnetic data, along with conclusions drawn from kinematic data to help discriminate competing continental configurations of the western area of the Neoproterozoic supercontinent, Rodinia. The thesis concludes by analysing the supercontinent cycle from 1000 to 0 Ma, by extracting the rift length, subduction zone length and perimeter-to-area ratio of continental crust to better understand the long-term evolution of our planet

7th Annual Jackson School of Geosciences Student Research Symposium, February 3, 2018

ConocoPhillipsGeological Science

Local to Global Multi-Scale Multimedia Modeling of Chemical Fate and Population Exposure

To assess environmental and human exposure to chemical emissions, two types of approaches are available: 1. intermediate- to high-resolution, substance/location-specific analyses, and 2. lower resolution, less specific analyses aiming for broad coverage. The first category is time/resource intensive, which limits its utility, while the second is less accurate but allows for evaluation of large numbers of substances/situations. None is well suited for analyzing local to global population exposure. We need a multi-scale approach of intermediate complexity that bridges the advantages of both approaches: high resolution when relevant, the ability to evaluate large numbers of substances, and a level of accuracy that is “useful” (for decision-makers). This thesis aims to 1. develop a multi-scale, multimedia fate and transport, and multi-pathway population exposure modeling framework, 2. evaluate it using large-scale inventories of emissions and measured environmental concentrations, 3. evaluate local to global population exposure associated with large sets of point sources covering a wide variety of local contexts (e.g. up/down-wind/stream from large populations, important water bodies or agricultural resources), and 4. simulate a large national inventory of emissions and perform multi-media source apportionment. Coupling a geographic information system and a computation engine, we develop the Pangea framework, which offers a unique ability to discretize the globe using three-dimensional multi-scale grids, to overlay Eulerian fate and transport multimedia models, and to compute multi-pathway population exposure. We first apply this framework to predict the fate and transport of home and personal care chemicals in all of Asia. This study provides a large-scale high-resolution spatial inventory of emissions and a large data set of ~1,600 monitoring values. We compare predicted environmental concentrations (PECs) and measurements and find good agreement for the long-lived triclosan in fresh water (Pearson r=0.82), moderate agreement for shorter-lived substances, and a large discrepancy specifically for parabens in sediments. This study highlights the limitation of the present underlying gridded hydrological data set (WWDRII) when comparison with measurements at monitoring sites is required, which prompts the evaluation of a finer, catchment-based hydrological data set (HydroBASINS). We then focus on human exposure and the evolution of the population intake fraction with the distance from the source. We simulate emissions from 126 point sources (stacks of solid waste treatment plants) in France, and compute radial distributions of population intake fractions through inhalation and ingestion. We determine that a substantial fraction of emissions may be taken in by the population farther than 100 km away from point sources (78.5% of the inhaled benzene and 54.1% of the ingested 2,3,7,8-TCDD). We demonstrate the feasibility of simulating large numbers of emission scenarios by extending the study to 10,000 point sources. We finally extend the previous emitter-oriented studies with receptor-oriented analyses (source apportionment). We simulate 43 substances emitted from 4,101 point sources defined by the Australian National Pollutant Inventory for 2014-2015. We compute population exposure and severity (DALY). Formaldehyde, benzene, and styrene are the three top contributors in terms of DALYs. We demonstrate the technical feasibility of multimedia, large-scale source apportionment. This research opens new perspectives in spatial, local to large-scale fate and exposure modeling. The flexibility of Pangea allows to build project-specific model geometries and to re-analyze projects following the evolution of data availability. Major limitations come from the underlying first-order fate and transport models and from a limited availability of global spatial data sets.PHDEnvironmental Health SciencesUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/138610/1/wannaz_1.pd