Improving Ad-Hoc Cooperation in Multiagent Reinforcement Learning via Skill Modeling

Machine learning is a versatile tool allowing for, among other things, training intelligent agents capable of autonomously acting in their environments. In particular, Multiagent Reinforcement Learning has made tremendous progress enabling such agents to interact with one another in an effective manner. One of the challenges that this field is still facing, however, is the problem of ad-hoc cooperation, or cooperation with agents that have not been previously encountered. This thesis explores one possible approach to tackle this issue, using the psychology-inspired idea of Theory of Mind. Specifically, a component designed to explicitly model the skill level of the other agent is included, to allow the primary agent to better choose its actions. The results show that this approach does in fact facilitate better coordination in an environment designed to test this skill and is a promising method for more complicated scenarios. The potential applications can be found in any situation that requires coordination between multiple intelligent agents (which may also include humans), such as traffic coordination between autonomous vehicles, or rescue operations where autonomous agents and humans have to work together to efficiently search an area

Process slicing:a new mitigation tool for cyber-attacks against softwarised industrial environments

With the evolution of softwarised industrial infrastructures, there is an increasing need for more sophisticated cyber security solutions that can protect industrial processes from a rapidly evolving landscape of cyber threats. In this context, we present an agent-based approach that provides process monitoring, predictive process behaviour, and process control to give the organisations appropriate situational awareness in relation to cyber security threats, enabling them to re-actively or pro-actively detect attacks and respond to advanced persistent threats and multi-vector attacks. Our architectural solution is based on four agents: Process Inventory Agent (PIA), Process Monitoring Agent (PMA), Process Forecasting Agent (PFA), and the Process Slicing Control Agent (PSCA), which work together to deliver a novel mitigation tool to secure softwarised industrial environments. The architecture has been designed, prototyped, and validated in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of our solution. Experimental results show that the proposed solution can successfully mitigate different attacks in the concerned context

Federated Embedded Systems – a review of the literature in related fields

This report is concerned with the vision of smart interconnected objects, a vision that has attracted much attention lately. In this paper, embedded, interconnected, open, and heterogeneous control systems are in focus, formally referred to as Federated Embedded Systems. To place FES into a context, a review of some related research directions is presented. This review includes such concepts as systems of systems, cyber-physical systems, ubiquitous computing, internet of things, and multi-agent systems. Interestingly, the reviewed fields seem to overlap with each other in an increasing number of ways

Perspectives of the interaction between composer, student performer, and music educator: commissioned works in selected school ensembles

The purpose of this study was to examine and describe the process entailed in commissioning a new work for a high school music ensemble with a focus on the interpersonal relationships that exist among the student performers, their director, and the composer during a composer residency. With a multiple case study design, I examined the commissioned works projects of five cohorts that included one composer, three student performers, and one commissioning conductor. Each of the composers and commissioning conductors selected for participation in the study possessed extensive experience with commissioned works projects in school settings enabling them to draw on their past experience, as well as their experience working together on a commissioned work. The student performers were selected for the study based on their participation in a commissioned work project that included a composer residency with the commissioning conductor and commissioned composer associated with each cohort. Data was collected through interviews with the members of each cohort. Interview questions focused on understanding how each agent (student performer, music teacher, composer) contributes to the process of producing a new work through commission, how the interpersonal relationships between the agents function throughout the process, and how the outcomes of the process impact the agents’ experiences. The data gathered in the interviews was analyzed in light of these three foci and then re-examined to uncover themes common to multiple agents. Finally, the data was evaluated to determine how this information might shape future commissioning projects. I believe that the results of my investigation point to a greater understanding of the processes involved with the commissioning of a work, as well as the interpersonal relationships that exist within those processes. The results of my investigation formed a foundation for the construction of a concluding narrative providing step-by-step details that might be informative for music educators considering embarkation upon a commissioned work project

Students as change agents: new ways of engaging with learning and teaching in higher education

This is a set of practitioner resources for those wanting to set up student-based research projects in their institutions

Good Governance: A Framework for Implementing Sustainable Land Management, Applied to an Agricultural Case in Northeast-Brazil

Land management needs to cope with persistent environmental and societal changes. This requires functional governance systems. The purpose of this research is to develop a good governance framework for the implementation of sustainable land management. Good governance theory is extensive, although its operationalization remains difficult. We derived a set of good governance attributes from the literature: (i) the functionality of the regulatory framework, (ii) the legitimacy and accountability of the actors, (iii) the fairness and transparency of the decision-making processes, and (iv) quality control and adaptiveness. These constitute a framework which, supported by guiding questions, facilitates the evaluation of governance attributes to assess sustainable land management practices. We applied the scheme to a case study in Northeast Brazil regarding sustainable land management where biological pest control is considered to be a biodiversity-related ecosystem service. Since its adoption often falls short of expectations, we scrutinized its governance system. First, experts answered our guiding questions, and second, we involved local stakeholders in the discussion of good governance attributes through the participatory approach of constellation analysis. Trust in agricultural consultants and issues of the practical application of pest control turned out to be crucial. The workshop participants requested a model farm to build more trust and experience. There was considerable demand for policy at the national planning level to formulate and monitor the content of the agricultural advisory program. Our conceptualized framework of good governance questions provides systematization for planning and steering the implementation of sustainable land management practices.BMBF, 01LL0904A, Verbundvorhaben INNOVATE: Nachhaltige Nutzung von Stauseen durch innovative Kopplung von aquatischen und terrestrischen Ökosystemfunktionen - Teilvorhaben 1: Verbundkoordination, Grüne Leber und ÖkonomieBMBF, 01LL0904E, Verbundvorhaben INNOVATE: Nachhaltige Nutzung von Stauseen durch innovative Kopplung von aquatischen und terrestrischen Ökosystemfunktionen - Teilvorhaben 5: BiodiversitätDFG, 414044773, Open Access Publizieren 2019 - 2020 / Technische Universität Berli

Is Courtesy Enough?Solidarity in Call Center Interactions

Polite self-presentation is expected of call center agents even through they must convey complex and unfavorable information speedily via the telephone. This study identified and evaluated the use of response strategies that are strongly associated with courtesy. Data were drawn from 587 stressful calls in a corpus of 3000 calls recorded at a large Singaporean insurance company call center. We adopted a grounded theory methodology together with a rich triangulation of qualitative (linguistic and rhetorical) and quantitative (scalar and correlational) methods. Tools for coding response strategies (independent variables)and courtesy (dependent variables) were developed via analyses of calls, interviews with call center agents and management, and a series of evaluations involving blind coding and subsequent consensus. We identified four categories of response strategies that are tightly related to each other and to courtesy: shows solidarity, anticipates needs, shows attentiveness, and asks for direction. Correlations and analysis of their enactment in stressful calls led us to propose solidarity expressionresponses that engage the caller in search of meaning to work on the task as a team. We argue that solidarity expression challenges traditional views of politeness and is less about the presentation of self and more about enabling collaboration with the other.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/58608/1/1103r_may08_rogers.pd