Handling Resource Oscillations Through Selective Misinformation

When resource consumers select among competing providers based on delayed information, inefficient oscillations in resource utilization can emerge. This paper describes an approach, based on selective stochastic resource request rejection, for dealing with this emergent dysfunction.This work was supported by the NSF Computational and Social Systems program as well as the DARPA Control of Agent-Based Systems program

A theoretical and computational basis for CATNETS

The main content of this report is the identification and definition of market mechanisms for Application Layer Networks (ALNs). On basis of the structured Market Engineering process, the work comprises the identification of requirements which adequate market mechanisms for ALNs have to fulfill. Subsequently, two mechanisms for each, the centralized and the decentralized case are described in this document. These build the theoretical foundation for the work within the following two years of the CATNETS project. --Grid Computing

Theoretical and Computational Basis for Economical Ressource Allocation in Application Layer Networks - Annual Report Year 1

This paper identifies and defines suitable market mechanisms for Application Layer Networks (ALNs). On basis of the structured Market Engineering process, the work comprises the identification of requirements which adequate market mechanisms for ALNs have to fulfill. Subsequently, two mechanisms for each, the centralized and the decentralized case are described in this document. --Grid Computing

Robust distributed scheduling via time period aggregation

In this paper, we evaluate whether the robustness of a market mechanism that allocates complementary resources could be improved through the aggregation of time periods in which resources are consumed. In particular, we study a multi-round combinatorial auction that is built on a general equilibrium framework. We adopt the general equilibrium framework and the particular combinatorial auction design from the literature, and we investigate the benefits and the limitation of time-period aggregation when demand-side uncertainties are introduced. By using simulation experiments on a real-life resource allocation problem from a container port, we show that, under stochastic conditions, the performance variation of the process decreases as the time frame length (time frames are obtained by aggregating time periods) increases. This is achieved without causing substantial deterioration in the mean performance. The main driver for the increase in robustness is that longer time frames result in allocations where resources are assigned in longer contiguous time blocks. The resulting resource continuity allows bidders to shift schedules upon realization of stochasticity. To demonstrate the generality of the notion that resource continuity increases allocation robustness, we perform further experiments on a decentralized variant of the classical job shop scheduling problem. The experiment results demonstrate similar benefits

Baseline Review of the Upper Tana, Kenya

http://greenwatercredits.net/sites/default/files/documents/isric_gwc_report8.pd

Alaska's Food (In)Security, Climate Change and the Boreal Forest, Biomass and Hydrocarbons

[Geography] -- AMSA: the future of arctic marine shipping: With more shipping traffic in the north and greater marine access due to the retreat of Arctic sea ice, the Arctic states needed to develop a strategy to protect the maritime Arctic, its people, and the environment -- [Forest Sciences] -- Changing the forest and the trees - Is it climate?: Sunspots, sun cycles, El Ninos, La Ninas, atmospheric oscillations, greenhouse gases: climate change has begun to affect the boreal more than any other forest region. / Glenn Patrick Juday -- One Tree in the Tanana Valley: Take one entire tree, and make everything you can out of it-including science and art education. / Nancy Tarnai -- Forest Dynamics & Management: This program monitors the growth and change in Alaska's forests, looking at forest health, characteristics, and regeneration. / Jingjing Liang and Tom Maline -- [High-Latitude Agriculture] -- Alaska's food (in)security: Alaskans have become aware that their food security is precarious - and they're doing something about it. / Deirdre Helfferich and Nancy Tarnai -- Leafhoppers: In Alaska, potato production accounts for 14 percent of total agricultural crop revenues, but the insect pests that can affect them are poorly understood. / Alberto Pantoja, Aaron M. Hagerty, Susan Y. Emmert, and Joseph E. Munyaneza -- You are my Sunshine!: The author took up the challenge: to make a beer brewed with Sunshine Hulless Barley, developed by AFES and released in 2009. / Anita Hartmann -- Reindeer market project makes history: For the first time, reindeer are 4-H project livestock. / George Aguiar -- Security of the red meat supply: Red meat for Alaskans, like other aspects of the food supply in the northernmost state, is dependent upon Outside sources. / Thomas F. Paragi, S. Craig Gerlach, and Alison M. Meadow -- [Natural Resources] -- Salmon and alder: Gasification of Low-Value Biomass in Alaska: Converting Alaska-specific biomass into a volatile hydrocarbon mixture could offset fuel use in remote locations. / Shawn Freitas, Andres Soria, and Cindy Bower -- Unlocking hydrocarbons from biomass: In the world of renewable energy, biomass is the sole source capable of producing hydrocarbons, the raw material needed for fuel, plastics, and the variety of products that maintain the economy. / Andres Soria -- Carex spectabilis: A Sedge for Landscaping and Revegetation in Alaska: Establishing groundcover on barren ground can be a challenge in Alaska; an indigenous sedge may provide a solution. / Jay D. McKendrick -- [People] -- Horace Drury: In Momoriam: This former director of the Alaska Agricultural & Forestry Experiment Station faced the challenge of 'new problems in a new land'. / Nancy Tarnai -- [News & Publications

Unconventional gas: potential energy market impacts in the European Union

In the interest of effective policymaking, this report seeks to clarify certain controversies and identify key gaps in the evidence-base relating to unconventional gas. The scope of this report is restricted to the economic impact of unconventional gas on energy markets. As such, it principally addresses such issues as the energy mix, energy prices, supplies, consumption, and trade flows. Whilst this study touches on coal bed methane and tight gas, its predominant focus is on shale gas, which the evidence at this time suggests will be the form of unconventional gas with the most growth potential in the short- to medium-term. This report considers the prospects for the indigenous production of shale gas within the EU-27 Member States. It evaluates the available evidence on resource size, extractive technology, resource access and market access. This report also considers the implications for the EU of large-scale unconventional gas production in other parts of the world. This acknowledges the fact that many changes in the dynamics of energy supply can only be understood in the broader global context. It also acknowledges that the EU is a major importer of energy, and that it is therefore heavily affected by developments in global energy markets that are largely out of its control.JRC.F.3-Energy securit

Evolutionary Computation

This book presents several recent advances on Evolutionary Computation, specially evolution-based optimization methods and hybrid algorithms for several applications, from optimization and learning to pattern recognition and bioinformatics. This book also presents new algorithms based on several analogies and metafores, where one of them is based on philosophy, specifically on the philosophy of praxis and dialectics. In this book it is also presented interesting applications on bioinformatics, specially the use of particle swarms to discover gene expression patterns in DNA microarrays. Therefore, this book features representative work on the field of evolutionary computation and applied sciences. The intended audience is graduate, undergraduate, researchers, and anyone who wishes to become familiar with the latest research work on this field