Spatio-Temporal Context in Agent-Based Meeting Scheduling

Meeting scheduling is a common task for organizations of all sizes. It involves searching for a time and place when and where all the participants can meet. However, scheduling a meeting is generally difficult in that it attempts to satisfy the preferences of all participants. Negotiation tends to be an iterative and time consuming task. Proxy agents can handle the negotiation on behalf of the individuals without sacrificing their privacy or overlooking their preferences. This thesis examines the implications of formalizing meeting scheduling as a spatiotemporal negotiation problem. The “Children in the Rectangular Forest” (CRF) canonical model is applied to meeting scheduling. By formalizing meeting scheduling within the CRF model, a generalized problem emerges that establishes a clear relationship with other spatiotemporal distributed scheduling problems. The thesis also examines the implications of the proposed formalization to meeting scheduling negotiations. A protocol for meeting location selection is presented and evaluated using simulations

Initial report on Object Spreadsheets

There is a growing demand for data-driven web applications that help automate organizational and business processes of low to medium complexity by letting users view and update structured data in controlled ways. We present Object Spreadsheets, an end-user development tool that combines a spreadsheet interface with a rich data model to help the process administrators build the logic for such applications themselves. Its all-in-one interface with immediate feedback has the potential to bring more complex tasks within reach of end-user developers, compared to existing approaches. Our data model is based on the structure of entity-relationship models and directly supports nested variable-size collections and object references, which are common in web applications but poorly accommodated by traditional spreadsheets. Object Spreadsheets has a formula language suited to the data model and supports stored procedures to specify the forms of updates that application users may make. Formulas can be used to assemble data in the exact structure in which it is to be shown in the application UI, simplifying the task of UI building; we intend for Object Spreadsheets to be integrated with a UI builder to provide a complete solution for application development. We describe our prototype implementation and several example applications we built to demonstrate the applicability of the tool

ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNITARIAN EDUCATION collaborative actions to an integral sustainable coastal development

A transdisciplinary approach on the emancipatory dynamics of learning to live sustainably acts as a bridge that passes over the fields of educational and environmental sciences. With this approach, the research Environmental Communitarian Education: collaborative actions to an integral sustainable coastal development cooperated to environmental coastal knowledge. Considering that coastal areas encompass a diversity of human activities attracted by the ocean potentialities in a paradigm that dissociates individual, society, and nature, the emergence of the environmental issues appears as a direct result of the problematic relationship between society and nature. The present research proposes to understand how community-based collaborative actions, grounded in a holistic transformative education, can contribute to an integral sustainable coastal development, by (1) identifying concepts of traditional, local, and technical coastal knowledge; (2) promoting the dialogue among traditional, local, technical, and scientific knowledge; (3) identifying community-based praxis that support that dialogue; and (4) critically co-analyzing the community-based collaborative actions. Acknowledging inner worlds as a realm of transformation towards an integral sustainability, this research acts on a SPIRAL framework, grounded on a Critical Ethnographic methodology, resignifying the environmental paradigm to an integral coastal ecology, which places humanity and nature as essential elements. The findings of this research, among which the process that sought to explore the potential of Memories, Community, Care, Respect for different rhythms, and Sense of belonging, contributed to strengthen the knowledge of natural systems, and to promote the inter-knowledges dialogue for generating and supporting social transformation. A five-cycle model structured 20 events increasing the awareness of coastal communities' members of the interdependencies among individual, society, and nature. This theoretic-methodological approach illustrated how Slow Pedagogy promotes respect for personal and collective rhythms, boosting the potential - action and knowledge co-development, to reach integral sustainability. From this experience we soon saw that a sectoral and structured line of research, whose main concern is the external phenomena and the collective social structures, does not adequately acknowledge the importance of humans as both dependents and contributors.Uma abordagem transdisciplinar sobre as dinâmicas emancipatórias de aprender a viver de forma sustentável atua como pontes que permeiam a ciência da educação e a ciência ambiental. Sob esta abordagem, a investigação Educação Ambiental Comunitária: ações colaborativas para um desenvolvimento costeiro sustentável integral cooperou para o conhecimento ambiental costeiro. Considerando que as áreas costeiras englobam uma diversidade de atividades humanas atraídas pelas potencialidades oceânicas em um paradigma que dissocia indivíduo, sociedade e natureza, a emergência das questões ambientais surge como resultado direto da relação problemática entre sociedade e natureza. Esta investigação propõe-se a compreender como ações colaborativas de base comunitária, alicerçadas em uma educação holística e transformadora, podem contribuir para um desenvolvimento costeiro sustentável integral, por meio da (1) identificação de conceitos de conhecimento costeiro tradicional, local e técnico; da (2) promoção do diálogo entre os conhecimentos costeiros tradicional, local, técnico e científico; da (3) identificação de práxis comunitárias que apoiam esse diálogo; e da (4) co-análise crítica das ações colaborativas de fundo comunitário. Reconhecendo os mundos interiores como um domínio de transformação para uma sustentabilidade integral, esta linha de investigação atua num quadro SPIRAL, assente numa metodologia Etnográfica Crítica, ressignificando o paradigma ambiental para uma ecologia costeira integral, que coloca humanidade e natureza como elementos essenciais. Os resultados desta investigação, entre os quais o processo que ativa o potencial de Memórias, Comunidade, Cuidado, Respeito pelos diferentes ritmos e Sentido de pertença, contribuíram para fortalecer o conhecimento dos sistemas naturais e promover o diálogo interconhecimentos para gerar e apoiar a transformação social. Um modelo de cinco ciclos estruturou 20 eventos, aumentando a conscientização dos membros das comunidades costeiras para as interdependências entre indivíduo, sociedade e natureza. Esta abordagem teórico-metodológica realça a forma como a Pedagogia da Lentidão promove o respeito pelos ritmos pessoais e coletivos, elevando o potencial - ação e co-desenvolvimento do conhecimento, para alcançar a sustentabilidade integral. Desta experiência entende-se que uma linha de investigação sectorial e estruturada, cuja principal preocupação são os fenómenos externos e as estruturas sociais coletivas, não reconhece a importância do ser humano como dependente e contribuinte

Tobacco Farming in the Age of the Surgeon General\u27s Warning: The Cultural Ecology and Structuration of Burley Tobacco Production in Madison County, North Carolina.

This study analyzes the transformation of burley tobacco farming underway in the late twentieth century in light of social, political, and economic forces that make tobacco a contested crop. It focuses on one county in southern Appalachia, Madison County, North Carolina, where tobacco has been a cash crop for over a hundred years. A synthesis of the theoretical and methodological approaches of cultural ecology and structuration is proposed as a means of exploring the components of agricultural change within Appalachia at a continuum of scales from the local to the national, while contextualizing farming within its environmental and social settings. The study traces the development of Madison County\u27s farm system from the late eighteenth century to the close of the twentieth century, highlighting the development and transition between two distinct eras of commercial tobacco production. For the contemporary agricultural scene, it details the mix of production systems, including burley tobacco, beef cattle and hay, that farmers combine in flexible and frequently changing livelihood strategies. While tobacco is central to both the agricultural economy and to cultural identity, off-farm work and forest resources such as timber and ginseng are important components of the farm economy. Farmers routinely incorporate forest resources from private and public lands into their livelihood strategies. Processes of negotiation are analyzed through which individuals and community groups mediate the institutionalized mechanisms of resource allocation and control framed by the U.S. Forest Service. Agricultural change arises from a complex interplay of technological change, farmer adaptation and innovation, institutional forces, and sociocultural trends that reflect Appalachia\u27s connections to distant places. The role of the federal tobacco program in structuring the local farm system is illustrated by the effects of changes in program formulation on land use and production practices. Farmers have responded to program uncertainty and a tight labor market in a variety of ways, including altering the traditional form of curing structures, adopting hydroponic seedling production, and hiring Mexican migrant laborers during harvest. The goal throughout the study is to contribute to a more fully articulated understanding of the contemporary Appalachian experience and the mechanisms of agricultural change

Mathematical programming with uncertainty and multiple objectives for sustainable development and wildfire management

Mathematical Programming is a well-placed field of Operational Research to tackle problems as diverse as those that arise in Logistics and Disaster Management. The fundamental objective of Mathematical Programming is the selection of an optimal alternative that meets a series of restrictions. The criterion by which the alternatives are evaluated is traditionally only one (for example, minimizing cost), however it is also common for several objectives to want to be considered simultaneously, thus giving rise to the Multi-criteria Decision. If the conditions to be met by an alternative or the evaluation of said alternative depend on random (or unknown) factors, we are in an optimization context under uncertainty. In the first chapters of this thesis the fields of multicriteria decision and optimization with uncertainty are studied, in two applications in the context of sustainable development and disaster management. Optimization with uncertainty is introduced through an application to rural electrification. In rural areas, access to electricity through solar systems installed in consumers' homes is common. These systems have to be repaired when they fail, so the decision of how to size a maintenance network is affected by great uncertainty. A mathematical programming model is developed by treating uncertainty in an unexplained way, the objective of which is to obtain a maintenance network at minimum cost. This model is later used as a tool to obtain simple rules that can predict the cost of maintenance using little information. The model is validated using information from a real program implemented in Morocco. When studying Multicriteria Optimization it is considered a problem in forest fire management. To mitigate the effects of forest fires, it is common to modify forests, with what is known as fuel treatment. Through this practice, consisting of the controlled felling or burning of trees in selected areas, it is achieved that when fires inevitably occur, they are easier to control. Unfortunately, modifying the flora can affect the existing fauna, so it is sensible to look for solutions that improve the situation in the face of a fire but without great detriment to the existing species. In other words, there are several criteria to take into account when optimizing. A mathematical programming model is developed, which suggests which zones to burn and when, taking into account these competing criteria. This model is applied to a series of simulated realistic cases. The following is a theoretical study of the field of Multiobjective Stochastic Programming (MSP), in which problems that simultaneously have various criteria and uncertainty are considered. In this chapter, a new solution concept is developed for MSP problems with risk aversion, its properties are studied and a linear programming model capable of obtaining said solution is formulated. A computational study of the model is also carried out, applying it to a variation of the well-known backpack problem. Finally, the problem of controlled burning is studied again, this time considering the existing uncertainty as it is not possible to know with certainty how many controlled burns can be carried out in a year, due to the limited window of time in which these can be carried out. The problem is solved using the multi-criteria and stochastic methodology with risk aversion developed in the previous chapter. Finally, the resulting model is applied to a real case located in southern Spain

Professor/practitioner case development program - 1994 case studies

https://egrove.olemiss.edu/aicpa_guides/1340/thumbnail.jp

Mathematical programming with uncertainty and multiple objectives for sustainable development and wildfire management

Mathematical Programming is a field of Operations Research well located for tackling problems as diverse as those arising in Logistics and Disaster Management. The main objective of Mathematical Programming is the selection of an optimal alternative satisfying a series of constraints. Traditionally alternatives are usually judged by a single criterion (for example, minimizing cost); however, it is also common that multiple objectives have to be considered simultaneously, leading to Multicriteria Decision Making. When the conditions to be satisfied by an alternative, or the evaluation of that alternative relies on random or unknown factors, there is a context of Optimization under uncertainty. The first chapters of this thesis study the field of Multicriteria Decision Making and Optimization under uncertainty, in two application in the context of sustainable development and disaster management. Optimization with uncertainty is presented with an application to rural electrification. It is common, especially in rural areas, that the access to electricity is provided via solar systems installed on the homes of the users. These systems have to be repaired when they malfunction. Consequently, the decision of how to size and locate a maintenance network is affected by uncertainty. A mathematical programming model is developed, treating the uncertainty in a non-explicit way, whose goal is to obtain a maintenance network at minimum cost. Such model is then used as a tool for obtaining more straightforward rules that are able to predict maintenance cost using limited information. The model is validated using information from a real program implemented in Morocco. When studying Multicriteria Decision Making a problem in wildfire management is considered. To mitigate the effect of wildfires, it is common the modification of forest, with what is known as fuel management. This technique, consisting in the felling or controlled burns of vegetation in selected areas, results on more manageable fires when they inevitably occur. Unfortunately, modifying flora can affect existing fauna, and thus it is sensible to search for solutions that improve the landscape wildfire-related, without substantial damage to existing species. That is, there are multiple criteria to take into account when optimizing. A mathematical programming model is developed, suggesting which areas to burn and when, taking into account the conflicting criteria. This model is applied to a series of realistic simulated cases. After that, a theoretical study of the field of Multiobjective Stochastic Programming (MSP) is performed, in which problems which simultaneously have multiple criteria and uncertainty are considered. In that chapter, a new concept of solution for MSP problems with risk-aversion is developed, its properties are studied, and a linear programming model is formulated for obtaining such a solution. A computational study of the model is also performed, applying it to a variant of the well-known knapsack problem. Finally, prescribed burning is studied again, considering this time the existing uncertainty due to not knowing how many prescribed burns can be completed within a year, caused by the limited time-window in which prescribed burns can be performed. The problem is solved using the risk-averse multiobjective stochastic methodology developed in the previous chapter. Lastly, the resulting model is applied to a real case located in the south of Spain

Environment-Based Education: Policy, Practice, and Place

The policies of the environment-based education movement are benefiting teachers and students participating in several model programs operating in the United States. Place-centered learning enhances the interdisciplinary practice of Essential Academic Learning Requirements, and actively engages students in local issues. The study of cultural landscapes encourages a sense of place within the Lower Columbia River Gorge, and fosters student connections with the Dalles Mountain Ranch. Policy recommendations are made for environment-based learning in Washington State\u27s public schools. An example place-centered curriculum is outlined for practice at the Dalles Mountain Ranch, and a residential environmental learning center is proposed in the western Columbia Plateau. This center will effectively combine the resources of the Dalles Mountain Ranch and several nearby State Parks, and serve teachers and students from communities throughout the region