30,307 research outputs found
User modelling and adaptive, natural interaction for conflict resolution
Confronting conflicts and coping with them is part of social life, since conflicts seem to arise in almost every context and developmental stage of human life. The personal and collective gains that follow conflict resolution have motivated scholars across many research fields to advocate the use of pro-social mechanisms for resolution. The Siren serious game aims to support teachers' role to educate young people on how to resolve conflicts, by employing affect-aware, user- and cultural adaptivity to provide interesting and relevant conflict scenarios and resolution approaches.peer-reviewe
User Modelling and Adaptive, Natural Interaction for Conflict Resolution
Confronting conflicts and coping with them is part of social life, since conflicts seem to arise in almost every context and developmental stage of human life. The personal and collective gains that follow conflict resolution have motivated scholars across many research fields to advocate the use of pro-social mechanisms for resolution. The Siren serious game aims to support teachers' role to educate young people on how to resolve conflicts, by employing user- and cultural adaptivity and affective, non-verbal interaction to provide interesting and relevant conflict scenarios and resolution approaches
Identifying and Modelling Complex Workflow Requirements in Web Applications
Workflow plays a major role in nowadays business and therefore its
requirement elicitation must be accurate and clear for achieving the solution
closest to businessâs needs. Due to Web applications popularity, the Web is becoming
the standard platform for implementing business workflows. In this
context, Web applications and their workflows must be adapted to market demands
in such a way that time and effort are minimize. As they get more popular,
they must give support to different functional requirements but also they
contain tangled and scattered behaviour. In this work we present a model-driven
approach for modelling workflows using a Domain Specific Language for Web
application requirement called WebSpec. We present an extension to WebSpec
based on Pattern Specifications for modelling crosscutting workflow requirements
identifying tangled and scattered behaviour and reducing inconsistencies
early in the cycle
Semantic-based policy engineering for autonomic systems
This paper presents some important directions in the use of ontology-based semantics in achieving the vision of Autonomic Communications. We examine the requirements of Autonomic Communication with a focus on the demanding needs of ubiquitous computing environments, with an emphasis on the requirements shared with Autonomic Computing. We observe that ontologies provide a strong mechanism for addressing the heterogeneity in user task requirements, managed resources, services and context. We then present two complimentary approaches that exploit ontology-based knowledge in support of autonomic communications: service-oriented models for policy engineering and dynamic semantic queries using content-based networks. The paper concludes with a discussion of the major research challenges such approaches raise
Principles and Concepts of Agent-Based Modelling for Developing Geospatial Simulations
The aim of this paper is to outline fundamental concepts and principles of the Agent-Based Modelling (ABM) paradigm, with particular reference to the development of geospatial simulations. The paper begins with a brief definition of modelling, followed by a classification of model types, and a comment regarding a shift (in certain circumstances) towards modelling systems at the individual-level. In particular, automata approaches (e.g. Cellular Automata, CA, and ABM) have been particularly popular, with ABM moving to the fore. A definition of agents and agent-based models is given; identifying their advantages and disadvantages, especially in relation to geospatial modelling. The potential use of agent-based models is discussed, and how-to instructions for developing an agent-based model are provided. Types of simulation / modelling systems available for ABM are defined, supplemented with criteria to consider before choosing a particular system for a modelling endeavour. Information pertaining to a selection of simulation / modelling systems (Swarm, MASON, Repast, StarLogo, NetLogo, OBEUS, AgentSheets and AnyLogic) is provided, categorised by their licensing policy (open source, shareware / freeware and proprietary systems). The evaluation (i.e. verification, calibration, validation and analysis) of agent-based models and their output is examined, and noteworthy applications are discussed.Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are a particularly useful medium for representing model input and output of a geospatial nature. However, GIS are not well suited to dynamic modelling (e.g. ABM). In particular, problems of representing time and change within GIS are highlighted. Consequently, this paper explores the opportunity of linking (through coupling or integration / embedding) a GIS with a simulation / modelling system purposely built, and therefore better suited to supporting the requirements of ABM. This paper concludes with a synthesis of the discussion that has proceeded. The aim of this paper is to outline fundamental concepts and principles of the Agent-Based Modelling (ABM) paradigm, with particular reference to the development of geospatial simulations. The paper begins with a brief definition of modelling, followed by a classification of model types, and a comment regarding a shift (in certain circumstances) towards modelling systems at the individual-level. In particular, automata approaches (e.g. Cellular Automata, CA, and ABM) have been particularly popular, with ABM moving to the fore. A definition of agents and agent-based models is given; identifying their advantages and disadvantages, especially in relation to geospatial modelling. The potential use of agent-based models is discussed, and how-to instructions for developing an agent-based model are provided. Types of simulation / modelling systems available for ABM are defined, supplemented with criteria to consider before choosing a particular system for a modelling endeavour. Information pertaining to a selection of simulation / modelling systems (Swarm, MASON, Repast, StarLogo, NetLogo, OBEUS, AgentSheets and AnyLogic) is provided, categorised by their licensing policy (open source, shareware / freeware and proprietary systems). The evaluation (i.e. verification, calibration, validation and analysis) of agent-based models and their output is examined, and noteworthy applications are discussed.Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are a particularly useful medium for representing model input and output of a geospatial nature. However, GIS are not well suited to dynamic modelling (e.g. ABM). In particular, problems of representing time and change within GIS are highlighted. Consequently, this paper explores the opportunity of linking (through coupling or integration / embedding) a GIS with a simulation / modelling system purposely built, and therefore better suited to supporting the requirements of ABM. This paper concludes with a synthesis of the discussion that has proceeded
Speeding up SOR Solvers for Constraint-based GUIs with a Warm-Start Strategy
Many computer programs have graphical user interfaces (GUIs), which need good
layout to make efficient use of the available screen real estate. Most GUIs do
not have a fixed layout, but are resizable and able to adapt themselves.
Constraints are a powerful tool for specifying adaptable GUI layouts: they are
used to specify a layout in a general form, and a constraint solver is used to
find a satisfying concrete layout, e.g.\ for a specific GUI size. The
constraint solver has to calculate a new layout every time a GUI is resized or
changed, so it needs to be efficient to ensure a good user experience. One
approach for constraint solvers is based on the Gauss-Seidel algorithm and
successive over-relaxation (SOR).
Our observation is that a solution after resizing or changing is similar in
structure to a previous solution. Thus, our hypothesis is that we can increase
the computational performance of an SOR-based constraint solver if we reuse the
solution of a previous layout to warm-start the solving of a new layout. In
this paper we report on experiments to test this hypothesis experimentally for
three common use cases: big-step resizing, small-step resizing and constraint
change. In our experiments, we measured the solving time for randomly generated
GUI layout specifications of various sizes. For all three cases we found that
the performance is improved if an existing solution is used as a starting
solution for a new layout
Multivariate adaptive regression splines for estimating riverine constituent concentrations
Regression-based methods are commonly used for riverine constituent concentration/flux estimation, which is essential for guiding water quality protection practices and environmental decision making. This paper developed a multivariate adaptive regression splines model for estimating riverine constituent concentrations (MARS-EC). The process, interpretability and flexibility of the MARS-EC modelling approach, was demonstrated for total nitrogen in the Patuxent River, a major river input to Chesapeake Bay. Model accuracy and uncertainty of the MARS-EC approach was further analysed using nitrate plus nitrite datasets from eight tributary rivers to Chesapeake Bay. Results showed that the MARS-EC approach integrated the advantages of both parametric and nonparametric regression methods, and model accuracy was demonstrated to be superior to the traditionally used ESTIMATOR model. MARS-EC is flexible and allows consideration of auxiliary variables; the variables and interactions can be selected automatically. MARS-EC does not constrain concentration-predictor curves to be constant but rather is able to identify shifts in these curves from mathematical expressions and visual graphics. The MARS-EC approach provides an effective and complementary tool along with existing approaches for estimating riverine constituent concentrations
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