An Evaluation Method for Context-Aware Systems in U-Health

Proceedings of: 3rd International Symposium on Ambient Intelligence (ISAmI 2012) Salamanca, March 28-30, 2012Evaluations for context-aware systems can not be conducted in the same manner evaluation is understood for other software systems where the concept of large corpus data, the establishment of ground truth and the metrics of precision and recall are used. Evaluation for changeable systems like context-aware and specially developed for AmI environments needs to be conducted to assess the impact and awareness of the users. E-Health represents a challenging domain where users(patients, patients' relatives and healthcare professionals) are very sensitive to systems' response. If system failure occurs it can conducts to a bad diagnosis or medication, or treatment. So a user-centred evaluation system is need to provide the system with users' feedback. In this paper, we present an evaluation method for context aware systems in AmI environments and specially to u-Heatlh domainFunded by projects CICYT TIN2008-06742-C02-02/TSI, CICYTTEC2008-06732 C02-02/TEC, SINPROB, CAM MADRINET S-0505/TIC/0255 and DPS2008-07029-C02-02.Publicad

Multi-agent simulations for emergency situations in an airport scenario

This paper presents a multi-agent framework using Net- Logo to simulate humanand collective behaviors during emergency evacuations. Emergency situationappears when an unexpected event occurs. In indoor emergency situation, evacuation plans defined by facility manager explain procedure and safety ways tofollow in an emergency situation. A critical and public scenario is an airportwhere there is an everyday transit of thousands of people. In this scenario theimportance is related with incidents statistics regarding overcrowding andcrushing in public buildings. Simulation has the objective of evaluating buildinglayouts considering several possible configurations. Agents could be based onreactive behavior like avoid danger or follow other agent, or in deliberative behaviorbased on BDI model. This tool provides decision support in a real emergencyscenario like an airport, analyzing alternative solutions to the evacuationprocess.Publicad

A Multi-Agent Approach for Provisioning of e-Services in u-Commerce Environments

Purpose: Taking into account the importance of e-commerce and the current applications of AI techniques in this area, this research aims to adequate the design of a multi-agent system for the provisioning of e-services in u-commerce environments. This proposal is centred on the methods of evaluation in a u-e-commerce environment. Design/methodology/approach: The multi-agent systems (MAS) approach is based on an MAS model developed for AmI that has been redesigned to support u-commerce. The use of a recommendation system, previously developed by the research group, is suggested for this MAS. The methodological proposal centres on the evaluation of this type of system. Findings: The evaluation of this type of system is the principal problem of current research. Therefore, this is the main contribution of the paper. Research limitations/implications: The different evaluation methods that are proposed, whether qualitative or quantitative, offer the possibility of measuring the added value that the context can give to the use of e-services in different domains of application. Qualitative evaluation should consider the customer as a central piece in the system. In addition, quantitative methods should objectively evaluate the contribution of context to the application. Practical implications: At present, there is no single method for evaluating the benefits of different u-commerce systems, so a new method needs to be found based on these techniques. Originality/value: The research proposes an MAS designed for u-commerce domains, analyzes the capacity of trust management techniques in this environment, and proposes several evaluation methods to show the benefits of context information in the use of e-services. Several real developments are described to show the different applications of MAS in u-commerce and how evaluation is carried out.This work has been partially supported by Projects CICYT TIN2008-06742-C02-02/TSI, CICYT TEC2008-06732-C02-02/TEC, SINPROB, CAM CONTEXT and DPS2008-07029-C02-02.Publicad

Intelligent techniques for context-aware systems

Nowadays, with advances in communication technologies, researches are focused in the fields of designing new devices with increasing capabilities, implanting software frameworks or middleware to make these devices interoperable. Building better human interfaces is a challenging task and the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques to the process help associating semantic meaning to devices which makes possible the gesture recognition and voice recognition. This thesis is mainly concerned with the open problem in context-aware systems: the evaluation of these systems in Ambient Intelligence (AmI) environments. With regard to this issue, we argue that due to highly dynamic properties of the AmI environments, it should exist a methodology for evaluating these systems taking into account the type of scenarios. However in order to support with a solid ground for that discussion, some elements are to be discussed as well. In particular, we: • use a commercial platform that allows us to design and manage the contextual information of context- aware systems by means of a context manager included in the architecture; • analyze the formal representation of this contextual information by means of a knowledge based system (KBS); • discuss the possible methodologies to be used for modelling knowledge in KBS and our approach; • give reasons why intelligent agents is a valid technique to be applied to systems in AmI environments; • propose a generic multi-agent system (MAS) architecture that can be applied to a large class of envisaged AmI applications; • propose a multimodal user interface and its integration with our MAS; • propose an evaluation methodology for context-aware systems in AmI scenarios. The formulation of the above mentioned elements became necessary as this thesis was developed. The lack of an evaluation methodology for context-aware systems in AmI environments, where so many issues to be covered, took us to the main objective of this thesis. In this regard: • we provide an updated and exhaustive state-of-the-art of this matter; • examine the properties and characteristics of AmI scenarios; • put forward an evaluation methodology and experimentally test our methodology in AmI scenarios. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------La Inteligencia Ambiental y los entornos inteligentes hacen hincapié en una mayor facilidad de uso, soporte de servicios más eficientes, el apoderamiento de los usuarios, y el apoyo a las interacciones humanas. En esta visión, las personas estarán rodeadas de interfaces inteligentes e intuitivas incrustados en objetos cotidianos que nos rodean y los sistemas desarrollados para este ambiente deberán reconocer y responder a la presencia de individuos de una manera invisible y transparente a ellos. Esta tesis se centra principalmente en el problema abierto en los sistemas sensibles al contexto: la evaluación de estos sistemas en los entornos de Inteligencia Ambiental. Con respecto a este tema, se argumenta que debido a las propiedades altamente dinámica de los entornos de inteligencia ambiental, debería existir una metodología para la evaluación de estos sistemas, teniendo en cuenta el tipo de escenarios. Sin embargo, con el fin de apoyar con una base sólida para la discusión, algunos elementos deben ser discutidos también. En particular, nosotros: • Usamos una plataforma comercial que nos permite diseñar y gestionar la información contextual de los sistemas sensibles al contexto a través de un gestor de contexto incluido en la arquitectura; • Analizamos la representación formal de esta información contextual a través de un sistema basado en el conocimiento (SBC); • Discutimos las posibles metodologías que se utilizarán para el modelado del conocimiento en SBC y nuestra aproximación y propuesta; • Discutimos las razones del por qué los agentes inteligentes son una técnica válida para ser aplicada a los sistemas en entornos inteligencia ambiental; • Proponemos un sistema multi-agente (SMA), con una arquitectura genérica que se puede aplicar a una gran clase de aplicaciones de inteligencia ambiental; • Proponemos una interfaz de usuario multimodales y su integración con nuestro SMA; • Proponemos una metodología de evaluación de los sistemas sensibles al contexto en los escenarios de inteligencia ambiental. La formulación de los elementos antes mencionados se hizo necesaria en la medida que esta tesis se ha desarrollado. La falta de una metodología de evaluación de los sistemas sensibles al contexto en entornos de inteligencia ambiental, donde existen tantos temas a tratar, nos llevó al objetivo principal de esta tesis. En este sentido, en esta tesis: • Proporcionamos un estado del arte actualizado y exhaustivo de este asunto; • Examinamos las propiedades y características de los escenarios de inteligencia ambiental; • Proponemos una metodología de evaluación para este tipo de sistemas y experimentalmente probamos nuestra metodología en diversos escenarios de inteligencia ambiental

Doping of Si nanoparticles: the effect of oxidation

The preferred location of boron and phosphorus in oxidized free-standing Si nanoparticles was investigated using a first-principles density functional approach. The calculated formation energies indicate that P should segregate to the silicon core, whereas B is equally stable in the Si and SiO_2 regions. Our models thus suggest that, in contrast with nanocrystals with H-terminated surfaces, the efficiency of phosphorus incorporation in oxidized Si nanoparticles can be improved by thermal annealing

Helium in polygonal nanopores at zero temperature: Density functional theory calculations

We investigate adsorption of helium in nanoscopic polygonal pores at zero temperature using a finite-range density functional theory. The adsorption potential is computed by means of a technique denoted as the elementary source method. We analyze a rhombic pore with Cs walls, where we show the existence of multiple interfacial configurations at some linear densities, which correspond to metastable states. Shape transitions and hysterectic loops appear in patterns which are richer and more complex than in a cylindrical tube with the same transverse area

Agent-based simulation with NetLogo to evaluate ambient intelligence scenarios

In This Paper An Agent-Based Simulation Is Developed In Order To Evaluate An Ambient Intelligence Scenario Based On Agents. Many Ami Applications Are Implemented Through Agents But They Are Not Compared With Any Other Existing Alternative In Order To Evaluate The Relative Benefits Of Using Them. The Proposed Simulation Environment Analyses Such Benefits Using Two Evaluation Criteria: First, Measuring Agent Satisfaction Of Different Types Of Desires Along The Execution. Second, Measuring Time Savings Obtained Through A Correct Use Of Context Information. In This Paper An Existing Agent Architecture, An Ontology And A 12-Steps Protocol To Provide Ami Services In Airports, Is Evaluated Using The Netlogo Simulation Environment. In Our Netlogo Model We Are Considering Scalability Issues Of This Application Domain But Using Fipa And Bdi Extensions To Be Coherent With Our Previous Works And Our Previous Jade Implementation Of Them. The Netlogo Model Simulates An Airport With Agent &#39 Passengers&#39 Passing Through Several Zones Located In A Specific Order In A Map: Passport Controls, Check-In Counters Of Airline Companies, Boarding Gates, Different Types Of Shopping. Although The Initial Data In Each Simulation Is Generated Randomly, And The Model Is Just An Approximation Of Real-World Airports, The Definition Of This Case Of Use Of Ami Through Netlogo Agents Opens An Interesting Way To Evaluate The Benefits Of Using Ami, Which Is A Significant Contribution To The Final Development Of Ami Systems.This work was partially funded by CNPq PVE Project 314017/2013-5, FAPERJ APQ1 Project 211.500/2015 and by Projects MINECO TEC2012-37832-C02-01, CICYT TEC2011-28626-C02-0

Density modes in spherical 4He shells

We compute the density-fluctuation spectrum of spherical 4HeN shells adsorbed on the outer surface of Cn fullerenes. The excitation spectrum is obtained within the random-phase approximation, with particle-hole elementary excitations and effective interaction extracted from a density-functional description of the shell structure. The presence of one or two solid helium layers adjacent to the adsorbing fullerene is phenomenologically accounted for. We illustrate our results for a selection of numbers of adsorbed atoms on C20, C60, and C120. The hydrodynamical model that has proven successful to describe helium excitations in the bulk and in restricted geometries permits to perform a rather exhaustive analysis of various fluid spherical systems, namely, spheres, cavities, free bubbles, and bound shells of variable size

Multiagent Simulations for Emergency Situations in Buildings

Proceedings of: 13th Ibero-American Conference on Artificial Intelligence (IBERAMIA 2012): Workshop on Intelligent systems for context-based information fusion (ISCIF). Cartagena de Indias, Colombia. 13-16 November 2012.This paper presents a multi-agent framework using NetLogo to simulate human and collective behaviors during emergency evacuations. Emergency situation appears when an unexpected event occurs. In indoor emergency situation, evacuation plans de ned by facility manager explain procedure and safety ways to follow in an emergency situation. Critical and public scenarios are buildings where there is an everyday transit of thousands of people. In this case the importance is related with incidents statistics regarding overcrowding and crushing in public buildings. Simulation has the objective of evaluating building layouts considering several possible con gurations. Agents could be based on reactive behavior like avoid danger or follow other agent, or in deliberative behavior based on BDI model. This tool provides decision support in a real emergency scenario like an public buildings, analyzing alternative solutions to the evacuation process.Publicad