Specifying and analysing institutions in multi-agent systems using answer set programming

It is recognised that normative systems, and in particular electronic institutions and contracts are a potentially powerful means for making agent interactions in multi-agent systems effective and efficient. However, correctly specifying the behaviour of such systems is a difficult problem. Designers are faced with two concurrent, complex tasks: firstly they must specify the relationships (over time) between agents’ actions and their effects, and secondly they must also consider how agents’ actions are to be regulated through the definition of agents’ permissions and obligations. Such systems are typi- cally complex, and given this complexity it may be difficult for a designer to determine whether their original objectives have been captured by the specification of the system. In this dissertation we seek to address some of the problems associated with institu- tional specification. In order to do this we present a model for specifying institutions based on the notion of socially constructed reality that accounts not only for how the action and events which constitute the institution are described, but also how they are regulated. Institutions may be used in a number of ways, and may account for concepts at varying levels of abstraction. Recognising this we also investigate how several insti- tutions, each accounting for a particular aspect of a society may be composed and how the relationships between these institutions may be expressed. Given this model, we then demonstrate how, using the answer set programming paradigm institutional spec- ifications based on our model may be checked for the absence or presence of certain (un)desirable properties.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Norms, organisations and semantic web services: The ALIVE approach

ALIVE is an EU FP7 STREP whose goal is the convergence of organisational and normative modelling with and service-oriented architectures (SOAs) using model-driven software engineering. The project provides a framework for designing and implementing systems, taking into account organisational, coordination and service perspectives. A key project aspect is the integration of normative systems with live SOAs, through the distributed monitoring of normative state. Here we give a brief overview of the project, explore of the domain from a service context, outline the architecture under construction and sketch the use-cases that illustrate and inform the project.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

A postgraduate curriculum for integrated care : a qualitative exploration of trainee paediatricians and general practitioners' experiences

BACKGROUND: Integrated care unites funding, administrative, organisational, service delivery and clinical levels to create connectivity, alignment and collaboration within and between care delivery and prevention sectors. It aims to improve efficiency by avoiding unnecessary duplication of resources. Consequently, implementing integrated care is increasingly important; however, there are many barriers and how we teach healthcare practitioners to work across systems is under-researched. This paper explores an innovative educational curriculum, the Programme for Integrated Child Health (PICH). METHODS: The PICH involved an experiential learning approach supported by taught sessions on specific issues relevant to integrated care. A qualitative study was conducted by interviewing 23 participants using semi-structured one-to-one interviews. Participants included trainees (general practice, paediatrics) and programme mentors. Data was thematically analysed. RESULTS: Results are coded under three main themes: integrated care curriculum components, perceptions of a curriculum addressing integrated care and organisational change, and personal and professional learning. The data highlights the importance of real-world projects, utilising healthcare data, and considering patient perspectives to understand and develop integrated practices. Trainees received guidance from mentors but, more crucially learnt from, with, and about one another. They learnt about the context in which GPs and paediatricians work and developed a deeper understanding through which integrated services could be meaningfully developed. CONCLUSIONS: This study explored participants' experiences and can be taken forward by educationalists to design curricula to better prepare healthcare practitioners to work collaboratively. The emergence of integrated care brings about challenges for traditional pedagogical approaches as learners have to re-align their discipline-specific approaches with evolving healthcare structures. PICH demonstrated that trainees acquired knowledge through real-word projects and experiential learning; and that this facilitated integration, empowering doctors to become leaders of organisational change. However, there are also many challenges of implementing integrated curricula which need to be addressed, including breaking down professional silos and integrating resourceful healthcare. This study begins to demonstrate the ability of an integrated curriculum to support trainees to work collaboratively, but further work is needed to develop the wider efficacy of the programme incorporating other professional groups, and to assess its longer term impact

A pragmatic programmer’s guide to answer set programming

Abstract. With the increasing speed and capacity of answer set solvers and showcase applications in a variety of fields, Answer Set Programming (ASP) is maturing as a programming paradigm for declarative problem solving. Comprehensive programming methodologies have been developed for procedural and object-oriented paradigms to assist programmers in developing their programs from the problem specification. In many cases, however it is not clear how, or even if, such methodologies can be applied to answer set programming. In this paper, we present a first and rather pragmatic methodology for ASP and illustrate our approach through the encoding of graphical puzzle.

Norms, Organisations and Semantic Web Services: The ALIVE approach

convergence of organisational and normative modelling with and service-oriented architectures (SOAs) using model-driven software engineering. The project provides a framework for designing and implementing systems, taking into account organisational, coordination and service perspectives. A key project aspect is the integration of normative systems with live SOAs, through the distributed monitoring of normative state. Here we give a brief overview of the project, explore of the domain from a service context, outline the architecture under construction and sketch the use-cases that illustrate and inform the project. I