Fault detection, isolation, and recovery are some of the most critical activities in which astronauts and flight controllers participate. Recent systems to perform the FDIR activity lack portability and extensibility, and do not provide any explanation of the system's activity. In this research, we explore the use of an agent-oriented paradigm and Java technology for better performance of FDIR activity. Also, we have explored the use of explanation in agent-oriented systems, and designed a system-activity tracking mecha-nism that helps the user to understand the agents' behavior. We have explored different ways to generalize this mechanism for arbitrary agent systems to use. Furthermore, we studied mechanisms to automatically add the tracking mechanism to an existing agent system. By using AspectJ, an aspect-oriented tool, a plug-and-playable tracking system has been built that can add the capability to track the activity of the system to any JACK agent system easily. Our experience can help further research on using aspect-oriented tools with agent-oriented paradigms together to obtain better performance.

Alzheimers disease (AD) represents one of the greatest health problems in industrialized countries considering the ageing population. Only four drugs are currently approved for the treatment of this disease. As these drugs are characterized with a limited time efficacy, it has become urgent to develop additional innovative AD treatments. Amongst the approaches that are actively investigated, the one consisting in potentiating a subclass of glutamate receptors appears attractive. This well advanced pharmacological approach includes three major classes of compounds amongst which appear the benzothiadiazine 1,1-dioxides. The present thesis is a pursuit of the preliminary efforts that were published in 1998 and 2001 by our team. Based on promising in vitro results obtained with the lead compound 59, pharmacomodulations around 59s structure have been achieved in order to enhance its in vivo activity and to optimize its pharmacokinetic parameters. First efforts were devoted to exploratory synthesis where attention was paid to the impact of the substituent introduced at the 7-position. Moreover, some pyridothiadiazine dioxides as well as thienothiadiazine dioxides were prepared. The most important part of our pharmacomodulations was focused on the thiadiazine ring system. Considering that the poor in vivo results obtained with 59 could be due to a metabolic weakness of the latter, the introduction of fluorine atoms was tempted as a lead optimization strategy. This approach was successful, since it led to the synthesis of 95b which was selected for further pharmacological evaluations. This new lead compound was shown to exert significant cognitive-enhancing effects in vivo after oral administration to Wistar rats. Moreover, the study of the metabolic degradation of 95b allowed the assessment of the starting hypothesis that had dictated the pharmacomodulations philosophy. Finally, additional exploratory pharmacomodulations were achieved notably leading to the preparation of a quinazolinone series and 1,4-benzothiazine compounds. This research allowed to significantly improve the pharmacokinetic profile of our series and led to the identification of 95b as a new lead compound. However, many pharmacomodulations remain to be explored. The data collected during this thesis are appealing further studies. Efforts in the near future should lead to the design of novel drug candidates among which a future innovative AD treatment could emerge. Au vu du vieillissement de la population dans les pays industrialisés, la maladie dAlzheimer constitue un problème majeur en termes de santé publique. A lheure actuelle, seuls quatre médicaments sont utilisés pour traiter cette maladie. Sachant que ces substances nont quune efficacité limitée, la conception de nouveaux médicaments actifs contre cette pathologie apparaît comme une priorité. Dans cette optique, la potentialisation des récepteurs glutamatergiques de sous-type AMPA semble une approche thérapeutique intéressante. Parmi les composés étudiés dans cette voie, apparaissent les benzothiadiazine dioxydes. Cette thèse sinscrit dans la continuité des recherches publiées en 1998 et 2001 par notre équipe et poursuit les pharmacomodulations entamées autour du composé leader 59. Ce travail sest principalement focalisé sur lamélioration de lactivité in vivo de ce dérivé et sur loptimisation de ses paramètres pharmacocinétiques afin dobtenir un candidat médicament potentiel. Notre attention sest tout dabord portée sur la subsitution aromatique en position 7. Par ailleurs, plusieurs séries pyrido- et thiénothiadiazines ont été également préparées. Ensuite, en postulant que le manque dactivité in vivo du composé 59 pouvait être dû à une faiblesse métabolique de ce composé, lintroduction judicieuse datomes de fluor a été choisie comme stratégie doptimisation. Cette approche nous a notamment amené à lidentification du composé 95b. Ce dérivé sest montré particulièrement actif dans un test de reconnaissance dobjets chez le rat Wistar. Ce résultat encourageant a amené à réaliser toute une série dévaluations pharmacologiques sur ce produit, afin de caractériser son mécanisme daction. Les données récoltées à lissue de ces investigations suggèrent que le composé 95b présente un intérêt potentiel en tant quagent procognitif. Dautre part, létude du profil de dégradation métabolique de ce dérivé a permis de confirmer lhypothèse qui avait dicté lintroduction datomes de fluor. Enfin, des pharmacomodulations supplémentaires ont été réalisées de façon exploratoire et ont entre autres débouché sur une série de quinazolinones et une série de 1,4-benzothiazines. Les travaux réalisés au cours de cette thèse ont permis daméliorer grandement le profil pharmacocinétique des séries explorées. Néanmoins, de nombreuses pharmacomodulations restent à explorer. Des études complémentaires savèrent nécessaires et devraient déboucher sur de nouveaux candidats médicaments innovants, parmi lesquels pourraient figurer un futur traitement de la maladie dAlzheimer.

Cette thèse de doctorat analyse les concepts impliqués dans la prise de décisions de groupes d'agents et applique ces concepts dans la création d'un cadre théorique et pratique qui permet la reconnaissance de comportements de groupes. Nous allons présenter une vue d'ensemble de la théorie de l'intention, étudiée dans le passé par quelques grands théoriciens comme Searle, Bratmann et Cohen, et nous allons montrer le lien avec des recherches plus récentes dans le domaine de la reconnaissance de comportements. Nous allons étudier les avantages et inconvénients des techniques les plus avancées dans ce domaine et nous allons créer un nouveau modèle qui représente et détecte les comportements de groupes. Ce nouveau modèle s'appelle Multiagent-Abstract Hidden Markov mEmory Model (M-AHMEM) et résulte de la fusion de modèles déjà existants, le but étant de créer une approche unifiée du problème. La plus grande partie de cette thèse est consacrée à la présentation détaillée du M-AHMEM et de l'algorithme responsable de la reconnaissance de comportements. Notre modèle sera testé sur deux applications différentes : l'analyse gesturale humaine et la fusion multimodale des données audio et vidéo. A travers ces deux applications, nous avançons l'argument qu'un ensemble de données constitué de plusieurs variables corrélées peut être analysé efficacement sous un cadre unifié de reconnaissance de comportements. Nous allons montrer que la corrélation entre les différentes variables peut être modélisée comme une coopération ayant lieu à l'intérieur d'une équipe et que la reconnaissance de comportements constitue une approche moderne de classification et de reconnaissance de patrons.

We investigate the use of self-assembly in a robotic system as a means of responding to dierent environmental contingencies. Self-assembly is the mechanism through which agents in a multi-robot system autonomously form connections with one another to create larger composite robotic entities. Initially, we consider a simple response mechanism that uses stochastic self-assembly without any explicit control over the resulting morphology | the robots self-assemble into a larger, randomly shaped composite entity if the task they encounter is beyond the physical capabilities of a single robot. We present distributed behavioural control that enables a group of robots to make this collective decision about when and if to self-assemble in the context of a hill crossing task. In a series of real-world experiments, we analyse the eect of dierent distributed timing and decision strategies on system performance. Outside of a task execution context, we present fully decentralised behavioural control capable of creating periodically repeating global morphologies. We then show how arbitrary morphologies can be generated by abstracting our behavioural control into a morphology control language and adding symbolic communication between connected agents. Finally, we integrate our earlier distributed response mechanism into the morphology control language. We run simulated and real-world experiments to demonstrate a self-assembling robotic system that can respond to varying environmental contingencies by forming dierent appropriate morphologies.

Mitt syfte har varit att utreda vad som motiverar fastighetsmäklaren i sin yrkesroll samt att utreda hur dess chefer bedömer medarbetarnas motivation och dess påverkan för arbetsprestationen. Jag har använt flera teorier som kunnat kopplats till empirins resultat. Några av de slutsatser som framkommit är bland annat att motivationsfaktorer varierar beroende på individ och därmed fastighetsmäklare. Nöjda kunder, trivsel på arbetsplatsen, varierade arbetsuppgifter och en god lön har dock uppkommit vara betydande motiverande faktorer för mäklarna. Cheferna bör skapa en bättre dialog med mäklarna för att öka medvetenheten kring medarbetarnas motivationsfaktorer. På så sätt elimineras risken att cheferna utgår från egna motivationsfaktorer snarare än medarbetarnas. / My purpose with this study has been to investigate what it is that motivate an estate agent and to investigate how the directors estimate the co-workers motivation and its influence on performance. I have hold to several theories that I could connect to the empirical result. Motivation factors vary depending on each individual and therefore estate agent. Satisfied customers, comfort at work, vary tasks and a good salary seems to be significant motivation factors for the estate agents. The directors should create a better dialogue with the estate agents to increase the wariness of the co-workers motivation factors. On that way the directors eliminate the risk that they assume their own motivation factors rather than the co-workers.

Simulating large numbers of agents, performing complex behaviors in realistic environments is a difficult problem with applications in robotics, computer graphics and animation. A multi-agent system can be a useful tool for studying a range of situations in simulation in order to plan and train for actual events. Systems supporting such simulations can be used to study and train for emergency or disaster scenarios including search and rescue, civilian crowd control, evacuation of a building, and many other training situations. This work describes our approach to multi-agent systems which integrates a roadmap-based approach with agent-based systems for groups of agents performing a wide range of behaviors. The system that we have developed is highly customizable and allows us to study a variety of behaviors and scenarios. The system is tunable in the kinds of agents that can exist and parameters that describe the agents. The agents can have any number of behaviors which dictate how they react throughout a simulation. Aspects that are unique to our approach to multi-agent group behavior are the environmental encoding that the agents use when navigating and the extensive usage of the roadmap in our behavioral framework. Our roadmap-based approach can be utilized to encode both basic and very complex environments which include multi- level buildings, terrains and stadiums. In this work, we develop techniques to improve the simulation of multi-agent systems. The movement strategies we have developed can be used to validate agent movement in a simulated environment and evaluate building designs by varying portions of the environment to see the effect on pedestrian flow. The strategies we develop for searching and tracking improve the ability of agents within our roadmap-based framework to clear areas and track agents in realistic environments. The application focus of this work is on pursuit-evasion and evacuation planning. In pursuit-evasion, one group of agents, the pursuers, attempts to find and capture another set of agents, the evaders. The evaders have a goal of avoiding the pursuers. In evacuation planning, the evacuating agents attempt to find valid paths through potentially complex environments to a safe goal location determined by their environmental knowledge. Another group of agents, the directors may attempt to guide the evacuating agents. These applications require the behaviors created to be tunable to a range of scenarios so they can reflect real-world reactions by agents. They also potentially require interaction and coordination between agents in order to improve the realism of the scenario being studied. These applications illustrate the scalability of our system in terms of the number of agents that can be supported, the kinds of realistic environments that can be handled, and behaviors that can be simulated.

Background: During a house demonstration a real estate agent have the chance to make new contacts which is of big importance to spread the word about the agency and keep up with the competition. If the realtor makes a good impression on the customers, it increases the chance for making the customers return to the same realtor when time comes to sell their own house. The interpretation of this non-verbal communication has been shown to have a fundamental effect on the participant’s perception of the encounter. This makes the study aim regards investigating which non-verbal signals a real estate agent express. Purpose: This study has a two-parted purpose whereas the first part intends to point out similarities and differences in a realtor’s non-verbal communication. The other part aim to create an understanding for the consequences a real estate agent’s non-verbal communication can lead to. Theory: To fulfil the purpose, theories about non-verbal communication were chosen which brings the expressions kinesics, proxemics, physical appearance and paralanguage into use. Research method: As an empirical research method observations were used to study the real estate agents non-verbal communication. Four educated and authorised realtors were chosen to be observed at different house demonstrations. The focus was set on the realtors interactions with the customers. Conclusion: Results from the observations point out that there are both similarities and differences in a realtor’s non-verbal communication. Depending on how this communication takes place, which can differ between realtors, different consequences can be pointed out in the interaction with the customers. Keywords: Non-verbal communication, Real estate agent, House demonstrations, Kinesics, Proxemics, Paralanguage

Business profits constitute the main part of income derived through international business and these profits are only to be taxed in the home state of the enterprise. However, if the enterprise conducts business in a host state through a PE, the profits attributable to the PE are taxable in the host state. Article 7 of the OECD Model Tax determines the profits attributable to the PE. Nevertheless, Member States have interpreted Article 7 of the OECD Model Tax Convention in various ways. In order to provide consensus the OECD adopted an authorised OECD approach for attributing profits to PEs. The first part of the purpose of this thesis is to study the Swedish approach for attributing profits to dependent agent PEs in relation to the authorised OECD approach. An enterprise from the home state can be considered to have a dependent agent PE in the host state if it conducts business in the host state through a dependent agent located therein. This is provided that the agent has the authority to conclude contracts in the name of the enterprise and exercises this authority regularly. Under the authorised OECD approach for profit attribution to dependent agent PEs it is possible to allocate profits to the PE in excess of the arm’s length remuneration paid to the dependent agent. Thereby, the OECD has adopted the dual taxpayer approach as the authorised OECD approach. According to the author’s opinion the Swedish perspective regarding profit attribution to dependent agent PEs differs from the authorised OECD approach as the dual taxpayer approach so far has not been applied in Sweden. Furthermore, it differs as the attribution of capital to PEs is not allowed according to case law and as far as the recognition of internal dealings is concerned. When the OECD adopted the dual taxpayer approach as the authorised OECD approach another method was available; the single taxpayer approach. In line with this approach no further profits in excess of the arm’s length remuneration to the dependent agent can be attributed to the dependent agent PE. However, the single taxpayer approach was rejected as the authorised OECD approach, which has lead to disagreement within the international tax community. Therefore, the second part of the purpose of this thesis is to study to what extent the authorised OECD approach is sustained. This is done by analysing reactions to the single and dual taxpayer approach among business and academic circles. The author believes that reactions against the dual taxpayer approach mainly arise in situations when an enterprise in the host state gives rise to a dependent agent PE. Therefore, the authorised OECD approach should have recognised that different types of dependent agent PEs might arise and the approach is only sustained to the extent that a person belonging to the foreign enterprise leads to the existence of a dependent agent PE.

Introduktion Det har pågått en diskussion om konsultverksamhet är ett yrke eller en hel industri. Många tänkare har kommit fram till att det är både och. Konsultfirmorna erbjuder idag också många olika typer av service, den här uppsatsen har sitt fokus på förändringsledningsområdet samt att beskriva managementkonsultens roll som förändringsagent. Trots att det ofta är svårt att se vilka effekter förändringar har på organisationer så är det viktigt att förändra. Förändringsledning är dock mycket svårt och därför misslyckas många förändringsprojekt. Syfte Syftet med denna uppsats är att beskriva managementkonsultens roll som förändringsagent samt att identifiera problem i och omkring förändringsprocessen. Vidare hoppas man kunna hitta exempel på problem och framgångsfaktorer för att förbättra förändringsledning. Metod Den här studien är gjord utifrån ett deduktivt synsätt. De empiriska data har sedan insamlats genom användandet av kvalitativa semistrukturerade intervjuer. Det främsta skälet till valet av en kvalitativ undersökning var att få en djupare kunskap inom undersökningsområdet samt att det ansågs vara bästa sättet för att uppnå syftet. Författarna undersökte tre olika projekt genom att intervjua en konsult och en klient inom vart och ett av projekten. På grund av uppsatsens fokus på förändringsagenter så säkerställdes att alla tre konsulterna hade denna roll när de ansvarade för ledning av förändring. Resultat Många faktorer påverkar implementeringen av förändringar i organisationer. I konsultens roll som förändringsagent är det viktigt att inte bli en implementerare, i slutändan är det klientens organisation som ska förändras. För att uppnå framgångsrik förändring har författarna kommit fram till några slutsatser som är vitigare än andra, bland dessa finner man, skapandet av involvering och gemensamt engagemang för förändring, hitta det verkliga problemet samt att man inte glömmer vikten av att involvera chefer och ledare.

In today’s volatile business environments, collaboration between information systems, both within and across company borders, has become essential to success. An efficient supply chain, for example, requires the collaboration of distributed and heterogeneous systems of multiple companies. Developing such collaborative applications and building the supporting information systems poses several engineering challenges. A key challenge is to manage the ever growing design complexity. In this article, we argue that software architecture should play a more prominent role in the development of collaborative applications. This can help to better manage design complexity by modularizing collaborations and separating concerns. State of the art solutions, however, often lack proper abstractions for modeling collaborations at architectural level or do not reify these abstractions at detailed design and implementation level. Developers, on the other hand, rely on middleware, business process management, and Web services, techniques that mainly focus on low-level infrastructure. To address the problem of managing the design complexity of collaborative applications, we present Macodo. Macodo consists of three complementary parts: (1) a set of abstractions for modeling adaptive collaborations, (2) a set of architectural views, the main contribution of this article, that reify these abstractions at architectural level, and (3) a proof of concept middleware infrastructure that supports the architectural abstractions at design and implementation level. We evaluate the architectural views in a controlled experiment. Results show that the use of Macodo can reduce fault density and design complexity, and improve reuse and productivity. The main contributions of this article are illustrated in a supply chain management case.