This paper studies analytically the dynamics of the opinion in multi-agent systems where two classes of agents coexist. The fact that the population of considered multi-agent systems is divided into two classes is meant to account for agents with different propensity to change their opinions. Skeptical agents, which are agents that are not inclined to change their opinions, can be modeled toget...

The study analyzed farm management extension services (FMESs) performed by the extension agents of Agricultural Development Projects in South West Nigeria. Study representatives were sampled randomly from Oyo ADP, Osun ADP and Ekiti ADP, making a 50% representation of the South-West. A proportionate sample of 80% of the total of the extension agents in each of the 3 case studies was randomly se...

Web repositories are huge amount of heterogeneous information sources. Besides the target information itself, the changes in Web repository are significant and worth being notified to the user who perceived the out of date information as soon as possible. The changes made in Web repositories occur at unpredictable rates. Unfortunately, stock type information source has no means to inform its pr...

PHYSICIANS AND SCIENTISTS HAVE CRITICIZED JOURNALISTS FOR misleading the public about important medical issues. For example, a 1997 survey of scientists found that the majority of them believed that reporters do not understand statistics well enough to explain new scientific findings, do not understand the nature of science and technology, and are more interested in sensationalism than in scien...

BACKGROUND With the recognition that professional education has not kept pace with the challenges facing the health and human service system, there has been a move to transformative education and learning professional development designed to expand the number of enlightened and empowered change agents with the competence to implement changes at an individual, organisation and systems level. D...

The tropical deforestation literature advocates multi-agent enquiry in recognition that key dynamics arise from inter-agent interactions. Studies of tropical forest-cover gain have lagged in this respect. This article explores the roles and key aspects of interactions shaping natural forest regeneration and active reforestation in Eastern Panama since 1990. It employs household surveys of agric...

Trachoma is the leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide. Despite the fact that trachoma is preventable, 7.2 million people suffer from trichiasis, the potentially blinding stage of trachoma, and 325 million live in areas where trachoma is confirmed or suspected. According to the World Health Organization, 21 million people have trachoma (Weekly Epidemiological Record No. 17, 27 April 20...

Change is a complex process both for species and for institutions. Species change by mutation. If the mutations have survival value, the new mutated species survives; if not, the mutant becomes extinct. Institutions often change by adaptation; the mechanisms for adaptation are individualized and depend on the institution. For example, corporations use board meetings, governments use elections o...

Virtual health counseling agents on mobile devices need to be able to interrupt their users when it is time for them to engage in healthy behaviors, such as scheduled medication taking or exercise. However, these real-time reminders often represent task interruptions for individuals who are engaged in work activities. This paper presents the results of a study which compares four strategies use...