الصفحة 1
الصفحة 1
Ontologies for Agents : Theory and Experiences
On the other hand, ontologies have established themselves as a powerful tool to enable kno- edge sharing, and a growing number of applications have bene?ted from the use of ontologies as a means to achieve semantic interoperability among heterogeneous, distributed systems. In principle ontologies and agents are a match made in heaven, that has failed to happen. What makes a simple piece of software an agent is its ability to communicate in a ”social” environment, to make autonomous decisions, and to be proactive on behalf of its user. Communication ultimately depends on und- standing the goals, preferences, and constraints posed by the user. Autonomy is theabilitytoperformataskwithlittleornouserintervention,whileproactiveness involves acting autonomously with no need for user prompting. Communication, but also autonomy and proactiveness, depend on knowledge. The ability to c- municate depends on understanding the syntax (terms and structure) and the semantics of a language. Ontologies provide the terms used to describe a domain and the semantics associated with them. In addition, ontologies are often comp- mented by some logical rules that constrain the meaning assigned to the terms. These constraints are represented by inference rules that can be used by agents to perform the reasoning on which autonomy and proactiveness are based.
Nutrition, Health and Disease : A Lifespan Approach
Delivers an easy-to-read and student-friendly textbook on the changing demands for nutrients made by the body throughout the human lifespan.
Numerical Methods and Applications ; 6th International Conference, NMA 2006, Borovets, Bulgaria, August 20-24, 2006, Revised Papers
This book constitutes the thoroughly refereed post-proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Numerical Methods and Applications, NMA 2006. The papers are organized in topical sections on numerical methods for hyperbolic problems, robust preconditioning solution methods, Monte Carlo and quasi-Monte Carlo for diverse applications, metaheuristics for optimization problems, uncertain/control systems and reliable numerics, interpolation and quadrature processes, large-scale computations in environmental modelling, and contributed talks.
Nonparametric Bayesian Learning for Collaborative Robot Multimodal Introspection
This book focuses on robot introspection, which has a direct impact on physical human–robot interaction and long-term autonomy, and which can benefit from autonomous anomaly monitoring and diagnosis, as well as anomaly recovery strategies.
Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Signaling in Neuroprotection
Presents the roles and mechanisms of signal transduction triggered by nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) stimulation in neuroprotection against toxic effects of risk factors of neurodegenerative diseases. Accumulating evidence suggests that nAChRs in the CNS play important roles not only in excitatory neurotransmission but also in neuronal survival and related functions. Neuroprotection mediated by nAChRs in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease is the major topic of this book. In response to rapidly evolving areas in clinical and laboratory neuropharmacology and neurochemistry, this volume provides in-depth coverage of neuroprotection in basic research and future developments in the clinical application of effective neuroprotective strategies in neurodegenerative diseases. This work appeals to both basic and clinical researchers in several fields, such as neuroscience, neurology, and pharmacology.
New Frontiers in Social Innovation Research
Interest in social innovation continues to rise, from governments setting up social innovation 'labs' to large corporations developing social innovation strategies. Yet theory lags behind practice, and this hampers our ability to understand social innovation and make the most of its potential. This collection brings together work by leading social innovation researchers globally, exploring the practice and process of researching social innovation, its nature and effects. Combining theoretical chapters and empirical studies, it shows how social innovation is blurring traditional boundaries between the market, the state and civil society, thereby developing new forms of services, relationships and collaborations. It takes a critical perspective, analyzing potential downsides of social innovation that often remain unexplored or are glossed over, yet concludes with a powerful vision of the potential for social innovation to transform society.
Neuromarketing e Processi Decisionali : Le evidenze di un test di memorizzazione condotto per la prima volta in Italia = Neuromarketing and decision-making processes: Evidence from a memory test conducted for the first time in Italy
Il libro fornisce alcuni strumenti scientifici per affrontare il problema di come il nostro cervello genera delle scelte in campo economico, in un linguaggio piano e non specialistico. Vengono descritti i risultati del primo studio italiano relativo all’osservazione di filmati commerciali televisivi, analizzati mediante l’elettroencefalografia ad alta risoluzione spaziale. La neuroeconomia è una nuova scienza che si sta sviluppando rapidamente nei paesi anglosassoni. Questo libro spiega i concetti di neuroeconomia e neuromarketing anche al pubblico italiano.
Neurodegeneration in Multiple Sclerosis
In multiple sclerosis (MS), conventional magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI) has proved to be a valuable tool to increase diagnostic reliability and to monitor the efficacy of experimental treatment. However, cMRI has limited specificity and accuracy as to the most disabling aspects of the MS pathology, known to occur in and outside macroscopic lesions. Modern quantitative MR techniques have the potential to overcome the limitations of cMRI, and their application is dramatically changing our understanding of how MS causes irreversible disability.
Neo-Liberalism, State Power and Global Governance
Part One explores the pattern of national differences in the exercise of state power in a variety of industrialized and developing economies, despite the pressure to converge towards the dominant neo-liberal paradigm. Part Two analyses a variety of trans-national policy prescriptions for neo-liberalism and state power. Part Three explores whether the governance of labour markets is a special case in the global economy. Part Four sets out the need for institutional reform of the neo-liberal order in trade and finance. The volume concludes that there is the prospect of a more plural approach to state power and global governance, and one that recognizes the importance of the public domain of citizenship for delivering the global public goods of security, prosperity and environmental sustainability in the twenty-first century.
Nectaries and Nectar
This book is a modern and interdisciplinary text on nectar and nectaries, prompted by the expansion of knowledge, especially in the more ecological and now molecular fields, and the strong recent interest in pollination biology.
Nature-Based Flood Risk Management on Private Land : Disciplinary Perspectives on a Multidisciplinary Challenge
This book addresses the various disciplinary aspects of nature-based solutions in flood risk management on private land. In recent decades, water management has been moving towards nature-based solutions. These are assumed to be much more multi-purpose than traditional “grey infrastructures” and seem to be regarded as a panacea for many environmental issues. At the same time, such measures require more – and mostly privately owned – land and more diverse stakeholder involvement than traditional (grey) engineering approaches. They also present challenges related to different disciplines. Nature-based solutions for flood risk management not only require technical expertise, but also call for interdisciplinary insights from land-use planning, economics, property rights, sociology, landscape planning, ecology, hydrology, agriculture and other disciplines to address the challenges of implementing them. Ultimately, nature-based flood risk management is a multi-disciplinary endeavor.
Nanostructured and advanced materials for applications in sensor, optoelectronic and photovoltaic technology ; Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Study Institute on nanostructured and advanced materials for applications in sensors, optoelectronic and photovoltaic technology ; Sozopol, Bulgaria, 6-17 September 2004
Nanotechnology is an emerging scientific field receiving significant worldwide attention. On a nanometer scale, materials or structures may possess new and unique physical properties. Some of these are now known to the scientific community, but there may well be many properties not yet known to us, rendering it as a fascinating area of research and a suitable subject for a NATO ASI. Yet another aspect of the field is the possibility for creating meta-stable phases with unconventional properties and the ultra-miniaturization of current devices, sensors, and machines. Such nanotechnological and related advanced materials have an extremely wide range of potential applications, viz. nanoscale electronics, sensors, optoelectronics, photonics, nano-biological systems, na- medicine, energy storage systems, etc. This is a wide-ranging subject area and therefore requires the formation of multi-disciplinary teams of physicists, chemists, materials scientists, engineers, molecular biologists, pharmacologists, and others to work together on the synthesis and processing of materials and structures, the understanding of their physical properties, the design and fabrication of devices.
Multivariable Computer-controlled Systems : A Transfer Function Approach
Having established the ability of the parametric transfer function to solve this problem for single-input, single-output systems in previous work, the authors extend these methods, which incorporate time-dependence, to the idea of the parametric transfer matrix in a complete exposition of analysis and design methods for multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) sampled-data systems.
Multimodality in architecture : Collaboration, technology and education
Examines multimodality in architecture and its impacts on collaborative, technical and educational processes or systems. Multimodality is becoming increasingly critical in contemporary architectural practice and education. Creative design teams face new challenges when they embrace new modes of communication, technology, and knowledge development processes. From diverse online modes of communication to shared digital environments, generative AI and advanced hardware solutions, new modes of information creation, sharing, and application are changing the ways architects and designers work. The book presents new research which empowers international researchers and designers to work more effectively in a diverse range of digital environments. Whether the readers are architects, teachers, students, or scholars, this book provides critical insights and practical tools for understanding and optimising processes in architecture and design.
Multimodal Video Characterization and Summarization
Multimodal Video Characterization and Summarization is a valuable research tool for both professionals and academicians working in the video field. This book describes the methodology for using multimodal audio, image, and text technology to characterize video content. This new and groundbreaking science has led to many advances in video understanding, such as the development of a video summary. Applications and methodology for creating video summaries are described, as well as user-studies for evaluation and testing.
Multimodal User Interfaces : From Signals to Interaction
The book presents a common theoretical framework for fusion and fission of multimodal information using the most advanced signal processing algorithms constrained by HCI rules, described in detail and integrated in the context of a common distributed software platform for easy and efficient development and usability assessment of multimodal tools. The book also demonstrates the use of the multimodal framework for the development of a set of applications in the areas of edutainment, interfaces for disabled people and interfaces for medical applications.
Multimodal Texts in Disciplinary Education : A Comprehensive Framework
This book provides an introduction to multimodality and the role of multimodal texts in today’s education. Presenting a comprehensive framework for analysing and working with multimodal texts in disciplinary education, it serves as a tool for researchers and teachers alike. The second part of the book focuses on sample analyses of a variety of educational texts for different age groups and from different disciplines, including games and online resources. The authors also comment on the specific challenges of each text, and how teachers can discuss such texts with their students to enhance both their understanding of the content and their multimodal literacy.
Multimodal Technologies for Perception of Humans ; International Evaluation Workshops CLEAR 2007 and RT 2007, Baltimore, MD, USA, May 8-11, 2007, Revised Selected Papers
This book constitutes the thoroughly refereed joint post-workshop proceedings of two co-located events: the Second International Workshop on Classification of Events, Activities and Relationships, CLEAR 2007, and the 5th Rich Transcription 2007 Meeting Recognition evaluation, RT 2007, held in succession in Baltimore, MD, USA, in May 2007.The workshops had complementary evaluation efforts; CLEAR for the evaluation of human activities, events, and relationships in multiple multimodal data domains; and RT for the evaluation of speech transcription-related technologies from meeting room audio collections.
Multimodal Technologies for Perception of Humans ; 1st International Evaluation Workshop on Classification of Events, Activities and Relationships, CLEAR 2006, Southampton, UK, April 6-7, 2006, Revised Selected Papers
This book constitutes the thoroughly refereed post-proceedings of the First International CLEAR 2006 Evaluation Campaign and Workshop on Classification of Events, Activities and Relationships for evaluation of multimodal technologies for the perception of humans, their activities and interactions. The workshop was held in the UK in April 2006.
Multimodal Processing and Interaction : Audio, Video, Text
Multimodal Processing and Interaction: Audio, Video and Text presents high quality, state-of-the-art research ideas and results from theoretic, algorithmic and application viewpoints. This edited volume contains both state-of-the-art reviews and original contributions by leading experts in the scientific and technological field of multimedia. It grew out of a four-year collaboration among research groups participating in the European network of Excellence on Multimedia Understanding, Semantics, Computation and Learning (MUSCLE).
