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.
Non-University Higher Education in Europe
This book represents the first-of-its-kind comprehensive discussion of the non-university higher education sector in Europe. Higher education throughout the world is facing rapid change. Despite the enormous attention devoted to that reality, this volume fills an important void. It describes and offers critical comparisons between the systems in 10 European countries. The book brings together the thinking of leading scholars on the non-university sectors in Austria, Belgium, Finland, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom, with a chapter devoted to each country. National case studies are presented for the non-university sector in these countries that address issues such as historical developments, policy changes, governance structures, levels of institutional autonomy and future trends.
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.
Nonlinear kalman filtering for force-controlled robot tasks
This monograph focuses on how to achieve more robot autonomy by means of reliable processing skills. "Nonlinear Kalman Filtering for Force-Controlled Robot Tasks " discusses the latest developments in the areas of contact modeling, nonlinear parameter estimation and task plan optimization for improved estimation accuracy.
Multiagent Engineering : Theory and Applications in Enterprises
1 Multiagent Engineering: A New Software Construction Paradigm Multiagent systems have a long academic tradition. They have their roots in distributed problem solving in Artificial Intelligence (AI) from where they emerged in the mid-eighties as a distinctive discipline. Research in multiagent systems owes much to the work of Rosenschein on rationality and autonomy of intelligent agents, the European MAAMAW workshop series
Mobile Robots : The Evolutionary Approach
The design and control of autonomous intelligent mobile robotic systems operating in unstructured changing environments includes many objective difficulties. There are several studies about the ways in which, robots exhibiting some degree of autonomy, adapt themselves to fit in their environments. The application and use of bio-inspired and intelligent techniques such as reinforcement learning, artificial neural networks, evolutionary computation and so forth in the design and improvement of robot designs is an emergent research topic. Researchers have obtained robots that display an amazing slew of behaviours and perform a multitude of tasks. These include perception of environment, planning and navigation in rough terrain, pushing boxes, negotiating an obstacle course, etc.
Missions of universities : Past, present, future
provides an analysis of university missions over time and space. It starts out by presenting a governance framework focusing on the demands on universities set by regulators, market actors and scrutinizers. It examines organizational structures, population development, the fundamental tasks of universities, and internal governance structures. Next, offers a discussion of the idea and role of universities in society, exploring concepts such as autonomy and universality, and the university as a transformative institute. The next four chapters deal with the development of universities from medieval times, through the Renaissance, towards the research universities in the nineteenth century in Europe and the United States.
Medical Law and Moral Rights
Medical Law and Moral Rights discusses live issue arising in modern medical practice. Do patients undergoing intolerable irremediable suffering have a moral right to physician-assisted suicide? Ought they to have a comparable legal right? Do the moral duties of a mother to care for and not abuse her child also apply to her fetus? Ought physicians to be permitted to refuse to provide medically futile treatment demanded by their patients? The author then advocates improvements in the law to make it respect our moral rights more fully. To justify his conclusions, he proposes original conceptions of the human rights to life, procreational autonomy, privacy, equitable treatment and personal security.
Islamic Bioethics : Problems and Perspectives
This book presents a critical analysis of the debate at the religious, legal and political level sparked off by the introduction of new biomedical technologies (cloning, genetics, organ transplants, IVF, etc.) in Muslim countries. It compares the positions of "classic" Muslim law and contemporary religious authorities; laws in Muslim countries; the attitudes and concrete behaviour of populations, families and individuals, as well as the regulations of medical associations, bioethics committees etc..
Human Rights and the Moral Responsibilities of Corporate and Public Sector Organisations
All students and advocates of human rights will be interested in this concerted exploration of the human rights moral obligations that fall, not directly on states, but on private and public organisations. Such an approach to human rights opens up the possibility of holding corporations and bureaucracies to account for human rights violations even when they have acted in accordance with the law. This interdisciplinary and international project brings together eminent philosophers, lawyers, social scientists and practitioners to articulate theoretically and develop in practical contexts the moral implications of human rights for non-state actors. What emerges from the book as a whole is a distinctive contemporary vision of the emerging moral impact of human rights and its significance for organisational behaviour and performance.
Genetic Democracy : Philosophical Perspectives
GENETIC DEMOCRACY involves an in-depth analysis of the ethical, social and philosophical issues related to modern genetic research and gene technology. The aim of the book is to introduce systematic research on the social and ethical impacts of the use and development of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) as well as the acquisition, use and storage of human genetic information (HGI). The book contributes into enhancing public discussion and reaching fair and democratic decision-making practices in GMO and HGI use and development both on local and global level.
Foundations of Trusted Autonomy
This book establishes the foundations needed to realize the ultimate goals for artificial intelligence, such as autonomy and trustworthiness. Aimed at scientists, researchers, technologists, practitioners, and students, it brings together contributions offering the basics, the challenges and the state-of-the-art on trusted autonomous systems in a single volume. The book is structured in three parts, with chapters written by eminent researchers and outstanding practitioners and users in the field. The first part covers foundational artificial intelligence technologies, while the second part covers philosophical, practical and technological perspectives on trust. Lastly, the third part presents advanced topics necessary to create future trusted autonomous systems. The book augments theory with real-world applications including cyber security, defence and space.
Financing public universities : The case of performance funding
"Financing Public Universities" addresses newer practices of resource allocation which tie funding to indicators of performance. The gist of these efforts is to raise the quality of institutional systems. Performance-based budgeting and funding of public universities is part of broader efforts to reform public management, and it is being promoted and implemented by various government agencies around the globe. In particular, European universities with their normally strong governmental ties, or higher education systems molded on European universities, are prime targets of such reforms. Performance funding has made its inroads in attempts to grant university systems managerial autonomy: autonomy was to be granted in exchange for funding modes which are tied to the measurement of performance indicators. Unfortunately, performance-based budgeting or funding measures cannot meet the various expectations: they do not raise the quality of teaching or learning; they do not raise research performance; they take back a great deal of managerial autonomy which is commonly judged to be essential for the well being of higher education institutions, in particular research universities; and they act as automata in place of proper governance and management.
Evidence-Based Medical Ethics : Cases for Practice-Based Learning
In Evidence-Based Medical Ethics: Cases for Practice-Based Learning, the authors address what has been missing in existing text books and ethics courses to date – clear-cut ethical and legal guidelines that provide a method for the reader to learn how to systematically manage dilemmas seen in the everyday practice of medicine.
Évaluation des troubles neuropsychologiques en vie quotidienne = Assessment of neuropsychological disorders in daily life
Neurological diseases such as stroke, head trauma, Alzheimer's disease pose a public health problem. They affect all ages, from children to the elderly. They affect the possibilities of autonomy in daily life, the possibilities of social or professional integration. In these pathologies, neuropsychological disorders: disorders of language, memory, attention, etc., are the source of crucial difficulties. Cognitive tests performed by psychologists are essential for their diagnosis, but do not on their own make it possible to prejudge the difficulties encountered by people in their everyday life. This book presents an original approach to neuropsychological disorders, by describing specific assessments describing difficulties in daily life, in order to better understand them and to quantify their impact. The second part of the book develops the consequences in clinical practice in particular populations - children and the elderly - or the social objective of the evaluation, in particular school integration, professional integration and driving. Finally, the relevance of these assessments in the context of recent laws on disabled people as well as the development of compensation for bodily injury after an accident are also discussed.
European Robotics Symposium 2008
These monothematic proceedings represent a collection of papers presented at the 2nd European Robotics Symposium, held in Prague, March 26-27, 2008. The goal of the given selection of papers is to provide a comprehensive overview of the recent status in robotics research world-wide in the key areas of cognition, autonomy, adaptation and robustness in robotics.
European Robotics Symposium 2006
This unique reference represents a cross-section of forefront robotics research, ranging from robotics and systems to learning, autonomy and failure detection, from vision and navigation to localization and mapping, which are based on the papers presented at the 1st European Robotics Symposium (EUROS-06) held in Palermo, Italy from 16-18 March, 2006. The European Robotics Symposium (EUROS) is a brand-new International scientific event promoted by EURON, the European Robotics Network. Since its inception in 2000, EURON links most of the European robotics research teams and today (2006) involves more than 165 universities and companies across all of its member states. The EUROS meeting will be held in Europe every other year, but international participation at all levels is strongly encouraged making it a meeting place for high-quality presentation of interesting international research on robotics.
Ethics and Intersex
The book begins with introductory chapters on the etiology of intersex conditions, conceptual clarification, legal issues, and reflections about the inherent characteristics of medical care that have led up to the issues we face today and explain the resistance to change in traditional practices. Researchers provide recent data on gender identity, surgical outcomes, and appropriate clinical care. Issues never having been addressed are introduced. The significance of intersexuality for Christianity and for philosophical concerns with authenticity add further depth to the collection. The final chapters deal with future possibilities in the treatment of intersex and for intersex advocacy.
Ethics and Business : An Introduction
Offers a clear and accessible framework for understanding the important and complex ethical issues facing business in the contemporary world. Kevin Gibson explains ethical concepts in plain language, showing how terms such as responsibility, autonomy, justice, equality, rights, and beneficence are central to the ways in which business is and should be conducted.
Entrepreneurial Orientation in Academia
In addition to research and education, today’s role of acadamia in the United States also includes the creation of wealth for society. Universities are active in fostering innovation and transferring technology. However, it should be noted that some universities act more as entrepreneurs than others and are more successful in selling licenses and spinning off companies. Based on the concept of entrepreneurial orientation, Jan Boehm elaborates on the relationship between dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation – such as autonomy, innovativeness, proactiveness, competitiveness, risk-taking, and interdisciplinarity – and technology transfer performance of U.S. universities. Using variance-based multivariate analysis and a survey of principal investigators, the author concludes that entrepreneurial orientation within research organizations has a positive impact on technology transfer.
