This book addresses issues associated with the interface of computing, optimisation, econometrics and financial modeling, emphasizing computational optimisation methods and techniques. The first part addresses optimisation problems and decision modeling, plus applications of supply chain and worst-case modeling and advances in methodological aspects of optimisation techniques. The second part covers optimisation heuristics, filtering, signal extraction and time series models. The final part discusses optimisation in portfolio selection and real option modeling.

This book offers a straight-forward guide to the fundamental work of governing bodies and the people who serve on them. The aim is of the book is to help every member serving on a governing body understand and improve their contribution to the entity and governing body they serve. The book is rooted in research, including five years' work by the author as a Research Fellow of Nuffield College, Oxford.

Author Biography:
Gary Lock is University Lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Oxford and is the editor of Archaeology and Geographic Information Systems: A European Perspective, with Zoran Stancic.

The Web is the nervous system of information society. As such, it has a pervasive influence on our daily lives. And yet, in some ways the Web does not have a high MIQ (Machine IQ). What can be done to enhance it? This is the leitmotif of "Intelligent Exploration of the Web," (lEW)--a collection of articles co-edited by Drs. Szczepaniak, Segovia, Kacprzyk and, to a small degree, myself. The articles that comprise lEW address many basic problems ranging from structure analysis of Internet documents and Web dialogue management to intelligent Web agents for extraction of information, and bootstrapping an ontology-based information extraction system. Among the basic problems, one that stands out in importance is the problem of search. Existing search engines have many remarkable capabilities. But what is not among them is the deduction capability--the capability to answer a query by drawing on information which resides in various parts of the knowledge base. An example of a query might be "How many Ph.D. degrees in computer science were granted by European universities in 1996?" No existing search engine is capable of dealing with queries of comparable or even much lower complexity. Basically, what we would like to do is to add deduction capability to a search engine, with the aim of transforming it into a question-answering system, or a QI A system, for short. This is a problem that is of major importance and a challenge that is hard to meet.

The instant access that hackers have to the latest tools and techniques demands that companies become more aggressive in defending the security of their networks. Conducting a network vulnerability assessment, a self-induced hack attack, identifies the network components and faults in policies, and procedures that expose a company to the damage caused by malicious network intruders.

Managing a Network Vulnerability Assessment provides a formal framework for finding and eliminating network security threats, ensuring that no vulnerabilities are overlooked. This thorough overview focuses on the steps necessary to successfully manage an assessment, including the development of a scope statement, the understanding and proper use of assessment methodology, the creation of an expert assessment team, and the production of a valuable response report. The book also details what commercial, freeware, and shareware tools are available, how they work, and how to use them.

By following the procedures outlined in this guide, a company can pinpoint what individual parts of their network need to be hardened, and avoid expensive and unnecessary purchases.

This collection of excellent papers cultivates a new perspective on agent-based social system sciences, gaming simulation, and their hybridization. Most of the papers included here were presented in the special session titled Agent-Based Modeling Meets Gaming Simulation at ISAGA2003, the 34th annual conference of the International Simulation and Gaming Association (ISAGA) at Kazusa Akademia Park in Kisarazu, Chiba, Japan, August 25-29, 2003. This post-proceedings was supported by the twenty-?rst century COE (Centers of Excellence) program Creation of Agent-Based Social Systems Sciences (ABSSS), established at the Tokyo Institute of Technology in 2004. The present volume comprises papers submitted to the special session of ISAGA2003 and provides a good example of the diverse scope and standard of research achieved in simulation and gaming today. The theme of the special session at ISAGA2003 was Agent-Based Modeling Meets Gaming Simulation. Nowadays, agent-based simulation is becoming very popular for modeling and solving complex social phenomena. It is also used to arrive at practical solutions to social problems. At the same time, however, the validity of simulation does not exist in the magni?cence of the model. R. Axelrod stresses the simplicity of the agent-based simulation model through the "Keep it simple, stupid" (KISS) principle: As an ideal, simple modeling is essential.

A cognitive radio is a transceiver which is aware of its environment, its own technical capabilities and limitations, and those of the radios with which it may communicate; is capable of acting on that awareness and past experience to configure itself in a way that optimizes its performance; and is capable of learning from experience. In a real sense, a cognitive radio is an intelligent communications system that designs and redesigns itself in real time. Cognitive Radio Engineering is both a text and a reference book about cognitive radio architecture and implementation, intended for readers who want to design and build working cognitive radios. It takes the reader from conceptual block diagrams through the design and evaluation of illustrative prototypes. An important goal is to bridge the divide between radio engineers, who often have little experience with the computational resource and timing issues inherent in cognitive radios, and computer engineers who often are unaware of RF issues like dynamic range, intermodulation products, and acquisition time. Following a brief overview of cognitive radio history and a high-level look at cognitive radio operation, the book presents a detailed study of cognitive engine design and analysis. After treating RF subsystems the book considers computational platforms and computation issues in cognitive radios, followed by system integration, evaluation methods for cognitive radio, and cognitive radio design for networking. The book concludes with coverage of cognitive radio applications in communications.

Value-Driven IT Management explains how huge sums are wasted by companies (and governments) on poorly aligned, poorly justified and poorly managed IT projects based on 'wishful thinking' cost and benefit assumptions and that even 'successful' projects rarely seem to realise the benefits promised.
The author contends that the root cause of the disappointment and disillusion often found in senior management with the value extracted from its IT investments is a complacent corporate culture that can actually foster uncommercial behaviours in both users and internal suppliers of IT solutions.
The author sets out a detailed, pragmatic framework for commercialising the internal IT Function and measuring its value to the business. This is not to be achieved by deploying conventional IT best practices or by making the IT Function look like an external service provider. Instead the author proposes that the IT Function should transform its value to the business by embracing a small set of best value practices that will engender more commercial behaviours in both IT staff and users and will focus the IT Function's energies on delivering successful business outcomes that will win the respect of senior management.
* Sets out a detailed approach to transforming the value that an IT department can and should add to the business it serves
* Firmly rooted in the real world
* Practical and based on 27 years of experience of what actually works in delivering IT services

Computers have become an essential component of modern biology. They help to manage the vast and increasing amount of biological data and continue to play an integral role in the discovery of new biological relationships. This in silico approach to biology has helped to reshape the modern biological sciences. With the biological revolution now among us, it is imperative that each scientist develop and hone today's bioinformatics skills, if only at a rudimentary level. Bioinformatics Methods and Protocols was conceived as part of the Methods in Molecular Biology series to meet this challenge and to provide the experienced user with useful tips and an up-to-date overview of current developments. It builds upon the foundation that was provided in the two-volume set published in 1994 entitled Computer Analysis of Sequence Data. We divided Bioinformatics Methods and Protocols into five parts, including a thorough survey of the basic sequence analysis software packages that are available at most institutions, as well as the design and implemen- tion of an essential introductory Bioinformatics course. In addition, we included sections describing specialized noncommercial software, databases, and other resources available as part of the World Wide Web and a stimul- ing discussion of some of the computational challenges biologists now face and likely future solutions.

New Infrastructures for Knowledge Production: Understanding E-Science offers a distinctive understanding of new infrastructures for knowledge production based in science and technology studies. This field offers a unique potential to assess systematically the prospects for new modes of science enabled by information and communication technologies. The authors use varied methodological approaches, reviewing the origins of initiatives to develop e-science infrastructures, exploring the diversity of the various solutions and the scientific cultures, which use them, and assessing the prospects for wholesale change in scientific structures and practices. The book contains practical advice for the design of appropriate technological solutions, and long range assessments of the prospects for change useful both to policy makers and those implementing institutional infrastructures. Readers interested in understanding contemporary science will gain a rich picture of the practices and the technologies that are shaping the knowledge production of the future.

Choose the right hardware and software for your school!This unique book is the first systematic work on evaluating and assessing educational information technology. Here you?ll find specific strategies, best practices, and techniques to help you choose the educational technology that is most appropriate for your institution. Evaluation and Assessment in Educational Information Technology will show you how to measure the effects of information technology on teaching and learning, help you determine the extent of technological integration into the curriculum that is best for your school, and point you toward the most effective ways to teach students and faculty to use new technology.Evaluation and Assessment in Educational Information Technology presents: a summary of the last ten years of assessment instrument development seven well-validated instruments that gauge attitudes, beliefs, skills, competencies, and technology integration proficiencies two content analysis instruments for analyzing teacher-student interaction patterns in a distance learning setting an examination of the best uses of computerized testing--as opposed to conventional tests, as used in local settings, to meet daily instructional needs, in online delivery programs, in public domain software, and available commercial and shareware options successful pedagogical and assessment strategies for use in online settings a four-dimensional model to assess student learning in instructional technology courses three models for assessing the significance of information technology in education from a teacher's perspective an incisive look at Michigan's newly formed Consortium of Outstanding Achievement in Teaching withTechnology (COATT) ways to use electronic portfolios for teaching/learning performance assessment and much more!

Interactive Whiteboards for Education: Theory, Research and Practice emphasizes the importance of professional development, credible educational research, and dialogue between teachers, administrators, policymakers and learners. This book intends to guide and inform the process of technology integration in education, introducing valuable case studies for educators interested in present and future IWB technology.

Chapter 3 Specifying RTL Properties 61 3. 1 Definitions and concepts 62 62 3. 1. 1 Property 3. 1. 2 Events 65 3. 2 Property classification 65 Safety versus liveness 66 3. 2. 1 3. 2. 2 Constraint versus assertion 67 3. 2. 3 Declarative versus procedural 67 3. 3 RTL assertion specification techniques 68 RTL invariant assertions 69 3. 3. 1 3. 3. 2 Declaring properties with PSL 72 RTL cycle related assertions 73 3. 3. 3 3. 3. 4 PSL and default clock declaration 74 3. 3. 5 Specifying sequences 75 3. 3. 6 Specifying eventualities 80 3. 3. 7 PSL built-in functions 82 3. 4Pragma-based assertions 82 3. 5 SystemVerilog assertions 84 3. 5. 1 Immediate assertions 84 3. 5. 2Concurrent assertions 86 3. 5. 3 System functions 95 3. 6 PCI property specification example 96 3. 6. 1 PCI overview 96 3. 7 Summary 102 Chapter 4 PLI-Based Assertions 103 4. 1 Procedural assertions 104 4. 1. 1 A simple PLI assertion 105 4. 1. 2 Assertions within a simulation time slot 108 4. 1. 3 Assertions across simulation time slots 111 4. 1. 4 False firing across multiple time slots 116 4. 2 PLI-based assertion library 118 4. 2. 1 Assert quiescent state 119 4. 3 Summary 123 Chapter 5 Functional Coverage 125 5. 1 Verification approaches 126 5. 2 Understanding coverage 127 5. 2. 1 Controllability versus observability 128 5. 2.

Thinking Machines and the Philosophy of Computer Science: Concepts and Principles presents a conversation between established experts and new researchers in the field of philosophy and computer science about human and non-human relationships with the environment. This resource contains five sections including topics on philosophical analysis, the posterior ethical debate, the nature of computer simulations, and the crossroads between robotics, AI, cognitive theories and philosophy.

Until now, those preparing to take the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) examination were not afforded the luxury of studying a single, easy-to-use manual. Written by ten subject matter experts (SMEs) - all CISSPs - this test prep book allows CISSP candidates to test their current knowledge in each of the ten security domains that make up the Common Body of Knowledge (CBK) from which the CISSP examination is based on. The Total CISSP Exam Prep Book: Practice Questions, Answers, and Test Taking Tips and Techniques provides an outline of the subjects, topics, and sub-topics contained within each domain in the CBK, and with it you can readily identify terms and concepts that you will need to know for the exam.

The book starts with a review of each of the ten domains and provides 25 sample questions with answers and references for each. It discusses successful approaches for preparing for the exam based on experiences of those who have recently passed the exam. It then provides a complete 250-question practice exam with answers. Explanations are provided to clarify why the correct answers are correct, and why the incorrect answers are incorrect. With a total of 500 sample questions, The Total CISSP Exam Prep Book gives you a full flavor of what it will take to pass the exam.

Critical Infrastructure Protection II describes original research results and innovative applications in the interdisciplinary field of critical infrastructure protection. Also, it highlights the importance of weaving science, technology and policy in crafting sophisticated solutions that will help secure information, computer and network assets in the various critical infrastructure sectors.

This book is the second volume in the annual series produced by the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) Working Group 11.10 on Critical Infrastructure Protection, an international community of scientists, engineers, practitioners and policy makers dedicated to advancing research, development and implementation efforts focused on infrastructure protection. The book contains a selection of twenty edited papers from the Second Annual IFIP WG 11.10 International Conference on Critical Infrastructure Protection held at George Mason University, Arlington, Virginia, USA in the spring of 2008.

Test functions (fault detection, diagnosis, error correction, repair, etc.) that are applied concurrently while the system continues its intended function are defined as on-line testing. In its expanded scope, on-line testing includes the design of concurrent error checking subsystems that can be themselves self-checking, fail-safe systems that continue to function correctly even after an error occurs, reliability monitoring, and self-test and fault-tolerant designs. On-Line Testing for VLSI contains a selected set of articles that discuss many of the modern aspects of on-line testing as faced today. The contributions are largely derived from recent IEEE International On-Line Testing Workshops. Guest editors Michael Nicolaidis, Yervant Zorian and Dhiraj Pradhan organized the articles into six chapters. In the first chapter the editors introduce a large number of approaches with an expanded bibliography in which some references date back to the sixties. On-Line Testing for VLSI is an edited volume of original research comprising invited contributions by leading researchers.

Hardware Software Co-Design of a Multimedia SOC Platform is one of the first of its kinds to provide a comprehensive overview of the design and implementation of the hardware and software of an SoC platform for multimedia applications. Topics covered in this book range from system level design methodology, multimedia algorithm implementation, a sub-word parallel, single-instruction-multiple data (SIMD) processor design, and its virtual platform implementation, to the development of an SIMD parallel compiler as well as a real-time operating system (RTOS). Hardware Software Co-Design of a Multimedia SOC Platform is written for practitioner engineers and technical managers who want to gain first hand knowledge about the hardware-software design process of an SoC platform. It offers both tutorial-like details to help readers become familiar with a diverse range of subjects, and in-depth analysis for advanced readers to pursue further.

For over three decades now, silicon capacity has steadily been doubling every year and a half with equally staggering improvements continuously being observed in operating speeds. This increase in capacity has allowed for more complex systems to be built on a single silicon chip. Coupled with this functionality increase, speed improvements have fueled tremendous advancements in computing and have enabled new multi-media applications. Such trends, aimed at integrating higher levels of circuit functionality are tightly related to an emphasis on compactness in consumer electronic products and a widespread growth and interest in wireless communications and products. These trends are expected to persist for some time as technology and design methodologies continue to evolve and the era of Systems on a Chip has definitely come of age. While technology improvements and spiraling silicon capacity allow designers to pack more functions onto a single piece of silicon, they also highlight a pressing challenge for system designers to keep up with such amazing complexity. To handle higher operating speeds and the constraints of portability and connectivity, new circuit techniques have appeared. Intensive research and progress in EDA tools, design methodologies and techniques is required to empower designers with the ability to make efficient use of the potential offered by this increasing silicon capacity and complexity and to enable them to design, test, verify and build such systems.

The book presents the state of the art in high performance computing and simulation on modern supercomputer architectures. It covers trends in hardware and software development in general and specifically the future of vector-based systems and heterogeneous architectures. The application contributions include computational fluid dynamics, physics, chemistry, astrophysics, and biology. Innovative application fields like multiphysics simulations and material science are presented.

At a time of increasing globalisation, the concept of open and distance learning is being constantly redefined. New technologies have opened up new ways of understanding and participating in Learning. Distributed Learning offers a collection of perspectives from a social and cultural practice-based viewpoint, with contributions from leading international authors in the field. Key issues in this comprehensive text are:
*the challenges of ICT to traditional teaching and learning practices
*the value and relevance of 'activity theory' and 'communities of practice' in educational institutions and the workplace
*perspectives on the relationship between globalisation and distributed learning, and the breakdown of distinctions between global and local contexts
*issues of identity and community in designing courses for the virtual student
*language and literacies in distributed learning contexts
This book provides useful introductory reading, building a sound theoretical framework for practitioners interested in how distributed learning is shaping post-compulsory education.

Intelligent Unmanned Ground Vehicles describes the technology developed and the results obtained by the Carnegie Mellon Robotics Institute in the course of the DARPA Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) project. The goal of this work was to equip off-road vehicles with computer-controlled, unmanned driving capabilities. The book describes contributions in the area of mobility for UGVs including: tools for assembling complex autonomous mobility systems; on-road and off-road navigation; sensing techniques; and route planning algorithms. In addition to basic mobility technology, the book covers a number of integrated systems demonstrated in the field in realistic scenarios. The approaches presented in this book can be applied to a wide range of mobile robotics applications, from automated passenger cars to planetary exploration, and construction and agricultural machines. Intelligent Unmanned Ground Vehicles shows the progress that was achieved during this program, from brittle specially-built robots operating under highly constrained conditions, to groups of modified commercial vehicles operating in tough environments. One measure of progress is how much of this technology is being used in other applications. For example, much of the work in road-following, architectures and obstacle detection has been the basis for the Automated Highway Systems (AHS) prototypes currently under development. AHS will lead to commercial prototypes within a few years. The cross-country technology is also being used in the development of planetary rovers with a projected launch date within a few years. The architectural tools built under this program have been used in numerous applications, from an automated harvester to an autonomous excavator. The results reported in this work provide tools for further research development leading to practical, reliable and economical mobile robots.

Adaptive Resonance Theory Microchips describes circuit strategies resulting in efficient and functional adaptive resonance theory (ART) hardware systems. While ART algorithms have been developed in software by their creators, this is the first book that addresses efficient VLSI design of ART systems. All systems described in the book have been designed and fabricated (or are nearing completion) as VLSI microchips in anticipation of the impending proliferation of ART applications to autonomous intelligent systems. To accommodate these systems, the book not only provides circuit design techniques, but also validates them through experimental measurements. The book also includes a chapter tutorially describing four ART architectures (ART1, ARTMAP, Fuzzy-ART and Fuzzy-ARTMAP) while providing easily understandable MATLAB code examples to implement these four algorithms in software. In addition, an entire chapter is devoted to other potential applications for real-time data clustering and category learning.