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Abstract: Behavior Trees (BTs) provide a way to structure the behavior of an artificial agent such as a robot or a non-player character in a computer game. Traditional design methods, such as finite state machines, are known to produce brittle behaviors when complexity increases, making it very hard to add features without breaking existing functionality.? BTs were created to address this very problem, and enables the creation of systems that are both modular and reactive. Behavior Trees in Robotics and AI: An Introduction provides a broad introduction as well as an in-depth exploration of the topic, and is the first comprehensive book on the use of BTs.This book introduces the subject of BTs from simple topics, such as semantics and design principles, to complex topics, such as learning and task planning. For each topic, the authors provide a set of examples, ranging from simple illustrations to realistic complex behaviors, to enable the reader to successfully combine theory with practice.Starting with an introduction to BTs, the book then describes how BTs relate to, and in many cases, generalize earlier switching structures, or control architectures. These ideas are then used as a foundation for a set of efficient and easy to use design principles. The book then presents a set of important extensions and provides a set of tools for formally analyzing these extensions using a state space formulation of BTs. With the new analysis tools, the book then formalizes the descriptions of how BTs generalize earlier approaches and shows how BTs can be automatically generated using planning and learning. The final part of the book provides an extended set of tools to capture the behavior of Stochastic BTs, where the outcomes of actions are described by probabilities. These tools enable the computation of both success probabilities and time to completion.This book targets a broad audience, including both students and professionals interested in modeling complex behaviors for robots, game characters, or other AI agents. Readers can choose at which depth and pace they want to learn the subject, depending on their needs and background.

While there is a lot of talk about how we now live in a knowledge society, the reality has been less impressive: We have yet to truly transition to a knowledge society - in part, this book argues, because discussion mostly focuses on a knowledge economy and information society rather than on ways to mobilise to create an actual knowledge society. That all may change, however, with the rise of open data and big data. This book considers the role of the open data movement in fostering transformation, showing that at the heart of any successful mobilisation will be an emerging open data ecosystem and new ways for societal actors to effectively produce and use data.

Summary: Networked thermostats, fitness monitors, and door locks show that the Internet of Things can (and will) enable new ways for people to interact with the world around them. But designing connected products for consumers brings new challenges beyond conventional software UI and interaction design. This book provides experienced UX designers and technologists with a clear and practical roadmap for approaching consumer product strategy and design in this novel market. By drawing on the best of current design practice and academic research, Designing Connected Products delivers sound advice for working with cross-device interactions and the complex ecosystems inherent in IoT technology.

Summary: "Documenting Gendered Violence explores the intersections of documentary and gendered violence. Several contributors investigate representations through grounded textual analyses of key films and videos, including Sex Crimes Unit (2011) and The Invisible War (2012),and other documentary texts including Youtube, photographs, and theater. Other chapters use analysis and interviews to explore how gender violence issues impact production and how these documentaries become part of collaborations and awareness movements"-- Provided by publisher.

Summary: "Offering a fundamental basis in kernel-based learning theory, this book covers both statistical and algebraic principles. It provides over 30 major theorems for kernel-based supervised and unsupervised learning models. The first of the theorems establishes a condition, arguably necessary and sufficient, for the kernelization of learning models. In addition, several other theorems are devoted to proving mathematical equivalence between seemingly unrelated models. With over 25 closed-form and iterative algorithms, the book provides a step-by-step guide to algorithmic procedures and analysing which factors to consider in tackling a given problem, enabling readers to improve specifically designed learning algorithms, build models for new applications and develop efficient techniques suitable for green machine learning technologies. Numerous real-world examples and over 200 problems, several of which are Matlab-based simulation exercises, make this an essential resource for graduate students and professionals in computer science, electrical and biomedical engineering. Solutions to problems are provided online for instructors"-- Provided by publisher.

Summary: "America's community newspapers have entered an age of disruption. Towns and cities continue to need the journalism and advertising so essential to nurturing local identity and connection among citizens. But as the business of newspaper publishing collides with the digital revolution, and as technology redefines consumer habits and the very notion of community, how can newspapers survive and thrive? In Saving Community Journalism, veteran media executive Penelope Muse Abernathy draws on cutting-edge research and analysis to reveal pathways to transformation and long-term profitability. Offering practical guidance for editors and publishers, Abernathy shows how newspapers can build community online and identify new opportunities to generate revenue. Examining experiences at a wide variety of community papers--from a 7,000-circulation weekly in West Virginia to a 50,000-circulation daily in California and a 150,000-circulation Spanish-language weekly in the heart of Chicago--Saving Community Journalism is designed to help journalists and media-industry managers create and implement new strategies that will allow them to prosper in the twenty-first century. Abernathy's findings will interest everyone with a stake in the health and survival of local media. "-- Provided by publisher.

Summary: The personal voice is everywhere. Whether in comment writing, personal columns, confessional journalism or blogging, speaking personally is a dominant feature of contemporary journalism.

Summary: The media dropped the ball in covering the 2012 election by focusing exclusively on trifles and distortions instead of serious, substantive journalism, writes David Freddoso, editorial page editor of The Washington Examiner, and in doing so failed in their responsibility to keep politicians honest and the public well-informed. Freddoso, a New York Times bestselling author and former congressional reporter for National Review, fills this volume not only with outrageous examples of media bias, but also with dozens of real stories that genuinely inquisitive reporters should have relished but that the overwhelmingly liberal press didn't even bother to cover.

Summary: The author of the breakout hit "Here Comes Everybody" reveals how new technology is changing us from consumers to collaborators, unleashing a torrent of creative production that will transform our world.

Abstract: "This book examines the implications of pervasive computing from an operational, legal and ethical perspective, so that current and future e-business managers can make responsible decisions about where, when and how to use this technology"--Provided by publisher.

Abstract: "The focus of this book is on the ever increasing capacity of Pervasive context-aware applications that are aiming to develop into context-responsive applications in different application areas"--Provided by publisher.

Summary: "This book provides scholars and practitioners with a critical mass of research on the integration, management, implications, and application of e-government. Covering such issues as e-government adoption and diffusion; social and performance issues of e-government; and information security, privacy, and policy, this book is an essential resource to any library collection"--Provided by publisher.

Summary: "This book bridges two fields that, although closely related, are often studied in isolation: enterprise modeling and information systems modeling. The principal idea is to use a standard language for modeling information systems, UML, as a catalyst and investigate its potential for modeling enterprises"--Provided by publisher.

Summary: "This book balances the positive outcomes of outsourcing, which have made it a popular management strategy with the negative to provide a more inclusive decision; it explores risk factors that have not yet been widely associated with this strategy. It focuses on the conceptual "what", "why", and "where" aspects of outsourcing as well as the methodological "how" aspects"--Provided by publisher.

Summary: "This book balances the positive outcomes of outsourcing, which have made it a popular management strategy with the negative to provide a more inclusive decision; it explores risk factors that have not yet been widely associated with this strategy. It focuses on the conceptual "what", "why", and "where" aspects of outsourcing as well as the methodological "how" aspects"--Provided by publisher.

Summary: "In the current business landscape, many business firms compete in one project and cooperate in another related project, and they do so at the same time. Even more interesting is that certain members of these firms are involved in both projects. This book examines this new business landscape"--Provided by publisher.

Summary: "In the current business landscape, many business firms compete in one project and cooperate in another related project, and they do so at the same time. Even more interesting is that certain members of these firms are involved in both projects. This book examines this new business landscape"--Provided by publisher.

Summary: "This book examines current and effective educational practices as well as new challenges involving emerging technologies in increasingly diverse learning environments in higher educationand the impact of the explosion of technology. These challenges are well documented in this collection of essays, case studies, and research reports"--Provided by publisher.

Summary: "This book discusses the technology behind portals and grid networks, including topics such as management issues, deployment considerations, facilities and tools for creating and managing grid and portal applications"--Provided by publisher.

Summary: "This book deals with the computational intelligence field, particularly business applications adopting computational intelligence techniques"--Provided by publisher.

Summary: "This book deals with the computational intelligence field, particularly business applications adopting computational intelligence techniques"--Provided by publisher.

Summary: "This book is about Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems implementation, focusing on business operations/processes and information systems to support business operations/processes"--Provided by publisher.

Summary: "This book covers industrial databases and applications and offers generic database modeling techniques"--Provided by publisher.

Summary: "This books tackles issues of e-business with a vision to the future on how to bridge these gaps and close down the barriers between the different corners of the world"--Provided by publisher.

Summary: "The book presents a comprehensive introduction of the concepts and practices of e-entrepreneurship and e-innovation"--Provided by publisher.

Summary: "The book presents a comprehensive introduction of the concepts and practices of e-entrepreneurship and e-innovation"--Provided by publisher.

Summary: "This book discusses information technology and its underdeveloped use in financial institutions despite some efforts to improve and upgrade their systems with new systems"--Provided by publisher.

Summary: "This book tells you how to create, execute and evolve a customer-centric approach for your Internet-based management strategy"--Provided by publisher.

Summary: "This book is designed to address the concerns of existing companies who wish to succeed in the new multi-channel environment as it develops and becomes commonplace"--Provided by publisher.

Summary: "This book is designed to address the concerns of existing companies who wish to succeed in the new multi-channel environment as it develops and becomes commonplace"--Provided by publisher.

Summary: "This book emphasizes the role of context in the development and management of virtual learning environments"--Provided by publisher.

Summary: "This book emphasizes the role of context in the development and management of virtual learning environments"--Provided by publisher.

Summary: "This book gives a comprehensive introduction of the concepts and practices of e-partnering and discusses the application of e-partnership in e-commerce, e-business, the supply chain and e-supply chains"--Provided by publisher.

Summary: "This book provides an understanding of the critical factors affecting software review performance and to provide practical guidelines for software reviews"--Provided by publisher.

Summary: "This book features case studies detailing online applications and uses of assessment and measurement methodologies, systems, and practices across three broad educational or training areas"--Provided by publisher.

Summary: "This book features case studies detailing online applications and uses of assessment and measurement methodologies, systems, and practices across three broad educational or training areas"--Provided by publisher.

Summary: "This book outlines a new way of approaching the development and implementation of information systems. Not only does the book explore a different approach to determining an organization's opportunities and solving its problems, but it also highlights methods for optimal decision making"--Provided by publisher.

Summary: "This book discusses the economic impacts of outsourcing and off shoring to the developing countries and developed countries and the short term and long term implications"--Provided by publisher.

Summary: "This book reports on the latest advances in privacy protection issues and technologies for e-services, ranging from consumer empowerment to assess privacy risks, to security technologies needed for privacy protection, to systems for privacy policy enforcement, and even methods for assessing privacy technologies"--Provided by publisher.

Summary: "This book reports on the latest advances in privacy protection issues and technologies for e-services, ranging from consumer empowerment to assess privacy risks, to security technologies needed for privacy protection, to systems for privacy policy enforcement, and even methods for assessing privacy technologies"--Provided by publisher.

Summary: "This book provides an overall view of the emerging field of complex data processing, highlighting the similarities between the different data, issues and approaches"--Provided by publisher.

Summary: "This book covers many aspects related to IT project management, such as human relationships, team management, software methodologies, and tools and techniques for project management"--Provided by publisher.

Summary: "This book provides practical case studies of the planning, implementation and use of mobile and wireless data solutions in modern business"--Provided by publisher.

Summary: "This book provides practical case studies of the planning, implementation and use of mobile and wireless data solutions in modern business"--Provided by publisher.

Summary: "This book covers basic concepts of web and information system security and provides new insights into the semantic web field and its related security challenges"--Provided by publisher.

Summary: "This book discusses the process of transitioning an organization to a global one based on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) including careful planning, execution and monitoring of the organization as it moves into the global market place"--Provided by publisher.