A Knowledge Entry System for Subject Matter Experts :: essays research papers

The High Performance Knowledge Bases (HPKB) project demonstrated that the teams of knowledge engineers working together could create knowledge bases (KBs) roughly at the rate of 10K axioms/year for a pre-specified task and evaluation criteria. The HPKB effort showed that it is possible to create KBs by reusing the content of knowledge libraries, and it demonstrated reuse rates ranging from 25% to 100%, depending on the application and the knowledge engineer. It was acknowledged that the ability of a subject matter expert (SME) to directly enter knowledge is essential to improve the KB construction rates. The SRI team is developing a system for direct knowledge entry by SMEs as an integrated team of technology developers. The SRI team includes Boeing, Information Sciences Institute (ISI) at University of Southern California, Northwestern University, Pacific Sierra Research (PSR), Stanford University, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, University of Texas at Austin, and University of West Florida. Knowledge Systems Laboratory at Stanford, Pragati Systems, and Massachusetts Insititute of Technology joined the team after the contract award. The claim of this effort is that SMEs, unassisted by AI technologists, can assemble models of mechanisms and processes from components. These models are both declarative and executable, so questions about the mechanisms and processes can be answered by conventional inference methods (for example, theorem proving and taxonomic inference) and by various task-specific methods (for example, simulation, analogical reasoning, and problem-solving methods). A related claim is that relatively few components, perhaps a few thousand, are sufficient for SMEs to assemble models of virtually any mechanism or process. We claim that these components are independent of domain, and that assembly from components instantiated to a domain is a natural way for SMEs to create KB content. The research in this project exploits and extends previous work in the HPKB project, as well as work in process description languages, qualitative physics, systems dynamics, and simulation. One scientific innovation, and the principal extension to Cyc and the "HPKB standard" of knowledge bases, is the idea of declarative and executable models (DEMs) assembled from components. The declarative aspect of DEMs supports conventional inference, whereas the executable aspect supports reasoning by simulation. For example, the declarative part of a model of aerosols is sufficient to answer questions like, "Will a 5-micron filter afford protection against this aerosol?" while the executable part is necessary to model the dispersal pattern of the aerosol.

Describe the Various Phases of Economic Cycle, Which a Country Might Experience and Explain the Possible Causes of Such Cycles.

The economic cycle is a fundamental economic understanding of the phases that an economy may experience during certain climates. This can be understood by the basic economic cycle diagram, which shows the different periods combined with a line representing trend growth. Governments ideally wish for uniform growth, close to or on the trend line, this is where the economy is continually expanding and growing at a rate which the government perceives to be sustainable. For example, the UK aim for 2. 5% trend growth, however due to the economic cycle we can understand that it rarely stays at one point for a long period of time. When the actual growth line is above trend rate, this is known as a positive output gap and when the actual growth line is below trend, a negative output gap. A boom period is a period on the economic cycle whereby the curve surpasses trend growth; this represents substantial economic growth and is represented by a peak in the economic cycle. Recessionary periods are stages in the economic cycle when growth falls, this occurs most commonly after a boom period and will lead to the next ‘trough’ in the economic cycle, or bust. Bust is whereby the economy is suffering a low point, they are at their lowest in terms of economic growth, operating much below the trend rate and is seen as a trough in the economic cycle. A recovery can be seen on the economic cycle diagram by the encroachment of actual growth to trend growth, and is therefore where the economy is growing gradually and ‘recovering’ from the bust period they have just suffered. The economy is likely to experience a boom period often in times when supply side policies exceed their time lag and their productivity can be seen. Or perhaps in the short term through a boost in demand side policies, such as a decrease in interest rates to encourage consumer spending, however such demand side policies are short-lived due to the accompanied inflation and therefore are unlikely to be the sole cause of a boom period. Similar to the causes of a boom period are the causes of a recovery, this can be induced by the government’s willingness to encourage spending or potentially increase labour productivity via methods such as training and education. Similarly to this, a recession can be combatted and forced into recovery by both monetary and fiscal policy. Monetary policy would focus on decreasing the money supply in order to stimulate the economy whereas fiscal supply focuses on government spending and tax. A reduce in taxes such as income tax would work in theory to get people back to work and therefore push out the PPB to potentially develop economic growth. As previously mentioned, it is possible for the government to stimulate aggregate demand using monetary policy, via a reduction in interest rates, however this does not come without its own problems, it leads to potential speculation of increasing price levels and inflation. However recessions and potential busts can be created in many numerous different ways, one of which previously just mentioned in terms of speculation. Speculative bubbles work via the communication of the consumer, for example, the Housing market was massively published and conversed about to rise dramatically over the coming years. This forced people to purchase houses there and then in the hope that they will be provided with a better price now than they would in the future, due to speculation they were correct in doing so. Such speculation skyrockets demand and with it too comes price levels, this is a common cause of a recessionary period. In addition to this demand-side shocks such as the credit crunch of 2008 in the USA, result in massive contractions of AD. Such demand side shocks come unpredictably in the economy, and thus make it very difficult for the government to prepare adequately for. Such negative demand shocks are expressed in the diagram below, whereby the shift from AD1 to AD2 can be seen. Supply side shocks are also uncontrollable and come normally with little preparation time for an economy, for example, due to the BP oil crisis of 2009, prices rose massively as BP prepared to lose millions of gallons of wealthy resources in the form of oil. On the other hand, a positive supply side shock could potentially be experiencing now, as a result of the Libyan crisis, negotiations are underway between the UK government and the Libyan government to set up and oil partnership. This could affect the supply of oil massively, and potential be a positive for the economy. Climatic Factors must also be mentioned with reference to the economic cycle, and often result in the further diminishing of the world’s smaller economies. For example the wildfires in Canada resulted in the global price of grain being bolstered largely, and therefore has the potential to put the economy into a recessionary period as one of their large exports suffered a major loss. Political Factors should also be mentioned when discussing the progress of an economic cycle, for example to make the appearance of a certain government positive, prior to an election they may attempt to boost employment in the UK. This is a last ditch effort from the politicians in order to sway the votes of their citizens. However, these jobs could be short-lived and are often not sustainable, therefore do more harm to the economy than good. To conclude, there are many causes of the economic cycle, some positive and some negative, however it depends on potential government preparation and intervention to prevent damage exceeding what it needs to, and recessionary periods to be continued for long periods of time. Economies must be well equipped to deal with unexpected occurrences in order to prevent long term suffering of economic growth.

Customer Service Plan Essay

Customer service and commitment to our customers has been the driving force behind our brand. Widget strive to get it right first time, everytime.Incases where things don’t come out right we believe our professional workers will strive to correct the problem and our customers have the right to know what level of service they can expect from us all the time even in these times when we fall short of the very high standards we have set ourselves. Through our Vision and mission statement we make a commitment to our customers both internal and external. Mission Statement Passionate about exceeding the delivery of our customers’ service expectations by providing the very best in professional, value engineered widgets through our ever growing nationwide team of professional, caring staff. Vision Statement To be Australia’s number one national provider of quality widgets by empowering our staff to deliver our customers with the very best in quality, value and service. Our Product standards Our product is manufactured in strict accordance with the Australian quality standards and also taking into account the use of which our customers will subject our product. Our internal policies and quality standards support the high quality standards set in our vision and mission statement.Our product specifications are clearly presented in all our packaging materials and tested during the production process to ensure all tolerance limits are adhered to. Our main product is 12 mm black hole plugs which are made of plastic to cover ,conseal and decorate 12 mm diameter holes in cabinets,furniture,window frames,vinyl fences and elsewhere.Fits any 12mm diameter holes. These hole cover widgets practically work anywhere indoors and out .These are made from our factory with high –impact injection molded  plastic. These can come from different sizes as requested by our customers. All our products have a small tolelance limit of +1% or -1%. Specifications. Our product range will have the following features. Color:it will come in the range of black ,white or grey Fits hole size :12mm or as requested by customer Diameter:12 mm Length: 6mm Top diameter:15 mm Material:Polypropylene. Tolelance limit:plus or minus 1% Widgets outlines its description of its product in the policy and communicated to the customer to allow the customer to make any queries or complaints incase the product received its off specification. Pricing Widget ensures that its products are properly priced so that customers are able to afford the goods as well as profitability is maintained to allow the company invest in the quality and standards initiatives of the products. Widgets pricing is well thought as we do in other sectors of the business like marketing and branding, the price the customer sees on display is the price customers pay. There are no hidden costs. Our standard product 12 mm fits hole size will cost 12AUD /dozen and customers are requested to enquire from the customer service team for prices of any changes requested to the standard product. Delivery of goods Widgets aim to deliver all orders made either online or face to face within three days of the order being made.We aim to have a delivery process which ensures a reliable, secure and efficient service. If delays occur during deliveries and extra time may be required, customers will be contacted urgently to alert them of the next delivery times or else they can call our Despatch department directly on 1300 880 370. One day prior to your delivery we will SMS all of the important delivery information about your order to your mobile. If all the information is correct you will only need to text back OK. If there are any details that are not correct or you wish to change your delivery date please ring us on 1300 880 370. In order to offer our customers a better delivery service these terms and conditions replace any delivery and pickup conditions stated on your order form. TERMS & CONDITIONS: 1. It is important that someone is at the receaving end to receive delivery of your purchase on the designated day. No specific time of delivery can be provided. A four hour time frame will be advised but cannot be guaranteed. 2. A minimum delivery fee of $75 (outside the Metropolitan area) is payable separately to the Carrier in cash or bank cheque. Delivery is free inside the Metropolitan area 3. Cash or bank cheque must be used to pay any balance of monies owing at time of delivery. Personal/Company cheques will NOT be accepted. For your convenience we can accept credit cards in store 48 hours prior to delivery, surcharges may apply. 4. Once arrangement for a delivery day is confirmed, there will be a minimum re-delivery charge of $75 if no person is at the delivery address on the day of delivery or the delivery is cancelled by the customer on day of delivery. 5. When receiving goods, please inspect thoroughly before signing â€Å"Received in good order† as any claims for scratches, marks, dents or other damages will not be accepted once signed. 6. Failure to collect or take delivery of the goods beyond 21 days from the date of contact by our despatch department will result in the sales order being cancelled and all monies paid will be forfeited. 7. All original packing & wrapping will be left at the premises (delivery address). CUSTOMER PICK UPS Customer collection of goods purchased from Widgets stores can also be  collected by the customer in any of our distribution centres.. The customer must contact the Delivery department prior to pick up on 1300 880 370 to make an appointment. Same day pickup is not available. Pickup times at Distribution Centers Customers: Monday to Thursday – 10:00am – 12:30pm & 1:30pm – 3:00pm Carriers: Friday ONLY Other Policies and Procedures Customer needs Widget believes that it is important that customers needs are regularly reviewd to ensure that its products are inline with the changing times. Therefore time and again Widget carries out research to identify these needs and implement changes identified. Widget uses the RATER model to identify its customers needs since customers when assessing what they want will consider the reliability, assurance, tangibles, empathy and responsiveness as they are being assisted. Using the RATER guide Widget will use the following techniques to gather customer needs Informal face to face discussions for its key customers Telephone interviews Email surveys Suggestion boxes Internet surveys. All information gathered for customers is protected by the Privacy act 1988 including how the information is collected,used and disclosed,its accuracy and how securely it is kept and general rights to access that information. Widget has a dedicated Customer service research officer who is responsible for ensuring that all customer data collected is securely kept and used for  its intended purpose only. Complaints and feedback If you have a complaint or if there is anything we can help you with, please let us know.Widget values feedback and appreciate the opportunity to follow up. Widget deals with all people from diversi background and does not discriminate anyone on the basis of age ,race,disability or sex. Our policy take into account the Age discrimination act 2004,Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986,Disability Discrimination ACT 1992,Racial discrimination Act 1975 and Sex Discrimination Act 1984. There are a number of ways you can contact us to lodge your complain and includes our Email at Widget123.gmail.com or phone at 08100300 or mail at Widget Australia,3/77 Manning street ,Bentley ,6102. Or you can also connect with us via Twitter or facebook Complain resolution process and timeframes Once we receive your complaints, we may ask you to provide supporting or documentation to aid us in investigations. This may include proof of identity, statutory declaration, receipts and so on. We aim to resolve complaints within 5 working days, however please note that some complaints may take longer to investigate especially matters to do with international orders. Managing records and data. Widgets collects alot of data of customers including physical addresses, names,date of birth and many more information. The Customer service research officer is responsible for keeping the data securely and is sorted by our secure information technology section. The Privacy Act 1988(â€Å"the Act†)  governs the obligations and responsibilities of companies in relation to the management of official records. Under this Act, each company has an obligation to maintain official records in its custody in good order and condition. This obligation applies not only to the capture, storage, maintenance and disposal of physical records, but also to records in electronic format. Widget policy is governed by this act and all measures necessary are taken to ensure that compliance is maintained.

The Most Ethical Course

I believe the most ethical course of action in the story of Felicia Robinson is to wait it out because her opponent may seem guilty at the time but he could also be an innocent man and she wouldn't want to have the stigma that she's a liar because of a mistake she has made. 3a. ) When coming across a survey showing majority of people in my state that oppose my position, I should point out those shortcomings that came my way during my the process because it will show that I'm a honest person, the people love honesty ! b. ) In my opinion,I believe the most ethical course of action when listening to an informative speech that is given by a classmates that has plagiarized is to talk with the speaker as a individual and inform them that I'm aware of their actions and strongly insist that they do not do it again, because I believe everyone deserves a second chance also I wouldn't want my fellow classmate to get hit with serious consequences over stupidity. 3c. I should not include a quotat ion from an article that is not supporting the policy I'am advocating for even if it's an article by a highly respected expert, because it will hurt the main point that I'm trying to make in my speech. *KEY TERMS (chapter 2) Ethics- the branch of philosophy that deals with issues of right and wrong in human affairs. Ethical decisions- sound ethical involve weighing a potential course of action against a set of ethical standards or guidelines. Name-calling- the use of language to defame, demean, or degrade individual groups.Plagiarism- presenting another person’s language or ideas as one’s own Bill of rights- the first 10 amendments to the United States constitution. Plagiarism- presenting another person’s language or ideas as one’s own. Global plagiarism- stealing a speech entirely from a single source and passing it off as one’s own. Patchwork plagiarism- stealing language from two or three sources and passing them off as one’s own. Increme ntal plagiarism- failing to give credit for particular parts of a speech that borrowed from others. Paraphrase- to restate or summarize an author’s ideas own words. Fist ten amendments Amendment I – Freedom of Religion, Speech and the Press; Rights of Assembly and Petition. Amendment II – Right to Bear Arms The amendment was adopted so that Congress could not disarm a state militia. Amendment III – Housing of Soldiers Grew directly out of an old complaint against the British, who had forced people to take soldiers into their homes. Amendment IV – Search and Seizure You may not be searched or have property seized without probable cause and/or a search warrant. Amendment V – Rights of the accused (Self-incrimination, Double Jeopardy, Due Process, Just Compensation)Amendment VI- Rights to a Fair Trial (Speedy and Public Trial by Jury*, Tried in state where crime was committed, Informed of charges against accused, Witnesses, Right to a lawyer) A mendment VII- Rights in Civil Cases (Trial by jury in civil cases over $20) Amendment VIII – Cruel and Unusual Punishment Bails, fines and punishments must be humane and fit the crime committed Amendment IX – Rights Retained by the People Any rights not listed in the Constitution are still protected Amendment X – Powers Retained by the States and the People States or people have all powers not given to national government. (ie: marriage)

Culture and Social Structure Essay

Culture is a difficult thing to strictly define. Such a large variety of societal aspects fall under its realm, that it’s sometimes complicated to draw a line between what is part of a culture and what is not. To put it in extremely vague terms, culture is a way of life. All the traits that make up a particular society, from religious beliefs to modes of dress to art to methods of farming, build up a culture. Culture includes the good and the bad, the old and the new, the strong and the weak – essentially it includes â€Å"everything†. Many varieties of cultures exist. There are the obvious ethnic cultures – African-American culture, Latino culture, Greek culture, etc., each with their own foods, art, religion, familial roles, and values. American culture, for example, is generally considered to be relaxed – apple pie, blue jeans, baseball and the like. Family roles are not set in stone, there is freedom to choose a religion based on one’s own comfort (or choose no religion at all), and while a certain level of morality is maintained, values are generally loose. Compare this to the culture of the remote parts of India. There, a woman is required to serve her husband and his family, even after his death. They are very devout, and there is only one religion to â€Å"choose† from. They are held to a strict moral code, and anyone who violates this code is considered an outcast. There are many other ways to consider culture. There is the culture of a particular age group. A septuagenarian has a way of life very different than that of a teenager. His music, dress, beliefs, and goals are generally dissimilar to those of his younger counterpart. Or there is the culture of a particular time period. Pre-historic culture is, through modern inventions and human development, very different than the culture of today. A very important part of any culture is the social structure within. The social structure is essentially the roles or positions that particular individuals or groups in a culture fall into. For example, in the American culture, the President takes on a leadership role, those in the armed forces take on a protective role, and everyday citizens take on the responsibility of keeping the economy alive. On a much smaller scale, the social structure exists within a family as well. In your â€Å"typical† family, the mother takes on a nurturing position, while the father takes on the responsibility of earning money and providing for the others. Similarly, on a sports team, the coach is the leader, charged with guiding and motivating his players. The players themselves are responsible for putting forth their best effort and taking the team as far as it can go. While culture can be hard to define using words, one need only look around to experience everything that culture contains. One’s everyday life is culture, from the worldwide culture that everyone lives in, down to the personal culture of one’s own house. Each person has a role in many different social structures, and each role is genuinely important. It is these roles, in these social structures that make up every part of every culture.

Boivail case

First, Persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists. We can see that there must be an arrangement between Avail and distributor. Second, the sellers price to the buyer is fixed or determinable.Third, collegiality is reasonably assured. Fourth, Delivery has occurred or services have been rendered. From here, we could recognize revenue of the company according to FOB. FOB shipping point, title to the property rangers to the buyer when it leaves the shipping dock and therefore revenue should be recognized at that point. With FOB destination, title does not transfer to the buyer until they receive the goods and thus revenue is not recognized until that point 3. How does the accident affect the stated revenues under different FOB contract structures? Explain your reasoning? If Avail recognizes revenues when the product leaves Violas FOB shipping point then revenue should be recognized at that point. Therefore, the truck accident would have had no impact on Violas third quarter uncial results because the title to the product and the risk associated with the accident would have passed to the Distributor as soon as the truck left Violas. Then, overstating revenues and net income on financial statement should not have happened. However, Distributor mentioned that they recognized the distribution as FOB destination then revenue will only be received by Avail until goods arrived at the point, so if Avail recognizes revenue when the product has reached the Distributors FOB destination it has recognized revenue when it has been earned and ill accurately state revenues and net income on its financial statements. 4.Are you concerned about the companys treatment of analysts who cover the stock? Would you want to be an analyst covering this company? Yes, I am concerned especially about the downgraded stock recommendation that was given to Avail. However, I would not be an analyst covering the company because there were too many misleading information in the company that would cause me as analyst to formulate wrong decision. Moreover, it might also ruin my reputation as analyst if I formulated wrong decision.

Pediatric Radiography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Pediatric Radiography - Essay Example This poses a challenge in pediatric radiographic investigations. Obtaining quality radiographs on pediatric patients can be a challenge. Minimizing radiation dose in pediatric imaging is a crucial issue that has been emphasized and reemphasized in recent years1. Diagnostic radiation overexposure can cause radiation skin reaction and acute radiation sickness. It can also lead to systemic reactions that may lead to disturbances of normal functional processes, such as, radiation pneumonitis. It is known to have carcinogenic effects and genetic effects2. However, it is also to be considered that the dose required to produce genetic or carcinogenic effects are virtually precluded by modern radiographic apparatus and special techniques used in imaging the patients of this age group. Although carcinogenic effects have not been demonstrated from the doses of radiation received with pediatric diagnostic radiography, children with chronic diseases who need repeated radiographic examinations, this is quite a possibility, although remote. However, there is a need to justify the safety requirements and deploy the technical measures to ensure safety in these patients. Currently, these are directed towards reduction of radiation exposure in such patients3 . ... These are justification of any particular radiographic examination by carefully considering the pros and cons of the test which involves adjustment of risk-benefit analysis. A proper training of the radiographers in handling the children can also reduce exposure considerably. Proper protection of the patient in the unexposed areas could also help. Specific Diseases Caused by Diagnostic Radiation Exposure Although the benefits of diagnostic ionizing radiation are immense and exceed the risks involved, cumulative exposure can cause increased cancers especially in the pediatric age group. By definition, ionizing radiation contains enough energy to displace electrons and break chemical bonds. X-rays are electromagnetic radiations and consist of photons that can traverse relatively large distances in tissue without interaction. They, however, can indirectly ionize cell molecular components through transfer of energy4. In 1989, Hoffman and colleagues reported a doubling in the incidence of breast cancers in a pilot study of 1030 women who had been repeatedly exposed to diagnostic radiations for evaluation of scoliosis in their childhood and adolescence5. Ronckers and others explored these results further in a US cohort study with a larger sample size, including cases of scoliosis diagnosed before age 20. The average number of examinations per patient was accounted to be 24.7 and the mean c umulated dose to the breast was 0.11 Gy, and mean age of diagnosis of scoliosis was 10.6 years. With a radiographic followup continuing over an average of 40.1 years, it was concluded that this magnitude of exposures has resulted in increased incidence of breast cancers in these groups6. This proves that there is an increased risk of incidence of breast cancers with