2009 | Action Number: IC0602

Annales du Lamsade - Proceedings of the Workshop on Algorithmic Decision Theory

• Pages: 193
• Publisher(s): Université Dauphine Paris
• ISBN/ISSN: 1762-455X

This volume includes a number of contributions presented during the workshop on Algoritmic Decision Theory. It focused on recent advances on algorithmic decision theory with particular emphasis to problems where very large data sets (possibly under uncertainty) have to be considered in order to make a decision. The workshop follows two previous ones organised in 2004 and 2006, part of a joint effort searching connections between computer science and decision theory, development of new decision-theory-based methodologies relevant to the scope of modern CS problems, and investigation of their applications to problems of computer science and also to problems of the social sciences which could benefit from new ideas and techniques.

2009 | Action Number: C27

European Rural Development Policy 2007-2013: A Planning Framework

• Pages: 99
• Author(s): E. Calderón
• ISBN/ISSN: 978-84-7493-403-8

The present final report describes the result of a 2-year collaborative research effort undertaken within the scope of COST Action C27, through its working Group 1.

2009 | Action Number: 2101

IET Journals Special Issue "Biometric Recognition"

• Author(s): J. Thompson (Ed)
• Publisher(s): The Institution of Engineering and Technology
• http://www.ietdl.org/dbt/dbt.jsp?KEY=ISPECX&Volume=3&Issue=4
• ISBN/ISSN: 1751-9675

This Special Issue which is associated with COST 2101 reports on a range of challenges and advances in certain aspects of biometric recognition. The papers are highly informative, describing some key issues and new developments with respect to different classes of biometrics.

2009 | Action Number:

About COST 2009

• Author(s): COST Office
• Download (PDF, 2 MB)

This easy-to-use guide covers the whole of the COST system for research cooperation in Europe, including information about COST governance, contact points and financial instruments plus, most importantly, the COST Actions.

2009 | Action Number: 298

The Good, the Bad, the Unexpected: Conference Proceedings Volume II

• Pages: 595
• Author(s): B. Sapio, L. Fortunati, L. Haddon, K. Kommonen, E. Mante-Maijer and T. Turk
• Publisher(s): OPOCE
• Download from external website
• ISBN/ISSN: 978-92-898-0042-6
• EUR: 23328

The main objective of the conference was to create new knowledge about users' creativity and facilitate their empowerment in a broadband information society. This knowledge is crucial in order to strengthen the European Research Area. Moreover, this requieres an examination of the factors that can both constrain and enhance users' abilities to shape and use ICTs. In this conference, the organisers invited technology and product developers, designers, social scientists, policy makers, community representatives and others who are interested in the conference topics, to join the attempt to develop this discussion on a common, shared and transdisciplinary ground.

2009 | Action Number: 298

The Good, the Bad, the Unexpected: Conference Proceedings Volume I

• Pages: 666
• Author(s): B. Sapio, L. Fortunati, L. Haddon, K. Kommonen, E. Mante-Maijer and T. Turk
• Publisher(s): OPOCE
• Download from external website
• ISBN/ISSN: 978-92-898-0041-9
• EUR: 23328

The main objective of the conference was to create new knowledge about users' creativity and facilitate their empowerment in a broadband information society. This knowledge is crucial in order to strengthen the European Research Area. Moreover, this requieres an examination of the factors that can both constrain and enhance users' abilities to shape and use ICTs. In this conference, the organisers invited technology and product developers, designers, social scientists, policy makers, community representatives and others who are interested in the conference topics, to join the attempt to develop this discussion on a common, shared and transdisciplinary ground.

2009 | Action Number: 2102

Multimodal Signals: cognitive and Algorithmic Issues

• Pages: 346
• Author(s): A. Esposito, A. Hussain, M. Marinaro and R. Martone
• Publisher(s): Springer
• http://www.springer.com/computer/artificial/book/978-3-642-00524-4
• ISBN/ISSN: 978-3-642-00524-4

This volume brings together the peer-reviewed contributions of the participants at the COST 2102 and euCognition International Training School on "Multimodal Signals: Cognitive and Algorithmic Issues". The main theme of the school was to investigate the mathematical and psychological tools for modelling human-machine interaction through access to a graded series of tasks for measuring the amount of adjustment (as well as intelligence and achievement) needed for introducing new concepts in the information communication technology domain in order to develop adaptive, socially enable and human-centered automatic systems able to serve remote applications in medicine, learning, care, rehabilitation, and for accessibility to work, employment, and information.

2009 | Action Number: 298

Digital Television in Europe

• Pages: 241
• Author(s): W. Van den Broeck and J. Pierson
• Publisher(s): VUBPress
• ISBN/ISSN: 978-90-5487-541-3

This book provides an overview of digital television in 23 European countries. The focus is on the introduction and present status of digital television (DTV) in Europe with specific attention to the initiators of DTV in the different countries, pre-commercial pilot projects, the role of the government and the actual available technical systems, offers (content, interactive services) and prices. As Europe finds itself in the middle of the transition of television, this book offers insight into the specific charecteristics of the implemenation of DTV in each country. It is foremost a snapshot of the introduction and status of DTV since the late nineties. However, we believe it will appeal to industry, policy makers and academic researchers in media and communication studies, media policy and social studies of technology.

2009 | Action Number: A28

A Responsibility to Assist

• Pages: 155
• Author(s): Tom Hadden
• Publisher(s): Hart Publishing
• http://www.hartpub.co.uk/books/details.asp?isbn=9781841139340
• ISBN/ISSN: 978-1-84113-934-0

This report, written as part orf a wider review of human rights in EU foreign policy, describes and assesses the current decision-making structures and procedures for EU military, police and civilian crisis management mission throughout the world. The main aim of the report is not to provide a detailed analysis of the success or failure of particular missions, but is to describe the often complex and confusing structures developed over the past decade and to assess the past, present and future of the EU's responsibility to intervene in international crises.

2009 | Action Number: E35

Holzforschung Special Issue on Wood Machining

• Pages: 139
• Publisher(s): Walter De Gruyter
• http://www.degruyter.de/journals/holz/detailEn.cfm
• ISBN/ISSN: 0018-3830

This issue of Holzforschung contains a collection of papers which summarizes the scientific activities of COST Action E35. The objective of this Action was to increase the understanding of wood machining in relation to microstructural and micromechanics aspects of wood, fracture mechanics processes associated with separation of material during cutting and machined surface characterization in relation to quality. The contributions in this issue of the journal provide a state-of-the-art synthesis of the outcomes of 4 years of highly integrated interdisciplinary work. As well as adding new and enhanced knowledge of the relationships between the behaviour of wood at several structural scales and machining, the papers identify those areas where questions remain unanswered. This should stimulate additional multi-disciplinary research efforts, basic and applied, to achieve the level of understanding that the subject deserves.

2009 | Action Number: C21

Conceptual Models for Urban Practitioners

• Pages: 218
• Author(s): J. Teller, C. Tweed and G. Rabino
• http://www.editrice-esculapio.it/shop/product/651/Teller-Tweed-Rabino-Conceptual-Models-for-Urban-Practitioners.asp
• ISBN/ISSN: 978-88-7488-208-3

The main goal of the C21 Action is to increase the knowledge and promote the use of ontologies in the domain of Urban Civil Engineering projects, with a view to facilitating communications between information systems, stakeholders and UCE specialists at a European level. In 2007, the Action convened a successful workshop to address emerging issues in the field. The emphasis was on developing a deeper understanding of how ontologies work in practice to inform the development of future ontologies and conceptual tools that will make communication between urban development disciplines easier. Working Group 3 is interested in the socio-technical issues that emerge during the development and use of ontologies in the organisations and recognises that the introduction of ontologies will impact on working practices within organisations. So WG3 seeks to examine the use of ontological frameworks and systems in practice and to find out how actual use differs from designers' intentions and what we can learn from these anomalies to design and maintain better ontologies in future. This volume presents the contributions to the Workshop, and captures the essence of the meeting.

2009 | Action Number: E47

Forest Vegetation Management in Europe

• Pages: 156
• Author(s): I. Willoughby, P. Balandier, N. S. Bentsen, N. McCarthy and J. Claridge
• Publisher(s): Colourgraphic Arts
• Download from external website

Throughout Europe one of the greatest challenges to the growth and survival of young tree seedlings is competition from weed vegetation. COST Action E47 was formed to help forest managers in addressing this challenge. The main objective was to help managers reduce their dependence on the use of herbicides in Europe's forests by facilitating and co-ordinating the development of sustainable, environmentally sound, socially acceptable and economically viable alternatives.
By drawing together the scientific advances, expertise and experience from 19 European countries this book aims to:

• provide a summary of the current 'state of the art' as it applies to forest vegetation management in Europe for scientists, practitioners and policymakers, affiliated to state, non-governmental or private commercial organisations;
• document existing forest weed control practices across Europe, and provide a resource of alternative solutions for individual coutnries sharing similar conditions and challenges;
• identify common information gaps and future research needs, and hence potential future areas of collaboration for forest vegetation management scientists across Europe, along with barriers that may need to be overcome to achieve that aim.

This book is valuable reading for practitioners, policymakers, students and all those interested in the future of forest management.

2009 | Action Number: 351

Water in Road Structures

• Pages: 436
• Author(s): A. Dawson
• Publisher(s): Springer
• http://www.springer.com/earth+sciences/hydrogeology/book/978-1-4020-8561-1

Water in and beneath a road pavement has a major impact on the road's performance and its survivability. This books provides a state-of-the-art on the topic of water in pavements and the adjacent ground. It includes coverage of the basic theory; where the water comes from; how it may (or may not) be drained; the effect of temperature on the movement; how movements may be modelled numerically; and the impact that water content has on pavement material and subgrade behaviour. Sections on instrumentation and monitoring are also provided. The book also studies environmental aspects of water in roads and their immediate surroundings by describing the leaching action of pavement water; the opportunities for the pavement to sorb contaminants from pavement run-off; water sampling and water quality needs. It draws on information from a wide variety of sources, particularly in Europe and the USA, both published and unpublished, having been written by a broad team of practising engineers, hydrogeologists, environmental scientists and researchers.

2009 | Action Number: 728

Overview of Tools and Methods for Meteorological and Air Pollution Mesoscale

• Pages: 116
• Author(s): K. H. Schlünzen and R. S. Sokhi
• ISBN/ISSN: 978-1-905313-59-4

This report provides an overview of current methodologies and tools for mesoscale meteorological model validation and result evaluation, on validation datasets and user training. This overview will assist in the wider aim of COST 728 to enhance European capabilities on meteorological models for air pollution dispersion applications. This report is meant as a first, but important, step for develoipng protocols for evaluating the use of mesoscale atmospheric models for pollution transport studies and for developing procedures for model quality assurance based on scientific and fundamental principles.