Intelligent Applications In A Material World Select Papers From Ipmm 2001

Intelligence in a Materials World contains 87 refereed papers selected from those presented at the Third International Conference on Intelligent Processing and Manufacturing of Materials. The contents span the full scope of the field of materials production and manufacturing from all parts of the world. The focus of this book is on practical applications of intelligent hardware and software. Topics include: New Intelligent Software Methods and Models Production of Raw Materials Biologically-Inspired Systems Simulation and Design of New Materials Atomistic and Electronic Modeling Web-based Design Metrology and Instrumentation Intelligent Manufacturing Systems Agent-based Large-Scale System Simulation Environmental Systems Planning and Scheduling Applications in Space Exploration Financial Transactions Materials Forming Rolling and Sheet Metal Systems Machining and Finishing Processes Language Recognition and Communication Cross-Disciplinary Research This book is an essential reference tool for individuals interested in applying state-of-the-art artificial Intelligence and its related modeling methods within areas that deal with materials production and manufacturing, from raw materials and ore to final consumer products. IPMM is an organization of over 400 individuals from over 45 countries who come together every two years to share in new ideas and applications that use intelligence (artificial or otherwise) to achieve new designs, novel planning methods, improved system optimization techniques, advanced process control or monitoring methods in different fields dealing with material science and engineering.

This book constitutes the thoroughly refereed post-proceedings of the three agent-related workshops held during the NetObjectDays international conference, NODe 2002, held in Erfurt, Germany, in October 2002. The 23 revised full papers presented with a keynote paper and 2 abstracts were carefully selected during 2 rounds of reviewing and improvement. The papers are organized in topical sections on agent-oriented requirements engineering and specification, agent-oriented software engineering, reuse, negotiation and communication, large complex systems, e-business, and applications.

'The Road to Results: Designing and Conducting Effective Development Evaluations' presents concepts and procedures for evaluation in a development context. It provides procedures and examples on how to set up a monitoring and evaluation system, how to conduct participatory evaluations and do social mapping, and how to construct a "rigorous" quasi-experimental design to answer an impact question. The text begins with the context of development evaluation and how it arrived where it is today. It then discusses current issues driving development evaluation, such as the Millennium Development Goals and the move from simple project evaluations to the broader understandings of complex evaluations. The topics of implementing 'Results-based Measurement and Evaluation' and constructing a 'Theory of Change' are emphasized throughout the text. Next, the authors take the reader down 'the road to results, ' presenting procedures for evaluating projects, programs, and policies by using a 'Design Matrix' to help map the process. This road includes: determining the overall approach, formulating questions, selecting designs, developing data collection instruments, choosing a sampling strategy, and planning data analysis for qualitative, quantitative, and mixed method evaluations. The book also includes discussions on conducting complex evaluations, how to manage evaluations, how to present results, and ethical behavior--including principles, standards, and guidelines. The final chapter discusses the future of development evaluation. This comprehensive text is an essential tool for those involved in development evaluation.