Automated post-fault diagnosis of power system disturbances

In order to automate the analysis of SCADA and digital fault recorder (DFR) data for a transmission network operator in the UK, the authors have developed an industrial strength multi-agent system entitled protection engineering diagnostic agents (PEDA). The PEDA system integrates a number of legacy intelligent systems for analyzing power system data as autonomous intelligent agents. The integration achieved through multi-agent systems technology enhances the diagnostic support offered to engineers by focusing the analysis on the most pertinent DFR data based on the results of the analysis of SCADA. Since November 2004 the PEDA system has been operating online at a UK utility. In this paper the authors focus on the underlying intelligent system techniques, i.e. rule-based expert systems, model-based reasoning and state-of-the-art multi-agent system technology, that PEDA employs and the lessons learnt through its deployment and online use

The attractiveness of countries for FDI. A fuzzy approach

This paper presents a new method for measuring the attractiveness of countries for FDI. A ranking is built using a fuzzy expert system whereby the function producing the final evaluation is not necessarily linear and the weights of the variables, usually defined numerically, are replaced by linguistic rules. More precisely, weights derive from expert opinions and from econometric tests on the determinants of countries’ FDI. As a second step, the view-point of investors from two different investing economies, the UK and Italy, are taken into account. Country-specific factors, such as the geographic, cultural and institutional distances existing between the investing and the partner economies are included in the analysis. This shows how the base ranking changes with the investor’s perspective.foreign direct investments; fuzzy expert systems; attractiveness

The Attractiveness of Countries for FDI. A Fuzzy Approach

This paper presents a new method for measuring the attractiveness of countries for FDI. A ranking is built using a fuzzy expert system whereby the function producing the final evaluation is not necessarily linear and the weights of the variables, usually defined numerically, are replaced by linguistic rules. More precisely, weights derive from expert opinions and from econometric tests on the determinants of countries’ FDI. As a second step, the view-point of investors from two different investing economies, the UK and Italy, are taken into account. Country-specific factors, such as the geographic, cultural and institutional distances existing between the investing and the partner economies are included in the analysis. This shows how the base ranking changes with the investor’s perspectiveforeign direct investments; fuzzy expert systems; attractiveness;

Integration of production and financial models to analyse the financial impact of livestock diseases: a case study of Schmallenberg virus disease on British and French dairy farms

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to investigate and compare the financial impact of Schmallenberg disease for different dairy production types in the United Kingdom and France. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Integrated production and financial models for dairy cattle were developed and applied to Schmallenberg virus (SBV) disease in a British and French context. The five main production systems that prevail in these two countries were considered. Their respective gross margins measuring the holding's profitability were calculated based on public benchmarking, literature and expert opinion data. A partial budget analysis was performed within each production model to estimate the impact of SBV in the systems modelled. Two disease scenarios were simulated: low impact and high impact. RESULTS: The model gross margin obtained per cow space and year ranged from £1014 to £1484 for the UK and from £1037 to £1890 for France depending on the production system considered. In the UK, the net SBV disease costs in £/cow space/year for an average dairy farm with 100 milking spaces were estimated between £16.3 and £51.4 in the high-impact scenario and between £8.2 and £25.9 in the low-impact scenario. For France, the net SBV disease costs in £/cow space/year ranged from £19.6 to £48.6 in the high-impact scenario and £9.7 to £22.8 in the low-impact scenario, respectively. CONCLUSION: The study illustrates how the combination of production and financial models allows assessing disease impact taking into account differing management and husbandry practices and associated price structures in the dairy sector. It supports decision-making of farmers and veterinarians who are considering disease control measures as it provides an approach to estimate baseline disease impact in common dairy production systems in the UK and France

Philosophy and theory of artificial intelligence 2017

This book reports on the results of the third edition of the premier conference in the field of philosophy of artificial intelligence, PT-AI 2017, held on November 4 - 5, 2017 at the University of Leeds, UK. It covers: advanced knowledge on key AI concepts, including complexity, computation, creativity, embodiment, representation and superintelligence; cutting-edge ethical issues, such as the AI impact on human dignity and society, responsibilities and rights of machines, as well as AI threats to humanity and AI safety; and cutting-edge developments in techniques to achieve AI, including machine learning, neural networks, dynamical systems. The book also discusses important applications of AI, including big data analytics, expert systems, cognitive architectures, and robotics. It offers a timely, yet very comprehensive snapshot of what is going on in the field of AI, especially at the interfaces between philosophy, cognitive science, ethics and computing

Polish and UK doctors' engagement with hospital management

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present the findings of a short research project, conducted in 2010 as part of a larger EU funded action investigating the participation and impact of doctors in management. The authors sought to compare the ways in which hospital doctors in the UK and Poland – countries with distinct histories – participate in management; whether they are converging and whether the type of participation found results from changes in the governance and management of these systems. Design/methodology/approach – First, a review of existing evidence and an analysis of policy documents and healthcare statistics were conducted. Identifying a lack of empirical data in the Polish context, and a potentially changing situation in the UK, the authors proceeded to collect some exploratory data in Poland, via interviews with expert informants, and to draw on data collected alongside this study in the UK from qualified doctors participating in research on management and leadership development. Findings – Hospital doctors currently hold similar types of management role in both systems, but there are signs that change is underway. In Poland, different types of medical manager and role are now emerging, whereas in the UK younger doctors appear to be expecting greater management responsibility in the future, and are starting to take up the management training now on offer. Research limitations/implications – The potential implications of these changes for the profession and policymakers in both Poland and the UK are discussed, with opportunities for further research highlighted. Originality/value – The paper provides a comparison of how medical engagement within two systems with different histories is occurring, and also of the changes underway. It provides some much needed initial insight via interviews with expert informants within the polish system, which has been under-researched in relation to the involvement of medicine in management

What is a Good Plan? Cultural Variations in Expert Planners’ Concepts of Plan Quality

This article presents the results of a field research study examining commonalities and differences between American and British operational planners’ mental models of planning. We conducted Cultural Network Analysis (CNA) interviews with 14 experienced operational planners in the US and UK. Our results demonstrate the existence of fundamental differences between the way American and British expert planners conceive of a high quality plan. Our results revealed that the American planners’ model focused on specification of action to achieve synchronization, providing little autonomy at the level of execution, and included the belief that increasing contingencies reduces risk. The British planners’ model stressed the internal coherence of the plan, to support shared situational awareness and thereby flexibility at the level of execution. The British model also emphasized the belief that reducing the number of assumptions decreases risk. Overall, the American ideal plan serves a controlling function, whereas the British ideal plan supports an enabling function. Interestingly, both the US and UK would view the other’s ideal plan as riskier than their own. The implications of cultural models of plans and planning are described for establishing performance measures and designing systems to support multinational planning teams

Development of a fixed firefighting system selection tool for improved outcomes

The UK along with the European Union has experienced a recent proliferation in design approaches for potential fixed firefighting systems. Such systems are installed to mitigate fire hazards in buildings and equipment. In the UK, for example there were five general design approaches to fixed firefighting systems protection in 1986. This had increased to eleven in 2011. This is against the backdrop of the current non-prescriptive regulatory frameworks including the Building Regulations, the repeal of so-called ‘local acts’, the Regulatory (fire) Reform Order and associated guidance (Approved Documents, standards, codes of practice and guides). In response to this trend, as was intended, the market place is becoming increasingly competitive. However, the capability of each technology remains limited to protection against certain hazards, rather than offering a solution to guard against all possible scenarios. When selecting a fixed firefighting system, fire hazards and interactions can be difficult to assess and describe and the inequality or absence of satisfactory methods is notable in many recently published guidance documents. The absence of good quality guidance for non-expert practitioners (specifiers) and regulatory changes means a good quality source of impartial and expert knowledge is increasingly desirable. The challenge is to amass this knowledge and render it in an accessible format to the non-expert user. This paper reports on progress to-date; understanding the problem, amassing and structuring the knowledge base and developing a suitable knowledge management tool

Generating citizen trust in e-government using a trust verification agent: A research note

Generating Citizen Trust in e-Government using a Trust Verification AgentThis is an eGISE network paper. It is motivated by a concern about the extent to which trust issues inhibit a citizen’s take-up of online public sector services or engagement with public decision and policy making. A citizen’s decision to use online systems is influenced by their willingness to trust the environment and agency involved. This project addresses one aspect of individual “trust” decisions by providing support for citizens trying to evaluate the implications of the security infrastructure provided by the agency. Based on studies of the way both groups (citizens and agencies) express their concerns and concepts in the security area, the project will develop a software tool – a trust verification agent (TVA) - that can take an agency’s security statements (or security audit) and infer how effectively this meets the security concerns of a particular citizen. This will enable citizens to state their concerns and obtain an evaluation of the agency’s provision in appropriate “citizen friendly” language. Further, by employing rule-based expert systems techniques the TVA will also be able to explain its evaluation.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, UK (grant GR/T27020/01

Generating citizen trust in e-government using a trust verification agent: A research note

Generating Citizen Trust in e-Government using a Trust Verification AgentThis is an eGISE network paper. It is motivated by a concern about the extent to which trust issues inhibit a citizen’s take-up of online public sector services or engagement with public decision and policy making. A citizen’s decision to use online systems is influenced by their willingness to trust the environment and agency involved. This project addresses one aspect of individual “trust” decisions by providing support for citizens trying to evaluate the implications of the security infrastructure provided by the agency. Based on studies of the way both groups (citizens and agencies) express their concerns and concepts in the security area, the project will develop a software tool – a trust verification agent (TVA) - that can take an agency’s security statements (or security audit) and infer how effectively this meets the security concerns of a particular citizen. This will enable citizens to state their concerns and obtain an evaluation of the agency’s provision in appropriate “citizen friendly” language. Further, by employing rule-based expert systems techniques the TVA will also be able to explain its evaluation.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council-UK (grant GR/T27020/01