Storing and Indexing Plan Derivations through Explanation-based Analysis of Retrieval Failures

Case-Based Planning (CBP) provides a way of scaling up domain-independent planning to solve large problems in complex domains. It replaces the detailed and lengthy search for a solution with the retrieval and adaptation of previous planning experiences. In general, CBP has been demonstrated to improve performance over generative (from-scratch) planning. However, the performance improvements it provides are dependent on adequate judgements as to problem similarity. In particular, although CBP may substantially reduce planning effort overall, it is subject to a mis-retrieval problem. The success of CBP depends on these retrieval errors being relatively rare. This paper describes the design and implementation of a replay framework for the case-based planner DERSNLP+EBL. DERSNLP+EBL extends current CBP methodology by incorporating explanation-based learning techniques that allow it to explain and learn from the retrieval failures it encounters. These techniques are used to refine judgements about case similarity in response to feedback when a wrong decision has been made. The same failure analysis is used in building the case library, through the addition of repairing cases. Large problems are split and stored as single goal subproblems. Multi-goal problems are stored only when these smaller cases fail to be merged into a full solution. An empirical evaluation of this approach demonstrates the advantage of learning from experienced retrieval failure.Comment: See http://www.jair.org/ for any accompanying file

Changes in manufacturing employment in North Carolina counties, 1980-1985

Does an inappropriate industry mix and structure condemn rural areas to a competitive disadvantage with respect to urban areas? This study of employment changes from 1980-85 in North Carolina counties suggests not.Manufactures ; Employment (Economic theory)

Changes in manufacturing employment in North Carolina counties, 1980-1985

Does an inappropriate industry mix and structure condemn rural areas to a competitive disadvantage with respect to urban areas? This study of employment changes from 1980-85 in North Carolina counties suggests not.Manufactures ; Employment (Economic theory)

Constructing a Space from the System of Geodesic Equations

Given a space it is easy to obtain the system of geodesic equations on it. In this paper the inverse problem of reconstructing the space from the geodesic equations is addressed. A procedure is developed for obtaining the metric tensor from the Christoffel symbols. The procedure is extended for determining if a second order quadratically semi-linear system can be expressed as a system of geodesic equations, provided it has terms only quadratic in the first derivative apart from the second derivative term. A computer code has been developed for dealing with larger systems of geodesic equations

ISO roadmap for software products

The complex nature of ISO 9001 standards has been an obvious limitation for implementation. ISO 9001 accreditation provides external and internal advantages. The external benefits include increased market access and customer confidence. The internal advantages include quality improvements in both the product and process. However, this research demonstrates that the current ISO guideline for software products has not completely fulfilled the expectations in its implementation within the software organisation. Numerous companies are experiencing difficulties with ISO implementation and maintenance. Based on the analysis provided by this research, poor communication and an unsystematic approach were identified as the main current problems associated with ISO implementation. In addition, it also shows that the organisations often underestimate internal organisation factors, such as resistance to change. The existing difficulties in maintaining applied quality systems have resulted in a lack of control and monitoring. This thesis introduces an ISO Roadmap and corresponding Checklist for software products. The main goal of this ISO Roadmap is to provide enhanced transparency and assistance in the application of ISO 90003:2004 in order to make ISO implementation more manageable, visible and understandable for all people involved within the organisation. The result of this research provides the software industry with an initial step towards better systematisation and control for ISO implementations. This should help the software industry to better navigate through the ‘ISO jungle’ and facilitate an improved approach for implementation and maintenance activities. This research relied heavily on the development of the literature review, ISO 90003 standards, and knowledge from interviewees ... [cont.]

Days of Our Spineless Lives: A Never Ending Saga

This activity is an interdisciplinary method for engaging students in biological investigations through working with living aquatic invertebrates. The learning cycle begins with students conducting fieldwork to collect aquatic invertebrates. Students then think and propose ideas to create an observation record that they can use to study their organisms in the classroom. Finally, through the use of well-phrased questions along with wait-time, positive nonverbal responses, and non-judgmental responses, the teacher is an ally working with students in inquiry to generate the requirements of a final project. This article promotes National Science Education Content Standards, A, C, and F, and Iowa Teaching Standards 2, 3, 4 and 5

The effects of socialization on beginning science teachers\u27 pedagogical decision making and science instruction

Teaching induction and mentoring programs are often promoted as ways to improve teacher effectiveness and reduce attrition by supporting beginning teachers. However, new teachers\u27 establishment and engagement in support relationships may vary depending on alignment of supports to new teachers\u27 pedagogical understanding. The purpose of this three-year longitudinal qualitative study was to follow a cohort of Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) graduates from a research-based secondary science teacher education program (TEP) during their TEP and first two years of teaching to explore how they engaged in relationships intended to support effective research-based science instruction (RBSI) during their TEP and first two years of teaching. Moreover, this study sought to understand the influences which exist, if any, between beginning science teachers\u27 pedagogical considerations, teaching practices, and socialization experiences during their TEP and first two years of teaching. The findings from this study support the contention that beginning science teachers effectively educated to make research-based science teaching decisions and practices will do so if they are supported through collegial relationships with cohort members and advocacy from superordinates. Equally important, this study supports the contention that teachers leaving their TEP with little understanding of RBSI are unlikely to develop such understanding and implement such practices during their first two years of teaching. Contrary to the common conception that experienced teachers and administrators make for effective more-knowledgeable RBSI mentors, the beginning science teachers in this study encountered superordinates who threatened, sabotaged, and imposed sanctions in response to participants\u27 attempts to implement practices congruent with RBSI

Spatial disaggregation in transport modelling -- Modelling Europe with more than 100,000 travel zones

European transport policy pursues several targets, such as reducing CO2 emissions and improving the efficiency of transport systems. In order to investigate the effectiveness as well as the welfare impacts of potential policy measures, transport models are applied in policy consulting. However, the travel zones used in recent transport models operating at European scale are often too large, mainly due to complexity and data availability. These models can provide only limited insights into regional traffic flows. In this thesis, an innovative transport modelling approach called HIPAT is introduced. HIPAT is based on disaggregated and homogeneous travel zones, and thus facilitates the modelling of European traffic flows, including long-distance, regional and short-distance passenger trips with a single, consistent transport model. This enables European policy makers to assess also regional welfare impacts when prioritising, for instance, investments in the trans-European transport network. The quantum leap from 1,500 travel zones at NUTS-3 level to more than 100,000 at LAU-2 level, while simultaneously reducing the model runtime from several days to one hour, can be facilitated by solving the trip distribution problem very efficiently at different spatial levels. In comparison to recent European transport models, the consistency of the overall modelling approach was also improved, by integrating the trip distribution, the modal split and the network assignment models. Within the last nine years most parts of this thesis were researched in the course of the author’s involvement as a transport modelling and data specialist in the two European research projects ETISplus and HIGH-TOOL. In a first step, a modelling database was established covering regional indicators at NUTS-3 level and harmonised mobility indicators from travel surveys at country level. In a second step, the currently applied four-step transport modelling approach was intensively revised and the IPAT passenger transport model was developed. Its methodology has successfully been validated in the course of publishing the IPAT model with the HIGH-TOOL policy assessment model that was awarded the German Mobility Prize in 2017. In a third step, the introduced modelling database was disaggregated from NUTS-3 to LAU-2 level for an important long-distance road transport corridor between Paris and Budapest (the ‘’Magistrale’’). The compilation of this database was a key precondition in order to realise a prototype implementation of the HIPAT approach. The model operates on about 33,000 travel zones and has a runtime of two minutes. It was intensively tested at NUTS-2, NUTS-3 and LAU-2 levels and the results clearly demonstrate the advantages of smaller travel zones. Solely LAU-2 level enables the modelling of regional and short-distance traffic flows. Hence, the implemented HIPAT model provides, for the first time, a sound basis for the assessment of regional welfare impacts of European transport policies. In a next step, the scope of this model should be increased to cover the whole of Europe, thus encompassing more than 100,000 travel zones