A Proposal for Research With the Goal of Formulating a Computational Theory of Rational Action

A theory of rational action can be used to determine the right action to perform in a situation. I will develop a theory of rational action in which an agent has access to an explicit theory of rationality. The agent makes use of this theory when it chooses its actions, including the actions involved in determining how to apply the theory. The Intentional states of the agent are realized in states and processes of its physical body. The body of the agent is a computational entity whose operations are under the control of a program. The agent has full access to that program and controls its actions by manipulating that program. I will illustrate the theory by implementing a system which simulates the actions a rational agent takes in various situations.MIT Artificial Intelligence Laborator

The Effectiveness of Perceptual Training as a Corrective Measure for Reading Disability

This study compared the differences in perceptual development found between (1) normal readers and disabled readers, and (2) Indian children of a reservation cultural background and non-Indian children. Subjects were fifty-three children of both Indian and non-Indian backgrounds ranging from the second to the fourth grades at White Swan Grade School

The Role of the Elementary Principle in School-Community Relations

It was the purpose of this study to determine the role of the elementary principal in the school-community relations program. More specifically, the study considered the following questions: 1. What is the leadership function of the elementary principal in the school-community relations program? 2. What is the relationship of the elementary principal to teachers in the school-community relations program? 3. What is the relationship of the elementary principal to parents in the school-community relations program

ΑΝΩΜΑΛΗ ΕΞΕΛΙΞΗ ΝΑΥΤΙΛΙΑΚΟΥ ΔΑΝΕΙΟΥ

Η ναυτιλία ως οικονομικός τομέας χαρακτηρίζεται κατεξοχήν ως εντάσεως κεφαλαίου, έχοντας αυξημένες ανάγκες χρηματοδότησης συγκριτικά με άλλους επιχειρηματικούς κλάδους, ενώ ανέκαθεν υπήρξε στενά συνυφασμένη με την τραπεζική χρηματοδότηση. Η παρούσα εστιάζει στη βασική μορφή τραπεζικής ναυτιλιακής χρηματοδότησης, το ναυτιλιακό δάνειο, εξετάζοντας αρχικά τη δομή και τους βασικούς πυλώνες της εν λόγω σύμβασης που άπτονται του ιδιαίτερου χαρακτήρα της ναυτιλίας, με έμφαση στις οικονομικές ρήτρες. Βασικό αντικείμενο εξέτασης είναι η ανώμαλη εξέλιξη της συγκεκριμένης πιστωτικής σύμβασης και οι τρόποι αντιμετώπισής της. Με σημείο αναφοράς και εκκίνησης τον μεγάλο όγκο Μη Εξυπηρετούμενων Δανείων, εξετάζονται επιμέρους περιπτώσεις ανώμαλης εξέλιξης. Αρχικά, με κατάφαση της αδυναμίας εξυπηρέτησης της δανειακής οφειλής, μελετάται το ενδεχόμενο της αναδιάρθρωσης. Ποια τα διαρθρωτικά μέτρα που χρησιμοποιούνται από τα πιστωτικά ιδρύματα και που ανευρίσκονται, ποιες οι πιθανές νομικές βάσεις στις οποίες θα μπορούσε να θεμελιωθεί η υποχρέωση προς αναδιαπραγμάτευση, ποιοι οι κίνδυνοι που ενέχει η διαδικασία. Συναφώς, άμα ο πιστοδότης προχωρήσει σε καταγγελία της συμβάσεως και ενεργοποίηση των εξασφαλίσεων, πότε αυτή η ενέργεια κρίνεται καταχρηστική κατ’ άρθρο 281ΑΚ ή αντικείμενη στα χρηστά ήθη κατ’ άρθρο 919ΑΚ; Σε αυτό το πλαίσιο, εξετάζεται η σχέση πιστοδότη-πιστούχου και οι παρεπόμενες αυτής υποχρεώσεις, ενώ αναλύεται μια σειρά νομολογιακών αποφάσεων που έχουν αποκρυσταλλώσει το περιεχόμενο των δύο αυτών διατάξεων στο πεδίο της ναυτιλιακής χρηματοδότησης. Τέλος, αναλύεται ο πρόσφατος Νόμος 4354/2015 που στοχεύει στην ανάπτυξη της δευτερογενούς αγοράς Μη Εξυπηρετούμενων Δανείων, συμπεριλαμβανομένων των ναυτιλιακών και προβλέπει τη μεταβίβαση ανοιγμάτων που δεν εξυπηρετούνται σε επενδυτικά σχήματα, με στόχο την αποσυμφόρηση των τραπεζικών ιδρυμάτων. Εδώ αναλύεται η διαδικασία που ακολουθείται, οι κίνδυνοι, οι προστατευτικές για τον οφειλέτη διατάξεις, ενώ υπογραμμίζεται η μέχρι τώρα έλλειψη εμπράκτου εφαρμογής του Νόμου.Shipping is a financial sector characterized as capital intensive. This means that is greatly dependent on its funding and is closely connected to the banking sector, which has always constituted its main source of capital. The main subject presented herein is the shipping loan and cases of non-performance. Firstly, the structure and the main clauses of a shipping loan are examined, emphasizing on financial (monitoring) covenants and securities. Then, based on the fact that the term loan agreement cannot be normally performed, different scenarios are examined. Restructuring is the first option. Which forms of restructuring are mainly preferred, which are the legal bases “imposing” restructuring and what dangers the procedure presents, are the main features. Once the bank does not proceed to restructuring and chooses to terminate the agreement, what are the dangers? The study examines the ancillary obligations of the parties, in order to answer in which cases a termination may be abusive (art. 281 Civil Code of Greece) or may consist a tort (art. 919 Civil Code of Greece). Finally, the recent Law 4354/2015, concerning the secondary market of non-performing loans, is analyzed, emphasizing on the need of protection of the debtor and the lack of its application in Greece so far

Experimental studies to determine the physico-mechanical characteristics of soils improved with special hydraulic binders

The complexity of the construction works and site conditions, combined with environmental factors, led to the necessity of using special mineral binders with physical and chemical properties superior to the usual binders. Taking into account the above arguments, the paper presents the results of experimental laboratory studies in order to determine the physical and mechanical characteristics of soil used for a road embankment, after improvement with a special lime-based hydraulic binder. Since improvement recipes vary from one soil to another, it is important to always determine the characteristics after treatment. Also, the method of mixing the binder and soil decisively determines subsequent performance. As part of a larger study aiming at assessing the various factors of influence on the treated soil characteristics, two comparative studies were carried out, each consisting in the recipe formulation using 3 different binder ratios, the difference being given by the parameters used for specimen compaction: normal or modified Proctor test. The study followed the influence of the mechanical compaction work on the mechanical behaviour of the specimens over time after different times of curing

Monopile foundation under lateral cyclic action. Numerical modelling

Foundation of an off-shore wind mill is submitted throughout its existence to a very high number of cycles coming from lateral actions such as waves or wind. These actions have a strong aleatory character which makes them very hard to predict, quantify and analyse. Therefore, in current design practice, these actions are being considered as pseudo-static force at their maximum values, with the cyclic phenomenon being neglected. This can lead to an inappropriate design of the foundation, which could have a negative impact on the future structure. This type of structure is generally built on a monopile foundation, a single, large diameter pile, which will be submitted to thousands lateral cycles. The pile diameter plays an important role, influencing the behaviour of the entire structure. Centrifuge experiments on small-scale models are very useful to study such complex problem as piles under lateral cyclic loads. Several researches have been carried out internationally and the results can be used for calibrating numerical models, which is obviously a more accessible method of design, compared to an experimental approach. This has been precisely the starting point of this paper. The purpose of the present paper is to analyse the influence of the pile diameter, by using a FEM a numerical model, previously calibrated based on centrifuge experiments carried out at IFSTTAR Nantes. For the numerical modelling the software CESAR-LCPC 3D has been used. Several pile diameters have been considered, as follows: 0.72 m, 1.08 m, 1.44 m, 1.80 m, 2.16 m and 2.52 m. The results are taking into account the lateral displacement and bending moment of the piles, for static and cyclic loading. The main objective was to determine the stabilisation rate of the most important two design elements (pile head displacement and maximum bending moment) after “n” cycles and to eventually conclude the diameter value beyond which no more influence of cycles is recorded. The numerical model considered 15 cycles and the results have been used extrapolated in order to determine the cycle “n” of stabilisation (for displacement and bending moment)

Simulation of an Optional Strategy in the Prisoner's Dilemma in Spatial and Non-spatial Environments

This paper presents research comparing the effects of different environments on the outcome of an extended Prisoner's Dilemma, in which agents have the option to abstain from playing the game. We consider three different pure strategies: cooperation, defection and abstinence. We adopt an evolutionary game theoretic approach and consider two different environments: the first which imposes no spatial constraints and the second in which agents are placed on a lattice grid. We analyse the performance of the three strategies as we vary the loner's payoff in both structured and unstructured environments. Furthermore we also present the results of simulations which identify scenarios in which cooperative clusters of agents emerge and persist in both environments.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures. International Conference on the Simulation of Adaptive Behavio

The celebrification of farmers: celebrity and the new politics of farming

Michelle Phillipov and Michael K. Goodma