If we are to understand how we can build machines capable of broad purpose learning and reasoning, we must first aim to build systems that can represent, acquire, and reason about the kinds of commonsense knowledge that we humans have…

This dissertation considers three implications of collective self-government for just foreign policies in an imperfect world. Individuals are the appropriate moral unit of analysis, constrained to govern themselves justly, together with compatriots. First I derive limits to state autonomy that…

In various species of crayfish it has been proposed that different extra-retinal photoreceptors and pacemakers could be involved in the photo entrainment mechanisms. The identity of the neural structures responsible for this phenomenon is not known. The objective of this…

In this research line we are exploring the possibility of having multiple preference criteria to compare arguments in in Defeasible Argumentation. In this work we are assuming a goaloriented Argumentative System, to which an application or an agent may seek…

This thesis is based on the premise that small nations face unique challenges in the quest for economic prosperity. They have a small domestic economy and are more dependent than larger economies on international trade. Smallness typically entails a lack…

The lack of effective data integration and knowledge representation in patient monitoring limits its utility to clinicians. Intelligent alarm algorithms that use artificial intelligence techniques have the potential to reduce false alarm rates and to improve data integration and knowledge…

The collaboration of researchers in different fields, institutions, and nations continues to be important as new ideas and solutions result from the combination of different knowledge and experiences. The Cambridge MIT Institute (CMI) Online Project Assessment System(OPAS) aims to collect…

The incorporation of ethnopedological knowledge in soil science and the inclusion of indigenous communities as beneficiaries of the agricultural technology are indispensable premises to make a better use of soil. However, to achieve this, it is necessary to have clearer…

This thesis presents research about the potential business impacts of the Semantic Web. The concept of the Semantic Web is an expansion of the Web for computers, enabling them to comprehend the meaning of information. In addition, Semantic Web Services…

Heavily used in the manufacture of integrated circuits, chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) is becoming an enabling technology for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). To reliably use CMP in the manufacturing process, designers must be able to accurately predict the CMP process and control…