for the objectives of energy-saving offices. The approach considers ontology-based occupant activity recognition using simple sensors to process the context information, and employs Artificial Intelligence planning to control appliances. The approach is evaluated in a semi-simulated setting. The activity recognition

their performance. This paper presents techniques for recognizing students ’ activities in such pedagogical software and visualizing these activities to teachers. It describes a new plan recognition algorithm that uses a recursive grammar that takes into account repetition and interleaving of activities

n Robots (and roboticists) increasingly appear

-to-peer MMOG. Aim of this work is to create a new AI for a peer-to-peer MMOG called Planet π4. First I analyzed the current state of art of the AI for computer games. Then I considered two different approaches to create the AI for Planet π4. The first AI implements a simple behavior while the second AI creates

The compressive sensing (CS) framework aims to ease the burden on analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) by exploiting inherent structure in natural and man-made signals. It has been demon-strated that structured signals can be acquired with just a small number of linear measurements, on the order of the signal complexity. In practice, this enables lower sampling rates that can be more easily achieved by current hardware designs. The primary bottleneck that limits ADC sam-pling rates is quantization, i.e., higher bit-depths impose lower sampling rates. Thus, the decreased sampling rates of CS ADCs accommodate the otherwise limiting quantizer of conventional ADCs. In this thesis, we consider a different approach to CS ADC by shifting towards lower quantizer bit-depths rather than lower sampling rates. We explore the extreme case where each measurement is quantized to just one bit, representing its sign. We develop a new theoretical framework to analyze this extreme case and develop new algorithms for signal reconstruction from such coarsely quantized measurements. The 1-bit CS framework leads us to scenarios where it may be more appropriate to reduce bit-depth instead of sampling rate. We find that there exist two distinct regimes of operation that correspond to high/low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). In the measurement

Massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) have become increasingly popular in the recent years, particularly in the form of online role-playing games (MMORPGs). These games support up to several ten thousand players interacting in a virtual game world. The current commercially successful games are client-server based, which is feasible for relatively slow role-playing games. Those have modest bandwidth and latency requirements and are paid for by their customers. For MMOGs with higher realtime requirements and/or a smaller number of customers willing to pay, peer-to-peer networking seems to be a serious alternative. This work analyzes the implementation of both a client-server and a peer-to-peer networking model for the prototype shooter game Planet π4. Initially, a survey introduces recent academic approaches to peer-to-peer systems specifically designed for games. Of those, one system is selected for implementation with Planet π4. Planet π4 is improved in several aspects for the purpose of analyzing various network implementations. First, its architecture is restructured and cleaned to allow for an easy replacement of the networking component. Second, its core is modified to work in a completely event-based mode, supporting the execution of the game in an discrete-event-based network simulator. Third, a simple artificial intelligence player is developed for workload generation in large (and possibly simulated) networks. Furthermore, the newly developed transport protocol CUSP is applied for the network implementation, thus the game is the first real application using CUSP. Finally the game Planet π4 is integrated with the CUSP network simulator, allowing to run the whole game in a simulated network without the need for modification of its core components. Kurzfassung Massen-Mehrspieler-Onlinespiele (Massively multiplayer online games; MMOGs) wurden in den vergangenen Jahren zunehmend populär, insbesondere in Form von Online-Rollenspielen (MMORPGs). In

This report focuses on the evidence about the health.consequences of smoking for women, and is intended to serve.the public health and medical communities as 'a unified source of existing scientific research. The major issues about tobacco use and women's health are examined, including trends in consumption, biomedical evidence, and determinants of smoking ititiation, maintenance, and cessation. The biomedical aspects ofsmoking are presented in terms of mortality, morbiplity, cardiovasculaidiseases, cancer, pregnancy and infant,health,, Teptic ulcer disease, drug reactions and, interactions, food constituents, and responses to,diagnostic tests. The psychosocial and behavioraj. aspects, of smoking in women are discussed, along with the docffiented increases in- the risk of contracting lung cancer, heart,disease, or lung disease. The harmful effects of pregnant mothers smoking behaviors, are also docudented. Adhitionally, recent data are enumerated to indicate a trend of,decreasing tobacco usage among women in response to the warnings of the gavernMent, voluntary agencie, and physicrins. (Author /NRB)' DOCUMENT RESUME cc 015 465

Abstract: Online learning initia-tives over the past decade have become increasingly comprehen-sive in their selection of courses and sophisticated in their presen-tation, culminating in the recent announcement of a number of consortium and startup activities that promise to make a university

in partial ful2llment of the requirements for the degree of

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