The construction industry is based on age old skills where 'man' has been the builder and is coupled to his creative ability and skilled craftsmanship. This significant dependency on human resources continues to this day and thus the success of the construction industry is linked to making effective use of the human resources through training programmes. The research presented in this thesis investigates the use of expert systems in such management training programmes. The work described in this thesis includes a literature survey in chapter 2 on different aspects of human resources management with particular emphasis on management training and learning styles. Chapter 3 presents the results and analysis of the civil engineering and management practices survey, which was carried out during this research. The survey focused mainly on management training and attitude towards computer technology within the construction industry. Expert systems as a branch of artificial intelligence is discussed in chapter 4, where an assessment of the usefulness of using expert systems in different areas of construction management is carried out. Research methodology and techniques of knowledge acquisition applied in this research are presented in chapter 5. The process of the different stages in the development of the contract and safety management expert system is presented in chapter 6, which further describes the structure in which the system was designed. Finally, in order to assess the usefulness of the expert system tool developed, a summative evaluation is carried out. This evaluation examines many factors including attitudes towards computing, human-computer interaction, knowledge base design, use of expert system for training and expert system evaluation tests. Evaluation results and analysis are presented in chapter 7. It is concluded that there is certainty about the importance of management training in the construction industry. Developing expert systems for such training can be used as an aid tool in many training programmes. The choice of the development tool is considered to be an important function in this research in order to achieve the anticipated results by utilising the available resources. Evaluation of different shells was carried out against the criteria mentioned in chapter 4 and CRYSTAL 4.5 was chosen as the tool to be used in this research. During the development of the expert system, CRYSTAL 4.5 proved to be flexible and fast in structuring the knowledge base. The research also revealed the importance of the evaluation as an essential element of any systematic training program. Results obtained from the contract and safety management expert system evaluation (70% in favour of using expert systems for training) suggested that most trainees managed to grasp the subject information. Only a minority of trainees experienced difficulties during the training program. Those trainees will benefit from the implementation of the points which are raised in chapter 7.

This thesis focuses on reusing domain ontologies and generic problem solvers (PSs) in the development of new Knowledge Based Systems (KBSs). A two-stage methodology for achieving this has been developed: in the first stage, knowledge is mapped from a domain ontology to the requirements of a generic PS (expressed in a PS ontology); in the second stage, this mapped knowledge and the domain specific reasoning requirements of the generic PS are used to “drive” by the PS. This acquired knowledge can then be used to generate an executable KBS. Developing this methodology involved a detailed review of the earlier reuse literature, in order to understand the strengths and weaknesses of earlier approaches. Generic PSs for propose-and-revise design and diagnosis were also developed based on two existing KBSs which performed these tasks in the elevator domain. To gain insights into the KBS development process, the generic PSs were used to manually build two new executable KBSs. A tool MAKTab, was then developed to support the methodology by semi-automatically performing the actions undertaken during the manual building of the two KBSs. MAKTab has been used to successfully recreate the two elevator systems, and fully develop diagnosis and design KBSs in the computer hardware domain. The findings described in the thesis support the belief that a domain ontology developed for one type of PS will, in general, be unable to fully meet the procedural requirements of another type of PS; this knowledge must therefore be acquired. This work also shows that a single, general knowledge acquisition technique can be applied with different types of generic PSs, to acquire the necessary procedural knowledge.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. / With the events of September 11, 2001, terrorist organizations have moved to the forefront of threats to U.S. national security. These organizations utilize unconventional forms of warfare and new organizational structures to survive. However, they must still perform all the functions of traditional organizations: fundraising, internal and external communications, command and coordination, creation of a product, etc. Using an expert system to evaluate the structure of a terrorist organization could increase the amount of knowledge and understanding of it and provide critical insights into the organization's strengths and vulnerabilities. This research will focus on the utility of the expert system Organizational Consultant to evaluate the Hamas terrorist organization as a case study to determine its utility in discerning the organization's structure and suitability to its environment. In order to combat terrorism effectively, the U.S. must gather as much knowledge about various terrorist organizations as possible. Using fit criteria and certainty factors to analyze an organization by means of the expert system Organizational Consultant, the Department of Defense could potentially gain a powerful understanding of the organization's strengths and weaknesses and utilize that knowledge to bring about the terrorist organization's demise efficiently and effectively. / Lieutenant Junior Grade, United States Naval Reserve

Several forensic sciences, especially of the pattern-matching kind, are increasingly seen to lack the scientific foundation needed to justify continuing admission as trial evidence. Indeed, several have been abolished in the recent past. A likely next candidate for elimination is bitemark identification. A number of DNA exonerations have occurred in recent years for individuals convicted based on erroneous bitemark identifications. Intense scientific and legal scrutiny has resulted. An important National Academies review found little scientific support for the field. The Texas Forensic Science Commission recently recommended a moratorium on the admission of bitemark expert testimony. The California Supreme Court has a case before it that could start a national dismantling of forensic odontology. This article describes the (legal) basis for the rise of bitemark identification and the (scientific) basis for its impending fall. The article explains the general logic of forensic identification, the claims of bitemark identification, and reviews relevant empirical research on bitemark identification-highlighting both the lack of research and the lack of support provided by what research does exist. The rise and possible fall of bitemark identification evidence has broader implications-highlighting the weak scientific culture of forensic science and the law's difficulty in evaluating and responding to unreliable and unscientific evidence.

University of Macau / Faculty of Science and Technology. / Department of Electromechanical Engineering

by Lam Wai. / Thesis (M.Ph.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1988. / Bibliography: leaves 216-220.

Yu-shan Chan. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 95-99). / Chapter 1. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- "Expert System, Expert System Shell, and ""MetaSystem""" --- p.2 / Chapter 1.2 --- Adopting OBJECTBASE In EXPERT SYSTEM SHELL(ESS) --- p.4 / Chapter 2. --- SURVEY ON EXISTING SYSTEMS --- p.7 / Chapter 2.1 --- Review of inference models --- p.7 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- The Classical Period --- p.9 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- The modern period --- p.11 / Chapter 2.2 --- Rules in Objectbase vs. other Representations --- p.12 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Rule-based systems --- p.13 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Object-oriented systems --- p.13 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Other systems --- p.13 / Chapter 2.2.4 --- Rules embedded in object-- the Objectbase approach --- p.14 / Chapter 2.3 --- Conclusion --- p.15 / Chapter 3. --- DESIGN OF ESS FOR AN OBJECTBASE SYSTEM --- p.16 / Chapter 3.1 --- Introducing ESS in Objectbase --- p.18 / Chapter 3.1.1 --- The Concept of Object Modeling --- p.19 / Chapter 3.1.2 --- Why Objectbase? --- p.20 / Chapter 3.1.3 --- ESS : a higher layer on Objectbase --- p.22 / Chapter 3.1.4 --- Schema Objects and Shell Objects --- p.23 / Chapter 3.2 --- Module design of ESS --- p.24 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Knowledge Representation Module --- p.25 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Objectbase inference module --- p.27 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- The Rule一Inference Module --- p.28 / Chapter 3.3 --- Knowledge Representation --- p.29 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Schema Knowledge & the Rulebase --- p.30 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- Rule Structure --- p.31 / Chapter 3.4 --- Inference Engine --- p.35 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- The Two Levels of Inference --- p.35 / Chapter 3.5 --- Rule一Inference (RI) --- p.37 / Chapter 3.5.1 --- Structural design of RI --- p.38 / Chapter 3.5.2 --- Drawing Inference --- p.39 / Chapter 3.5.3 --- Query Processor and RI --- p.42 / Chapter 3.5.4 --- RI and the Inference Engine(IE) --- p.43 / Chapter 3.6 --- Conclusion --- p.43 / Chapter 4. --- IMPLEMENTATION --- p.45 / Chapter 4.1 --- Rulelnference: a comprehensive structure --- p.46 / Chapter 4.1.1 --- Class Rule --- p.46 / Chapter 4.1.2 --- Class RuleList --- p.47 / Chapter 4.1.3 --- Accompany data structures for inference --- p.48 / Chapter 4.1.4 --- Class Rulelnference --- p.49 / Chapter 4.2 --- Rule Setting --- p.51 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Rule Construction --- p.51 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Rule Parsing and the Rule Definition Language (RDL) --- p.52 / Chapter 4.3 --- How Inference is done in ESS --- p.53 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Reset and Load system --- p.53 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Inference making --- p.54 / Chapter 4.4 --- Using RuleInference in the Rule Constructor --- p.58 / Chapter 4.4.1 --- The Rule Constructor --- p.59 / Chapter 4.5 --- Using Rulelnference in the Application Constructor --- p.60 / Chapter 4.5.1 --- The RiNode --- p.61 / Chapter 4.5.2 --- Schema and Rule Set Handling --- p.63 / Chapter 4.6 --- Conclusion --- p.64 / Chapter 5. --- CASE STUDY --- p.66 / Chapter 5.1 --- Background on Statement analysis --- p.66 / Chapter 5.1.1 --- Ratios for decision making --- p.68 / Chapter 5.2 --- Sample System: Financial Data Analysis System --- p.70 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- The FINANCE schema --- p.71 / Chapter 5.2.2 --- Rules --- p.73 / Chapter 5.2.3 --- Results --- p.75 / Chapter 5.3 --- Evaluation --- p.81 / Chapter 5.4 --- Conclusion --- p.82 / Chapter 6. --- RESULT AND DISCUSSION --- p.84 / Chapter 6.1 --- An Expert System Shell on Objectbase --- p.84 / Chapter 6.2 --- The ESS on MOBILE --- p.85 / Chapter 6.3 --- Pros and cons for the ESS --- p.86 / Chapter 6.4 --- MOBILE: how it has been improved --- p.87 / Chapter 7. --- CONCLUSION --- p.89 / Chapter 7.1 --- Comparison --- p.91 / Chapter 7.2 --- Appraisal --- p.92 / Chapter 8. --- REFERENCES --- p.95 / Table of Content for Appendixes / APPENDIX 1. RULE DEFINITION LANGUAGE --- p.100 / APPENDIX 2. THE CLASS RULEINFERENCE --- p.103 / APPENDIX 3. THE RINODE --- p.104 / APPENDIX 4. FINANCIAL STATEMENT ANALYSIS --- p.108 / APPENDIX 5. DATA STRUCTURE OF RULE AND RULELIST --- p.117 / APPENDIX 6. DATA STRUCTURE OF VARLIST AND ACTLIST --- p.118 / APPENDIX 7. DATA STRUCTURE OF RULEINFERENCE --- p.121

by Ying Kit Wong. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 144-146). / Acknowledgments / Abstract / Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Characteristics of Human Commonsense Reasoning --- p.4 / Chapter 1.2 --- Neural-Logic Belief Network as the Basic Inconsistency Rea- soning System --- p.7 / Chapter 1.3 --- Consistency of Knowledge --- p.8 / Chapter 1.4 --- Update Sequence Independence in Belief States --- p.10 / Chapter 1.5 --- Lazy Consistency Reasoning --- p.12 / Chapter 1.6 --- Comparison of W-Consistency with Other Systems --- p.14 / Chapter 1.7 --- Integration of Different Methods in One Formalization --- p.16 / Chapter 2 --- Neural-Logic Belief Network (NLBN) --- p.17 / Chapter 2.1 --- Definitions --- p.17 / Chapter 2.2 --- Computation Functions --- p.20 / Chapter 3 --- W-Consistency Reasoning --- p.29 / Chapter 3.1 --- W-Consistency --- p.30 / Chapter 3.2 --- Logical Suppression --- p.33 / Chapter 3.3 --- Consistency Check --- p.35 / Chapter 3.4 --- Consistency Maintenance --- p.35 / Chapter 3.5 --- The W-Consistency Reasoning Process --- p.41 / Chapter 3.6 --- Proof of Consistency Reasoning Process Terminates Finitely and Consistent --- p.42 / Chapter 4 --- Implementation --- p.46 / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.46 / Chapter 4.2 --- New Features in Phase Two --- p.48 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Consistency Reasoning Function --- p.48 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Knowledge File --- p.49 / Chapter 4.3 --- Inference Engine for Consistency Reasoning --- p.54 / Chapter 4.4 --- Examples of using XHOPES --- p.56 / Chapter 5 --- Comparison between NLBN with W-Consistency and AGM Logic --- p.63 / Chapter 5.1 --- AGM Logic with Epistemic Entrenchment --- p.64 / Chapter 5.1.1 --- Three Forms of Belief Change --- p.64 / Chapter 5.1.2 --- Epistemic Entrenchment --- p.67 / Chapter 5.2 --- Network Update Operators in NLBN vs. Belief Changesin AGM --- p.68 / Chapter 5.3 --- Epistemic Entrenchment vs. Degree-of-Belief --- p.77 / Chapter 5.4 --- Consistency Preservation --- p.80 / Chapter 5.5 --- Classical vs. Non-classical Logical Consistency --- p.82 / Chapter 5.6 --- Retraction vs. Suppression --- p.83 / Chapter 5.7 --- Foundation vs. Coherence Theories --- p.84 / Chapter 6 --- Comparison of W-Consistency with other Systems --- p.86 / Chapter 6.1 --- G-Consistency --- p.87 / Chapter 6.1.1 --- Overview of G-Consistency --- p.87 / Chapter 6.1.2 --- Comparison of W-Consistency with G-Consistency --- p.88 / Chapter 6.2 --- S-Consistency --- p.94 / Chapter 6.2.1 --- Overview of S-Consistency --- p.94 / Chapter 6.2.2 --- Comparison of W-Consistency with S-Consistency --- p.95 / Chapter 6.3 --- Truth Maintenance Systems --- p.97 / Chapter 6.3.1 --- Introduction of Truth Maintenance Systems --- p.97 / Chapter 6.3.2 --- Comparison of TMS between W-Consistency with NLBN --- p.99 / Chapter 7 --- Lazy Consistency Reasoning using W-Consistency --- p.102 / Chapter 7.1 --- Proof of Lazy Characteristic of W-Consistency --- p.104 / Chapter 7.2 --- Example of Lazy Consistency Reasoning --- p.112 / Chapter 7.3 --- Discussion and Application --- p.117 / Chapter 8 --- Integration of Different Consistency Reasoning Methods --- p.120 / Chapter 8.1 --- Mixing W-Consistency and G-Consistency into a NLBN --- p.121 / Chapter 8.2 --- Using a NLBN for Truth Maintenance --- p.129 / Chapter 8.2.1 --- TMS's Truth Maintenance Strategy --- p.129 / Chapter 8.2.2 --- Consistency Reasoning style of NLBN --- p.134 / Chapter 8.2.3 --- Using NLBN for TMS-style Truth Maintenance --- p.136 / Chapter 8.2.4 --- Discussion --- p.140 / Chapter 9 --- Conclusion --- p.143 / Chapter A --- Test Case for Merging Knowledge Bases Using XHOPES --- p.150

by Lo Wai On. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 96-98). / Abstract / Acknowledgements / Table of Contents / List of Tables / List of Figures / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Overview --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Transportation Arrangement Problem --- p.2 / Chapter 1.3 --- Site Planning Problem --- p.4 / Chapter 1.4 --- Organisation of the Thesis --- p.4 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Literature Review --- p.6 / Chapter 2.1 --- Overview --- p.6 / Chapter 2.2 --- Transportation Arrangement --- p.7 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- A* algorithm --- p.8 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- A*V algorithm --- p.9 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Knowledge-based approach --- p.11 / Chapter 2.2.4 --- ANESTA's approach --- p.13 / Chapter 2.3 --- Site Planning --- p.14 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- CICERO'S approach --- p.15 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- ANESTA's approach --- p.17 / Chapter 2.4 --- Summary --- p.19 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Transportation Arrangement --- p.20 / Chapter 3.1 --- Overview --- p.20 / Chapter 3.2 --- Problem Description --- p.21 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Shortest path problem --- p.21 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Existing solution algorithms --- p.21 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- Preference consideration --- p.22 / Chapter 3.3 --- Zoning --- p.22 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Grid-type zoning --- p.23 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- Density-type zoning --- p.23 / Chapter 3.4 --- Solution Methodology --- p.24 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- Data representation in the system --- p.24 / Chapter 3.4.2 --- Heuristic algorithm --- p.26 / Chapter 3.5 --- Illustrative Examples --- p.34 / Chapter 3.5.1 --- Example 1 - Direct Connection --- p.34 / Chapter 3.5.2 --- Example 2 - Three-node Path --- p.35 / Chapter 3.5.3 --- Example 3 - Four-node Path --- p.37 / Chapter 3.6 --- Computation Results --- p.38 / Chapter 3.6.1 --- Zoning vs. No-zoning --- p.39 / Chapter 3.6.2 --- Grid-type zoning vs. Density-type zoning --- p.40 / Chapter 3.6.3 --- Comparison between the new heuristic and the other algorithms --- p.42 / Chapter 3.7 --- Summary --- p.43 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Site Planning --- p.45 / Chapter 4.1 --- Overview --- p.45 / Chapter 4.2 --- Problem Description --- p.46 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Preference constraint --- p.46 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Accessibility constraint --- p.46 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- Time constraint --- p.47 / Chapter 4.2.4 --- Problems with the ANESTA's approach --- p.47 / Chapter 4.3 --- Solution Methodology --- p.49 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Preference handling --- p.50 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Time window constraints --- p.51 / Chapter 4.3.3 --- Connectivity constraint --- p.57 / Chapter 4.3.4 --- Fitness constraint --- p.57 / Chapter 4.3.5 --- Travelling distance constraint --- p.58 / Chapter 4.3.6 --- Heuristic algorithm --- p.59 / Chapter 4.3.7 --- Flexibility consideration --- p.63 / Chapter 4.4 --- An Illustrative Example --- p.66 / Chapter 4.5 --- Computation Results --- p.74 / Chapter 4.5.1 --- Comparison of the solution quality with and without the second phase heuristic --- p.74 / Chapter 4.5.2 --- Investigation of the effect with the circular boundary --- p.76 / Chapter 4.5.3 --- Comparison with ANESTA --- p.77 / Chapter 4.6 --- Summary --- p.86 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Conclusions --- p.88 / Appendix A --- p.91 / References --- p.96

Entre 1946 et 2016, ce sont plus de vingt cas de recours à des experts par les instances de représentation du personnel qui ont été créés, dont huit sur les trois dernières années. La possibilité sans cesse étendue de recourir à l’assistance d’experts pourrait laisser penser que le régime du recours à l’expertise est efficient. La facilité avec laquelle la loi associe désormais l’expert à chaque nouvelle mesure prise en faveur du dialogue social masque cependant mal l’incapacité croissante du législateur à préserver la fonction initiale de l’expertise : une fonction informative. Signe des dysfonctionnements qui grèvent le régime actuel du recours à l’expertise, le sujet est hautement polémique et fait l’objet d’un contentieux florissant. L’étude du périmètre ainsi que des modalités du recours à des experts exhorte à la construction d’un régime plus cohérent, de nature à assurer l’effet utile de l’expertise tout en préservant la compétence et la parole des représentants du personnel. / Between 1946 and 2016, this is more than twenty new cases in which the employee representatives were granted the right to resort to the services of experts, and only eight in the last three years. The ever-expanded possibility to be assisted by external experts might suggest that the expertise statutory regime is efficient. The ease with which the law associates experts to each new measures taken in favor of the social dialogue cannot hide the persistent difficulties encountered by the legislator to preserve the original function of expertise : an informative function. The controversial nature of the right to resort to the services of experts and the increasing amount of litigation in this area are manifestations of its failures. A study of the scope and the conditions under which the experts might be appointed urges to the construction of a more coherent system, that would ensure the effectiveness of the right to resort to experts while maintaining the employee representatives’ competence and voices.