Interactive narrative extends traditional story-telling techniques by enabling previously passive observers to become active participants in the narrative events that unfold. A variety of approaches have attempted to construct such interactive narrative spaces and reconcile the goals of interactivity and dramatic story-telling. With the advent of the linguistic variable in 1972, a means was established for modelling natural language words and phrases mathematically and computationally. Over the past decade, the computational verb, first introduced in 1997, has been developed as a mathematical means of modelling natural language verbs in terms of dynamic systems, and vice versa. Computational verb theory extends the initial concept of the linguistic variable beyond being able to model adjectives, nouns, and passive states, into the realm of actions as denoted by natural language verbs. This thesis presents the framework and implementation of a system that generates interactive narrative spaces from narrative text. The concept of interactive narrative is introduced and recent developments in the area of interactive narrative are discussed. Secondly, a brief history of the development of the linguistic variable and the computational verb are provided. With the context of the computational verb (interactive) narrative generation (CVTNG) system presented, the underlying theoretical principles of the system are established. The CVTNG system principles are described in terms of fuzzy set, computational verb, and constraint satisfaction theory. The fuzzy set, computational verb, and constraint satisfaction principles are organised according to a CVTNG architecture. The CVTNG architecture is then described in terms of its subsystems, structures, algorithms, and interfaces. Each CVTNG system component is related to the overall design considerations and goals. A prototype of the CVTNG system is implemented and tested against a suite of natural language sentences. The behaviour and performance of the CVTNG system prototype are discussed in relation to the CVTNG system’s design principles. Results are calculated and stored as variable values that are dynamically and generically associated with representational means, specifically computer graphics, to illustrate the generation of interactive narrative spaces. Plans for future work are discussed to show the immense development potential of this application. The thesis concludes that the CVTNG system provides a solid and extendable base for the intuitive generation of interactive narrative spaces from narrative text, computational verb models, and freely associated media. Copyright / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Computer Science / Unrestricted

[pt] Observando a dificuldade de batimento (match) dos padrões de comportamento das funções de autocorrelação e de autocorrelação parcial teóricas com as respectivas funções e as autocorrelação e de autocorrelação parcial estimadas de uma séries temporal, aliada ao fato da dificuldade em definir um número em específico como delimitador inequívoco do que seja um lag significativo, tornam clara a dose de julgamento subjetivo a ser realizado por um especialista de análise de séries temporais na tomada de decisão sobre a estrutura de Box & Jenkins adequada a ser escolhida para modelar o processo estocástico sendo estudado. A matemática nebulosa permite a criação de sistemas de inferências nebulosas (inferência dedutiva) e representa o conhecimento de forma explícita, através de regras nebulosas, possibilitando, facilmente, o entendimento do sistema em estudo. Por outro lado, um modelo de redes neurais representa o conhecimento de forma implícita, adquirido através de exemplos (dados), possuindo excelente capacidade de generalização (inferência indutiva). Esta tese apresenta um sistema especialista composto de cinco redes neurais nebulosas do tipo retropropagação para o auxílio na análise de séries temporais não sazonais. O sistema indica ao usuário a estrutura mais adequada, dentre as estruturas AR(1), MA (1), AR(2), MA(2) e ARMA(1,1), tomando como base a menor distância Euclidiana entre os valores esperados e as saídas das redes neurais nebulosas. / [en] It is well known the difficulties associated with the tradicional procedure for model identification of the Box & Jenkins model through the pattern matching of the theoretical and estimated ACF and PACF. The decision on the acceptance of the null hypothesis of zero ACF (or PACF) for a given lag is based on a strong asymptotic result, particularly for the PACF, leading, sometimes, to wrong decisions on the identified order of the models. The fuzzy logic allows one to infer system governed by incomplete or fuzzy knowledge (deductive inference) using a staighforward formulation of the problem via fuzzy mathematics. On the other hand, the neural network represent the knowledge in a implicit manner and has a great generalization capacity (inductive inference). In this thesis we built a specialist system composed of 5 fuzzy neural networks to help on the automatic identificationof the following Box & Jenkins ARMA structure AR(1), MA(1), AR(2), MA(2) and ARMA (1,1), through the Euclidian distance between the estimated output of the net and the corresponding patterns of each one of the five structures.

Advances in microprocessor and communications technologies are making it possible to deploy advanced traffic signal controllers capable of integrating emergency vehicle preemption and transit priority operations. However, investment planning for such an integrated system is not a trivial task. Investment planning for such a system requires a holistic approach that considers institutional, technical and financial issues from a systems perspective. Two distinct service providers, fire and rescue providers and transit operators, with separate operational functions, objectives, resources and constituents are involved. Performance parameters for the integrated system are not well defined and performance data are often imprecise in nature. Transportation planners and managers interested in deploying integrated emergency vehicle preemption and traffic priority systems do not have an evaluation approach or a common set of performance metrics to make an informed decision. There is a need for a simple structured analytical approach and tools to assess the impacts of an integrated emergency vehicle preemption and transit priority system as part of investment decision making processes. This need could be met with the assistance of a decision support system (DSS) developed to provide planners and managers a simple and intuitive analytical approach to assist in making investment decisions regarding emergency vehicle preemption and transit signal priority. This dissertation has two research goals: (1) to develop a decision support system framework to assess the impacts of advanced traffic signal control systems capable of integrating emergency vehicle preemption and transit signal priority operations for investment planning purposes; and (2) to develop selected analytical tools for incorporation into the decision support system framework. These analytical tools will employ fuzzy sets theory concepts, as well as cost and accident reduction factors. As part of this research, analytical tools to assess impacts on operating cost for transit and fire and rescue providers have been developed. In addition, an analytical tool was developed and employs fuzzy multi-attribute decision making methods to rank alternative transit priority strategies. These analytical tools are proposed for incorporation into the design of a decision support system in the future. / Ph. D.

<p>U radu je ispitan sledeći problem: <em>Pod kojim&nbsp;uslovima se može rekonstruisati&nbsp; (sintetisati)&nbsp;intervalno-vrednosni rasplinuti skup iz&nbsp; poznate&nbsp;familije nivo skupova.</em></p><p>U tu svrhu su proučena svojstva mreža&nbsp;intervala za svaki od četiri izabrana mrežna&nbsp;<br />uređenja: poredak po komponentama, neprecizni&nbsp;poredak (skupovna inkluzija), strogi &nbsp;i leksikografski&nbsp;poredak.&nbsp;</p><p>Definisane su i-između i ili-između ravne&nbsp;mreže&nbsp;&nbsp; i ispitana njihova svojstva potrebna za&nbsp;re&scaron;avanje postavljenog problema sinteze za&nbsp;intervalno-vrednosne rasplinute skupove. Za i-između ravne mreže je dokazano da su, u svom&nbsp;konačnom slučaju, slim mreže i dualno, da su ili-između ravne mreže dualno-slim mreže.</p><p>Data je karakterizacija kompletnih konačno&nbsp;prostornih i dualno konačno prostornih mreža.&nbsp;</p><p>Određena je klasa mreža koje se mogu&nbsp;injektivno preslikati u direktan proizvod n&nbsp;<br />kompletnih lanaca tako da su očuvani supremumi i&nbsp;dualno, određena je klasa mreža koje se mogu&nbsp;injektivno preslikati u direktan proizvod n lanaca&nbsp;tako da su očuvani infimumi.&nbsp;</p><p>U re&scaron;avanju problema sinteze posmatrana su&nbsp;dva tipa nivo skupova - gornji i donji nivo skupovi.&nbsp;Potreban i dovoljan uslov za sintezu intervalno-vrednosnog rasplinutog skupa iz poznate familije&nbsp;nivo skupova određen je za mrežu intervala koja je&nbsp;uređena poretkom po komponentama, za oba tipa&nbsp;posmatranih nivo skupova.</p><p>Za mrežu intervala uređenu nepreciznim&nbsp;poretkom, problem je re&scaron;en za donje nivo skupove,&nbsp;dok su za gornje nivo skupove određeni dovoljni&nbsp;uslovi.</p><p>Za mrežu intervala koja je uređena&nbsp;leksikografskim poretkom, takođe su dati dovoljni<br />uslovi i to za oba tipa nivo skupova.&nbsp;</p><p>Za mrežu intervala uređenu strogim poretkom&nbsp;problem nije re&scaron;avan, jer izlazi izvan okvira ovog&nbsp;rada.</p><p><br />Dobijeni rezultati su primenjeni za re&scaron;avanje&nbsp;sličnog problema sinteze za intervalno-vrednosne&nbsp;intuicionističke rasplinute skupove&nbsp; za mrežu&nbsp;intervala uređenu poretkom po komponentama.&nbsp;</p><p>Rezultati ovog istraživanja su od teorijskog&nbsp;značaja u teoriji mreža i teoriji rasplinutih skupova,&nbsp;ali postoji mogućnost za primenu u matematičkoj&nbsp;morfologiji i obradi slika.</p> / <p>In this thesis&nbsp; the following problem was investigated: Under which conditions an interval-valued fuzzy set can be reconstructed from the given family of cut sets.</p><p>We consider interval-valued fuzzy sets as&nbsp; a special type of lattice-valued fuzzy sets and&nbsp; we studied properties of lattices of intervals using four different lattice&nbsp; order: componentwise ordering, imprecision ordering (inclusion of sets), strong and&nbsp;lexicographical ordering.</p><p>We proposed new definitions&nbsp; of meet-between planar and join - between planar lattices, we investigated their properties and used them for solving problem of synthesis&nbsp; in&nbsp; interval-valued fuzzy sets.</p><p>It has been proven that finite meet- between planar lattices and slim lattices are equivalent, and dually:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; finite join-&nbsp; between planar lattices and dually slim lattices are equivalent.</p><p>Complete finitely&nbsp; spatial lattices and complete dually finitely spatial lattices are fully&nbsp;characterized&nbsp; in this setting. Next, we characterized&nbsp; lattices which can be order<br />embedded into a Cartesian product of&nbsp; n&nbsp; complete chains such that all suprema are preserved under the embedding.</p><p>And dually, we characterized lattices which can be order embedded into a Cartesian product of n complete chains such that all infima are preserved under the embedding.</p><p>We considered two types of cut sets &ndash; upper cuts and lower cuts.</p><p>Solution of the&nbsp; problem of synthesis of interval-valued fuzzy sets are given for lattices of intervals under componentwise ordering for both types of cut sets. Solution of problem of synthesis of&nbsp; interval-valued fuzzy sets&nbsp; are&nbsp; given for lower cuts for lattices of intervals under imprecision ordering.&nbsp; Sufficient conditions are given for lattices of intervals under imprecision ordering and family of upper cuts.</p><p>Sufficient conditions are also given for lattices of intervals under lexicographical ordering.</p><p>The problem of synthesis of interval-valued fuzzy sets for lattices of&nbsp; intervals under strong ordering is beyond the scope of this thesis.</p><p>A similar problem of synthesis of&nbsp; interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy sets is solved for lattices of intervals under componentwise ordering.</p><p>These results are&nbsp; mostly of theoretical importance in lattice theory and fuzzy sets theory, but also they could&nbsp; be applied in mathematical morphology and in&nbsp; image processing.</p>

<p>This research is concerned with theoretical and methodological aspects of geographic information transformation between different user contexts. In this dissertation I present theories and methodological approaches that enable a context sensititve use and reuse of geographic data in geographic information systems.</p><p>A primary motive for the reported research is that the patrons interested in answering environmental questions have increased in number and been diversified during the last 10-15 years. The interest from international, national and regional authorities together with multinational and national corporations embrace a range of spatial and temporal scales from global to local, and from many-year/-decade perspectives to real time applications. These differences in spatial and temporal detail will be expressed as rather different questions towards existing data. It is expected that geographic information systems will be able to integrate a large number of diverse data to answer current and future geographic questions and support spatial decision processes. However, there are still important deficiencies in contemporary theories and methods for geographic information integration</p><p>Literature studies and preliminary experiments suggested that any transformation between different users’ contexts would change either the thematic, spatial or temporal detail, and the result would include some amount of semantic uncertainty. Consequently, the reported experiments are separated into studies of change in either spatial or thematic detail. The scope concerned with thematic detatil searched for approaches to represent indiscernibility between categories, and the scope concerned with spatial detail studied semantic effects caused by changing spatial granularity.</p><p>The findings make several contributions to the current knowledge about transforming geographic information between users’ contexts. When changing the categorical resolution of a geographic dataset, it is possible to represent cases of indiscernibility using novel methods of rough classification described in the thesis. The use of rough classification methods together with manual landscape interpretations made it possible to evaluate semantic uncertainty in geographic data. Such evaluations of spatially aggregated geographic data sets show both predictable and non-predictable effects. and these effects may vary for different environmental variables.</p><p>Development of methods that integrate crisp, fuzzy and rough data enables spatial decision support systems to consider various aspects of semantic uncertainty. By explicitly representing crisp, fuzzy and rough relations between datasets, a deeper semantic meaning is given to geographic databasses. The explicit representation of semantic relations is called a Geographic Concept Topology and is held as a viable tool for context transformation and full integration of geographic datasets.</p>

This work introduces some very basic concepts of category theory as built up over first-order predicate Gödel fuzzy logic (with crisp identity and the delta operator). A fuzzy variation of a classical concept of a category is considered. Then several systems of morphisms loosely based on the crisp categories Rel and Set are defined and examined. Accordingly, all the systems under consideration consist of fuzzy sets as objects and various kinds of binary fuzzy relations as morphisms. Our approach is a logic-based graded generalization of crisp (clas- sical) category-theoretical approaches to fuzzy sets, which have been initiated by Goguen. 1

Esta tese assumiu a premissa de que a neuropatia periférica é um sinal de piora da diabetes, além de levantar a questão de que estudos prévios sobre a biomecânica da marcha de diabéticos não têm distinguido os graus de progressão da diabetes nos grupos estudados. Neste contexto, não é possível identificar as diferenças nos padrões de geração da marcha entre estágios precoces e avançados da diabetes. Esta identificação poderia facilitar a intervenção terapêutica precoce nestes pacientes, o que poderá impedir a formação de úlceras e amputações recorrentes subseqüentes. Assim, apresentamos ao longo desta tese, três estudos para investigar a natureza das supostas alterações na marcha (estudo 1) e no descer escadas (estudo 2) de diabéticos, assim como para propor uma forma de classificar a progressão da diabetes levando em consideração as incertezas de fronteiras entre os subgrupos de neuropatas, por meio de um sistema especialista fuzzy (estudo 3). Os estudos 1 e 2 foram feitos com os mesmos três grupos: indivíduos diabéticos (GD) e diabéticos neuropatas (GDN) diagnosticados clinicamente e indivíduos saudáveis (GC). Para a avaliação cinemática e cinética do membro inferior foram utilizadas câmeras infravermelhas e uma plataforma de força durante o andar no plano e descendo uma escada. O cálculo dos momentos articulares de membro inferior foi feito por meio do método da dinâmica inversa. Os principais resultados do estudo 1 mostraram que independente da presença da neuropatia, os pacientes diabéticos exibiram uma maior flexão das três principais articulações do membro inferior e um importante uso da articulação do quadril como uma estratégia cinética de progressão do corpo à frente, em substituição ao tornozelo, que mostrou ser a articulação mais prejudicada. Os principais resultados do estudo 2 indicaram as mesmas mudanças significativas no padrão cinemático do tornozelo durante a fase de propulsão, mesmo na ausência da neuropatia. No entanto, não houve diferença nos padrões cinéticos entre os estágios iniciais e avançados da doença, mas mostraram a mesma tendência observada no estudo 1 de alteração do padrão cinético de quadril para se adaptar às perdas distais nos neuropatas. No estudo 3, desenvolvemos um modelo para classificação da severidade da neuropatia diabética. O modelo fuzzy apresentou um nível de concordância adequado com a classificação feita por especialistas, e também mostrou uma alta precisão na avaliação de pacientes reais que foram submetidos à avaliação do modelo. O modelo foi capaz de simplificar e separar os pacientes em quatro diferentes graus de severidade, o que pode melhorar a eficácia de medidas preventivas, bem como para oferecer uma melhor ajuda para os profissionais de saúde no tratamento destas doenças e suas complicações. Como conclusão geral temos que os grupos diabéticos estudados exibiram comportamentos biomecânicos durante o andar no plano e descendo degraus que são muitas vezes parecidos entre si (GD e GDN), poucas vezes diferentes entre si, mas na maioria das vezes bem distintos do grupo não diabético (GC), indicando que a questão da progressão não se esclareceu completamente ao separamos de maneira crisp os grupos em diabético e diabético neuropata. As perdas sensitivo-motoras-autonômicas impostas pela diabetes não podem ser subestimadas, uma vez que parecem ter início ainda quando a neuropatia não foi diagnosticada. Uma correta classificação do paciente pode antecipar a detecção dos níveis menos severos da doença, evitando esperar que os pacientes apresentem perdas irreversívies para inicar uma intervenção clínica eficaz e preventiva para preservar a locomoção independente destes pacientes / This study assumed the premise that the peripheral neuropathy is a sign of worsening of diabetes, as well as raising the issue that previous studies on the biomechanics of gait in diabetics do not have distinguished the degree of progression of diabetes in both groups. Therefore, it is not possible to identify differences in patterns of gait generation between early and advanced stages of diabetes. This identification would facilitate early therapeutic intervention in these patients, which could prevent the formation of recurrent ulcers and subsequent amputations. We present throughout this thesis, three studies to investigate the nature of the alleged changes in gait (study 1) and stair descent (study 2) of diabetics, and to propose a way to classify the progression of diabetes, taking into account the uncertainties of boundaries between the subgroups of neuropathy through a fuzzy expert system (study 3). Studies 1 and 2 were performed with the same three groups: diabetics (GD) and diabetic neuropathic (GDN) diagnosed clinically and healthy subjects (CG). For the kinematic and kinetic evaluation of the lower limb, we used infrared cameras and a force plate during walking on a level walkway (10 m) and descent a staircase. The calculation of net joint moments of the lower limb was performed using the method of inverse dynamic. The main results of Study 1 showed that, regardless of the presence of neuropathy, diabetic patients exhibited a greater flexion of the three major joints of the lower limb and an important use of the hip joint as a kinetic strategy of progression the body forward, replacing the ankle, which proved to be the most affected joint. The main results of Study 2 showed the same significant changes in the pattern of the ankle kinematics during propulsion phase, even in the absence of neuropathy. However, there was no difference between the kinetic patterns in early and advanced stages of the disease, but showed the same trend observed in the Study 1: a change in the kinetic pattern of the hip to adapt de locomotion to distal loss in neuropathic subjects. In Study 3, the model developed for classification of severity of diabetic neuropathy showed an adequate level of agreement with the classification of experts, and also showed a high accuracy in the evaluation of real patients who underwent to the evaluation of the model. The fuzzy model was able to simplify and separate the patients into four different degrees of severity, which can improve the effectiveness of preventive strategies as well as to offer a better assistance to health professionals in the management of this disease. It is concluded that the studied diabetic groups exhibited biomechanical behavior during walking and descend stairs that are often similar to each other (GD and GDN), a few times different from each other, but most often very different from the non-diabetic group (GC), indicating that the issue of progression was not fully understood separating the groups in a crisp way as diabetic and diabetic neuropathic subjects. The sensory, motor and autonomic losses imposed by the diabetes can not be underestimated, since they seem to appear when the neuropathy is not diagnosed yet. A correct classification of the patient can anticipate the detection of less severe levels of the disease and avoid that the patients show an irreversible loss to start an effective intervention and preventive strategies to keep the independent locomotion of these patients

En sciences économiques, l'une des questions centrales concerne l'allocation des ressources rares et plus particulièrement leur répartition. La décision apparait ainsi au cœur des thématiques économiques, que ce soit en micro-économie ou en macro-économie. Dans un premier temps, nous revenons sur le fait que l’information, élément central de la prise de décision, est imparfaite. En utilisant la théorie des ensembles flous, qui a pour objet de capturer l’imprécision, nous construisons un nombre flou nommé nombre flou C-Shape qui permet de capter la sensibilité du preneur de décision. Nous étudions ensuite la théorie de la décision au travers de deux axes de recherche à savoir (1) la recherche opérationnelle couplée à la théorie des jeux et (2) l’aide à la décision. En premier lieu, Nous faisons une analogie entre la fonction distance et la fonction d’appartenance. Grâce à l’hypothèse de B-convexité et à la fonction C-Shape nous construisons des classes de jeux pour lesquels les joueurs peuvent être optimistes, pessimistes ou neutres, et pour lesquels l’existence d’équilibre de Nash est avérée. Enfin, concernant l’aide à la décision, nous utilisons la fonction C-Shape pour caractériser un nouveau type de critère nommé pseudo critère C-Shape qui permet de considérer les alternatives comme substituables. Ceci permet de prendre en compte, par exemple le contexte institutionnel dans lequel la prise de décision est prise. / Determining the allocation and the distribution of scarce resources is fundamental in economics. Thus, decision theory is the cornerstone of economic theory. In this thesis, we first provide a state of the art insisting on the fact that information, that is a central element of decision-making, is imperfect. Secondly, using fuzzy set theory, which aims to capture imprecision, we construct a fuzzy number, so-called C-Shape that captures the sensitivity of the decision-maker. Thirdly, we study decision theory through two key concepts of operation research: (1) game theory and (2) multi-criteria decision making. We provide an analogy between the gauge functions of convex sets and the membership functions arising in fuzzy set theory. Coupling a suitable notion of -convexity with the C-Shape function, we introduce a class of games for which the players can be optimistic, pessimistic or neutral. In addition the existence of Nash equilibrium is proved for such a class of games. Finally, concerning multi-criteria decision analysis, we use the C-Shape functions to characterize a new type of criteria called C-Shape pseudo-criterion, which makes possible to consider the alternatives as substitutable. This should be of interest to take into account, for example, the institutional context in which decision-making is taken.

This research is concerned with theoretical and methodological aspects of geographic information transformation between different user contexts. In this dissertation I present theories and methodological approaches that enable a context sensititve use and reuse of geographic data in geographic information systems. A primary motive for the reported research is that the patrons interested in answering environmental questions have increased in number and been diversified during the last 10-15 years. The interest from international, national and regional authorities together with multinational and national corporations embrace a range of spatial and temporal scales from global to local, and from many-year/-decade perspectives to real time applications. These differences in spatial and temporal detail will be expressed as rather different questions towards existing data. It is expected that geographic information systems will be able to integrate a large number of diverse data to answer current and future geographic questions and support spatial decision processes. However, there are still important deficiencies in contemporary theories and methods for geographic information integration Literature studies and preliminary experiments suggested that any transformation between different users’ contexts would change either the thematic, spatial or temporal detail, and the result would include some amount of semantic uncertainty. Consequently, the reported experiments are separated into studies of change in either spatial or thematic detail. The scope concerned with thematic detatil searched for approaches to represent indiscernibility between categories, and the scope concerned with spatial detail studied semantic effects caused by changing spatial granularity. The findings make several contributions to the current knowledge about transforming geographic information between users’ contexts. When changing the categorical resolution of a geographic dataset, it is possible to represent cases of indiscernibility using novel methods of rough classification described in the thesis. The use of rough classification methods together with manual landscape interpretations made it possible to evaluate semantic uncertainty in geographic data. Such evaluations of spatially aggregated geographic data sets show both predictable and non-predictable effects. and these effects may vary for different environmental variables. Development of methods that integrate crisp, fuzzy and rough data enables spatial decision support systems to consider various aspects of semantic uncertainty. By explicitly representing crisp, fuzzy and rough relations between datasets, a deeper semantic meaning is given to geographic databasses. The explicit representation of semantic relations is called a Geographic Concept Topology and is held as a viable tool for context transformation and full integration of geographic datasets.

No description available.