Beech bark disease (BBD) results in high levels of initial mortality, leaving behind survivor trees that are greatly weakened and deformed. The disease is initiated by feeding activities of the invasive beech scale insect, Cryptococcus fagisuga, which creates entry points for infection by one of the Neonectria species of fungus. Without scale infestation, there is little opportunity for fungal ...

In this paper we present issues regarding the development of an artificial system that will register its user’s emotional state and act accordingly. We discuss these issues in the context of the ERMIS project. ERMIS stands for Emotion-Rich Man-machine Interaction Systems. ERMIS is a useful context because the project sets out to explore what we regard as the natural approach to developing an em...

This paper reports on a long-term thinning study established in stands of naturally seeded loblolly (Pinus taeda L.) and shortleaf (P. echinata Mill.) pine in southern Arkansas and northern Louisiana. Plots were established in 1949–50 and 1954 in previously unmanaged stands, thinned about once every 5 years from age 20 to 60 years (40 years of active cutting, to 1990). The study was discontinue...

The effects after 25 years of moose browsing on Scots pine stands in Lahemaa National Park were evaluated, emphasizing economic damage. A re-evaluation in 2001 examined stands that had been evaluated in 1975–1976. Moose damage significantly affected the tree species composition which changed over time as pine dominance increased and the number of mixed stands declined. The smaller proportion of...

Casting is one of the most important processes in the manufacture of parts for various kinds of industries, among which the automotive industry stands out. Like every manufacturing process, there is the possibility of the occurrence of defects in the materials from which the parts are made, as well as of the appearance of faults during their operation. One of the most important tools for verify...

Dermatology is a medical field which stands to be heavily augmented by the use of artificial intelligence techniques. Diseases are visually screened for, and many disease diagnoses are performed strictly with an in-clinic visual examination. Discerning between skin lesions is difficult the difference between skin cancer (melanoma, carcinoma) and benign lesions (nevi, seborrheic keratosis) is mi...

The term ontology has become popular in several fields of Informatics like Artificial Intelligence, Agent systems, Database or Web Technology. Deviating from its original philosophical meaning, in the context of Computer Sciences the term ontology stands for a formal explicit specification of a shared conceptualization. Software Engineering (SE) is a field where conceptualisation plays a major ...

A S A RESULT OF A SERIES OF advances in artificial intelligence, computer science, and microelectronics, we stand at the threshold of a new generation of computer technology having unprecedented capabilities. The United States stands to profit greatly both in national security and economic strength by its determination and ability to exploit this new technology.” This quote from the Strategic C...