The book is addressed to young people interested in computer technologies and computer science. The objective of this book is to provide the reader with all the necessary elements to get him or her started in the modern field of informatics and to allow him or her to become aware of the relationship between key areas of computer science. The book is addressed not only to future software developers, but also to all who are interested in computing in a widely understood sense. The authors also expect that some computer professionals will want to review this book to lift themselves above the daily grind and to embrace the excellence of the whole field of computer science. Unlike existing books, this one bypasses issues concerning the construction of computers and focuses only on information processing. Recognizing the importance of the human factor in information processing, the authors intend to present the theoretical foundations of computer science, software development rules, and some business aspects of informatics in non-technocratic, humanistic terms.

This book constitutes the thoroughly refereed joint post-proceedings of five international workshops organized by the Japanese Society of Artificial Intelligence, JSAI in 2001.The 75 revised papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected for inclusion in the volume. In accordance with the five workshops documented, the book offers topical sections on social intelligence design, agent-based approaches in economic and complex social systems, rough set theory and granular computing, chance discovery, and challenges in knowledge discovery and data mining.

Health IT is a major field of investment in support of healthcare delivery, but patients and professionals tend to have systems imposed upon them by organizational policy or as a result of even higher policy decision. And, while many health IT systems are efficient and welcomed by their users, and are essential to modern healthcare, this is not the case for all. Unfortunately, some systems cause user frustration and result in inefficiency in use, and a few are known to have inconvenienced patients or even caused harm, including the occasional death. This book seeks to answer the need for better understanding of the importance of robust evidence to support health IT and to optimize investment in it; to give insight into health IT evidence and evaluation as its primary source; and to promote health informatics as an underpinning science demonstrating the same ethical rigour and proof of net benefit as is expected of other applied health technologies. The book is divided into three parts: the context and importance of evidence-based health informatics; methodological considerations of health IT evaluation as the source of evidence; and ensuring the relevance and application of evidence. A number of cross cutting themes emerge in each of these sections. This book seeks to inform the reader on the wide range of knowledge available, and the appropriateness of its use according to the circumstances. It is aimed at a wide readership and will be of interest to health policymakers, clinicians, health informaticians, the academic health informatics community, members of patient and policy organisations, and members of the vendor industry.

By taking corporate marketing concepts and applying them to countries, nation branding is a way for these regions to enhance their reputations and project a desired image for international recognition. New modes of publicity and marketing geared towards geographic location fall into this category, leading nation branding to have vast benefits for the economies and societies of countries. New marketing strategies have emerged and are being adopted to consequently brand countries with the purpose of economic growth. By studying these emerging strategies and methods, nations can best develop a desired brand and reputation to foster growth and prosperity. Global Developments in Nation Branding and Promotion: Theoretical and Practical Approaches presents the functionality of nation branding in benefiting the positioning and identity promotion of nations. The chapters address theoretical considerations of the nature of nation brands and their implications in measuring branding inference. Covering topics such as country of origin association, memory politics, and international relations, this premier reference source is an excellent resource for brand managers, politicians, government officials, marketers, communication consultants, business leaders and executives, students and educators of higher education, researchers, and academicians.