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Simulating Conversations for the Prediction of Speech Quality (T-Labs Series in Telecommunication Services)
by Thilo MichaelThis book discusses the simulation of conversations through a novel approach of predicting speech quality based on the interactions of two simulated interlocutors. The author describes the setup of a simulation environment that is capable of simulating human dialogue on the speech level. The impact of delay and bursty packet loss on VoIP conversations is investigated and modeled for the use in the simulation. Based on parameters extracted from simulated conversations, the author proposes extensions to the E-model, a parametric model standardized by the International Telecommunications Union, in order to predict the quality of the simulated conversations. The author shows that predictions based on the simulated conversations outperform models that rely on the transmission parameters alone.
Simulating Good and Evil: The Morality and Politics of Videogames
by Marcus SchulzkeSimulating Good and Evil shows that the moral panic surrounding violent videogames is deeply misguided, and often politically motivated, but that games are nevertheless morally important. Simulated actions are morally defensible because they take place outside the real world and do not inflict real harms. Decades of research purporting to show that videogames are immoral has failed to produce convincing evidence of this. However, games are morally important because they simulate decisions that would have moral weight if they were set in the real world. Videogames should be seen as spaces in which players may experiment with moral reasoning strategies without taking any actions that would themselves be subject to moral evaluation. Some videogame content may be upsetting or offensive, but mere offense does not necessarily indicate a moral problem. Upsetting content is best understood by applying existing theories for evaluating political ideologies and offensive speech.
Simulating Heterogeneous Crowds with Interactive Behaviors
by Nuria Pelechano, Jan M. Allbeck, Mubbasir Kapadia and Norman I. BadlerThis book provides a deep understanding of state-of-art methods for simulation of heterogeneous crowds in computer graphics. It will cover different aspects that are necessary to achieve plausible crowd behaviors. The book will be a review of the most recent literature in this field that can help professionals and graduate students interested in this field to get up to date with the latest contributions, and open problems for their possible future research. The chapter contributors are well known researchers and practitioners in the field and they include their latest contributions in the different topics required to achieve believable heterogeneous crowd simulation. Provides crowd simulation methodology to populate virtual environments, for video games or any kind of applications that requires believable multi-agent behavior Presents the latest contributions on crowd simulation, animation, planning, rendering and evaluation with detailed algorithms for implementation purposes Includes perspectives of both academic researchers and industrial practitioners with reference to open source solutions and commercial applications, where appropriate
Simulating Interacting Agents and Social Phenomena
by Claudio Cioffi-Revilla Guillaume Deffuant Keiki TakadamaAgent-based modeling and social simulation have emerged as an interdisciplinary area of social science that includes computational economics, organizational science, social dynamics, and complex systems. This area contributes to enriching our understanding of the fundamental processes of social phenomena caused by complex interactions among agents. Bringing together diverse approaches to social simulation and research agendas, this book presents a unique collection of contributions from the Second World Congress on Social Simulation, held in 2008 at George Mason University in Washington DC, USA. This book in particular includes articles on norms, diffusion, social networks, economy, markets and organizations, computational modeling, and programming environments, providing new hypotheses and theories, new simulation experiments compared with various data sets, and new methods for model design and development. These works emerged from a global and interdisciplinary scientific community of the three regional scientific associations for social simulation: the North American Association for Computational Social and Organizational Science (NAACSOS; now the Computational Social Science Society, CSSS), the European Social Simulation Association (ESSA), and the Pacific Asian Association for Agent-bBased Approach in Social Systems Sciences (PAAA).
Simulating Knowledge Dynamics in Innovation Networks
by Nigel Gilbert Petra Ahrweiler Andreas PykaThe competitiveness of firms, regions and countries greatly depends on the generation, dissemination and application of new knowledge. Modern innovation research is challenged by the need to incorporate knowledge generation and dissemination processes into the analysis so as to disentangle the complexity of these dynamic processes. With innovation, however, strong uncertainty, nonlinearities and actor heterogeneity become central factors that are at odds with traditional modeling techniques anchored in equilibrium and homogeneity. This text introduces SKIN (Simulation Knowledge Dynamics in Innovation Networks), an agent-based simulation model that primarily focuses on joint knowledge creation and exchange of knowledge in innovation cooperations and networks. In this context, knowledge is explicitly modeled and not approximated by, for instance, the level of accumulated R&D investment. The SKIN approach supports applications in different domains ranging from sector-based research activities in knowledge-intensive industries to the activities of international research consortia engaged in basic and applied research. Following a general description of the SKIN model, several applications and modifications are presented. Each chapter introduces in detail the structure of the model, the relevant methodological considerations and the analysis of simulation results, while options for empirically validating the models' structure and outcomes are also discussed. The book considers the scope of further applications and outlines prospects for the development of joint modeling strategies.
Simulating Nonlinear Circuits with Python Power Electronics: An Open-Source Simulator, Based on Python™
by Shivkumar V. IyerThis book provides readers with an in-depth discussion of circuit simulation, combining basic electrical engineering circuit theory with Python programming. It fills an information gap by describing the development of Python Power Electronics, an open-source software for simulating circuits, and demonstrating its use in a sample circuit. Unlike typical books on circuit theory that describe how circuits can be solved mathematically, followed by examples of simulating circuits using specific, commercial software, this book has a different approach and focus. The author begins by describing every aspect of the open-source software, in the context of non-linear power electronic circuits, as a foundation for aspiring or practicing engineers to embark on further development of open source software for different purposes. By demonstrating explicitly the operation of the software through algorithms, this book brings together the fields of electrical engineering and software technology.
Simulating Science: Computer Simulations as Scientific Instruments (Synthese Library #479)
by Ramón AlvaradoThis book provides a philosophical framework to understand computer simulations as scientific instruments. This is in sharp contrast to existing philosophical approaches on the subject, which have historically understood computer simulations as either formal abstractions or as broadly construed empirical practices. In order to make its case, the volume contains a thorough examination of conventional philosophical approaches as well as their respective limitations. Yet, also, unlike other accounts of computer simulations from the perspective of the philosophy of science, this book incorporates insights from the philosophy of technology and the history of science. Hence, the book offers philosophers of science, technologists and other researchers interested in the topic, a thorough overview of the philosophical issues regarding the design, development and deployment of computer simulations in science and science-based policy making.
Simulating Social Complexity
by Bruce Edmonds Ruth MeyerSocial systems are among the most complex known. This poses particular problems for those who wish to understand them. The complexity often makes analytic approaches infeasible and natural language approaches inadequate for relating intricate cause and effect. However, individual- and agent-based computational approaches hold out the possibility of new and deeper understanding of such systems. Simulating Social Complexity examines all aspects of using agent- or individual-based simulation. This approach represents systems as individual elements having each their own set of differing states and internal processes. The interactions between elements in the simulation represent interactions in the target systems. What makes these elements "social" is that they are usefully interpretable as interacting elements of an observed society. In this, the focus is on human society, but can be extended to include social animals or artificial agents where such work enhances our understanding of human society. The phenomena of interest then result (emerge) from the dynamics of the interaction of social actors in an essential way and are usually not easily simplifiable by, for example, considering only representative actors. The introduction of accessible agent-based modelling allows the representation of social complexity in a more natural and direct manner than previous techniques. In particular, it is no longer necessary to distort a model with the introduction of overly strong assumptions simply in order to obtain analytic tractability. This makes agent-based modelling relatively accessible to a range of scientists. The outcomes of such models can be displayed and animated in ways that also make them more interpretable by experts and stakeholders. This handbook is intended to help in the process of maturation of this new field. It brings together, through the collaborative effort of many leading researchers, summaries of the best thinking and practice in this area and constitutes a reference point for standards against which future methodological advances are judged. This book will help those entering into the field to avoid "reinventing the wheel" each time, but it will also help those already in the field by providing accessible overviews of current thought. The material is divided into four sections: Introductory, Methodology, Mechanisms, and Applications. Each chapter starts with a very brief section called 'Why read this chapter?' followed by an abstract, which summarizes the content of the chapter. Each chapter also ends with a section of 'Further Reading' briefly describing three to eight items that a newcomer might read next.
Simulating the Mind II: From Artificial Intelligence to Neurology and Psychoanalysis
by Dietmar Dietrich Volker Hartmann CardelleThe declared goal of this book, an extended and revised translation of the German edition (2021), is to show how a unified model of the psyche and body can be developed via insights from psychoanalysis, neurology and computer technology. On the one hand, such a model allows for the testing of psychological and social theories on a scientific basis with the help of simulation experiments. On the other hand, the model developed according to the functional structures of the human brain and psyche provides the basis for artificial intelligence systems. These are systems with cognitive capabilities that can save human lives, save energy, ensure safety at airports, provide support in old-age care and in the medical field; in other words and generally speaking, systems that can simplify our lives in a relevant way and on a broad basis. A great deal of time and money is invested in genetic engineering and neurology, but research into the mental apparatus in the context of the neurological part, i.e., modeling the brain in a holistic way, is sparse in every respect. However, the results of the scientific project SiMA, of which the first author has been a driving force, show that the research of this organ, which in the authors’ understanding includes the mental apparatus, as a whole, is quite feasible today. This is also the main message of the book, which addresses topics such as artificial intelligence, the brain, psychoanalysis, behavioral models, complexity, bionics of the mental, emotions and feelings, consciousness and awareness, preconscious and unconscious, the functional (and not only behavioral) description and modeling of the brain and especially of the mental apparatus, and some more. In the world of technology, there is generally little interest in psychoanalysis, whereas in the world of psychoanalysis, people usually refuse to deal with mathematics and technology, especially computer technology. Is there an information theory of the brain on the one hand, and of computer technology on the other hand? The authors attempt to answer this question from both sides. With the goal to reach as many readers as possible and to provoke, the authors break with traditions and give space to new forms of thinking and argue that it is crucial to take a new path in automation, in artificial intelligence and in (technical) cognitive science, but also in psychoanalysis and neurology, in order to create a common basis for scientific and technical possibilities that have been previously inaccessible.
Simulating Transitions to Agriculture in Prehistory (Computational Social Sciences)
by Salvador Pardo-Gordó Sean BerginThis book highlights new and innovative approaches to archaeological research using computational modeling while focusing on the Neolithic transition around the world.The transformative effect of the spread and adoption of agriculture in prehistory cannot be overstated. Consequently, archaeologists have often focused their research on this transition, hoping to understand both the ecological causes and impacts of this shift, as well as the social motivations and constraints involved. Given the complex interplay of socio-ecological factors, the answers to these types of questions cannot be found using traditional archaeological methods alone. Computational modeling techniques have emerged as an effective approach for better understanding prehistoric data sets and the linkages between social and ecological factors at play during periods of subsistence change. Such techniques include agent-based modeling, Bayesian modeling, GIS modeling of the prehistoric environment, and the modeling of small-scale agriculture. As more archaeological data sets aggregate regarding the transition to agriculture, researchers are often left with few ways to relate these sets to one another.Computational modeling techniques such as those described above represent a critical next step in providing archaeological analyses that are important for understanding human prehistory around the world. Given its scope, this book will appeal to the many interdisciplinary scientists and researchers whose work involves archaeology and computational social science.
Simulating Urban Traffic Scenarios: 3rd SUMO Conference 2015 Berlin, Germany (Lecture Notes in Mobility)
by Michael Behrisch Melanie WeberThis contributed volume contains the conference proceedings of the Simulation of Urban Mobility (SUMO) conference 2015, Berlin. The included papers cover a wide range of topics in traffic planning and simulation, including intermodal simulation, intermodal transport, vehicular communication, modeling urban mobility, open data as well as autonomous driving. The target audience primarily comprises researchers and experts in the field of mobility research, but the book may also be beneficial for graduate students.
Simulation and Computational Red Teaming for Problem Solving (IEEE Press Series on Computational Intelligence)
by Hussein Abbass Jiangjun Tang George LeuAn authoritative guide to computer simulation grounded in a multi-disciplinary approach for solving complex problems Simulation and Computational Red Teaming for Problem Solving offers a review of computer simulation that is grounded in a multi-disciplinary approach. The authors present the theoretical foundations of simulation and modeling paradigms from the perspective of an analyst. The book provides the fundamental background information needed for designing and developing consistent and useful simulations. In addition to this basic information, the authors explore several advanced topics. The book’s advanced topics demonstrate how modern artificial intelligence and computational intelligence concepts and techniques can be combined with various simulation paradigms for solving complex and critical problems. Authors examine the concept of Computational Red Teaming to reveal how the combined fundamentals and advanced techniques are used successfully for solving and testing complex real-world problems. This important book: • Demonstrates how computer simulation and Computational Red Teaming support each other for solving complex problems • Describes the main approaches to modeling real-world phenomena and embedding these models into computer simulations • Explores how a number of advanced artificial intelligence and computational intelligence concepts are used in conjunction with the fundamental aspects of simulation Written for researchers and students in the computational modelling and data analysis fields, Simulation and Computational Red Teaming for Problem Solving covers the foundation and the standard elements of the process of building a simulation and explores the simulation topic with a modern research approach.
Simulation and Gaming across Borders: 55th International Simulation and Gaming Association Conference, ISAGA 2024, Christchurch, New Zealand, July 8–12, 2024, Revised Selected Papers (Lecture Notes in Computer Science #15420)
by Heide Lukosch Maria Freese Sebastiaan MeijerThis book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 55th International Simulation and Gaming Association Conference, held in Christchurch, New Zealand, during July 8–12, 2024. The 20 full papers in this book were carefully reviewed and selected from 25 submissions. This year&’s theme has been Simulation and Gaming across Borders. The 2024 conference underscored the global and interdisciplinary reach of simulation and gaming as tools for education, research, and social change. The proceedings presented here capture the breadth of this convergence, highlighting innovative applications, emerging ethical considerations, intercultural dynamics, and new frontiers in facilitation techniques.
Simulation and Gaming for Social Design (Translational Systems Sciences #25)
by Toshiyuki Kaneda Ryoju Hamada Terukazu KumazawaThis book is a collection of research articles that deal with three aspects of simulation and gaming for social design: (1) Theory and methodology, including game system theory and agent-based modeling; (2) Sustainability, including global warming and the energy–food nexus);; and (3) Social entrepreneurship, including business, ethnic, and ethical understanding. The latter two especially form two major areas of clinical knowledge in contemporary life. Simulation and gaming, with its participatory approach, provides participants with a seamless integration of problem solving and education. It has been known as a tool for interdisciplinary communication since the 1960s, and now it is being developed to contribute to global society in the twenty-first century. This is the first book on simulation and gaming for social design that covers all aspects from the methodological foundations to practical examples in the fields of sustainability and social entrepreneurship. Regardless of the size of the problematics, societal system design involves (1) The visioning and conception aspects due to the long-term, overall nature of the goal; (2) Interdisciplinary thinking and communication for the exploration of new states of accommodation with technological systems; and (3) The “human dimension” aspect including education that must be dealt with, thus academic developments of simulation and gaming for social design as system thinking and practice methodologies are anticipated. Simulation and gaming has great potential for development as a tool to facilitate the transfer between theoretical and clinical knowledge.
Simulation and Gaming for Social Impact: 53rd International Simulation and Gaming Association Conference, ISAGA 2022, Boston, MA, USA, July 11–14, 2022, Revised Selected Papers (Lecture Notes in Computer Science #13622)
by Casper Harteveld Steven Sutherland Giovanni Troiano Heide Lukosch Sebastiaan MeijerThis book constitutes revised selected papers from the 53rd International Simulation and Gaming Association Conference, ISAGA 2022, which took place in Boston, USA, during July 11–14, 2022.The 15 full papers presented in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected from 35 submissions. They were organized in topical sections named: education and training; resilience and sustainability; health; and social justice.
Simulation and Inference for Stochastic Processes with YUIMA: A Comprehensive R Framework for SDEs and Other Stochastic Processes (Use R!)
by Stefano M. Iacus Nakahiro YoshidaThe YUIMA package is the first comprehensive R framework based on S4 classes and methods which allows for the simulation of stochastic differential equations driven by Wiener process, Lévy processes or fractional Brownian motion, as well as CARMA, COGARCH, and Point processes. The package performs various central statistical analyses such as quasi maximum likelihood estimation, adaptive Bayes estimation, structural change point analysis, hypotheses testing, asynchronous covariance estimation, lead-lag estimation, LASSO model selection, and so on. YUIMA also supports stochastic numerical analysis by fast computation of the expected value of functionals of stochastic processes through automatic asymptotic expansion by means of the Malliavin calculus. All models can be multidimensional, multiparametric or non parametric.The book explains briefly the underlying theory for simulation and inference of several classes of stochastic processes and then presents both simulation experiments and applications to real data. Although these processes have been originally proposed in physics and more recently in finance, they are becoming popular also in biology due to the fact the time course experimental data are now available. The YUIMA package, available on CRAN, can be freely downloaded and this companion book will make the user able to start his or her analysis from the first page.
Simulation and Its Discontents
by Sherry TurkleOver the past twenty years, the technologies of simulation and visualization have changed our ways of looking at the world. In Simulation and Its Discontents,Sherry Turkle examines the now dominant medium of our working lives and finds that simulation has become its own sensibility. We hear it in Turkle's description of architecture students who no longer design with a pencil, of science and engineering students who admit that computer models seem more "real" than experiments in physical laboratories. Echoing architect Louis Kahn's famous question, "What does a brick want?", Turkle asks, "What does simulation want?" Simulations want, even demand, immersion, and the benefits are clear. Architects create buildings unimaginable before virtual design; scientists determine the structure of molecules by manipulating them in virtual space; physicians practice anatomy on digitized humans. But immersed in simulation, we are vulnerable. There are losses as well as gains. Older scientists describe a younger generation as "drunk with code." Young scientists, engineers, and designers, full citizens of the virtual, scramble to capture their mentors' tacit knowledge of buildings and bodies. From both sides of a generational divide, there is anxiety that in simulation, something important is slipping away. Turkle's examination of simulation over the past twenty years is followed by four in-depth investigations of contemporary simulation culture: space exploration, oceanography, architecture, and biology. Simplicity: Design, Technology, Business, Life, edited by John Maeda
Simulation and Its Discontents (Simplicity: Design, Technology, Business, Life)
by Sherry TurkleHow the simulation and visualization technologies so pervasive in science, engineering, and design have changed our way of seeing the world.Over the past twenty years, the technologies of simulation and visualization have changed our ways of looking at the world. In Simulation and Its Discontents, Sherry Turkle examines the now dominant medium of our working lives and finds that simulation has become its own sensibility. We hear it in Turkle's description of architecture students who no longer design with a pencil, of science and engineering students who admit that computer models seem more “real” than experiments in physical laboratories.Echoing architect Louis Kahn's famous question, “What does a brick want?”, Turkle asks, “What does simulation want?” Simulations want, even demand, immersion, and the benefits are clear. Architects create buildings unimaginable before virtual design; scientists determine the structure of molecules by manipulating them in virtual space; physicians practice anatomy on digitized humans. But immersed in simulation, we are vulnerable. There are losses as well as gains. Older scientists describe a younger generation as “drunk with code.” Young scientists, engineers, and designers, full citizens of the virtual, scramble to capture their mentors' tacit knowledge of buildings and bodies. From both sides of a generational divide, there is anxiety that in simulation, something important is slipping away. Turkle's examination of simulation over the past twenty years is followed by four in-depth investigations of contemporary simulation culture: space exploration, oceanography, architecture, and biology.
Simulation and Learning: A Model-Centered Approach
by Franco LandriscinaThe main idea of this book is that to comprehend the instructional potential of simulation and to design effective simulation-based learning environments, one has to consider both what happens inside the computer and inside the students' minds. The framework adopted to do this is model-centered learning, in which simulation is seen as particularly effective when learning requires a restructuring of the individual mental models of the students, as in conceptual change. Mental models are by themeselves simulations, and thus simulation models can extend our biological capacity to carry out simulative reasoning. For this reason, recent approaches in cognitive science like embodied cognition and the extended mind hypothesis are also considered in the book.. A conceptual model called the "epistemic simulation cycle" is proposed as a blueprint for the comprehension of the cognitive activies involved in simulation-based learning and for instructional design.
Simulation and Learning
by Franco LandriscinaThe main idea of this book is that to comprehend the instructional potential of simulation and to design effective simulation-based learning environments, one has to consider both what happens inside the computer and inside the students' minds. The framework adopted to do this is model-centered learning, in which simulation is seen as particularly effective when learning requires a restructuring of the individual mental models of the students, as in conceptual change. Mental models are by themeselves simulations, and thus simulation models can extend our biological capacity to carry out simulative reasoning. For this reason, recent approaches in cognitive science like embodied cognition and the extended mind hypothesis are also considered in the book.. A conceptual model called the "epistemic simulation cycle" is proposed as a blueprint for the comprehension of the cognitive activies involved in simulation-based learning and for instructional design.
Simulation and Modeling Methodologies, Technologies and Applications
by Joaquim Filipe Tuncer Ören Janusz Kacprzyk Mohammad S. ObaidatThepresent book includes a set of selected extended papers from the 5thInternational Conference on Simulation and Modeling Methodologies, Technologiesand Applications (SIMULTECH 2015), held in Colmar, France, from 21 to 23 July2015. The conference brought together researchers, engineers and practitionersinterested in methodologies and applications of modeling and simulation. Newand innovative solutions are reported in this book. SIMULTECH 2015 received 102submissions, from 36 countries, in all continents. After a double blind paperreview performed by the Program Committee, 19% were accepted as full papers andthus selected for oral presentation. Additional papers were accepted as shortpapers and posters. A further selection was made after the Conference, basedalso on the assessment of presentation quality and audience interest, so thatthis book includes the extended and revised versions of the very best papers ofSIMULTECH 2015. Commitment to high quality standards is a major concern of SIMULTECHthat will be maintained in the next editions, considering not only thestringent paper acceptance ratios but also the quality of the programcommittee, keynote lectures, participation level and logistics.
Simulation and Modeling Methodologies, Technologies and Applications
by Mohammad S. Obaidat Slawomir Koziel Janusz Kacprzyk Leifur Leifsson Tuncer ÖrenThis book includes extended and revised versions of a set of selected papers from the 3rd International Conference on Simulation and Modeling Methodologies, Technologies and Applications (SIMULTECH 2013) which was co-organized by the Reykjavik University (RU) and sponsored by the Institute for Systems and Technologies of Information, Control and Communication (INSTICC). SIMULTECH 2013 was held in cooperation with the ACM SIGSIM - Special Interest Group (SIG) on SImulation and Modeling (SIM), Movimento Italiano Modellazione e Simulazione (MIMOS) and AIS Special Interest Group on Modeling and Simulation (AIS SIGMAS) and technically co-sponsored by the Society for Modeling & Simulation International (SCS), Liophant Simulation, Simulation Team and International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP). This proceedings brings together researchers, engineers, applied mathematicians and practitioners working in the advances and applications in the field of system simulation.
Simulation and Modeling Methodologies, Technologies and Applications
by Mohammad S. Obaidat Tuncer Ören Yuri MerkuryevThis book includes extended and revised versions of a set of selected papers from the 2012 International Conference on Simulation and Modeling Methodologies, Technologies and Applications (SIMULTECH 2012) which was sponsored by the Institute for Systems and Technologies of Information, Control and Communication (INSTICC) and held in Rome, Italy. SIMULTECH 2012 was technically co-sponsored by the Society for Modeling & Simulation International (SCS), GDR I3, Lionphant Simulation, Simulation Team and IFIP and held in cooperation with AIS Special Interest Group of Modeling and Simulation (AIS SIGMAS) and the Movimento Italiano Modellazione e Simulazione (MIMOS).
Simulation and Modeling Methodologies, Technologies and Applications: 7th International Conference, SIMULTECH 2017 Madrid, Spain, July 26–28, 2017 Revised Selected Papers (Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing #873)
by Mohammad S. Obaidat Tuncer Ören Floriano De RangoThis book highlights a set of selected, revised and extended papers from the 7th International Conference on Simulation and Modeling Methodologies, Technologies and Applications (SIMULTECH 2017), held in Madrid, Spain, on July 26 to 28, 2017. The conference brought together researchers, engineers and practitioners whose work involves methodologies in and applications of modeling and simulation. The papers showcased here represent the very best papers from the Conference, and report on a broad range of new and innovative solutions.
Simulation and Modeling Methodologies, Technologies and Applications: 8th International Conference, SIMULTECH 2018, Porto, Portugal, July 29-31, 2018, Revised Selected Papers (Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing #947)
by Mohammad S. Obaidat Tuncer Ören Floriano De RangoThis book includes a selection of papers from the 8th International Conference on Simulation and Modeling Methodologies, Technologies and Applications (SIMULTECH 2018), held in Porto, Portugal, from July 29 to 31, 2018. Presenting new and innovative solutions, the book features extended and revised versions of the very best conference papers as well as the latest research in the field.