Due to the development of science and technology, the computer has become a useful tool for supporting engineering activities in product design. Many computer aided tools such as CAD/CAM, product data management (PDM), product life cycle assessment (PLA), etc., have been popularly used in industry for reducing product development lead-time and increasing total product quality. However, the nume...

The degree of trust that an agent has for another is the strength of the agent’s belief that the other will enact its commitments without variation. A strong sense of trust may be sufficient justification for one agent to sign a contract with another when all that matters is the possibility of variation between commitment and enactment. In non-trivial contracts the agents’ information is typica...

J. Whittaker is an associate professor of computer science at the Florida Institute of Technology ([email protected]), S. Atkin is a staff software engineer with the IBM Corporation, Austin, Texas ([email protected]). Abstract—Much of the software engineering literature begins with an admonition that what practitioners are doing isn’t enough—that the state-of-the-practice is creating bad software. T...

Those involved in the improvement science community have much to celebrate as more resources become available to improve patient safety. Professor Kathleen Steven’s letter in this issue reminds us there is still much to do and that progress depends on building the scientific basis for improved patient safety and health outcomes. Professor Stevens’ letter builds on Professor Pearson’s promotion ...

The right to health relevant information derives from the principles of autonomy and self direction and has been recognised in international declarations. Providing accurate health information is part of the basis for obtaining "informed consent" and is a recognised component of business ethics, safety communications, and case and product liability law. Remarkably, anti-tobacco and pro-tobacco ...