Building on Knowledge

Honorable mention – Biomedicine and Neuroscience, 2011 Prose Awards An examination of how the cell should be described in order to effectively process biological data «The fruitful pursuit of biological knowledge requires one to take Einstein's admonition [on science without epistemology] as a practical demand for scientific research, to recognize Waddington's characterization of the subject matter of biology, and to embrace Wiener's conception of the form of biological knowledge in response to its subject matter. It is from this vantage point that we consider the epistemology of the cell.» —from the Preface In the era of high biological data throughput, biomedical engineers need a more systematic knowledge of the cell in order to perform more effective data handling. Epistemology of the Cell is the first authored book to break down this knowledge. This text examines the place of biological knowledge within the framework of science as a whole and addresses issues focused on the specific nature of biology, how biology is studied, and how biological knowledge is translated into applications, in particular with regard to medicine. The book opens with a general discussion of the historical development of human understanding of scientific knowledge, the scientific method, and the manner in which scientific knowledge is represented in mathematics. The narrative then gets specific for biology, focusing on knowledge of the cell, the basic unit of life. The salient point is the analogy between a systems-based analysis of factory regulation and the regulation of the cell. Each chapter represents a key topic of current interest, including: Causality and randomness Translational science Stochastic validation: classification Stochastic validation: networks Model-based experimentation in biology Epistemology of the Cell is written for biomedical researchers whose interests include bioinformatics, biological modeling, biostatistics, and biological signal processing.

Knowledge management has become an important topic for the theory and practice of organisation management. Knowledge Coordination argues that coordination is a key factor for managing knowledge within organisations. By offering a clearcut conceptualisation of knowledge, it fills an important gap in the literature on knowledge management. Based on the authors' rational reconstruction of knowledge coordination for knowledge management, this text identifies techniques and conceptual tools to build systemic solutions to improve on corporate operational efficacy. Contrasts business strategies, and presents and discusses the tools to implement management systems based on each of the different strategies. Among these tools, the authors discuss ontological engineering, communities of practice and an original conceptual tool called Structure of Capability Providers. Covers topics including: Intelligent Agents for Knowledge Modelling Artificial Intelligence Ontologies Managing Capabilities Assessing Knowledge Coordination It will be highly popular with academic and industrial researchers who need to understand the current thinking in research of knowledge management. In addition it is aimed at senior undergraduate and postgraduate students in computer science and Information Technology and in particular researchers in knowledge engineering, artificial intelligence and agent based systems. Management and business professionals and those dealing with IT systems design and implementation will also find it useful.

This book makes an important contribution to our understanding of practice-based organizational learning and knowing. Based on the author's detailed study of safety practices in different corporate settings. The author uses this study to empirically describe how learning, knowing and organizing are practised. Centred on the concepts of «knowing in practice» and the «texture» of organizational knowledge. Gives a rich account of how organizations learn and how corporate practices and policies evolve.

To analyze complex situations we use everyday analogies that allow us to invest in an unknown domain knowledge we have acquired in a known field. In this work the author proposes a modeling and analysis method that uses the analogy of the ecosystem to embrace the complexity of an area of knowledge. After a history of the ecosystem concept and these derivatives (nature, ecology, environment ) from antiquity to the present, the analysis method based on the modeling of socio-semantic ontologies is presented, followed by practical examples of this approach in the areas of software development, digital humanities, Big Data, and more generally in the area of complex analysis.

This book's unique perspective stems from its “knowledge diamond” framework to examine how individuals, communities, organizations and host industries reciprocally influence each other in the course of knowledge work. This highly topical book focuses on work-based projects as a focus for organizational learning. Establishes the link between individual, community, organization and industry learning. Suggests that organizations need to recognise and understand this link if they are to capitalize on project-based learning. Incorporates material on project-based learning in virtual communities. Refers to different examples, such as the film industry, the software industry and the boat building industry. Includes end-of-chapter questions provoking reflection and discussion.

A pedagogical approach to the principles and architecture of knowledge management in organizations This textbook is based on a graduate course taught at Stevens Institute of Technology. It focuses on the design and management of today’s complex K organizations. A K organization is any company that generates and applies knowledge. The text takes existing ideas from organizational design and knowledge management to enhance and elevate each through harmonization with concepts from other disciplines. The authors—noted experts in the field—concentrate on both micro- and macro design and their interrelationships at individual, group, work, and organizational levels. A key feature of the textbook is an incisive discussion of the cultural, practice, and social aspects of knowledge management. The text explores the processes, tools, and infrastructures by which an organization can continuously improve, maintain, and exploit all elements of its knowledge base that are most relevant to achieve its strategic goals. The book seamlessly intertwines the disciplines of organizational design and knowledge management and offers extensive discussions, illustrative examples, student exercises, and visualizations. The following major topics are addressed: Knowledge management, intellectual capital, and knowledge systems Organizational design, behavior, and architecture Organizational strategy, change, and development Leadership and innovation Organizational culture and learning Social networking, communications, and collaboration Strategic human resources; e.g., hiring K workers and performance reviews Knowledge science, thinking, and creativity Philosophy of knowledge and information Information, knowledge, social, strategy, and contract continuums Information management and intelligent systems; e.g., business intelligence, big data, and cognitive systems Designing Knowledge Organizations takes an interdisciplinary and original approach to assess and synthesize the disciplines of knowledge management and organizational design, drawing upon conceptual underpinnings and practical experiences in these and related areas.

The comprehensive reference on the basics of structural analysis and design, now updated with the latest considerations of building technology Structural design is an essential element of the building process, yet one of the most difficult to learn. While structural engineers do the detailed consulting work for a building project, architects need to know enough structural theory and analysis to design a building. Most texts on structures for architects focus narrowly on the mathematical analysis of isolated structural components, yet Building Structures looks at the general concepts with selected computations to understand the role of the structure as a building subsystem—without the complicated mathematics. New to this edition is a complete discussion of the LRFD method of design, supplemented by the ASD method, in addition to: The fundamentals of structural analysis and design for architects A glossary, exercise problems, and a companion website and instructor's manual Material ideally suited for preparing for the ARE exam Profusely illustrated throughout with drawings and photographs, and including new case studies, Building Structures, Third Edition is perfect for nonengineers to understand and visualize structural design.

Building care encompasses everything from maintenance of a building to energy conservation and range of approaches, including the effects on design. A range of approaches to looking after buildings and their users is covered in this book. The rationale and conditions that support them (e.g. PPM – preventative planned maintenance; JIT – just in time) are explained, together with the commercial and environmental imperatives driving new approaches to building care.

In principle the advanced, market-driven world in which we now live is fuelled by knowledge, information and transparency, but in practice the processes that produce this world systematically corrupt and denigrate knowledge: this is the powerful and provocative argument advanced by Colin Crouch in his latest exploration of societies on the road to post-democracy. Crouch shows that executives in profit-maximizing corporations have incentives to ignore or distort knowledge, especially firms in the information business of the mass media themselves, as financial knowledge increasingly trumps the other kinds of knowledge that business needs. Firms also seek to take control of public knowledge and use it for their own ends, often at the cost of other stakeholders in society. Meanwhile the transfer of similar practices to professional public services undermines professional skills and ethics – especially when these services are out-sourced to the private sector. Attempts to extricate ourselves from these problems involve reshaping the complex and often conflicting relationships among citizens, professionals, managers and financiers. This new book by one of the most incisive critics of contemporary Western societies will be of interest to a wide range of readers, from students to policy-makers and those who work in the public and private sectors.

Explores and brings together the existent body of knowledge on building performance analysis Building performance is an important yet surprisingly complex concept. This book presents a comprehensive and systematic overview of the subject. It provides a working definition of building performance, and an in-depth discussion of the role building performance plays throughout the building life cycle. The book also explores the perspectives of various stakeholders, the functions of buildings, performance requirements, performance quantification (both predicted and measured), criteria for success, and the challenges of using performance analysis in practice. Building Performance Analysis starts by introducing the subject of building performance: its key terms, definitions, history, and challenges. It then develops a theoretical foundation for the subject, explores the complexity of performance assessment, and the way that performance analysis impacts on actual buildings. In doing so, it attempts to answer the following questions: What is building performance? How can building performance be measured and analyzed? How does the analysis of building performance guide the improvement of buildings? And what can the building domain learn from the way performance is handled in other disciplines? Assembles the current body of knowledge on building performance analysis in one unique resource Offers deep insights into the complexity of using building performance analysis throughout the entire building life cycle, including design, operation and management Contributes an emergent theory of building performance and its analysis Building Performance Analysis will appeal to the building science community, both from industry and academia. It specifically targets advanced students in architectural engineering, building services design, building performance simulation and similar fields who hold an interest in ensuring that buildings meet the needs of their stakeholders.