Artificial Intelligence is a field which continues to expand and develop rapidly, and so it is also one in which original ideas and fresh perspectives are of particular interest. The Starting AI Researcher Symposium (STAIRS) is an international meeting which supports Ph.D. students and those who have held a Ph.D. for less than one year, from all over the world, at the start of their career. The symposium offers doctoral students and young postdoctoral AI fellows the chance to experience delivering a presentation of their work in a supportive environment. This book presents papers from the Seventh STAIRS, a satellite event of the 21st European Conference on Artificial Intelligence (ECAI) held in Prague, Czech Republic, in August 2014. The book includes 30 papers accepted for presentation at the conference, out of 45 submissions. 16 papers were selected for an oral presentation at the symposium, while the other 14 were presented at a poster session. Together these papers cover the field of AI; knowledge representation and reasoning, machine learning, planning and scheduling being the areas which have attracted the largest number of submissions. The book provides a fascinating preview of the current work of future AI researchers, and will be of interest to all those whose work involves the use of artificial intelligence and intelligent systems.

An atmospheric and intrigue-filled novel of dead gods, buried histories, and a mysterious, protean city--from one of America's most acclaimed young fantasy writers. The city of Bulikov once wielded the powers of the gods to conquer the world, enslaving and brutalizing millions—until its divine protectors were killed. Now Bulikov has become just another colonial outpost of the world's new geopolitical power, but the surreal landscape of the city itself—first shaped, now shattered, by the thousands of miracles its guardians once worked upon it—stands as a constant, haunting reminder of its former supremacy. Into this broken city steps Shara Thivani. Officially, the unassuming young woman is just another junior diplomat sent by Bulikov's oppressors. Unofficially, she is one of her country's most accomplished spies, dispatched to catch a murderer. But as Shara pursues the killer, she starts to suspect that the beings who ruled this terrible place may not be as dead as they seem—and that Bulikov's cruel reign may not yet be over.

Universal Design, Design for All and Inclusive Design are all aimed at dismantling physical and social barriers to inclusion in all areas of life. Engagement in universal design is on the increase worldwide as practitioners and researchers explore creative and desirable solutions to shape the future of universal design products and practices. This book is a collection of the papers presented at UD2014, the International Conference on Universal Design, held in Lund, Sweden, in June 2014. The conference offered a creative and diverse meeting place for all participants to exchange knowledge, experiences and ideas, and to build global connections and creative networks for future work on universal design. The themes of UD2014 span many aspects of societal life, and the papers included here cover areas as diverse as architecture, public transport, educational and play environments, housing, universal workspaces, and the Internet of things, as well as designs and adaptations for assistive technology. The book clearly demonstrates the breadth of universal design and its ongoing adoption in societies all over the world, and will be of interest to anyone whose work involves building a more inclusive environment for all.

Welcome to the City Unspoken, where Gods and Mortals come to die. Contrary to popular wisdom, death is not the end, nor is it a passage to some transcendent afterlife. Those who die merely awake as themselves on one of a million worlds, where they are fated to live until they die again, and wake up somewhere new. All are born only once, but die many times . . . until they come at last to the City Unspoken, where the gateway to True Death can be found. Wayfarers and pilgrims are drawn to the City, which is home to murderous aristocrats, disguised gods and goddesses, a sadistic faerie princess, immortal prostitutes and queens, a captive angel, gangs of feral Death Boys and Charnel Girls . . . and one very confused New Yorker. Late of Manhattan, Cooper finds himself in a City that is not what it once was. The gateway to True Death is failing, so that the City is becoming overrun by the Dying, who clot its byzantine streets and alleys . . . and a spreading madness threatens to engulf the entire metaverse. Richly imaginative, David Edison's The Waking Engine is a stunning debut by a major new talent.

Portland has 196 public staircases, an irresistible asset to this pedestrian-friendly city. In The Portland Stairs Book, Portland's walking guru Laura Foster has gathered the best and most interesting in a handy pocket-sized guide. From Mount Tabor's epic 282 steps to the glass cupola atop 115 steps in Pioneer Courthouse, The Portland Stairs Book features details on twenty outdoor stairs that have amazing stories and something unique to offer an urban explorer. The stairs include the Willamette River Bridge Stairs, The Westover Terraces Steps, and Rocky Butte's Grand Staircase. The book also features indoor stairs that are perfect for a rainy Portland day and five Stair Trails that lead readers on urban treks that contain hundreds of steps in five different areas of town.

Emily Feather is an ordinary girl in an extraordinary family of fairies. When Emily finds out her adopted mother is pregnant, she can't help feeling upset. This means there will be another sibiling who will actually belong, unlike Emily. Emily's brother uses a magical door to show her what might have been had Emily not become part of their family.

The staircase dates back to the very beginning of architectural history. Virtually every significant building from the ziggurats of ancient Mesopotamia to the present day, has not only contained one or more staircases, but has celebrated them. For such an apparently simple part of a building they have been made in a bewildering variety of forms and from a wide range of materials. Every age has sought to out-perform the previous to produce ever more spectacular and gravity-defying designs. 'Staircases: History, Repair and Conservation' is the first major reference volume devoted entirely to the understanding of staircases and the issues surrounding their repair and conservation. Each chapter has been especially written by experts in their respective fields. The book is essential reading for professionals and anyone with an interest in staircases. It deals with the history; dating; archaeology; surveying and recording; engineering; curating; repair and conservation of the staircase in a single volume. No other book offers such a wide range of detail. The book is divided into three parts: Part 1 covers the history, development, identification and dating of staircases, providing detailed drawings and photographs and an introduction to the scientific techniques available to enable the accurate dating of staircases. Part 2 covers the design, engineering and maintenance of the staircase, giving a clear guide to the latest research into the design of safe staircases and their structural stability. Part 3 focuses on the materials commonly used to make stairs, detailing the appropriate techniques for their conservation and repair. The result is a comprehensive study encompassing considerable and far reaching research which aims to inform our understanding and advance the scholarship of the subject for years to come.

Hundreds of public stairways traverse San Francisco's 42 hills, exposing incredible vistas while connecting colorful, unique neighborhoods, and veteran guide Adah Bakalinsky loves them all. Her updated Stairway Walks in San Francisco explores well-known and clandestine corridors from Lands End to Bernal Heights while sharing captivating architectural, historical, pop culture, and horticultural notes along the way. This revised and expanded edition has been thoroughly updated and includes two additional walks, new maps, and new color photographs. The two new walks presented are: The Blue Greenway Walking, a new history, which follows the Embarcadero and weaves along the present day contour of the Bay into the future parklands and new neighborhood of San Francisco; and Jazz Takes A Walk in the Sunnyside neighborhood where the undulating geology of San Francisco invites one to hear the dance in the walk. A comprehensive appendix lists every one of the City's 600-plus public stairways. Long-term residents and tourists alike have used the book for over 25 years to adventurously uncover San Francisco's unexpected details.

This chilling, suspenseful indictment of mind control is a classic of science fiction and will haunt readers long after the last page is turned. One by one, five sixteen-year-old orphans are brought to a strange building. It is not a prison, not a hospital; it has no walls, no ceiling, no floor. Nothing but endless flights of stairs leading nowhere--except back to a strange red machine. The five must learn to love the machine and let it rule their lives. But will they let it kill their souls? "An intensely suspenseful page-turner." --School Library Journal "A riveting suspense novel with an anti-behaviorist message that works . . . because it emerges only slowly from the chilling events." --Kirkus Reviews

Stair building combines precision carpentry with tricky math, so even experienced builders find it challenging. But as this extensively illustrated book demonstrates, any builder who can measure the distance between two floors can plan and build a stunning set of stairs. By clearly laying out the geometry, planning, and construction involved, author Andy Engel takes the reader from a simple structure built of framing lumber to a set of stairs fit for a king. From building and installing railings to using off-the-shelf stair parts, Building Stairs lays out the process clearly and completely. Written by a pro Accurate and reliable Easy to navigate Covers railings and newels Includes outdoor stairs