الصفحة 13
الصفحة 13
Examining Innovation Management from a Fair Process Perspective
Companies nowadays still differ considerably in that they interact with employees. This interaction depends on different organisational cultures, leadership styles, and the ways in which information and communication take place. A recent trend, even in economic theory, is that interactions are valued in themselves and not solely to achieve rational economic maximisation. People care about outcomes, but they also care about the interactional processes that produce those outcomes. Thomas Limberg investigates a new approach to the management of human relationships in a knowledge-based work environment and analyses the relationship between fair process and innovation performance. Key findings are that social interactions have a significant influence on execution performance in organisations, and fairness can have positive effects on innovative behaviour and therefore on innovation performance. In the transition from a production-based to a knowledge-based economy, fair process is becoming a powerful tool for managing human interactions and for influencing attitudes and behaviours that are so critical in reaching high innovation performance.
Evolvable systems : From biology to hardware ; 6th International Conference, ICES 2005, Sitges, Spain, September 12-14, 2005, Proceedings
The flying machines proposed by Leonardo da Vinci in the fifteenth century, the se- reproducing automata theory proposed by John von Neumann in the middle of the twentieth century and the current possibility of designing electronic and mechanical systems using evolutionary principles are all examples of the efforts made by humans to explore the mechanisms present in biological systems that permit them to tackle complex tasks. These initiatives have recently given rise to the emergent field of b- inspired systems and evolvable hardware. The inaugural workshop, Towards Evolvable Hardware, took place in Lausanne in October 1995, followed by the successive events of the International Conference on Evolvable Systems: From Biology to Hardware, held in Tsukuba (Japan) in October 1996, in Lausanne (Switzerland) in September 1998, in Edinburgh (UK) in April 2000, in Tokyo (Japan) in October 2001, and in Trondheim (Norway) in March 2003. Following the success of these past events the sixth international conference was aimed at presenting the latest developments in the field, bringing together researchers who use biologically inspired concepts to implement real systems in artificial intelligence, artificial life, robotics, VLSI design, and related domains. The sixth conference consolidated this biennial event as a reference meeting for the community involved in bio-inspired systems research. All the papers received were reviewed by at least three independent reviewers, thus guaranteeing a high-quality bundle for ICES 2005.
Evolutionary Computation for Modeling and Optimization
Evolutionary Computation for Optimization and Modeling is an introduction to evolutionary computation, a field which includes genetic algorithms, evolutionary programming, evolution strategies, and genetic programming. The text is a survey of some application of evolutionary algorithms. It introduces mutation, crossover, design issues of selection and replacement methods, the issue of populations size, and the question of design of the fitness function. It also includes a methodological material on efficient implementation. Some of the other topics in this book include the design of simple evolutionary algorithms, applications to several types of optimization, evolutionary robotics, simple evolutionary neural computation, and several types of automatic programming including genetic programming. The book gives applications to biology and bioinformatics and introduces a number of tools that can be used in biological modeling, including evolutionary game theory. Advanced techniques such as cellular encoding, grammar based encoding, and graph based evolutionary algorithms are also covered.
Evidence-Based Medicine - A Paradigm Ready To Be Challenged? : How Scientific Evidence Shapes Our Understanding And Use Of Medicine
This book aims to clarify the term „evidence-based medicine“ (EBM) from a philosophy of science perspective. The author, Marie-Caroline Schulte discusses the importance of evi-dence in medical research and practice with a focus on the ethical and methodological prob-lems of EBM.
Evidence-Based Implant Dentistry
Covers all aspects of implant dentistry, presenting up-to-date information that reflects the highest level of scientific evidence as presented in the specialized literature. Among the topics addressed by expert authors are the prognosis of natural tooth versus implant restorations, bone response to implant treatment, placement and loading time, implant design and length, platform design, implant abutments, prosthodontic treatment, reconstructive surgery, and periimplantitis.
Evidence-based decision making in dentistry : Multidisciplinary management of the natural dentition
Covers all aspects of the evidence-based decision making process in multidisciplinary management of the natural dentition. Individual chapters focus specifically, and in detail, on endodontic, periodontal, and prosthetic considerations, identifying aspects that need to be integrated into decision making and treatment planning. Evidence-based decision making with regard to preservation of the natural tooth versus extraction and implant placement is then discussed, and a concluding chapter examines likely future trends in dentistry and how they may affect clinical decision making.
Evaluating the Employment Effects of Job Creation Schemes in Germany
This book analyses the employment effects of job creation schemes for the participating individuals in Germany. Programmes provide subsidised jobs that are additional in nature and of value for society to hard-to-place individuals. International evidence on the effectiveness suggests that programmes should be targeted to the needs of the unemployed and should be offered early in the unemployment spell. Both questions are studied for job creation schemes in Germany. In the empirical analysis, propensity score matching methods extended to the dynamic setting are applied to administrative data of the Federal Employment Agency.
European water law and hydropolitics : An inquiry into the resilience of transboundary water governance in the European Union
provides the first comprehensive assessment of the various issues faced by countries in the European Union, where progressing climate change and urbanization pose significant cooperative challenges in a large number of river basins. Conducting a thorough analysis of the intricate web of EU water governance, it reveals that the hydropolitical stability of the European Union is already at risk. Further, given the structural nature of the shortcomings in EU water policy—e.g. the rigidity of the EU’s founding treaties or the institutional complacency of the European Commission— argues that these risks are likely to turn into sources of prolonged conflict, unless EU decision-making bodies take steps to address the new hydrological realities early on.
European Robotics Symposium 2006
This unique reference represents a cross-section of forefront robotics research, ranging from robotics and systems to learning, autonomy and failure detection, from vision and navigation to localization and mapping, which are based on the papers presented at the 1st European Robotics Symposium (EUROS-06) held in Palermo, Italy from 16-18 March, 2006. The European Robotics Symposium (EUROS) is a brand-new International scientific event promoted by EURON, the European Robotics Network. Since its inception in 2000, EURON links most of the European robotics research teams and today (2006) involves more than 165 universities and companies across all of its member states. The EUROS meeting will be held in Europe every other year, but international participation at all levels is strongly encouraged making it a meeting place for high-quality presentation of interesting international research on robotics.
European capital markets law
Examines the underlying concepts from a broadly interdisciplinary perspective. The 3rd edition deals with 3 central developments: the project of the capital markets union; sustainable finance; and the further digitalisation of financial instruments and securities markets. Throughout the book emphasis is placed on legal practice, and frequent reference is made to the key decisions of supervisory authorities and courts
Ethics Dumping : Case Studies from North-South Research Collaborations
Provides original, up-to-date case studies of “ethics dumping” that were largely facilitated by loopholes in the ethics governance of low and middle-income countries. It is instructive even to experienced researchers since it provides a voice to vulnerable populations from the forementioned countries. Ensuring the ethical conduct of North-South collaborations in research is a process fraught with difficulties. The background conditions under which such collaborations take place include extreme differentials in available income and power, as well as a past history of colonialism, while differences in culture can add a new layer of complications. In this context, up-to-date case studies of unethical conduct are essential for research ethics training.
Estrogen Effects in Psychiatric Disorders
A number of studies, mostly focusing on estrogen replacement therapy in women, have reported beneficial actions of these hormones on various neurobiological and neuropathological parameters in health and disease. Recent research has focused on gender differences and there is increasing evidence that estrogens exert protective effects in schizophrenia. Hormonal fluctuations or lack of estrogen may increase the risk of depression among vulnerable women. Treatment of depression with estrogen may stabilize and restore disrupted homeostasis – as during post-partum, premenstrual, or perimenopausal conditions – and act as a psychomodulator to offset vulnerability to dysphoric mood when estrogen levels are significantly decreased, as in the case of postmenopausal women. Studies on the effect of estrogens on Alzheimer’s Disease are still rather controversial, they do, however, facilitate the hypothesis that estrogens may have a modifying effect on the onset and course of AD, at least in subgroups of patients.
Estimation in Conditionally Heteroscedastic Time Series Models
ARCH (autoregressive conditionally heteroscedastic), is well-suited for the description of economic and financial price. Nowadays ARCH has been replaced by more general and more sophisticated models, such as GARCH (generalized autoregressive heteroscedastic). This monograph concentrates on mathematical statistical problems associated with fitting conditionally heteroscedastic time series models to data. This includes the classical statistical issues of consistency and limiting distribution of estimators. Particular attention is addressed to (quasi) maximum likelihood estimation and misspecified models, along to phenomena due to heavy-tailed innovations. The used methods are based on techniques applied to the analysis of stochastic recurrence equations. Proofs and arguments are given wherever possible in full mathematical rigour. Moreover, the theory is illustrated by examples and simulation studies.
Essentials of Urban Design
Explains the fundamental concepts of urban design, providing the understanding and tools needed to achieve better design outcomes. It is equally useful for designing places and evaluating designs.
Essential Urban Design : A Handbook for Architects, Designers and Planners
Shaping our cities, streets and public spaces, urban design informs the places we live. It is a complex multi-disciplinary process, requiring the input of a wide variety of stakeholders and design and construction professionals. Each urban project invariably throws up a new set of problems and strategic decisions for the design team. This guide distils the essential information required for the expert direction of the day-to-day work of urban design, from strategic design to masterplanning through to character assessment and collaboration. Compact and accessible with over 250 hand-drawn figures and plans, it's the perfect everyday companion for junior practitioners and experienced heads alike across the built environment.
Essential oils as antimicrobial agents in food preservation
As the food industry responds to the increasing consumer demand for green, safe and sustainable products, it is reformulating new products to replace chemical synthetic food additives. Essential Oils as Antimicrobial Agents in Food Preservation provides a comprehensive introduction to the antimicrobial activity of plant essential oils and their application strategies in food preservation. It is aimed at food microbiology experts, food preservation experts, food safety experts, food technicians and students.
Equity policies in global higher Education : Reducing inequality and increasing participation and attainment
This book discusses and analyses global policies and practices aimed at promoting equity in higher education participation and attainment. Although the massification of higher education systems has facilitated the participation of students from deprived backgrounds, socioeconomic inequalities persist in access to the most prestigious institutions and programmes. Privileged students benefit from a number of advantages in the competition for selective and scarce places: access to information, lower aversion to debt, higher expectations, better previous schooling and higher academic achievement.
Equazioni a derivate parzial I : Complementi ed esercizi
La presente raccolta di problemi ed esercizi nasce dall'esperienza maturata durante il corso di Equazioni a Derivate Parziali (EDP), tenuto nell'ambito delle lauree di primo e secondo livello presso il Politecnico di Milano. Il volume è diviso in due parti; nei primi quattro capitoli l'obiettivo è l'uso di tecniche classiche, come la separazione delle variabili, il principio di massimo o le trasformate di Laplace e Fourier, per risolvere problemi di diffusione, trasporto e vibrazione. Il quinto capitolo invita a familiarizzare con i risultati di base negli spazi di Hilbert, nella teoria delle distribuzioni (o funzioni generalizzate) di Schwartz e in quella degli spazi di Sobolev più comuni. Il sesto ed ultimo capitolo riguarda la formulazione variazionale o debole dei più importanti problemi iniziali e/o al bordo per equazioni ellittiche e di evoluzione. L'introduzione ad ogni capitolo contiene una sintesi degli strumenti teorici più utilizzati.
Environmental Risk Assessment : Quantitative Measures, Anthropogenic Influences, Human Impact
The world is a dirty place and getting dirtier all the time. The reasons for this ever-increasing lack of cleanliness are not hard to find, being basically caused by the actions of the six billion people who inhabit the planet. The needs of the people for air, water, food, housing, clothing, heating, materials, oil, gas, minerals, metals, chemicals, and so forth have, over the centuries, given rise to a variety of environmental problems that have been exacerbated or been newly created by the industrialization of the world, the increase in population, and the increase in longevity of the population. The costs of cleaning even fractions of the known environmental problems are truly enormous, as detailed in the volume Environmental Risk Analysis (I. Lerche and E. Paleologos, 2001, McGraw-Hill). The chances of causing new environmental problems, and their associated costs of clean up, are equally challenging in terms of anthropogenic influences and also of the natural environmental problems that can be triggered by humanity.
Environmental health impacts of transport and mobility
Transport and mobility are essential parts of the current organization of society. Complex activities are interwoven in such a way that problems occurring from the actual process of constant movement cannot be separated, as they are so tightly interconnected. This book examines the health effects of transport and mobility by addressing the major issues related to the subject and analyzing their consequences. Thus not only are air pollution, noise, and sedentarism and its related endocrine problems discussed, but topics such as jet-lag, accidents and violent displacement are also addressed. The strength of this book over others in the field lies in its multidisciplinary approach to the issues by a number of experts in different scientific fields who are documenting the health effects of transport and mobility. Moreover, it enhances the understanding of the issues by integrating information from different geographical regions.
