Anthropological Perspectives on Environmental Communication
Through anthropological and ethnographic analyses, this collection addresses how interests, values, and ideologies affect dialogue and sustainability work. Drawing on studies from three continents – Europe, North America, and South America – the paradoxes and the plurality of meanings associated with the creation of sustainable futures are explored. The book focuses on how communication practices collide with organizational frameworks, customary practices, livelihoods, and landscape.
Analyzing uncertainty in civil engineering
This volume addresses the issue of uncertainty in civil engineering from design to construction. Failures do occur in practice. Attributing them to a residual system risk or a faulty execution of the project does not properly cover the range of causes. A closer scrutiny of the adopted design, the engineering model, the data, the soil-construction-interaction and the model assumptions is required. Usually, the uncertainties in initial and boundary conditions are abundant. Current engineering practice often leaves these issues aside, despite the fact that new scientific tools have been developed in the past decades that allow a rational description of uncertainties of all kinds, from model uncertainty to data uncertainty. It is the aim of this volume to have a critical look at current engineering risk concepts in order to raise awareness of uncertainty in numerical computations, shortcomings of a strictly probabilistic safety concept, geotechnical models of failure mechanisms and their implications for construction management, execution, and the juristic question of responsibility. In addition, a number of the new procedures for modelling uncertainty are explained.
Analytical Chemistry : Theoretical and Metrological Fundamentals
Fundamentals of Analytical Chemistry are usually presented as a sum of chemical and physical foundations, laws, axioms and equations for analytical methods and procedures. In contrast, this book delivers a practice-oriented, general guiding theory valid for all methods and techniques. Starting with a closer look to analytical signals and their dependencies, all the important figures of merit characterizing the power of analytical procedures and the reliability of analytical results are discussed and quantified, such as sensitivity, precision, accuracy and ruggedness. Elements of signal theory, information theory, statistics and fundamentals of calibration are also presented for this aim.
Analytic Methods for Design Practice
In the competitive world of modern engineering, rigorous and definite design methodologies are needed. However, many parts of engineering design are performed in either an ad-hoc manner or based on the intuition of the engineer.Analytic Methods for Design Practice is the first book to look at both stages of the design process – conceptual design and detailed design – and detail design methodologies for every step of the entire design process. The book introduces the following analytic design methodologies and explores their usefulness with many mathematical and practical examples: Axiomatic design; Optimization; Design of experiments; Robust design; Structural optimization; Dynamic response optimization; and Multidisciplinary optimization. A chapter of the book is devoted to case studies showing how practical design problems can be solved with analytic design methods based on Professor Park’s experiences of teaching design engineering over the past ten years.
An Introduction to Programming and Numerical Methods in MATLAB
The book covers numerical methods for solving a wide range of problems, from integration to the numerical solution of differential equations or the stimulation of random processes. Examples of programmes that solve problems directly, as well as those that use MATLAB’s high-level commands are given. Each chapter includes extensive examples and tasks, at varying levels of complexity. For practice, the early chapters include programmes that require debugging by the reader, while full solutions are given for all the tasks. The book also includes: A glossary of MATLAB commands / Aappendices of mathematical techniques used in numerical methods / Designed as a text for a first course in programming and algorithm design, as well as in numerical methods courses, the book will be of benefit to a wide range of students from mathematics and engineering, to commerce."
An Introduction to Meshfree Methods and Their Programming
This book aims to present meshfree methods in a friendly and straightforward manner, so that beginners can very easily understand, comprehend, program, implement, apply and extend these methods. It provides first the fundamentals of numerical analysis that are particularly important to meshfree methods. Typical meshfree methods, such as EFG, RPIM, MLPG, LRPIM, MWS and collocation methods are then introduced systematically detailing the formulation, numerical implementation and programming. Many well-tested computer source codes developed by the authors are attached with useful descriptions. The application of the codes can be readily performed using the examples with input and output files given in table form. These codes consist of most of the basic meshfree techniques, and can be easily extended to other variations of more complex procedures of meshfree methods. Readers can easily practice with the codes provided to effective learn and comprehend the basics of meshfree methods.
An Archaeological Evolution
An Archaeological Evolution is a personal recounting of his life as it is played out among some of the most important debates and movements in archaeology starting in the 1960's up to the 21st century.This seminal volume will be of interest to archaeologists (both professional and academic), anthropologists, historians, and conservators in or studying the United States but also, wherever archaeology is taught and practiced.
Amongst Mathematicians : Teaching and Learning Mathematics at University Level
Amongst Mathematicians offers a unique perspective on the ways in which mathematicians perceive their students' learning, teach and reflect on their teaching practice; also on how they perceive the often fragile relationship between the communities of mathematics and mathematics education.This book demonstrates the pedagogical potential that lies in collaborative undergraduate mathematics education research that engages mathematicians, researchers and students. Nardi also addresses the need for action in undergraduate mathematics education and offers a discourse for reform through demonstrating the feasibility and potential of collaboration between mathematicians and mathematics education researchers.
Algorithmic information theory : Mathematics of digital information processing
This book treats the Mathematics of many important areas in digital information processing.It covers, in a unified presentation, five topics: Data Compression, Cryptography, Sampling (Signal Theory), Error Control Codes, Data Reduction. The thematic choices are practice-oriented. So, the important final part of the book deals with the Discrete Cosine Transform and the Discrete Wavelet Transform, acting in image compression. The presentation is dense, the examples and numerous exercises are concrete. The pedagogic architecture follows increasing mathematical complexity.
Algebraic Geometry : An Introduction
The book starts with easily-formulated problems with non-trivial solutions – for example, Bézout’s theorem and the problem of rational curves – and uses these problems to introduce the fundamental tools of modern algebraic geometry: dimension; singularities; sheaves; varieties; and cohomology. The treatment uses as little commutative algebra as possible by quoting without proof (or proving only in special cases) theorems whose proof is not necessary in practice, the priority being to develop an understanding of the phenomena rather than a mastery of the technique. A range of exercises is provided for each topic discussed, and a selection of problems and exam papers are collected in an appendix to provide material for further study.
Advances in Mathematical Finance
This volume brings together a collection of chapters by some of the most distinguished researchers and practitioners in the fields of mathematical finance and financial engineering. Presenting state-of-the-art developments in theory and practice.
Advances in Evolutionary Algorithms : Theory, Design and Practice
The goal of this book is to provide effective optimization algorithms for solving a broad class of problems quickly, accurately, and reliably by employing evolutionary mechanisms. In this regard, five significant issues have been investigated: Bridging the gap between theory and practice of GEAs, thereby providing practical design guidelines. Demonstrating the practical use of the suggested road map. Offering a useful tool to significantly enhance the exploratory power in time-constrained and memory-limited applications. Providing a class of promising procedures that are capable of scalably solving hard problems in the continuous domain. Opening an important track for multiobjective GEA research that relies on decomposition principle.
Advances in Electronic Testing : Challenges and Methodologies
The book is a comprehensive elaboration on important topics which capture major research and development efforts today. The motivation and inspiration behind this book is to deliver a thorough text that focuses on the evolution of test technology, provides insight about the abiding importance of discussed topics, records today’s state of the art and industrial practices and trends, reveals the challenges for emerging testing methodologies, and envisages the future of this journey. The book consists of eleven edited chapters written by experts in Defect-Oriented Testing, Nanometer Technologies Failures and Testing, Silicon Debug, Delay Testing, High-Speed Test Interfaces, DFT-Oriented Low-Cost Testers, Embedded Cores and System-on-Chip Testing, Memory Testing, Mixed-Signal Testing, RF Testing and Loaded Board Testing.
Advances in Automatic Differentiation
Covers advances in automatic differentiation theory and practice. Computer scientists and mathematicians will learn about recent developments in automatic differentiation theory as well as mechanisms for the construction of robust and powerful automatic differentiation tools. Computational scientists and engineers will benefit from the discussion of various applications, which provide insight into effective strategies for using automatic differentiation for inverse problems and design optimization.
Advanced computational intelligence paradigms in healthcare 2
Computational intelligence paradigms offer many advantages in maintaining and enhancing the field of healthcare. This volume presents seven chapters selected from the rapidly growing application areas of computational intelligence to healthcare systems, including intelligent synthetic characters, man-machine interface, menu generators, analysis of user acceptance, pictures archiving and communication systems.This book will serve as a useful resource for the health professionals, professors, students, and the computer scientists, who are working on or interested in learning healthcare systems, to overview the current stat-of-the-art of diverse applications of computational intelligence to healthcare practice.
Advanced Air and Noise Pollution Control ; Vol.2
Handbook of Environmental Engineering, Volume 2, leading pollution control educators and practicing professionals describe how various combinations of different cutting-edge process systems can be arranged to solve air, noise, and thermal pollution problems. Each chapter discusses in detail a variety of process combinations, along with technical and economic evaluations, and presents explanations of the principles behind the designs, as well as numerous variant designs useful to practicing engineers. The emphasis throughout is on developing the necessary engineering solutions from fundamental principles of chemistry, physics, and mathematics. The authors also include extensive references, cost data, design methods, guidance on the installation and operation of various air pollution control process equipment and systems, and Best Available Technologies (BAT) for air, thermal, and noise pollution control. A companion volume, Air Pollution Control Engineering: Handbook of Environmental Engineering, Volume 1 critically surveys the principles and practices involved in basic air pollution control processes.
Addressing the Climate Crisis : Local action in theory and practice
This book brings together a collection of cutting-edge insights into how action can and is already being taken against climate change at multiple levels of our societies, amidst growing calls for transformative and inclusive climate action. In an era of increasing recognition regarding climate and ecological breakdown, this book offers hope, inspiration and analyses for multi-level climate action, spanning varied communities, places, spaces, agents and disciplines, demonstrating how the energy and dynamism of local scales are a powerful resource in turning the tide.
Adaptive Techniques for Dynamic Processor Optimization : Theory and Practice
This book discusses the different approaches and responses to adaptive techniques used for processor power, frequency and functionality optimization. Adaptive Techniques for Dynamic Processor Optimization: Theory and Practice includes chapter contributions that explore promising approaches and present the supporting data.
Accessing and Sharing the Benefits of the Genomics Revolution
This edited volume explores the legal, economic and political context for the debate about intellectual property rights for traditional knowledge and genetic resources and critically analyses the theory and practice of access and benefits sharing efforts around the world. The book also investigates the current flashpoints—the David and Goliath battle between Monsanto and Percy Schmeiser over farmers’ rights; the dispute over coexistence of GM and organic production; and the ownership and control of human genetic materials stored in human gene banks around the world.
A Rosicrucian Utopia in Eighteenth-Century Russia : The Masonic Circle of N.I. Novikov
The author undertakes an investigation into the history of Russian Freemasonry that has not been attempted previously. Her premise is that the Russian Enlightenment shows peculiar features, which prevent the application of the interpretative framework commonly used for the history of western thought. The author deals with the development of early Russian masonry, the formation of the Novikov circle in Moscow, the ‘programme’ of Rosicrucianism and the character of its Russian variant and, finally, the clash between the Rosicrucians and the State. The author concludes that the defenders of the Ancien Régime were not wrong. In fact the democratic behaviour, the critical attitude, the practice of participation, the freedom of thought, the tolerance for the diversity, the search for a direct communication with the divinity.



















