Beginning GIMP : From novice to professional
Beginning GIMP: From Novice to Professional explains how to use the open source image manipulation program, GIMP version 2.4. You'll learn how to install GIMP on Windows, Linux, and MacOS X platforms. Once you've installed the application, you'll learn about the interface and configuration options, and then jump into a quick–and–simple project to familiarize yourself even further. With four–color graphics and screenshots throughout, you'll learn how to prepare camera images for display on web pagesincluding functions like rescaling, cropping, and balancing color. The book also explains with great detail how to utilize layers, paths, and masks. You'll also learn how to draw lines and shapes, use patterns and gradients, and even create your own brushes, patterns, and gradients.
Beginning DB2 : From novice to professional
IBM’s DB2 Express Edition is one of the most capable of the free database platforms available in today’s marketplace. In Beginning DB2, author Grant Allen gets you started using DB2 Express Edition for web sites, desktop applications, and more. The author covers the basics of DB2 for developers and database administrators, shows you how to manage data in both XML and relational form, and includes numerous code examples so that you are never in doubt as to how things work.
3D Imaging, Analysis and Applications
This textbook is designed for postgraduate studies in the field of 3D Computer Vision. It also provides a useful reference for industrial practitioners; for example, in the areas of 3D data capture, computer-aided geometric modelling and industrial quality assurance. This second edition is a significant upgrade of existing topics with novel findings. Additionally, it has new material covering consumer-grade RGB-D cameras, 3D morphable models, deep learning on 3D datasets, as well as new applications in the 3D digitization of cultural heritage and the 3D phenotyping of crops.
Advances in Mechanics of Materials for Environmental and Civil Engineering
Deals with both mathematical modeling and experimental studies related to systems relevant for various civil engineering fields. The book addresses several key topics, including artificial intelligence applied to the control and monitoring of construction site personnel, finite element models for endplate beam-to-column connections under various load conditions, random functionally graded micropolar beams, and many others. The book explores the design and study of microstructures aimed at increasing the toughness and durability of novel materials in building and construction, based also on the re-utilization of residues and wastes of metallurgical industry produces.
Managing Elevated Risk : Global Liquidity, Capital Flows, and Macroprudential Policy—An Asian Perspective
Discusses the risks and opportunities that arise in Emerging Asia given the context of a new environment in global liquidity and capital flows. It elaborates on the need to ensure financial and overall economic stability in the region through improved financial regulation and other policy measures to minimize the emergent risks. "Managing Elevated Risk: Global Liquidity, Capital Flows, and Macroprudential Policy—An Asian Perspective" also explores the range of policy options that may be deployed to address the impact of global liquidity on domestic financial and socio-economic conditions including income inequality. The book is primarily aimed at policy makers, financial market regulators and supervisory agencies to help them improve national regulatory systems and to promote harmonization of national regulations and practices in line with global standards.
Adobe Photoshop CC Classroom in a Book
The 15 project-based lessons show key step-by-step techniques for working in Photoshop, including how to correct, enhance, and distort digital images, create image composites, and prepare images for print and the web. In addition to learning the essential elements of the Photoshop interface, this revised edition for the 2018 release covers features like search capabilities, Content-Aware Crop, Select and Mask, Face-Aware Liquify, designing with multiple artboards, creating and organising enhanced brush presets, and much more!
Managing Weather and Climate Risks in Agriculture
In many parts of the world, weather and climate are one of the biggest production risks and uncertainty factors impacting on agricultural systems performance and management. Both structural and non-structural measures can be used to reduce the impacts of the variability (including extremes) of climate resources on crop production. While the structural measures include strategies such as irrigation, water harvesting, windbreaks etc., the non-structural measures include use of seasonal to interannual climate forecasts, improved application of medium-range weather forecasts and crop insurance. This book based on an International Workshop held in New Delhi, India should be of interest to all organizations and agencies interested in improved risk management in agriculture.
Macro-Engineering : A Challenge for the Future
Macro-engineering involves the large-scale modification and manipulation of natural systems for the benefit of mankind. The primary goals of some Earth-based macroprojects described in this book are power production, land reclamation, food production, climate change, environment, water, transport and coastal protection. Other Earth or space projects considered here have a more futuristic ring, but our present-day technical skill makes their realization possible. Earth-based macroprojects usually combine different aspects and aims. They have a major impact on the ecology of a region and the inhabitants' means of living (like tourism, fishing, shipping). Its effects may be felt worldwide, like the rise in global sea level after the damming and evaporation of large ocean gulfs for power production, or the change in climate following the regional reduction of solar insolation.
Logic Synthesis for Compositional Microprogram Control Units
In this book control algorithms are represented by the linear graph-schemes of algorithms (GSA), where the number of operator vertices is not less than 75% of the total number of all algorithm vertices. A special class of control units named as compositional microprogram control units (CMCU) is proposed as the best way for interpretation of linear control algorithms.
Leakage in Nanometer CMOS Technologies
It is essential for circuit and system designers to understand the components of leakage, sensitivity of leakage to different design parameters, and leakage mitigation techniques in nanometer technologies. This book provides an in-depth treatment of these issues for researchers and product designers.
Land-Use and Land-Cover Change : Local Processes and Global Impacts
The book presents recent estimates of the rates in changes of major land classes such as forest, cropland and pasture. Among the causative mechanisms behind land change, synergetic factor combinations are found to be more common than single key factor explanations. Aggregated globally, multiple impacts of local land changes are shown to significantly affect central aspects of Earth System functioning. Innovative developments and applications in the fields of modeling and scenario construction are presented. Finally, conclusions are drawn about the most pressing implications for the design of appropriate intervention policies, and on new directions and frontiers of research.
Characterization II
Molecular Sieves - Science and Technology covers, in a comprehensive manner, the science and technology of zeolites and all related microporous and mesoporous materials. Authored by renowned experts, the contributions to this handbook-like series are grouped together topically in such a way that each volume deals with a specific sub-field. Volume 5 complements Volume 4 (Characterization I) in that it is devoted to the characterization of molecular sieves by a variety of non-spectroscopic techniques (Characterization II). Thus, Volume 5 comprises Chemical Analysis, Thermal Analysis, Pore-Size Characterization by Molecular Probes, Characterization by 129Xe NMR, Coke Characterization, Synthesis and Characterization of Isomorphously Substituted Molecular Sieves.
Cathodic Arcs : From Fractal Spots to Energetic Condensation
Cathodic Arcs: From Fractal Spots to Energetic Condensation is the first book in over a decade dedicated to the physics and technology of cathodic arcs. It includes a detailed account of arc history, a textbook-like introduction to cathode phenomena, and some basic physics of expanding plasmas; it deals with the infamous macroparticle issue and describes a host of practical plasma filter solutions. In contrast to previous books on cathodic arcs, the focus is on the relation of arc plasmas and their properties to surface modification and thin film deposition. The book contains sections on basic plasma physics and thin film materials science. It also deals with practical issues of coatings such as stress control and the often-underrated issue of the coating’s color. By stressing the fractal nature of cathode spots, the theme of fluctuations can be found throughout the book: fluctuations affect all plasma properties and thereby have consequences for plasma-based surface modifications and film growth.
Building a Resilient and Sustainable Agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa
What are the challenges and action points for agricultural sustainability in Sub-Saharan Africa? This collection of papers offers technical analyses, policy recommendations and an overview of success stories to date. Each carefully selected paper provides valuable insights for improved policy making and defines relevant strategic priorities on Africa’s sustainable transformation process, which is in line with the international development agenda. Although agriculture remains the main source of income for Africa’s population, the sector is rain-fed subjecting it to the vagaries of weather and climate change. This volume demonstrates the rationale of developing a competitive, inclusive and sustainable agribusiness sector for Africa’s food security and structural transformation.
Blind Speech Separation
This is the first book to provide a cutting edge reference to the fascinating topic of blind source separation (BSS) for convolved speech mixtures. Through contributions by the foremost experts on the subject, the book provides an up-to-date account of research findings, explains the underlying theory, and discusses potential applications. The individual chapters are designed to be tutorial in nature with specific emphasis on an in-depth treatment of state of the art techniques. Blind Speech Separation is divided into three parts:Part 1 presents overdetermined or critically determined BSS. Here the main technology is independent component analysis (ICA). ICA is a statistical method for extracting mutually independent sources from their mixtures. Part 2 addresses underdetermined BSS, where there are fewer microphones than source signals. Here, the sparseness of speech sources is very useful; we can utilize time-frequency diversity, where sources are active in different regions of the time-frequency plane.Part 3 presents monaural BSS where there is only one microphone. Here, we can separate a mixture by using the harmonicity and temporal structure of the sources. We can build a probabilistic framework by assuming a source model, and separate a mixture by maximizing the a posteriori probability of the sources.
Biofuels, Solar and Wind as Renewable Energy Systems : Benefits and Risks
With shortages of fossil energy, especially oil and natural gas, and heavy biomass energy use occurring in both developed and developing countries, a major focus has developed worldwide on renewable energy systems. Renewable energy systems include wind power, biomass, photovoltaics, hydropower, solar thermal, thermal ponds, and biogas. Currently, a heavy focus is on biofuels made from crops, such as corn, sugarcane, and soybeans, for use as renewable energy sources. Wood and crop residues also are being used as fuel. Though it may seem beneficial to use renewable plant materials for biofuel, the use of crop residues and other biomass for biofuels raises many concerns about major environmental problems, including food shortages and serious destruction of vital soil resources.
Atmospheric Aerosol Properties : Formation, Processes and Impacts
An increasing interest in studies of atmospheric aerosols in the context of their impact on the formation of climate, heterogeneous chemical reactions in the atmosphere affecting in particular the environmental quality, problems of visibility and human health is the cause of unusual scales of developments connected with studies of atmospheric aerosols. The necessity has arisen to analyze the latest results concerning, first of all, three aspects of the problems considered: 1. aerosol properties from data of complex field observational experiment; 2. processes of aerosol formation and interaction of aerosol with clouds, 3. aerosol as a climate-forming atmospheric component (including the problem of long-range transport). The monograph in hand is dedicated mainly to the problems of the impact of aerosol on climate processes in the atmosphere, from microphysical processes of formation and evolution of aerosol properties to the formation of macro-scale cloud sytems on aerosol particles.
Agricultural Implications of the Fukushima Nuclear Accident (III)
Reports on studies undertaken at contaminated sites such as farmland, forests, and marine and freshwater environments, with a particular focus on livestock, wild plants and mushrooms, crops, and marine products in those environments. It also provides additional data collected in the subsequent years to show how the radioactivity levels in agricultural products and their growing environments have changed with time and the route by which radioactive materials entered agricultural products as well as their movement between different components (e.g., soil, water, and trees) within an environmental system (e.g., forests). The book covers various topics, including radioactivity testing of food products; decontamination trials for rice and livestock production; the state of contamination in, trees, mushrooms, and timber; the dynamics of radioactivity distribution in paddy fields and upland forests; damage incurred by the forestry and fishery industries; and the change in consumers’ attitudes. Chapter 19 introduces a real-time radioisotope imaging system, a pioneering technique to visualize the movement of cesium in soil and in plants.
Adsorption and Diffusion
Molecular Sieves - Science and Technology covers, in a comprehensive manner, the science and technology of zeolites and all related microporous and mesoporous materials. Authored by renowned experts, the contributions to this handbook-like series are grouped together topically in such a way that each volume deals with a specific sub-field. Volume 7 is treating fundamentals and analyses of adsorption and diffusion in zeolites including single-file diffusion, i.e. phenomena of basic importance, especially with respect to separation processes and catalysis. Various methods of measuring adsorption and diffusion are described and discussed, i.e. techniques such as chromatographic, gravimetric and barometric uptake and desorption, nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared spectroscopy, interference microscopy, neutron scattering, frequency response as well as proton profiling.
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.



















