الصفحة 4
الصفحة 4
Foundations for Local Governance : Decentralization in Comparative Perspective
Various forms of decentralization are recently pursued in the world, including developing countries. However, there has not been a coherent framework to access these intended outcomes generated by decentralization measures implemented in Asian and African countries. This book provides such a framework based on comparative analyses of different experiences of decentralization measures in six developing countries, where the policy rationale to “bring services closer to people” originated in different socio-political backgrounds. Although decentralization measures are potentially useful for attaining both political democratization and economic efficiency, what is often packaged under the umbrella of “decentralization” needs to be disaggregated analytically. Successful reforms need coherent approaches in which a range of stakeholders would become willing to share responsibilities and resources in order to achieve the ultimate outcome of poverty reduction in the developing countries.
Foundations and applications of MIS : A model theory approach
Foundations and Applications of MIS presents a unique systems theory approach to management information system (MIS) development. The development is driven by the need to eliminate ambiguity in specification, design and construction of the application software. Further, the authors show that the considerable effort being expanded nowadays on validation, verification and testing, as required in current software engineering practices, will be reduced. The approach also reinforces the belief that MIS development is independent of software development. The work presents an approach that provides a theoretical foundation for MIS development from the systems theoretic viewpoint along with practical applications ranging from a transaction processing system to a solver system. Both formal systems theory and automatic system generation based on the authors' newly extended Prolog offer a significant increase in the efficiency of specification, design and production of the application software, as well as an increase in the functional reliability of the software produced. The book assumes a working knowledge of elementary set theory, logic, and familiarity with some systems concepts, such as the automaton model.
Forecasting and Assessing Risk of Individual Electricity Peaks
The overarching aim of this open access book is to present self-contained theory and algorithms for investigation and prediction of electric demand peaks. A cross-section of popular demand forecasting algorithms from statistics, machine learning and mathematics is presented, followed by extreme value theory techniques with examples.
Fiscal Equalization : Challenges in the Design of Intergovernmental Transfers
These original essays highlight the state of knowledge in intergovernmental transfer design. They represent creative new thinking about challenging policy issues and offer useful options for policy makers. There is a genuine need for this book; it will become a 'benchmark' reference. I am impressed with its content, organization, readability, and fresh thematic approach.
Finite Element Methods in Civil and Mechanical Engineering : A Mathematical Introduction
The finite element method is widely employed for numerical simulations in engineering and science due to its accuracy and efficiency. This concise introduction to the mathematical theory of the finite element method presents a selection of applications in civil and mechanical engineering including beams, elastic membranes, the wave equation, heat transfer, seepage in embankment, soil consolidation, incompressible fluids, and linear elasticity.
Fine-Tuning of RNA Functions by Modification and Editing
This book provides advance information on RNA modification, including the associated editing machinery, while offering the reader some perspective on the significance of such modifications in fine-tuning the structure and functions of mature RNA molecules and hence the ability to influence the efficiency and accuracy of genetic expression.
Financial market imperfections and corporate decisions : Lessons from the transition process in Hungary
The book presents the results of an empirical investigation of the behaviour of Hungarian firms during the transition process focusing in particular on the role of financial market imperfections for corporate capital structure and investment decisions. The results suggest that financial market reforms have succeeded, albeit partially, in hardening firms's budget constraints and improving the efficiency of the credit allocation process. In particular, following the introduction of the banking sector reform and of the new bankruptcy law, budget constraints became more binding for small private firms, while informational costs became less relevant for foreign-owned firms.
Exchange traded funds : Structure, regulation and application of a new fund class
The organization of traditional mutual funds as Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) produced revolutionary changes in the fund industry. These changes, and the subsequent events to which they led, have greatly - creased the practical way of trading funds. Traditional mutual fund m- kets were fragmented, and transactions were both costly and from time to time difficult to arrange. Investments in emerging markets for example were anything but efficient. As a consequence of establishing ETF funds market segments, the efficiency of transactions has been broadly increased as well as transaction costs dramatically reduced. All this changed in the early Nineties with the introduction of the first ETF for the purpose of trading funds. Exchange Traded Funds – Structure, Regulation and Application of a New Fund Class is a comprehensive summary of articles covering all aspects of the Exchange Traded Fund industry.The present book is divided into four parts: The opening part, containing ETFs – A Leading Financial Innovation and From Continent to Sectors: Challenges and Uses of ETFs in Europe, is - signed to give the reader broad insight into the industry, developments and trends. Further, the article Spiders: Where Are the Bugs? examine the characteristics and performance of these instruments from an academic point of view.
Evolutionary Computation in Practice
This book is loaded with examples in which computer scientists and engineers have used evolutionary computation—programs that mimic natural evolution—to solve real problems. They aren’t abstract, mathematically intensive papers, but accounts of solving important problems, including tips from the authors on how to avoid common pitfalls, maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of the search process, and many other practical suggestions.
Error-Correction Coding and Decoding : Bounds, Codes, Decoders, Analysis and Applications
This book discusses both the theory and practical applications of self-correcting data, commonly known as error-correcting codes. The applications included demonstrate the importance of these codes in a wide range of everyday technologies, from smartphones to secure communications and transactions. Written in a readily understandable style,This book is a valuable resource for anyone interested in error-correcting codes and their applications, ranging from non-experts to professionals at the forefront of research in their field.
Equity and efficiency considerations of public higher education
It has become part of the conventional wisdom in the economics of education that subsidies to higher education have a regressive distributional effect. Given that relatively more children from wealthier families enroll in higher education, many economist assume that these subsidies to higher education have an unwanted distributional impact. This volume presents new empirical evidence for the cross-sectional point of view and provides an analytical framework for the longitudinal perspective. The present volume also analyzes the equity and efficiency effects of widely-discussed funding reforms and proposes a voluntary graduate tax.
Enhancing future skills and entrepreneurship ; 3rd Indo-German conference on sustainability in engineering
This book presents the proceedings of the 3rd Indo-German Conference on Sustainability in Engineering held at Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, India, on September 16–17, 2019
Engineering Interactive Systems ; EIS 2007 Joint Working Conferences, EHCI 2007, DSV-IS 2007, HCSE 2007, Salamanca, Spain, March 22-24, 2007. Selected Papers
This book constitutes the post-conference proceedings of the WG2.7/13.4 10th Conference on Engineering Human Computer Interaction (EHCI 2007), the WG 13.2 First Conference on Human Centred Software Engineering (HCSE 2007), and the 14th Conference on Design Specification and Verification of Interactive Systems (DSV-IS 2007); jointly held as EIS 2007, the international event on Engineering Interactive Systems, in Salamanca, Spain, in March 2007 - under the auspices of IFIP.
Engineering for Sustainable Development : Theory and Practice
Offers a wide range of civil, mechanical, electrical, and chemical engineering industry applications. Readers will also benefit from: A thorough introduction to contemporary sustainability challenges in the engineering discipline Comprehensive discussions of sustainability assessment tools, including triple bottom line assessment (TBL) and the environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) In-depth examinations of sustainable engineering strategies, including cleaner production and eco-efficiency methods and environmental management systems Detailed review of green engineering principles and industrial symbiosis in engineering application. A link between product stewardship and the design for the environment
Energy-efficient and semi-automated truck platooning : Research and evaluation
This book presents research and evaluation results of the Austrian flagship project “Connecting Austria,” illustrating the wide range of research needs and questions that arise when semi-automated truck platooning is deployed in Austria. The work presented is introduced in the context of work in similar research areas around the world. This interdisciplinary research effort considers aspects of engineering, road-vehicle and infrastructure technologies, traffic management and optimization, traffic safety, and psychology, as well as potential economic effects.
Energy Manual : Sustainable Architecture
Presents a comprehensive look at the constructional parameters of energy efficiency and sustainability. It offers an advance look at the legal regulations being planned by the EU, and – as a tool ready for immediate use by architects, engineers, and designers in their daily work – it points the way toward the efficient and sustainable construction and operation of buildings. With its focus on the entire lifecycle of a building, it provides an integrated perspective – a necessary prerequisite for sustainable economic management.
Energy and American Society – Thirteen Myths
This book takes on a central quandary in the study of energy and environmental policy: What myths continue to exist in American culture concerning energy, the environment, and society? It enrolls twenty-four of the nation’s top experts working on energy policy in industry, government laboratories, utilities, nonprofit organizations, and universities to debunk and contextualize thirteen energy myths relating to electric power, renewable energy, energy efficiency, transportation, and climate change. While the book focuses on the American experience, it will be of interest to those working in the fields of energy policy, energy and the environment, and technology assessment worldwide.
Emerging Directions in Embedded and Ubiquitous Computing ; EUC 2007 Workshops: TRUST, WSOC, NCUS, UUWSN, USN, ESO, and SECUBIQ, Taipei, Taiwan, December 1-4, 2007, Proceedings
This volume contains discuss and exchange state-of-the-art research results and experience, case studies and on-going research activities in the areas of embedded and ubiquitous computing, networking and communications.
Emerging Directions in Embedded and Ubiquitous Computing ; EUC 2006 Workshops : NCUS, SecUbiq, USN, TRUST, ESO, and MSA, Seoul, Korea, August 1-4, 2006, Proceedings
Constitutes the refereed proceedings of the EUC 2006 workshops, held in conjunction with the IFIP International Conference on Embedded and Ubiquitous Computing in Seoul, Korea, August 2006.
Embedded Computer Systems : Architectures, Modeling, and Simulation ; 8th International Workshop, SAMOS 2008, Samos, Greece, July 21-24, 2008. Proceedings
This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 8th International Workshop on Systems, Architectures, Modeling, and Simulation, SAMOS 2008, held in Samos, Greece, in July 2008.
