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 Nowadays ARCH has been replaced by more general and more sophisticated models, such as GARCH (generalized autoregressive heteroscedastic).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.
Essential Renderman
RenderMan has long been associated with top-end film production and is an essential tool for creating many of the effects and images in recent animated films (such as Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo and The Incredibles). RenderMan is widely available and, with the demand for higher quality images, is now used by computer-based artists at all levels of the graphics industry. Intended to provide a straightforward and easy introduction to the basic techniques involved, this book provides an excellent grounding, enabling readers to confidently move to more advanced texts.
Essential discrete mathematics for computer science
An ideal introductory textbook for standard undergraduate courses, and is also suitable for high school courses, distance education for adult learners, and self-study. The essential introduction to discrete mathematics / Features thirty-one short chapters, each suitable for a single class lesson / Includes more than 300 exercises / Almost every formula and theorem proved in full / Breadth of content makes the book adaptable to a variety of courses / Each chapter includes a concise summary
E-science : Open, social and virtual technology for research collaboration
This book shows the breadth and various facets of e-Science, while also illustrating their shared core. Changes in scientific work are driven by the shift to grid-based worlds, the use of information and communication systems, and the existential infrastructure, which includes global collaboration. In this context, the book addresses emerging issues such as open access, collaboration and virtual communities and highlights the diverse range of developments associated with e-Science. As such, it will be of interest to researchers and scholars in the fields of information technology and knowledge management.
Ernst Equation and Riemann Surfaces : Analytical and Numerical Methods
Exact solutions to Einstein`s equations have been useful for the understanding of general relativity in many respects. They have led to physical concepts as black holes and event horizons and helped to visualize interesting features of the theory. In addition they have been used to test the quality of various approximation methods and numerical codes. The most powerful solution generation methods are due to the theory of Integrable Systems. In the case of axisymmetric stationary spacetimes the Einstein equations are equivalent to the completely integrable Ernst equation. In this volume the solutions to the Ernst equation associated to Riemann surfaces are studied in detail and physical and mathematical aspects of this class are discussed both analytically and numerically.
Equidosimetry : Ecological Standardization and Equidosimetry for Radioecology and Environmental Ecology
Considerable experience with radioecological and related ecological research on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems has been achieved, especially after the Chernobyl accident. The combined effects of the radiation, chemical and biological factors, after a contamination of the environment and during its remediation have shown an interactive complexity that highlights the need for equidosimetrical evaluations of the influence of the various stressors and the need for their ecological normalization. In radioecology and radiation protection, methods of radiation dosimetry are key for dose assessment. It is therefore highly desirable to develop a clear theoretical approach as well as a practical method of equidosimetry that would allow for an ecological normalization of the different stressors in unified uniform units, especially for comparison purposes.
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.
Environments for Multi-Agent Systems ; 1st International Workshop, E4MAS, 2004, New York, NY, July 19, 2004, Revised Selected Papers
The modern ?eld of multiagent systems has developed from two main lines of earlier research. Its practitioners generally regard it as a form of arti?cial intelligence (AI). Some of its earliest work was reported in a series of workshops in the US dating from1980,revealinglyentitled,“DistributedArti?cialIntelligence,”andpioneers often quoted a statement attributed to Nils Nilsson that “all AI is distributed. ” The locus of classical AI was what happens in the head of a single agent, and much MAS research re?ects this heritage with its emphasis on detailed modeling of the mental state and processes of individual agents. From this perspective, intelligenceisultimatelythepurviewofasinglemind,thoughitcanbeampli?ed by appropriate interactions with other minds. These interactions are typically mediated by structured protocols of various sorts, modeled on human conver- tional behavior. But the modern ?eld of MAS was not born of a single parent. A few - searchershavepersistentlyadvocatedideasfromthe?eldofarti?ciallife(ALife). These scientists were impressed by the complex adaptive behaviors of commu- ties of animals (often extremely simple animals, such as insects or even micro- ganisms). The computational models on which they drew were often created by biologists who used them not to solve practical engineering problems but to test their hypotheses about the mechanisms used by natural systems. In the ar- ?cial life model, intelligence need not reside in a single agent, but emerges at the level of the community from the nonlinear interactions among agents. - cause the individual agents are often subcognitive, their interactions cannot be modeled by protocols that presume linguistic competence.
Environmental Simulation Chambers : Application to Atmospheric Chemical Processes
Atmospheric pollution has many different detrimental impacts on air quality at urban, regional and global scales. Large volume photoreactors (often referred to as smog or simulation chambers) have been used very effectively to investigate and understand many varied aspects of atmospheric chemistry related to air pollution problems. Photochemical smog formation, which was first observed around 1945 in Los Angeles, is now a major environmental problem for all industrialised and densely populated regions of the world. Over the years many different modelling and experimental tools have been developed to analyse and simulate the complex chemical processes associated with tropspheric photooxidant formation. Work in environmental chambers has played a key role in the development of our understanding of the atmospheric chemistry associated with pollution problems on local, regional and global scales.
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 Governance of the Baltic Sea
This edited volume presents a comprehensive and coherent interdisciplinary analysis of challenges and possibilities for sustainable governance of the Baltic Sea ecosystem by combining knowledge and approaches from natural and social sciences. Focusing on the Ecosystem Approach to Management (EAM) and associated multi-level, multi-sector and multi-actor challenges, the book provides up-to-date descriptions and analyses of environmental governance structures and processes at the macro-regional Baltic Sea level.
Environmental Geology : Handbook of Field Methods and Case Studies
As earth’s population continues to grow and the detrimental aftereffects of industrialization and environmental negligence become more apparent, society has become more aware of, and concerned about, stewardship of the natural environment – water, soil, and air. Sustainable development has become more widely received and promoted in many parts of the world. The need is now critical for earth and environmental scientists and engineers to work together to implement technologies that can preserve our environment. The Earth’s population was 6.6 billion as of April 2007 according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This number is expected to rise to 9.4 billion by 2050. The population is increasing the demand for natural resources and energy, and increasing stress on the environment. Thus, protection of the environment and remediation of damage to the environment must be a priority. It is also important to develop procedures that will help to avert further damage to the environment and to recognize as early as possible the risks associated with changes in the environment. Many methodologies and technologies have become more advanced in the past few decades, and new technologies and approaches have been developed, all to address the growing need for environmental assessment, monitoring, and remediation. As these technologies have grown, the need for interdisciplinary cooperation has also become more apparent.
Environmental Effects of Marine Finfish Aquaculture
Environmental risks associated with large-scale marine finfish cage aquaculture have led to claims that the long-term sustainability of the industry is in doubt. Methods and models currently used to measure near and far-field environmental effects of finfish mariculture and to assess their implications for management are presented in 20 chapters arranged in four sections (Eutrophication, Sedimentation and Benthic Impacts, Changes in Trophic Structure and Function, and Managing Environmental Risks). Case studies show how models may be used to predict environmental changes and provide management tools to minimize potentially adverse environmental risks. The volume is of interest to those working towards sustainable development of mariculture, including environmental managers and decision-makers with regulatory responsibilities.
Environmental and Health Risk Assessment and Management : Principles and Practices
The book covers the essential aspects of environmental and health law, environmental economics, applied statistical and probabilistic methods, fundamental notions of applied epidemiology and toxicology, as well as decision analysis, to provide an integrated overview of how risk assessment and management combine to produce sound societal outcomes. Risk-based methods play a pivotal role in identifying and ranking alternative, sustainable choices, while accounting for uncertainty and variability. Specifically, most reductions in risks require a balancing of the costs and benefits associated with the action to reduce exposure to a hazard and thus risk. This balancing necessarily involves linking exposure and response through causation. Fundamentally, in risk assessment and management, science and law intersect through legal and scientific causation to the point that the failure to provide a sound causal argument can make an otherwise beneficial law or regulation invalid.
Entrepreneurship and innovation education : Frameworks and tools
This book is a compilation of tools, techniques and frameworks for use in the field of entrepreneurship and innovation (E&I) education. Developed and honed over the past two decades, these teaching approaches are combined with well-versed practical insight. As professors know all too well, the human brain cannot articulate more than three or four dimensions of a problem without the aid of what could be referred to as checklists for thinking: frameworks (visual or otherwise) that help students think in terms of multiple variables affecting a problem.
Enhancing the Dissolution Rate of Atorvastatin by Solid Dispersion Technique
In the last few decades, solid dispersion (SD) technology had been studied as an approach to produce an amorphous carrier to enhance the solubility, dissolution rate, and bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs. The use of suitable carrier and methodology in the preparation of SDs play a significant role in the biological behavior of the SDs. Atorvastatin is a statin group HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor drug that is commonly used to adverse cardiovascular events and to lower blood total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol. the solubility of atorvastatin in water is very low (0.1 mg mL− 1), which results in reduced bioavailability. In order to enhance its solubility, we have prepared solid dispersions (SDs) of atorvastatin at different drug: polymer ratios (1:2, 1:10, 1:20,1:25 and 1:40), using polyethylene glycol 6000 as polymer and different preparation methods (co-precipitate and melting methods) The characterization of the SDs was performed using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) The solubility of AT was improved by the incorporation PEG6000.
Enhancing Smallholder Farmers' Access to Seed of Improved Legume Varieties Through Multi-stakeholder Platforms : Learning from the TLIII project Experiences in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia
This book shares the experiences of Tropical Legumes III (TLIII) project in facilitating access to seed of improved legume varieties to smallholder farmers through innovation platforms. It highlights practices and guiding principles implemented in eight developing countries of sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. This book details key processes that respective teams employed to create an innovation space that delivers seed, other inputs, knowledge and financial services to agricultural communities and most importantly, the underserved farmers in remote areas of the drylands
Engineering thermofluids : Thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer
The "Engineering Thermofluids" is a unique textbook, which brings the three pillars of thermal sciences; thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer under one umbrella. These three distinct, yet intertwined subjects are treated in an integrated manner. The primary audiences for this book are senior undergraduate, graduate, and practicing engineers in the fields of aeronautical, chemical industrial, mechanical, and nuclear engineering. Topics are discussed in detail while still using a simple and easy to follow approach. Numerous walk-through examples are solved and illustrations are provided to guide the reader through more subtle topics
Engineering societies in the agents world V : 5th international workshop, ESAW 2004, Toulouse, France, October 20-22, 2004 : revised selected and invited papers
The ?rst workshop “Engineering Societies in the Agents World” (ESAW) was held in August 2000, in conjunction with the 14th European Conference on Arti?cial Intelligence (ECAI 2000) in Berlin. It was launched by a group of - searchers who thought that the design and development of MASs (multi-agent systems) not only needed adequate theoretical foundations but also a call for new techniques, methodologies and infrastructures to develop MASs as arti?cial societies. The second ESAW was co-located with the European Agent Summer School (ACAI 2001) in Prague, and mostly focused on logics and languages, middleware, infrastructures and applications. In Madrid, the third ESAW c- centrated on models and methodologies and took place with the “Cooperative Information Agents” workshop (CIA 2002). The fourth ESAW in London was the ?rst one that ran as a stand-alone event: apart from the usual works on methodologies and models, it also stressed the issues of applications and m- tidisciplinary models. Based on the success of previous ESAWs, and also given that the di?cult challenges in the construction of arti?cial societies are not yet fully addressed, the ?fth ESAW workshop was organized in the same spirit as its predecessors.
Engineering Damage Mechanics : Ductile, Creep, Fatigue and Brittle Failures
Engineering Damage Mechanics is deliberately oriented toward applications of Continuum Damage Mechanics to failures of mechanical and civil engineering components in ductile, creep, fatigue and brittle conditions depending upon the thermomechanical loading and the materials: metals and alloys, polymers, elastomers, composites, concretes. Nevertheless, to help engineers, researchers, beginners or not, the first two chapters are devoted to the main concepts of damage mechanics and to the associated computational tools.



















