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Rugged Free Energy Landscapes : Common Computational Approaches to Spin Glasses, Structural Glasses and Biological Macromolecules
This collection of lectures and tutorial reviews by renowned experts focusses on the common computational approaches in use to unravel the static and dynamical behaviour of complex physical systems at the interface of physics, chemistry and biology. Paradigmatic examples of condensed matter physics are spin and structural glasses and protein folding, as well as their aggregation and adsorption to hard and soft surfaces, in physico-chemical biology.
Robotics and Cognitive Approaches to Spatial Mapping
This book brings together the fields of robot spatial mapping and cognitive spatial mapping, Robot spatial mapping, in this book, is about the problem of a robot computing a representation of its environment from data gathered by its sensors. The book consists of three parts: Robot Mapping, Cognitive Mapping, and Cognitive Robot Mapping. The first part addresses a cross section of problems commonly found in robot mapping, such as uncertainty, localization, unstructured environments, and control architectures. It includes a comprehensive introduction to the famous SLAM problem. Part two presents works on cognitive mapping and discusses how the findings could benefit researchers interested in robot mapping. Spatial cognition is examined based on behaviour of humans and animals, and how spatial information is encoded in the brain. The third part presents implementations of cognitive mapping theories on mobile robots. It includes computational models of cognitive maps, such as hybrid metric-topological ones, absolute space representations, and biomimetic approaches.
Return to Growth in CIS Countries : Monetary Policy and Macroeconomic Framework
The aim of this book is to analyse specific sets of macro and structural policies in selected Eastern European countries. The book includes studies on the major Western CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) countries, Belarus, Russia and Ukraine, plus a set of cross-country and regional studies. The focus is on the link between sustained economic growth and macro and structural economic policies in the CIS countries where recovery lagged until recently. By analysing how government policy can affect the relevant variables and behavioural framework in an economy and how these countries can achieve stability and engage in micro-structural reforms for long-run growth.
Rethinking Inclusive Education : The Philosophers of Difference in Practice
The inclusion of disabled children and those with difficult behaviour is increasingly being seen as an impossible challenge and, not surprisingly, concerns are being expressed by teachers unions and researchers about teachers’ capacities, and willingness, to manage these demands. With Warnock, the so-called ‘architect’ of inclusion now pronouncing this her ‘big mistake’ and calling for a return to special schooling, inclusion appears to be under threat as never before. This book takes key ideas of the philosophers of difference – Deleuze, Foucault and Derrida - and puts them to work on inclusion. These ideas allow the task of including children to be reframed and offer, not solutions, but different ways of working which involve altering adult-child relationships –subverting, subtracting, and inventing and restructuring teacher education – recognition, rupture and repair.
Resilience and Well-being for Dental Professionals
Designed not only to combat occupational hazards in Dentistry, such as burnout and compassion fatigue, but also to build resilience, engagement at work and nurture positive mental health through a variety of evidence-based tools. This guide helps readers utilise tools from the science of well-being (Positive Psychology, Mindfulness, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), to create happier, thriving careers.
Research in Interactive Design ; Vol.2
In thi book you will find in-depth details related to: reduced modelling techniques: a new approach to extended and adaptive behavioural simulation development, embedded mechatronic instruments: a new approach multi-sensorial simulation implementation, interactive decision making in innovation: a new socio-technical analysis and process. In this book,both researchers and industrialists will discover the most recent interactive design techniques, and are certain to walk away with new understanding of important concepts.
Research handbook on accounting and information systems
Addresses the use of both financial and non-financial information for planning, decision-making and control in organisations. it includes the following: information for controlling and managing behaviour and performance. novel and contemporary fieldwork studies that explore the use of accounting and information. the use of accounting and non-accounting information to support managerial and investment decisions. literature reviews on accounting and information systems, including on cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI). technological developments, the use of ai and concerns over the future of the accounting profession. planning and design in information system research, including work on enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems.
Rent-Seeking, Institutions and Reforms in Africa : Theory and Empirical Evidence for Tanzania
This book identifies rent-seeking behaviour as one of the main causes of poor economic performance, observed, among other places, in many countries of Africa. Rent-seeking describes the ability to capture incomes without producing output or making a productive contribution. Since rent-seekers are often an integral part of an ailing economy and resist the adoption of reforms, understanding and anticipating rent-seeking behaviour is crucial for designing more adequate and effective policy reforms. Following a comprehensive theoretical elaboration of the causes, properties and consequences of rents and rent-seeking strategies in the context of economic reforms and development cooperation, this book presents a detailed case study on rent-seeking within the civil service, parastatal sector and business community. It demonstrates how rent-seekers in Tanzania have systematically delayed or undermined reforms such as tax reforms, trade liberalisation, privatisation or any reforms that aim to restrain corruption and embezzlement.
Recovering Civility during COVID-19
This book examines many of the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic through the distinctive lens of civility. The idea of civility appears often in both public and academic debates, and a polarized political climate frequently leads to allegations of uncivil speech and behaviour.
Quantum Kinetics in Transport and Optics of Semiconductors
Nanoscale miniaturization and femtosecond laser-pulse spectroscopy require a quantum mechanical description of the carrier kinetics that goes beyond the conventional Boltzmann theory. On these extremely short length and time scales the electrons behave like partially coherent waves. This monograph deals with quantum kinetics for transport in low-dimensional microstructures and for ultra-short laser pulse spectroscopy. The nonequilibrium Green function theory is described and used for the derivation of the quantum kinetic equations. Numerical methods for the solution of the retarded quantum kinetic equations are discussed and results are presented for high-field transport and for mesoscopic transport phenomena. Quantum beats, polarization decay, and non-Markovian behaviour are treated for femtosecond spectroscopy on a microscopic basis.
Quantifying Quality of Life : Incorporating Daily Life into Medicine
This book presents the rise of technology-enabled methods and tools for objective, quantitative assessment of Quality of Life (QoL), while following the WHOQOL model. It is an in-depth resource describing and examining state-of-the-art, minimally obtrusive, ubiquitous technologies. Highlighting the required factors for adoption and scaling of technology-enabled methods and tools for QoL assessment, it also describes how these technologies can be leveraged for behavior change, disease prevention, health management and long-term QoL enhancement in populations at large.
Qualitative marketing research : Understanding consumer behaviour
A perfect guide to understanding the core principles of qualitative marketing research. It presents qualitative marketing research in the broader context of marketing and managerial decisions, consumer psychology and contemporary knowledge about unconscious and automatic processes. Different types of qualitative marketing research methods are examined, from the classic focus group interview (FGI) and individual in-depth interview (IDI), to more cutting-edge methods such as ethnography or bulletin boards, which enable marketing researchers to discover and understand real consumer motivations, needs, values, and attitudes.
Progress in Artificial Life ; 3rd Australian Conference, ACAL 2007 Gold Coast, Australia, December 4-6, 2007 Proceedings
This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the Third Australian Conference on Artificial Life, ACAL 2007, held in Gold Coast, Australia, in December 2007. Research in Alife covers the main areas of biological behaviour as a metaphor for computational models, computational models that reproduce/duplicate a biological behaviour, and computational models to solve biological problems.
Professional Ethics Education : Studies in Compassionate Empathy
Why is practical ethics training a now requirement of nearly all professional training programmes? The short answer is that it is thought to be conducive to ethical decision-making and ethical behaviour. In recent years, the received idea that competency in moral reasoning implies moral responsibility has been the subject of much critical attention. Today, researchers in moral education widely regard moral reasoning as but one among at least 4 dimensions of moral development alongside moral motivation, moral character and moral sensitivity. Reflecting these developments, educationalists in the diverse fields of medicine, education, business, philosophy and nursing now openly question how to take professional ethics education beyond the development of skills in moral reasoning. Frequently topping the list of suggested improvements is to provide support for empathic capacities of response.
Problematic Soils : Proceedings of the Symposium held at the Nottingham Trent University on 8 November 2001
Problematic soils brings together in one volume a collection of papers presented at the Problematic Soils symposium, organised by East Midlands Geotechnical Group of the Institution of Civil Engineers. The papers discuss the behaviour and characteristics of problematic soils (particularly those found in the UK), and they also offer guidance on possible treatment techniques that could be applied for their successful engineering. The proceedings of this symposium are split into three sections.
Probing Experience : From Assessment of User Emotions and Behaviour to Development of Products
Adheres to the vision that in the future compelling user experiences will be key differentiating benefits of products and services. Evaluating the user experience plays a central role, not only during the design process,but also during regular usage: for instance a video recorder that recommends TV programs that fit your current mood, a product that measures your current level of relaxation and produces advice on how to balance your life, or a module that alerts a factory operator when he is getting drowsy.
Probability and Real Trees : École d'Été de Probabilités de Saint-Flour XXXV - 2005
Random trees and tree-valued stochastic processes are of particular importance in combinatorics, computer science, phylogenetics, and mathematical population genetics. Using the framework of abstract "tree-like" metric spaces (so-called real trees) and ideas from metric geometry such as the Gromov-Hausdorff distance, Evans and his collaborators have recently pioneered an approach to studying the asymptotic behaviour of such objects when the number of vertices goes to infinity. These notes survey the relevant mathematical background and present some selected applications of the theory.
Principles of hyperplasticity : An approach to plasticity theory based on thermodynamic principles
Principles of Hyperplasticity is concerned with the theoretical modelling of the behaviour of solids which undergo nonlinear and irreversible deformation. The approach to plasticity theory developed here is firmly rooted in thermodynamics, so that the models developed are guaranteed to obey the First and Second Laws. Major emphasis is placed on the use of potentials, and the derivation of constitutive models for irreversible behaviour entirely from two scalar potentials is shown. It is to accentuate this feature that the authors use the term "hyperplasticity", by analogy with the use of "hyperelasticity" in elasticity theory.
Practical design of timber structures to Eurocode 5
Provides a comprehensive guide to the design of timber structures according to the latest European and UK standards. Practical Design of Timber Structures to Eurocode 5 begins with a description of timber, considering its strength, stiffness, moisture behaviour, rheology and durability, before going on to describe the production and relevant properties of materials used for timber structures.
Pneumatic Drives : System Design, Modelling and Control
It bridges the gap between classical descriptions of pneumatic systems in terms of their steady-state behaviour and the wish of design engineers to test their design before setting up the actual hardware. The book covers the whole range of today’s technology for pneumatic drives. Starting with a wide selection of linear actuators – among them standard and rodless cylinders, bellows and diaphragm cylinders –, semi-rotatory drives and air motors are described in detail. Standard directional control valves, analogue valves as well as pressure control valves are covered, including their design, application and modelling. Several control schemes and the necessary converters like solenoids or piezoelectric actuators are presented.
