Entrepreneurial Strategy : Starting, Managing, and Scaling New Ventures
This book focuses on explaining differences amongst organizations regarding various attributes, forms, and outcomes. By focusing on the “how” of new venture creation and management to produce well-established organizations, the authors aim to increase our understanding of the antecedents of most management research assumptions. New ventures are the source of most newly created jobs generated in an economy, new industries and markets, innovative products and services, and new solutions to economic, social, and environmental problems. However, most management research assumes a well-established organization as the starting point of their theorizing.
Enterprise ontology : Theory and methodology
Such a theory and a matching methodology, which has passed the test of practical experience, constitute the contents of this book. The enterprise ontology, as developed by Dietz, is the starting point for profoundly understanding the organization of an enterprise and subsequently for analyzing, (re)designing, and (re)engineering it. The approach covers numerous issues in an integrated way: business processes, in- and outsourcing, information systems, management control, staffing etc.
Enterprise Information Systems VI
This book contains the best papers of the Sixth International Conference on Enterprise Information Systems (ICEIS 2004), held in Porto (Portugal) and organized by INSTICC (Institute for Systems and Technologies of Information, Communication and Control) in collaboration with PORTUCALENSE UNIVERSITY, who hosted the event. Following the route started in 1999, ICEIS has become a major point of contact between research scientists, engineers and practitioners on the area of business applications of information systems. This conference has received an increased interest every year, from especially from the international academic community, and it is now one of the world largest conferences in its area. This year, five simultaneous tracks were held, covering different aspects related to enterprise computing, including: “Databases and Information Systems Integration”,
Engineering human computer interaction and interactive systems ; Joint Working Conferences EHCI-DSVIS 2004, Hamburg, Germany, July 11-13, 2004, Revised Selected Papers
As its name suggests, the EHCI-DSVIS conference has been a special event, merging two different, although overlapping, research communities: EHCI (Engineering for Human-Computer Interaction) is a conference organized by the IFIP 2.7/13.4 working group, started in 1974 and held every three years since 1989. The group’s activity is the scientific investigation of the relationships among the human factors in computing and software engineering. DSVIS (Design, Specification and Verification of Interactive Systems) is an annual conference started in 1994, and dedicated to the use of formal methods for the design of interactive systems. Of course these two research domains have a lot in common, and are informed by each other’s results.
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 in Africa : Challenges and Opportunities
This open access book presents a picture of the current energy challenges on the African continent (and the Sub-Saharan region in particular) and proposes pathways to an accelerated energy transition. Starting with an analysis of the status quo and the outlook for Africa’s energy demand and energy access, it provides an account of the available resources, including hydrocarbons and renewable energy resources, which are playing an increasingly crucial role. It then moves on to analyze the level of investment required to scale-up Africa’s energy systems, shedding light on the key barriers and elaborating on potential solutions. It also provides a suggestion for improving the effectiveness of EU–Africa cooperation. While mainly intended for policymakers and academics, this book also speaks to a broader audience interested in gaining an overview of the challenges and opportunities of the African energy sector today and in the future.
Endosperm : Developmental and Molecular Biology
This book is the first comprehensive overview of the developmental and molecular biology of endosperm. The text covers cereal endosperm development from fertilization to maturity, including molecular and cell biology of the syncytial phase, the cellularization process and cell fate specification of the embryo surrounding region cells, the basal transfer cells, the starchy endosperm and aleurone cells. In addition, endosperm development in the model species Arabidopsis thaliana is covered, along with recent progress in endosperm in vitro culture. Special features of endosperm, such as imprinting, polyploidy, programmed cell death and anthocyanin biosynthesis, are described in separate chapters. Finally, the genes and pathways for the main nutritional components of endosperm, storage proteins and starch are covered in detail.
Encounters and Practices of Petty Trade in Northern Europe, 1820–1960 : Forgotten Livelihoods
Uncovers one important, yet forgotten, form of itinerant livelihoods, namely petty trade, more specifically how it was practiced in Northern Europe during the period 1820–1960. It investigates how traders and customers interacted in different spaces and approaches ambulatory trade as an arena of encounters by looking at everyday social practices. Petty traders often belonged to subjugated social groups, like ethnic minorities and migrants, whereas their customers belonged to the resident population. How were these mobile traders perceived and described? What goods did they peddle? How did these commodities enable and shape trading encounters? What kind of narratives can be found, and whose? These questions pertaining to daily practices on a grass-root level have not been addressed in previous research.
Empirical Research within Resource-Based Theory : A Meta-Analysis of the Central Propositions
Katja Nothnagel evaluates this growing body of empirical research in resource-based theory. She starts out by deriving six central propositions and then examines how these propositions have been tested empirically. Over 190 empirical resource-based papers are identified. The results of this work are evaluated through a narrative review, vote counting as well as the use of a meta-analysis. The results suggest that substantial progress has been made within the empirical part of RBT: (a) various operationalization examples on the propositions’ central constructs prove that testing RBT propositions is possible; (b) vote counting results indicate an overall positive significant impact of resources on performance with negligible results in the opposite direction of the theory; and (c) meta-analysis results show significant positive relationships. The author concludes, however, that more research is needed regarding the factor market conditions and the operationalization of resource conditions.
Embedded System Design : Embedded Systems Foundations of Cyber-Physical Systems, and the Internet of Things
A unique feature of this open access textbook is to provide a comprehensive introduction to the fundamental knowledge in embedded systems, with applications in cyber-physical systems and the Internet of things. It starts with an introduction to the field and a survey of specification models and languages for embedded and cyber-physical systems
Embedded System Design
Embedded System Design starts with an introduction into the area and a survey of specification languages for embedded systems. A brief overview is provided of hardware devices used for embedded systems and also presents the essentials of software design for embedded systems. Real-time operating systems and real-time scheduling are covered briefly. Techniques for implementing embedded systems are also discussed, using hardware/software codesign. It closes with a survey on validation techniques. Embedded System Design can be used as a text book for courses on embedded systems and as a source which provides pointers to relevant material in the area for PhD students and teachers. The book assumes a basic knowledge of information processing hardware and software.
Elements of Numerical Relativity : From Einstein`s Equations to Black Hole Simulations
Spurred by the current development of numerous large-scale projects for detecting gravitational radiation, with the aim to open a completely new window to the observable Universe, numerical relativity has become a major field of research over the past years. Indeed, numerical relativity is the standard approach when studying potential sources of gravitational waves, where strong fields and relativistic velocities are part of any physical scenario. This book can be considered a primer for both graduate students and non-specialist researchers wishing to enter the field. Starting from the most basic insights and aspects of numerical relativity, Elements of Numerical Relativity develops coherent guidelines for the reliable and convenient selection of each of the following key aspects: evolution formalism, gauge, initial and boundary conditions as well as various numerical algorithms. The tests and applications proposed in this book can be performed on a standard PC.
Elements of Mathematics for Economics and Finance
Based on over 15 years’ experience in the design and delivery of successful first-year courses, this book equips undergraduates with the mathematical skills required for degree courses in economics, finance, management and business studies. The book starts with a summary of basic skills and takes its readers as far as constrained optimisation helping them to become confident and competent in the use of mathematical tools and techniques that can be applied to a range of problems in economics and finance
Elementary physics of complex plasmas
Complex plasmas are dusty plasmas in which the density and electric charges of the dust grains are sufficiently high to induce long-range grain-grain interactions, as well as strong absorption of charged-plasma components. Together with the sources replenishing the plasma such systems form a highly dissipative thermodynamically open system that exhibits many features of collective behaviour generally found in complex systems. Most notably among them are self-organized patterns such as plasma crystals, plasma clusters, dust stars and further spectacular new structures. Beyond their intrinsic scientific interest, the study of complex plasmas grows in importance in a great variety of fields, ranging from space-plasma sciences to applied fields such as plasma processing, thin-film deposition and even the production of computer chips by plasma etching, in which strongly interacting clouds of complex plasmas can cause major contamination of the final product.
Electronic Imaging in Astronomy : Detectors and Instrumentation
The second edition of Electronic Imaging in Astronomy: Detectors and Instrumentation describes the remarkable developments that have taken place in astronomical detectors and instrumentation in recent years – from the invention of the charge-coupled device (CCD) in 1970 to the current era of very large telescopes, such as the Keck 10-meter telescopes in Hawaii with their laser guide-star adaptive optics which rival the image quality of the Hubble Space Telescope. Authored by one of the world’s foremost experts on the design and development of electronic imaging systems for astronomy, this book has been written on several levels to appeal to a broad readership. Mathematical expositions are designed to encourage a wider audience, especially among the growing community of amateur astronomers with small telescopes with CCD cameras.
Electronic Circuit Design and Application
This textbook for core courses in Electronic Circuit Design teaches students the design and application of a broad range of analog electronic circuits in a comprehensive and clear manner. Readers will be enabled to design complete, functional circuits or systems. The authors first provide a foundation in the theory and operation of basic electronic devices, including the diode, bipolar junction transistor, field effect transistor, operational amplifier and current feedback amplifier. They then present comprehensive instruction on the design of working, realistic electronic circuits of varying levels of complexity, including power amplifiers, regulated power supplies, filters, oscillators and waveform generators. Many examples help the reader quickly become familiar with key design parameters and design methodology for each class of circuits. Each chapter starts from fundamental circuits and develops them step-by-step into a broad range of applications of real circuits and systems.
Einsteins General Theory of Relativity : With Modern Applications in Cosmology
Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity: With Modern Applications in Cosmology by Oyvind Gron and Sigbjorn Hervik is about gravity and the concept of gravity as Albert Einstein saw it- curved spaces, four-dimensional manifolds and geodesics. The book starts with the 1st principals of relativity and an introduction to Einstein’s field equations. Next up are the three classical tests of the relativity theory and an introduction to black holes.
Economics: Complex Windows
This volume contains papers that provide an analysis of topics in the following areas: Agent Based Models, Non-linear Time Series Analysis, Financial Market Dynamics, Econo-physics, Deterministic Chaos, Macroeconomic Dynamics. Economics: Complex Windows, does not present contributions to the sterile debate as to the merits of the different grand, or potentially grand paradigms of economics. Rather it offers a balanced collection of methodological advances which can be applied to concrete economic problems. Starting with a presentation of the "complexity approach" to economics, it goes on to provide a collection of applications to areas such as the analysis of market imperfections, risk assessment, non-linear dynamics, forecasting and highly irregular fluctuations. The tools used help to provide a clearer understanding and a more accurate analysis of these areas of economics. They also highlight the gulf which exists between current economic theory and real economic practice. The basic idea is to encourage economic researchers to embrace a more open and pragmatic approach to economics rather than to reluctantly move in this direction as if it were somehow a betrayal of established dogma. We hope, in this way, to open up avenues which will lead to progress beyond the "holy trinity", (rationality, equilibrium and greed) of modern economics.
Economics, Sustainability, and Natural Resources: Economics of Sustainable Forest Management
The economics of sustainability is much more complex than the neoclassical (Newtonian) economic approach to economic efficiency. Forest resources provide the ideal starting point for the economic analysis of sustainability. This book provides a systematic critique of neoclassical economic approaches and their limitations with respect to sustainability. Leading economists from different streams of economics discuss key economic aspects of sustainability and sustainable forest management including complexity, ethical issues, consumer choice theory, intergenerational equity, non-convexities, and multiple equilibria. This is the book which integrates different streams of economics – complexity theory, behavioral economics, post-Keynesian consumer choice theory, social choice theory, and non-convexities – and suggests the main features of Post-Newtonian economics.
Economics of Identity Theft : Avoidance, Causes and Possible Cures
This book discusses privacy as multi-dimensional, and then pulls forward the economics of privacy in the first few chapters. This book also includes identity-based signatures, spyware, and the placement of biometric security in an economically broken system, which results in a broken biometric system. The final chapters include systematic problems with practical individual strategies for preventing identity theft for any reader of any economic status. In conclusion, four startling previews of the future are written as scenarios.



















