Global Production : A Handbook for Strategy and Implementation
What is the best configuration for a global production network? What are the different dynamics in low-cost vs. high-cost countries? Getting the answers right is key to building a competitive and efficient global production network. Centers of economic activity are shifting profoundly, globally and even regionally. Production is shifting even more dramatically than the economy as a whole, making it critical for decision makers to know what criteria matter most and how to make the right decisions on where to invest. Regardless of the industry involved, an optimized global footprint can translate to a competitive advantage. A comprehensive redesign typically yields a 20 to 40 percent reduction in manufacturing costs. Global production and purchasing operations create a platform for entry into new markets. Planning and implementing a sustainable globalization strategy, however, takes considerable effort; this book is there to help in that task.
Global Price Fixing
The book describes and analyzes the formation, operation, and impacts of modern global cartels. It provides a broad picture of the economics, competition law and history of international price fixing. A deeper understanding of the phenomenon is afforded by intensive case studies of collusion in the markets for lysine, citric acid, and vitamins. Particular attention is given to the economic injuries sustained by the cartels' customers. The author assesses whether antitrust enforcement by the European Union, the United States, and other countries is capable of deterring cartels in the foreseeable future.
Global perspectives on recognising non-formal and Informal Learning : Why recognition matters
This book deals with the relevance of recognition and validation of non-formal and informal learning in education and training, the workplace and society. In an increasing number of countries, it is at the top of the policy and research agenda ranking among the possible ways to redress the glaring lack of relevant academic and vocational qualifications and to promote the development of competences and certification procedures which recognise different types of learning, including formal, non-formal and informal learning. The aim of the book is therefore to present and share experience, expertise and lessons in such a way that enables its effective and immediate use across the full spectrum of country contexts, whether in the developing or developed world. It examines the importance of meeting institutional and political requirements that give genuine value to the recognition of non-formal and informal learning; it shows why recognition is important and clarifies its usefulness and the role it serves in education, working life and voluntary work; it emphasises the importance of the coordination, interests, motivations, trust and acceptance by all stakeholders.
Global design to gain a competitive edge : An holistic and collaborative design approach based on computational tools
Global Design to Gain a Competitive Edge collects together papers from the 2008 International Conference on Advanced Design and Manufacture (ICADAM). Recent advancements, emerging trends and new challenges in the fields of design and manufacturing are covered, with a particular focus on the understanding of the impact of distributed team-based design and manufacture on research and industrial practices for global companies.
Global Citizenship Education : Critical and International Perspectives
This book takes a critical and international perspective to the mainstreaming of the Global Citizenship Concept and analyses the key issues regarding global citizenship education across the world. In that respect, it addresses a pressing need to provide further conceptual input and to open global citizenship agendas to diversity and indigeneity.
Global Change and the Earth System : A Planet Under Pressure
The interactions between environmental change and human societies have a long, complex history spanning many millennia, but these have changed fundamentally in the last century. Human activities are now so pervasive and profound that they are altering the Earth in ways which threaten the very life support system upon which humans depend. This book describes what is known about the Earth System and the impact of changes caused by humans. It considers the consequences of these changes with respect to the stability of the Earth System and the well-being of humankind; as well as exploring future paths towards Earth System science in support of global sustainability.
Global antitrust and sustainability : Law, economics, enforcement
Investigates how competition law and competition authorities around the world deal with sustainability. It covers, economics, law, and enforcement matters. The book also sets out the basics of the concept of sustainability that are necessary for competition lawyers to work with such matters. It explores what economics has to say about the relationship between sustainability and competition.
Giant Metallic Deposits : Future Sources of Industrial Metals
Geological characteristics of giant metallic deposits and their setting and the politico-economic constraints of access to and exploitation in prospective areas have been a "hot topic" in the past fifteen years, but the knowledge generated and published has been one-sided, scattered and fragmented. This is the first comprehensive book on the subject that provides body of solid facts rather than rapidly changing theories, written by author of the Empirical Metallogeny book series and founder of the Data Metallogenica visual knowledge system on mineral deposits of the world, who has had an almost 40 years long international academic and industrial experience. The book will provide abundant material for comparative research in metallogeny, practical information for the explorationists as to where to look for the "elephants", and some inspiration for commodity investors.
Ghrelin more than hunger hormone
Ghrelin is a stomach hormone that acts as an endogenous ligand of orphan G-protein-coupled receptor. Ghrelin is a 28-amino acid peptide existing in two major forms: n-octanoyl-modified ghrelin, which possesses an n-octanoyl modification on serine-3 and des-acyl ghrelin. Fatty acid modification of ghrelin is essential for ghrelin-induced growth hormone release from the pituitary and appetite stimulation. This acyl-modification of ghrelin is catalysed by ghrelin-O- acyl transferase recently identified.
Geostatistics for environmental applications ; Proceedings of the Fifth European Conference on geostatistics for environmental applications
Once applied only to problems of mining-reserves assessment or petroleum-reservoir characterization, geostatistics is now being used in an increasingly large number of disciplines in environmental sciences. On the one hand, it enables the analysis and handling, in a rigorous probabilistic framework of the issues of spatial and temporal interpolation of continuous or categorical environmental variables. On the other hand, the methodology is also used to design and optimize sampling campaigns. "Geostatistics for Environmental Applications" contains forty selected contributions covering the latest progress in a broad spectrum of fields including air quality, climatology, ecology, groundwater hydrology, surface hydrology, oceanography, soil contamination, epidemiology and health, natural hazards, and remote sensing.
Geostatistics Banff 2004
The five major sections are: theory, mining, petroleum, environmental and other applications. The first section showcases new and innovative ideas in the theoretical development of geostatistics as a whole; these ideas will have large impact on (1) the directions of future geostatistical research, and (2) the conventional approaches to heterogeneity modelling in a wide range of natural resource industries. The next four sections are focused on applications and innovations relating to the use of geostatistics in specific industries. Historically, mining, petroleum and environmental industries have embraced the use of geostatistics for uncertainty characterization, so these three industries are identified as major application areas. The last section is open for innovative geostatistical application to address the issues and impact of uncertainty in other industries.
Geophysics of the Canary Islands : Results of Spain's Exclusive Economic Zone Program
This book contains the results of a 9 year (1995-2004) investigation of the Canary Islands Exclusive Economic Zone, using state of the art technology. The main result areas are: a multibeam survey demonstrating the magnitude of catastrophic failures of the Canary Islands; a comparison of the morphology of the Canary Islands with Hawaii; the significance of hydrothermal activity in the Canary Channel associated with Mesozoic salt diapirs; an analysis of the morphology and structure of the offshore extension of the Anaga massif in Tenerife island; a detailed description of the archipelago gravity field and magnetic field of the Canary Islands
Geometry and Topology in Hamiltonian Dynamics and Statistical Mechanics
This book explores the foundations of hamiltonian dynamical systems and statistical mechanics, in particular phase transition, from the point of view of geometry and topology. A broad participation of topology in these fields has been lacking and this book will provide a welcome overview of the current research in the area, in which the author himself is a pioneer. Using geometrical thinking to solve fundamental problems in these areas, compared to the purely analytical methods usually used in physics could be highly productive. The author skillfully guides the reader, whether mathematician or physicists through the background needed to understand and use these techniques.
Geomagnetics for aeronautical safety : A case study in and around the Balkans
Flying safely in aircraft implies the use of navigation instruments. Among them, the magnetic compass is still a first choice for orientation and it is compulsory in all aircraft. In our increasingly sophisticated but fragile world of global navigation systems and gyroscopic sensors, the compass is especially useful as a back-up: it is highly reliable and likely to survive in harsh electromagnetic aggressions or when all power supplies fail. This book examines in detail how the science of geomagnetism is able to promote correct use of the magnetic compass for navigation. A selected group of specialists met in Ohrid, Macedonia to expose their approaches to the question. Using techniques from Geology, Instrument science, Magnetism, Chaos theory and Potential Fields applied to the Balkan region and surroundings, they put together a roadmap to fully tackle the issue of measurement, analysis, mapping and forecasting the magnetic declination in support of aeronautical safety.
Geo-information for Disaster Management
Geo-information technology offers an opportunity to support disaster management: industrial accidents, road collisions, complex emergencies, earthquakes, fires, floods and similar catastrophes (for example the recent huge disaster with the Tsunami in South-East Asia on 26 December 2004). Access to needed information, facilitation of the interoperability of emergency services, and provision of high-quality care to the public are a number of the key requirements. The book provides a broad overview of the (geo-information) technology, software, systems needed, used and to be developed for disaster management. The book provokes a wide discussion on systems and requirements for use of geo-information under time and stress constraints and unfamiliar situations, environments and circumstances.
Geographies of the University
Raises awareness of the histories, geographies, and practices of universities and analyzes their role as key actors in today’s global knowledge economy. Universities are centers of research, teaching, and expertise with significant economic, social, and cultural impacts at different geographical scales. Scholars from a variety of disciplines and countries offer original analyses and discussions along five main themes: historical perspectives on the university as a site of knowledge production, cultural encounter, and political interest; institutional perspectives on university governance and the creation of innovative environments; relationships between universities and the city; the impact of universities on national and regional economies and cultures; and the processes of internationalization through student mobility, the creation of education hubs, and global regionalism in higher education.
Geographies of Schooling
This book explores the complex relationship between schooling as a set of practices embedded in educational institutions and their specific spatial dimensions from different disciplinary perspectives.The book covers a broad range of topics, all examined from a spatial perspective: the governance of schooling, the transition processes of and within national school systems, the question of small schools in peripheral areas as well as the embeddedness of schooling in broader processes of social change. Transcending disciplinary boundaries, the book offers deep insights into current theoretical debates and empirical case studies within the broad research field encompassing the complex relationship between education and space.
Geographic Hypermedia : Concepts and Systems
This book introduces a new paradigm, Geographic Hypermedia, which emerges from the convergence of Geographic Information Science and - permedia technology. Both GI Science and hypermedia have been rapidly evolving fields. The initial idea of Geographic Hypermedia was born in 2004 when the editors had been invited to organize a workshop in conju- tion with the ‘Hypertext’ conference organized annually by the Special - terest Group of the Association for Computing Machinery. The purpose of the workshop was to examine how hypermedia concepts and tools may be applied in geographical domains. The workshop was eventually held in conjunction with the Maps and the Internet Commission of the International Cartographic Association at the annual meeting of the Association of American Geographers in Denver, Colorado, in April 2005. The Denver workshop was a successful event, bringing together mul- disciplinary researchers and professionals in the area of Geographic - permedia.
Genetic programming IV : Routine human-competitive machine intelligence
Genetic Programming IV: Routine Human-Competitive Machine Intelligence presents the application of GP to a wide variety of problems involving automated synthesis of controllers, circuits, antennas, genetic networks, and metabolic pathways. The book describes fifteen instances where GP has created an entity that either infringes or duplicates the functionality of a previously patented 20th-century invention, six instances where it has done the same with respect to post-2000 patented inventions, two instances where GP has created a patentable new invention, and thirteen other human-competitive results. The book additionally establishes: GP now delivers routine human-competitive machine intelligence GP is an automated invention machine GP can create general solutions to problems in the form of parameterized topologies GP has delivered qualitatively more substantial results in synchrony with the relentless iteration of Moore's Law
Game Theory : A Multi-Leveled Approach
This book presents the basics of game theory both on an undergraduate level and on a more advanced mathematical level. It covers most topics of interest in game theory, including cooperative game theory. Part I presents introductions to all these topics on a basic yet formally precise level. It includes chapters on repeated games, social choice theory, and selected topics such as bargaining theory, exchange economies, and matching. Part II goes deeper into noncooperative theory and treats the theory of zerosum games, refinements of Nash equilibrium in strategic as well as extensive form games, and evolutionary games. Part III covers basic concepts in the theory of transferable utility games, such as core and balancedness, Shapley value and variations, and nucleolus. Some mathematical tools on duality and convexity are collected in Part IV. Every chapter in the book concludes with a problem section. Hints, answers and solutions are included.



















