Efficient Management of Wastewater : Its Treatment and Reuse in Water-Scarce Countries
The book highlights non-conventional solutions within the field of wastewater treatment and reuse predominantly for professionals and decision makers. It focuses on technologies like anaerobic and extensive treatment of municipal, domestic wastewater and grey water which are reliable, sustainable, low cost and suitable for rural and sub urban areas. Additionally, particular innovative on site concepts are presented.
Efficient Learning Machines : Theories, Concepts, and Applications for Engineers and System Designers
Machine learning techniques provide cost-effective alternatives to traditional methods for extracting underlying relationships between information and data and for predicting future events by processing existing information to train models. Efficient Learning Machines explores the major topics of machine learning, including knowledge discovery, classifications, genetic algorithms, neural networking, kernel methods, and biologically-inspired techniques.
Effective Resource Management in Manufacturing Systems : Optimization Algorithms for Production Planning
Effective Resource Management in Manufacturing Systems aims to provide robust methods for achieving effective resource allocation and to solve related problems that occur daily and often generate cost overruns, specifically focusing on problems like resource levelling, sizing of machines and production layouts, cost optimization in production planning and scheduling. This approach is based on providing quantitative methods, covering both mathematical programming and algorithms, leading to high quality solutions for the analysed problems. Details of extensive experimentation is provided for the proposed techniques to put them in a practical perspective, so that, on the one hand, the reader can reproduce them, and, on the other hand, it appears clear how they can be implemented in real scenarios.
Economics of the Environment : Theory and Policy
Interprets nature and the environment as a scarce resource. It offers a theoretical study of the allocation problem and describes different policy approaches to the environmental problem. The entire spectrum of the allocation issue is studied: the use of the environment in a static context, international and trade aspects of environmental allocation, regional dimensions, global environmental media, environmental use over time and under uncertainty. The book incorporates a variety of economic approaches, including neoclassical analysis, the public-goods approach, benefit-cost analysis, property-rights ideas, economic policy and public-finance reasoning, international trade theory, regional science, optimization theory, and risk analysis. The different aspectsof environmental allocation are studied in the context of a single model that is used through the book.
Economics of Land Degradation and Improvement : A Global Assessment for Sustainable Development
This volume deals with land degradation, which is occurring in almost all terrestrial biomes and agro-ecologies, in both low and high income countries and is stretching to about 30% of the total global land area. About three billion people reside in these degraded lands. However, the impact of land degradation is especially severe on livelihoods of the poor who heavily depend on natural resources. The annual global cost of land degradation due to land use and cover change (LUCC) and lower cropland and rangeland productivity is estimated to be about 300 billion USD. Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) accounts for the largest share (22%) of the total global cost of land degradation.
Economic Impact of the Container Traffic at the Port of Algeciras Bay
In this book we study the economic impact of the container traffic at one of the most important port in the Mediterranean: the Port of Algeciras Bay (PAB). In order to meet this general objective we analyse in detail the global framework of the containerisation business and the characteristics that currently condition this process.
Economic evaluation of sustainable development
This book presents methods to evaluate sustainable development using economic tools. The focus on sustainable development takes the reader beyond economic growth to encompass inclusion, environmental stewardship and good governance. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a framework for outcomes. In illustrating the SDGs, the book employs three evaluation approaches: impact evaluation, cost-benefit analysis and objectives-based evaluation.
Dynamical Contact Problems with Friction : Models, Methods, Experiments and Applications
The aim of this book is to describe an efficient procedure to model dynamical contact problems with friction. This procedure is applied to different practical problems and verified by experiments. Friction contacts are used to transmit forces or to dissipate energy. Examples for dynamical engineering systems with friction are brakes, machine tools, motors, turbines, bearings or wheel-rail systems. A better understanding of friction phenomena result in improvements like the reduction of noise and maintenance costs, increased life time of machines and improved energy efficiency. Dependent on the features of the dynamic system with friction contacts, different contact models and solution methods like multi-scaling methods are developed and applied.
Dynamic Inventory Management in Reverse Logistics
The integration of product recovery into regular production processes enables new opportunities for cost savings. In case of a dynamic planning situation, for instance when dealing with seasonality or the product life cycle, new motives for keeping stock arise.
Drug repurposing : A new fashion for a new hope
The repurposing of drugs is becoming increasingly attractive as it avoids the long process and cost implications associated with bringing a novel drug to market i.e., drug repurposing is cost effective and time saving. This study will discuss the repositioning of several drugs that belong to different pharmaceutical classifications such as antimicrobials (itraconazole and fluoroquinolones), anti-diabetic agents (metformin and sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors), cardiovascular drugs (β-blockers and digoxin), anticonvulsants (topiramate), immunosuppressants (sirolimus), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs e.g., COX inhibitors), and cholesterol lowering drugs (statins).
Drug development and approval process
Drug discovery is the process of identifying and characterizing molecules with the potential to safely modulate disease, with a goal to bring medicines that can improve the lives of patients. It is a lengthy and resource intensive process, that requires close cooperation across multiple disciplines. Optimizing the process of drug discovery is of great interest to the pharmaceutical industry, as the efficient identification and selection of suitable drug candidates can have a dramatic impact on the cost and profitability of new medicines.
Drug Absorption Studies : In Situ, In Vitro and In Silico Models
In the last 15 years, a great number of cell- or tissue-based in vitro models have been introduced into the biopharmaceutics arena. These models mimic the different biological barriers that a drug has to overcome to finally reach its target organ/cell/receptor. These in vitro models have been found very useful in not only characterising the permeability behaviour of drugs molecules in epithelial and endothelial tissues, but also studying drug delivery systems for improved delivery and enhanced absorption. Compared to the complex in vivo situation, in vitro models offer a fast, convenient approach with cost advantages most of times. Most importantly, they can be standardised and automatised to be applicable to the high-throughput screening. Starting at the molecular level of studies, continuing with cell monolayer models (both primary and cell lines) and in situ techniques as a final testing format, the book provides a practical approach to contemporary in vitro techniques for drug absorption studies. In addition, chapters on high-throughput assays, in vitro-in vivo correlation, bioinformatics and regulatory issues are covered, giving a comprehensive overview of available models and techniques. Moreover, an appendix comprised with a number of practical protocols is available online, updated as needed, should prove very helpful to apply the techniques directly to the benchside.
Distributed and parallel computing ; 6th International conference on algorithms and architectures for parallel processing, ICA3PP, Melbourne, Australia, October 2-3, 2005, Proceedings
There are many applications that require parallel and distributed processing to allow complicated engineering, business and research problems to be solved in a reasonable time. Parallel and distributed processing is able to improve company profit, lower costs of design, production, and deployment of new technologies, and create better business environments. The major lesson learned by car and aircraft engineers, drug manufacturers, genome researchers and other specialist is that a computer system is a very powerful tool that is able to help them solving even more complicated problems. That has led computing specialists to new computer system architecture and exploiting parallel computers, clusters of clusters, and distributed systems in the form of grids.
Disseminative Capabilities : A Case Study of Collaborative Product Development in the Automotive Industry
Nowadays, cooperating in Product Development seems to be a dominant strategy to lower costs and risks, to fully utilize capacities, and to gain access to lacking knowledge assets. Oppat analyzes cooperations in Product Development with a special focus on the automotive industry. He seeks answers to the question of how knowledge transfer between involved partners takes place. Although knowledge transfer and its success levers (e.g. absorptive capacity) are well-researched phenomena, equivalent investigations of the sender and her capabilities (DiC - Disseminative Capabilities) impacting inter-organizational transfer success are lacking. The in-depth case studies conducted concentrate on joint car development projects between Magna Steyr, an Austrian-based company, and German-based BMW, Mercedes Benz, and Audi. The research results clearly indicate that DiC have an impact on the knowledge transfer process and can explain why the analyzed projects differ in terms of transfer success. Based on the research findings, this work provides managerial implications for all eight dimensions of DiC and, by deploying insights from the empirical investigations, outlines ways to develop them successfully.
Disrupting Finance : FinTech and Strategy in the 21st Century
This Pivot demonstrates how a variety of technologies act as innovation catalysts within the banking and financial services sector. Traditional banks and financial services are under increasing competition from global IT companies such as Google, Apple, Amazon and PayPal whilst facing pressure from investors to reduce costs, increase agility and improve customer retention. Technologies such as blockchain, cloud computing, mobile technologies, big data analytics and social media therefore have perhaps more potential in this industry and area of business than any other. This book defines a fintech ecosystem for the 21st century, providing a state-of-the art review of current literature, suggesting avenues for new research and offering perspectives from business, technology and industry.
Discrete-time Markov jump linear systems
Safety critical and high-integrity systems, such as industrial plants and economic systems, can be subject to abrupt changes - for instance, due to component or interconnection failure, sudden environment changes, etc. Combining probability and operator theory, Discrete-Time Markov Jump Linear Systems provides a unified and rigorous treatment of recent results for the control theory of discrete jump linear systems, which are used in these areas of application. The book is designed for experts in linear systems with Markov jump parameters, but is also of interest for specialists in stochastic control since it presents stochastic control problems for which an explicit solution is possible - making the book suitable for course use.
Directing the Story : Professional Storytelling and Storyboarding Techniques for Live Action and Animation
You will learn classic visual storytelling techniques such as conveying meaning with images and directing the viewer's eye. Glebas also teaches how to spot potential problems before they cost time and money, and he offers creative solutions on how to solve them. Uses the classic story of '1001 Arabian Nights' to show how to storyboard stories that will engage an audience's attention and emotions. With 1001 drawings in graphic novel format plus teaching concepts and commentary. All of the storyboarding examples have a real project context rather to engage a very visual audience on their own terms and teaches through demonstration
Digital Libraries : Research and Development; 1st International DELOS Conference, Pisa, Italy, February 13-14, 2007, Revised Selected Papers
This book presented similarity search, architectures, personalization, interoperability, evaluation, miscellaneous, preservation, video data management, 3D objects, and peer to peer.
Digital Finance : Security Tokens and Unlocking the Real Potential of Blockchain
In Digital Finance: Security Tokens and Unlocking the Real Potential Blockchain, readers will realize why security tokens are creating huge excitement in the financial industry. By combining the latest in technology and the potential for automated world-class investor protections, regulatory compliance and customer service, security tokens offer a plethora of benefits that will drive cost reductions, enhance flexibility and open up opportunities for new business models and revenue streams. Digital Finance thoroughly examines how this powerful technology can overhaul our current financial infrastructure in a way that will increase efficiency, transparency, and security.
Digital astrophotography : The state of the Art
This book is the successor to David Ratledge’s much-acclaimed The Art and Science of CCD Astronomy.CCD cameras and their associated technologies have continued to make great strides since the original book was first published almost eight years ago, particularly in the universal availability of color cameras and in the dramatically lower cost of equipment.Digital Astrophotography: The State of the Art provides examples of the latest and best images, and describes how to get the best out of this extraordinary technology.



















