Acoustic MIMO Signal Processing
Telecommunication systems and human-machine interfaces start employing multiple microphones and loudspeakers in order to make conversations and interactions more lifelike, hence more efficient. This development gives rise to a variety of acoustic signal processing problems under multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) scenarios, encompassing distant speech acquisition, sound source localization and tracking, echo and noise control, source separation and speech dereverberation, and many others. The last decade has witnessed a growing interest in exploring these problems, but there has been little effort to develop a theory to have all these problems investigated in a unified framework. This unique book attempts to fill the gap.
A Portrait of State-of-the-Art Research at the Technical University of Lisbon
This book contains the edited version of the invited lectures that were delivered by prominent researchers at UTL. This book brings together in a review manner a comprehensive summary of high quality research contri- tions across basic and applied sciences. The contributing papers are organized around the following major areas: – Emergent areas (Nanosciences, Quantic Computations and Infor- tion, Risk and Volatility in Financial Markets); – Basic Sciences (Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Materials); – Social Sciences, Economics and Management Sciences; – Life Sciences and Biotechnology; – Engineering and Technologies – Nature, Environment and Sustainability; – Public Health, Food Quality and Safety; – Health and Sport Sciences; – Urbanism, Transports, Architecture, Arts and Design.
A Multidisciplinary Approach to Capability in Age and Ageing
This book provides insight on how to interpret capability in ageing – one’s individual ability to perform actions in order to reach goals one has reason to value – from a multidisciplinary approach. the book describes this demographic trends as well as the large global challenges and important societal implications this will have such as a worldwide increase in the number of persons affected with dementia, and in the ratio of retired persons to those still in the labor market. Through contributions from many different research areas, it discussed how capability depends on interactions between the individual (e.g. health, genetics, personality, intellectual capacity), environment (e.g. family, friends, home, work place), and society (e.g. political decisions, ageism, historical period).
A Modern Theory of Factorial Design
Factorial design plays a fundamental role in efficient and economic experimentation with multiple input variables and is extremely popular in various fields of application, including engineering, agriculture, medicine and life sciences. Factorial experiments are often used in case studies in quality management and Design for Six Sigma (DFSS).Factorial design plays a fundamental role in efficient and economic experimentation with multiple input variables and is extremely popular in various fields of application, including engineering, agriculture, medicine and life sciences. Factorial experiments are often used in case studies in quality management and Design for Six Sigma (DFSS).
A life cycle for clusters? : The dynamics of agglomeration, change, and adaption
The phenomenon of non-random spatial concentrations of firms in one or few related sectors (clusters) is intensively debated in economic theory and policy. The euphoria about successful clusters however neglects that historically, many thriving clusters did deteriorate into old industrial areas. This book studies the determinants of cluster survival by analyzing their adaptability to change in the economic environment. Linking theoretic knowledge with empirical observations, a simulation model (based in the N/K method) is developed, which explains when and why the cluster's architecture assists or hampers adaptability. It is found that architectures with intermediate degrees of division of labour and more collective governance forms foster adaptability. Cluster development is thus path dependent as architectures having evolved over time impact on the likelihood of future survival.
A Life (Un)Worthy of Living: Reproductive Genetics in Israel and Germany
This book presents the findings of a study into the social shaping of reproductive genetics in Germany and Israel, two exceptionally interesting social settings, which share a traumatic history. ‘This is a unique and courageous book. Yael Hashiloni-Dolev studied the field of reproductive genetics in Israel and Germany, and found out that while in Germany social, cultural, legal and religious conditions restrict the selection of embryos based on prenatal diagnosis, it is strongly encouraged in Israel. This unexpected finding is brilliantly analyzed by the author. Thus this excellent book must be read and discussed by social scientists, human geneticists, genetic counsellors, bio ethicists and medical students.'
A History of Thermodynamics : The Doctrine of Energy and Entropy
The development of thermodynamics in the second half of the 19th century has had a strong impact on both technology and natural philosophy. It is true that the steam engine for the conversion of heat into work existed before thermodynamics was developed as a branch of physics. However, the systematic theory improved the conversion process, and it succeeded in developing other processes essential to modern life, notably refrigeration and rectification. So, altogether thermodynamics has provided humanity with cheap energy, and cheap fuel, -- consequently with cheap, and abundant, and unspoiled food. Thus thermodynamics has made populations grow, and life expectancy increase beyond anything people could possibly have imagined 200 years ago.
A Century of Ideas : Perspectives from Leading Scientists of the 20th Century
Shortly after its inauguration in 1985 the Birla Science Centre, Hyderabad, India, started a series of lectures by Nobel Laureates and other scientists of international renown, usually in Physics and Astronomy, sometimes in Life Sciences and Chemistry. The present collection mostly consists of lectures on frontier topics. The transcript of each lecture is preceded by a short biography of the Nobel Laureate/Scientist in question.







