Search results for ""Diffusion""

Within a unifying framework, Diffusion: Formalism and Applications covers both classical and quantum domains, along with numerous applications. The author explores the more than two centuries-old history of diffusion, expertly weaving together a variety of topics from physics, mathematics, chemistry, and biology. The book examines the two distinct paradigms of diffusion—physical and stochastic—introduced by Fourier and Laplace and later unified by Einstein in his groundbreaking work on Brownian motion. The author describes the role of diffusion in probability theory and stochastic calculus and discusses topics in materials science and metallurgy, such as defect-diffusion, radiation damage, and spinodal decomposition. In addition, he addresses the impact of translational/rotational diffusion on experimental data and covers reaction-diffusion equations in biology. Focusing on diffusion in the quantum domain, the book also investigates dissipative tunneling, Landau diamagnetism, coherence-to-decoherence transition, quantum information processes, and electron localization.

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Nonlinear diffusion equations, an important class of parabolic equations, come from a variety of diffusion phenomena which appear widely in nature. They are suggested as mathematical models of physical problems in many fields, such as filtration, phase transition, biochemistry and dynamics of biological groups. In many cases, the equations possess degeneracy or singularity. The appearance of degeneracy or singularity makes the study more involved and challenging. Many new ideas and methods have been developed to overcome the special difficulties caused by the degeneracy and singularity, which enrich the theory of partial differential equations.This book provides a comprehensive presentation of the basic problems, main results and typical methods for nonlinear diffusion equations with degeneracy. Some results for equations with singularity are touched upon.

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The contributors to this issue investigate the complex ways that policies of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) have diffused through the states over seven years of implementation. When the ACA was passed in 2010, states were given the option to set up their own health care exchanges, expand their Medicaid programs, and reform both their local public health and their health care delivery systems. These reforms significantly impacted citizens’ access to insurance. Contributors examine how local conditions account for variation in enrollment across states, analyze the evolution of Medicaid waivers in Republican-led states, show how early-adopting states affected later adopters, explore the role of public opinion in the diffusion of ACA policies, and argue for the importance of rhetorical framing when advocating in favor of the ACA. Contributors. Frederick J. Boehmke, Timothy Callaghan, Rena Conti, Bruce A. Desmarais, Colleen M. Grogan, Jeffrey J. Harden, Lawrence Jacobs, David K. Jones, Andrew Karch, Elizabeth Maltby, Julianna Pacheco, Aaron Rosenthal, Abigail A. Rury, Phillip McMinn Singer, Craig Volden

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This book presents a detailed overview of the economics of technological diffusion in all its various dimensions. Topics covered include: Game-theoretic approaches to the modelling of technological change Finance and technological change Technological change in international trade.

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Bennett’s Transport by Advection and Diffusion provides a focused foundation for the principles of transport at the senior or graduate level, with illustrations from a wide range of topics. The text uses an integrated approach to teaching transport phenomena, but widens coverage to include topics such as transport in compressible flows and in open channel flows. Transport by Advection and Diffusion helps students develop the requisite math skills as well as the conceptual understanding needed to succeed in research and education. It presents analytical and numerical tools to aid problem solving in each topic area. The text is designed for senior or graduate level courses for chemical and mechanical engineering, environmental studies, earth science, materials science, and physics, but it will also appeal to practitioners.

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Diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) is a key emerging imaging modality for the management of patients with possible breast lesions, and Diffusion MRI of the Breast is the first book to focus on all aspects of DWI in today's practice. It covers the knowledge necessary to undertake clinical breast DWI, with a thorough review of how DWI is currently used as a breast imaging modality and how breast lesions appear on DWI. Expert clinicians and physicists from around the world share their knowledge and expertise on everything from technical requirements and image analysis to clinical applications of DWI (diagnosis, prognosis, treatment monitoring) with case examples, and upcoming developments in the field (radiomics, AI). Offers an in-depth discussion of DWI's clinical applications in breast imaging, including the position of DWI with respect to other modalities, the use of DWI in the diagnosis of suspicious lesions with a multiparametric protocol, the use of DWI as an imaging biomarker of prognosis and response prediction, the potential role of DWI for unenhanced breast MR screening, and more. Provides a basic introduction to DWI before discussing a practical approach to clinical interpretation and quality assurance issues. Covers specific challenges and advanced techniques (IVIM, non-Gaussian diffusion, DTI, and other novel techniques), radiomics and artificial intelligence, and different vendor approaches in breast DWI packages. Features more than 500 high-quality images throughout. Explains how DWI could be specifically used to provide information on prognosis and prediction factors. Evaluates the current status of DWI, its potential for the management of breast cancer patients, and possible future developments in the field. Enhanced eBook version included with purchase. Your enhanced eBook allows you to access all of the text, figures, and references from the book on a variety of devices.

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The medical MRI community is by far the largest user of diffusion NMR techniques and this book captures the current surge of methods and provides a primary source to aid adoption in this field. There is a trend to adapting the more advanced diffusion encoding sequences developed by NMR researchers within the fields of porous media, chemical engineering, and colloid science to medical research. Recently published papers indicate great potential for improved diagnosis of the numerous pathological conditions associated with changes of tissue microstructure that are invisible to conventional diffusion MRI. This book disseminates these recent developments to the wider community of MRI researchers and clinicians. The chapters cover the theoretical basis, hardware and pulse sequences, data analysis and validation, and recent applications aimed at promoting further growth in the field. This is a fast moving field and chapters are written by key MRI scientists that have contributed to the successful translation of the advanced diffusion NMR methods to the context of medical MRI, from global locations.

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Now in its fifth edition, Diffusion of Innovations is a classic work on the spread of new ideas. In this renowned book, Everett M. Rogers, professor and chair of the Department of Communication & Journalism at the University of New Mexico, explains how new ideas spread via communication channels over time. Such innovations are initially perceived as uncertain and even risky. To overcome this uncertainty, most people seek out others like themselves who have already adopted the new idea. Thus the diffusion process consists of a few individuals who first adopt an innovation, then spread the word among their circle of acquaintances—a process which typically takes months or years. But there are exceptions: use of the Internet in the 1990's, for example, may have spread more rapidly than any other innovation in the history of humankind. Furthermore, the Internet is changing the very nature of diffusion by decreasing the importance of physical distance between people. The fifth edition addresses the spread of the Internet, and how it has transformed the way human beings communicate and adopt new ideas.

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This book presents a detailed overview of the economics of technological diffusion in all its various dimensions. Topics covered include: Game-theoretic approaches to the modelling of technological change Finance and technological change Technological change in international trade.

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This important book is about the origins and diffusion of innovation, in theory and in practice. The practice draws on a variety of industries, from electronics to eyewear, from furniture to mechatronics, in a range of economies including Europe, the USA and China. The eminent contributors investigate how the latest technologies diffuse through the economy, helping to reinvigorate seemingly old and stagnant industries in the process. Examples drawn from Asia and Europe show how countries like China and India are increasingly able to catchup with, or even surpass, industrialized nations in Europe and North America, in some cases by becoming technological pioneers. The book also examines the effects of new information and communications technologies on regional economies, especially in Western Europe. The themes and findings are summarized and evaluated in an extensive introductory chapter. Scholars of innovation from a variety of disciplines, including management, economics, and human resources will find this study insightful. Postgraduate students in industrial studies, industrial dynamics and industrial development, including both advanced and industrialising countries, will also find much of interest to them in this timely book.

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The study on traveling fronts in reaction-diffusion equations is the first step to understand various kinds of propagation phenomena in reaction-diffusion models in natural science. One dimensional traveling fronts have been studied from the 1970s, and multidimensional ones have been studied from around 2005. This volume is a text book for graduate students to start their studies on traveling fronts. Using the phase plane analysis, we study the existence of traveling fronts in several kinds of reaction-diffusion equations. For a nonlinear reaction term, a bistable one is a typical one. For a bistable reaction-diffusion equation, we study the existence and stability of two-dimensional V-form fronts, and we also study pyramidal traveling fronts in three or higher space dimensions. The cross section of a pyramidal traveling front forms a convex polygon. It is known that the limit of a pyramidal traveling front gives a new multidimensional traveling front. For the study the multidimensional traveling front, studying properties of pyramidal traveling fronts plays an important role. In this volume, we study the existence, uniqueness and stability of a pyramidal traveling front as clearly as possible for further studies by graduate students. For a help of their studies, we briefly explain and prove the well-posedness of reaction-diffusion equations and the Schauder estimates and the maximum principles of solutions.Published by Mathematical Society of Japan and distributed by World Scientific Publishing Co. for all markets

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This important Handbook brings together preeminent scholars, both from Global South and North, sharing their comparative and international perspectives on the topic. Their original contributions cover the key issues and questions around policy transfer research.Offering a pluralist perspective and focusing on critical areas of research including policy transfer, diffusion, circulation and mobilities, this Handbook overcomes epistemological and methodological cleavages in the field. Opening with a series of discussions on the concepts and advancements in the study of policy transfer, the Handbook moves to an examination of agents and structures involved in the process. The Handbook also sheds light on the role of culture and context, with chapters devoted to Asian, Latin American and European particularities. Altogether, chapters illuminate how rich and provocative the current debate on the interpretation of policies moving across borders is and the vibrancy of the area’s research within the broad planet of public policy analysis.Presenting a ground-breaking and unique contribution to the area of public policy analysis, the Handbook of Policy Transfer, Diffusion and Circulation will be a useful resource for well-established scholars, researchers, policy-makers and both post graduate and undergraduate students in this field.

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This book is the first comprehensive treatise of one of the key physical processes occurring in various materials at elevated temperatures. The book provides essential background information for materials scientists, metallurgists, solid state physicists and semiconductor technologists carrying out research or development in this and related areas. The first and second editions of the book were published by the University of Stuttgart in 1988 and 1989. In the present third edition the book has been updated and essentially enlarged to cover all recent developments in the area of grain and interphase boundary diffusion. The reader will find more than 100 new text pages, 60 new figures and 100 new references. This unique book is strongly recommended as a textbook for students as well as a reference book for physicists, chemists, metallurgists and engineers.

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Expert coverage of the physics and mathematics of diffusion-reactions in solids and melts This book presents a unified treatment of diffusion and reaction in a wide variety of oxides-with a special emphasis on the reactive molecules of water, hydrogen, and oxygen. The author proposes new ways of understanding diffusion and reaction in oxides and in silica glass, presents new mathematical treatments of diffusion-reaction, and offers a new discussion of the oxidation state. Helpful data tables cover the activation energies of water and oxygen diffusion in oxides; the diffusion of dopants in silicon; the ionic porosity of crystalline and amorphous oxides; and the diffusion of a large number of elements in silicon. The book features advanced discussions of: * Diffusion and reaction in solids and in relation to solid structure * Diffusion and reaction of water in silica glass, quartz, obsidian, and all oxides * Diffusion and reaction of hydrogen in oxides * Diffusion and reaction of oxygen in oxides * The oxidation state * Diffusion in silicon Diffusion of Reactive Molecules in Solids and Melts presents an up-to-date and comprehensive survey of the subject written for geologists, professionals working in fiber optics, graduate students, and researchers in materials science and solid-state physics.

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Many ecological phenomena may be modelled using apparently random processes involving space (and possibly time). Such phenomena are classified as spatial in their nature and include all aspects of pollution. This book addresses the problem of modelling spatial effects in ecology and population dynamics using reaction-diffusion models. * Rapidly expanding area of research for biologists and applied mathematicians * Provides a unified and coherent account of methods developed to study spatial ecology via reaction-diffusion models * Provides the reader with the tools needed to construct and interpret models * Offers specific applications of both the models and the methods * Authors have played a dominant role in the field for years Essential reading for graduate students and researchers working with spatial modelling from mathematics, statistics, ecology, geography and biology.

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Innovation Diffusion Models Understand innovation diffusion models and their role in business success Innovation diffusion models are statistical models that predict the medium- and long-term sales performance of new products on a market. They account for numerous factors that contribute to the life cycle of a new product and are subject to continuous reassessment as markets transform and the business world becomes more complex. In a modern market environment where product life cycles are becoming ever shorter, the latest innovation diffusion models are essential for businesses looking to perfect their decision-making processes. Innovation Diffusion Models: Theory and Practice provides a comprehensive and up-to-date guide to these models and their potential to impact product development. It focuses on the latest product diffusion models, which combine time series analysis with nonlinear regression techniques to create increasingly refined predictions. Its combination of mathematical theory and business practice makes it an indispensable tool across many sectors of industry and commerce. Innovation Diffusion Models readers will also find: Real-world examples demonstrating the kinds of data sets generated by new product growth models and their potential applications Discussion of the factors underlying the decision to select a given growth model for a particular product Clear, detailed explanation of each model’s explanatory ability Innovation Diffusion Models is an essential volume for practitioners in any field of industry or commerce, as well as for graduate students and researchers in business and finance.

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While 3D vision has existed for many years, the use of 3D cameras and video-based modeling by the film industry has induced an explosion of interest for 3D acquisition technology, 3D content and 3D displays. As such, 3D video has become one of the new technology trends of this century. The chapters in this book cover a large spectrum of areas connected to 3D video, which are presented both theoretically and technologically, while taking into account both physiological and perceptual aspects. Stepping away from traditional 3D vision, the authors, all currently involved in these areas, provide the necessary elements for understanding the underlying computer-based science of these technologies. They consider applications and perspectives previously unexplored due to technological limitations. This book guides the reader through the production process of 3D videos; from acquisition, through data treatment and representation, to 3D diffusion. Several types of camera systems are considered (multiscopic or multiview) which lead to different acquisition, modeling and storage-rendering solutions. The application of these systems is also discussed to illustrate varying performance benefits, making this book suitable for students, academics, and also those involved in the film industry.

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This book provides the mathematical foundations for the analysis of a class of degenerate elliptic operators defined on manifolds with corners, which arise in a variety of applications such as population genetics, mathematical finance, and economics. The results discussed in this book prove the uniqueness of the solution to the Martingale problem and therefore the existence of the associated Markov process. Charles Epstein and Rafe Mazzeo use an "integral kernel method" to develop mathematical foundations for the study of such degenerate elliptic operators and the stochastic processes they define. The precise nature of the degeneracies of the principal symbol for these operators leads to solutions of the parabolic and elliptic problems that display novel regularity properties. Dually, the adjoint operator allows for rather dramatic singularities, such as measures supported on high codimensional strata of the boundary. Epstein and Mazzeo establish the uniqueness, existence, and sharp regularity properties for solutions to the homogeneous and inhomogeneous heat equations, as well as a complete analysis of the resolvent operator acting on Holder spaces. They show that the semigroups defined by these operators have holomorphic extensions to the right half-plane. Epstein and Mazzeo also demonstrate precise asymptotic results for the long-time behavior of solutions to both the forward and backward Kolmogorov equations.

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Natürlich oder künstlich, biologisch oder kulturell, Zellhaufen oder schon ein Mensch – die klaren Abgrenzungen von einst sind fragwürdig geworden. Die traditionellen Antworten auf die Frage nach der Grenze des Menschen zielen auf die Stabilisierung von Differenzen entlang der Gegensatzpaare Tier/Mensch, geboren/ungeboren, gezeugt/gemacht. Diese Grenzverläufe sind brüchig geworden, seit Anthropologie und Primatologie den Kulturbegriff in Frage stellen und seit die Biowissenschaften durch ihre bislang erreichten Ergebnisse und die ihr eigenen Möglichkeiten die Grenzen zwischen Menschen und Nicht-Menschen auf vielerlei Weise verwischen. In dieser Situation der Verunsicherung reflektieren die im Band enthaltenen Beiträge die Voraussetzungen und Bedingungen der traditionellen Antworten und suchen nach Perspektiven jenseits der etablierten Disziplinengrenzen.

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Diffusion is a principle transport mechanism emerging widely at different scale, from nano to micro and macro levels. This is a contributed book of seventh chapters encompassing local and no-local diffusion phenomena modelled with integer-order (local) and non-local operators. This book collates research results developed by scientists from different countries but with common research interest in modelling of diffusion problems. The results reported encompass diffusion problems related to efficient numerical modelling, hypersonic flows, approximate analytical solutions of solvent diffusion in polymers and wetting of soils. Some chapters are devoted to fractional diffusion problem with operators with singular and non-singular memory kernels. The book content cannot present the entire rich area of problems related to modelling of diffusion phenomena but allow seeing some new trends and approaches in the modelling technologies. In this context, the fractional models with singular and non-singular kernels the numerical methods and the development of the integration techniques related to the integral-balance approach form fresh fluxes of ideas to this classical engineering area of research. The book is oriented to researchers; master and PhD students involved in diffusion problems with a variety of application and could serves as a rich reference source and a collection of texts provoking new ideas.

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The aim of this book is to promote interaction between engineering, finance and insurance, as these three domains have many models and methods of solution in common for solving real-life problems. The authors point out the strict inter-relations that exist among the diffusion models used in engineering, finance and insurance. In each of the three fields, the basic diffusion models are presented and their strong similarities are discussed. Analytical, numerical and Monte Carlo simulation methods are explained with a view to applying them to obtain the solutions to the different problems presented in the book. Advanced topics such as nonlinear problems, Lévy processes and semi-Markov models in interactions with the diffusion models are discussed, as well as possible future interactions among engineering, finance and insurance. Contents 1. Diffusion Phenomena and Models.2. Probabilistic Models of Diffusion Processes.3. Solving Partial Differential Equations of Second Order.4. Problems in Finance.5. Basic PDE in Finance.6. Exotic and American Options Pricing Theory.7. Hitting Times for Diffusion Processes and Stochastic Models in Insurance.8. Numerical Methods.9. Advanced Topics in Engineering: Nonlinear Models.10. Lévy Processes.11. Advanced Topics in Insurance: Copula Models and VaR Techniques.12. Advanced Topics in Finance: Semi-Markov Models.13. Monte Carlo Semi-Markov Simulation Methods.

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Recently emerging from a remote corner of study, entrepreneurial ecosystems and startups are assuming an increasingly significant role in today's business world. This book constitutes a pioneering introduction to entrepreneurial ecosystems and startups, advancing the debate and providing unique and original coverage of the subject. In this book, leading international researchers provide a synopsis of the current literature, and push forwards the boundaries of the field, using case studies to illustrate the implications of both theory and practice. Chapters cover the emergence, dynamics and management of entrepreneurial ecosystems, offering tools, experimental evidence and practical examples that will be invaluable to those seeking a greater understanding of entrepreneurship and startup strategies. Providing a comprehensive introduction to the subject, and an array of intriguing insights, Entrepreneurial Ecosystems and the Diffusion of Startups will be a vital resource for scholars and students studying entrepreneurship, strategic management and business. The presentation of practical and real-world implications of research will also prove of interest to practitioners.

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As military forces across the globe adopt new technologies, doctrines, and organizational forms suited to warfare in the information age, defense practitioners and academic specialists are debating the potential consequences of the "revolution in military affairs." The central question of this book is how such revolutions spread, to whom, how quickly, and with what consequences for the global balance of military power. The contributors to this volume—who include historians, political scientists, policy analysts, and sociologists—examine the diffusion of weapons technology, know-how, and methods of conducting military operations over the past two hundred years. The approach reflects the recent reawakening of interest in the relationship between culture and security. The transition from the industrial age to the information age has impacted warfare much as it has other social institutions. Advances in precision weapons, surveillance satellites, robotics, and computer-based information processing, together with organizational changes that network military units, promise to create fundamentally new ways of war; the final outcome of the current revolution is unpredictable—as the North Korean missile program shows—but its global impact will hinge on how the revolution diffuses.

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After a decades long economic slump, the city of Flint, Michigan, struggled to address chronic issues of toxic water supply, malnutrition, and food security gaps among its residents. A community engaged research project proposed a resilience assessment that would use panarchy theory to move the city toward a more sustainable food system. Flint is one of many examples that demonstrate how panarchy theory is being applied to understand and influence change in complex human natural systems. Applied Panarchy, the much anticipated successor to Lance Gunderson and C.S. Holling's seminal 2002 volume Panarchy, documents the extraordinary advances in interdisciplinary panarchy scholarship and applications over the past two decades. Panarchy theory has been applied to a broad range of fields from economics to law to urban planning, changing the practice of environmental stewardship for the better in measurable, tangible ways. Panarchy describes the way systems-whether forests, electrical grids, agriculture, coastal surges, public health, or human economies and governance-are part of even larger systems that interact in unpredictable ways. Although humans desire resiliency and stability in our lives to help us understand the world and survive, nothing in nature is permanently stable. How can society anticipate and adjust to the changes we see around us? Where Panarchy proposed a framework to understand how these transformational cycles work and how we might influence them, Applied Panarchy takes the scholarship to the next level, demonstrating how these concepts have been modified and refined. The book shows how panarchy theory intersects with other disciplines, and how it directly influences natural resources management and environmental stewardship. Intended as a text for graduate courses in environmental sciences and related fields, Applied Panarchy picks up where Panarchy left off, inspiring new generations of scholars, researchers, and professionals to put its ideas to work in practical ways.

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From one of the world’s leading authorities on ancient Greek art, a groundbreaking account of how Greek images were understood and used by other ancient peoples, from Britain to ChinaIn this book, acclaimed archaeologist and art historian John Boardman explores Greek art as a foreign art transmitted to the non-Greeks of antiquity—peoples who weren’t necessarily able to judge the meaning of Greek art and who may have regarded the Greeks themselves with great hostility. Boardman examines how and why the arts of the classical world traveled and to what effect, from Britain to China, from roughly the eighth century BCE to the early centuries CE. In some places, such as Italy, Greek images were overwhelmingly successful. In Egypt, the Celtic world, the eastern steppes, and other regions with strong local traditions, they were never effectively assimilated. And in cultures where there was a subtler blend of influences, notably in the Buddhist east, classical images served as a catalyst to the generation of new styles. Along the way, Boardman demonstrates that looking at Greek art from the outside provides a wealth of new insights into Greek art itself, and he raises important questions about how images in general are copied and reinterpreted.

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This book consists of survey and research articles expanding on the theme of the “International Conference on Reaction-Diffusion Systems and Viscosity Solutions”, held at Providence University, Taiwan, during January 3-6, 2007. It is a carefully selected collection of articles representing the recent progress of some important areas of nonlinear partial differential equations. The book is aimed for researchers and postgraduate students who want to learn about or follow some of the current research topics in nonlinear partial differential equations. The contributors consist of international experts and some participants of the conference, including Nils Ackermann (Mexico), Chao-Nien Chen (Taiwan), Yihong Du (Australia), Alberto Farina (France), Hitoshi Ishii (Japan), N Ishimura (Japan), Shigeaki Koike (Japan), Chu-Pin Lo (Taiwan), Peter Polacik (USA), Kunimochi Sakamoto (Japan), Richard Tsai (USA), Mingxin Wang (China), Yoshio Yamada (Japan), Eiji Yanagida (Japan), and Xiao-Qiang Zhao (Canada).

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Die vorliegende Studie untersucht die wechselseitige Beeinflussung von Industriegesellschaften und überstaatlichen Strukturen in den drei gesellschaftlichen Handlungsfeldern Migration, Klimaschutz und Aids. Maßgeblich für die empirische Forschung ist die Frage, wie sich aufgrund der globalisierten Problemlagen Staaten bzw. ihre Akteure über nationale und regionale Grenzen hinweg gegenseitig beeinflussen. Die Ergebnisse liefern Indikatoren für sozialen Wandel und Bausteine zu einer Theorie über die Bedingungsfaktoren sozialen Wandels.

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This book gathers papers presented at the Workshop on Computational Diffusion MRI, CDMRI 2020, held under the auspices of the International Conference on Medical Image Computing and Computer-Assisted Intervention (MICCAI), which took place virtually on October 8th, 2020, having originally been planned to take place in Lima, Peru.This book presents the latest developments in the highly active and rapidly growing field of diffusion MRI. While offering new perspectives on the most recent research challenges in the field, the selected articles also provide a valuable starting point for anyone interested in learning computational techniques for diffusion MRI. The book includes rigorous mathematical derivations, a large number of rich, full-colour visualizations, and clinically relevant results. As such, it is of interest to researchers and practitioners in the fields of computer science, MRI physics, and applied mathematics. The reader will find numerous contributions covering a broad range of topics, from the mathematical foundations of the diffusion process and signal generation to new computational methods and estimation techniques for the in-vivo recovery of microstructural and connectivity features, as well as diffusion-relaxometry and frontline applications in research and clinical practice.

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This book contains mathematical preliminaries in which basic definitions of fractional derivatives and spaces are presented. The central part of the book contains various applications in classical mechanics including fields such as: viscoelasticity, heat conduction, wave propagation and variational Hamilton–type principles. Mathematical rigor will be observed in the applications. The authors provide some problems formulated in the classical setting and some in the distributional setting. The solutions to these problems are presented in analytical form and these solutions are then analyzed numerically. Theorems on the existence of solutions will be presented for all examples discussed. In using various constitutive equations the restrictions following from the second law of thermodynamics will be implemented. Finally, the physical implications of obtained solutions will be discussed in detail.

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This book is designed for a systematic understanding of nuclear diffusion theory along with fuzzy/interval/stochastic uncertainty. This will serve to be a benchmark book for graduate & postgraduate students, teachers, engineers and researchers throughout the globe. In view of the recent developments in nuclear engineering, it is important to study the basic concepts of this field along with the diffusion processes for nuclear reactor design. Also, it is known that uncertainty is a must in every field of engineering and science and, in particular, with regards to nuclear-related problems. As such, one may need to understand the nuclear diffusion principles/theories corresponding with reliable and efficient techniques for the solution of such uncertain problems. Accordingly this book aims to provide a new direction for readers with basic concepts of reactor physics as well as neutron diffusion theory. On the other hand, it also includes uncertainty (in terms of fuzzy, interval, stochastic) and their applications in nuclear diffusion problems in a systematic manner, along with recent developments. The underlying concepts of the presented methods in this book may very well be used/extended to various other engineering disciplines viz. electronics, marine, chemical, mining engineering and other sciences such as physics, chemistry, biotechnology etc. This book then can be widely applied wherever one wants to model their physical problems in terms of non-probabilistic methods viz. fuzzy/stochastic for the true essence of the real problems.

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By using mathematical models to describe the physical, biological or chemical phenomena, one of the most common results is either a differential equation or a system of differential equations, together with the correct boundary and initial conditions. The determination and interpretation of their solution are at the base of applied mathematics. Hence the analytical and numerical study of the differential equation is very much essential for all theoretical and experimental researchers, and this book helps to develop skills in this area. Recently non-linear differential equations were widely used to model many of the interesting and relevant phenomena found in many fields of science and technology on a mathematical basis. This problem is to inspire them in various fields such as economics, medical biology, plasma physics, particle physics, differential geometry, engineering, signal processing, electrochemistry and materials science. This book contains seven chapters and practical applications to the problems of the real world. The first chapter is specifically for those with limited mathematical background. Chapter one presents the introduction of non-linear reaction-diffusion systems, various boundary conditions and examples. Real-life application of non-linear reaction-diffusion in different fields with some important non-linear equations is also discussed. In Chapter 2, mathematical preliminaries and various advanced methods of solving non-linear differential equations such as Homotopy perturbation method, variational iteration method, exponential function method etc. are described with examples. Steady and non-steady state reaction-diffusion equations in the plane sheet (chapter 3), cylinder (chapter 4) and spherical (chapter 5) are analyzed. The analytical results published by various researchers in referred journals during 2007-2020 have been addressed in these chapters 4 to 6, and this leads to conclusions and recommendations on what approaches to use on non-linear reaction-diffusion equations. Convection-diffusion problems arise very often in applied sciences and engineering. Non-linear convection-diffusion equations and corresponding analytical solutions in various fields of chemical sciences are discussed in chapter6. Numerical methods are used to provide approximate results for the non-linear problems, and their importance is felt when it is impossible or difficult to solve a given problem analytically. Chapter 7 identifies some of the numerical methods for finding solutions to non-linear differential equations.

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Technological change plays a crucial role in realizing energy efficiency improvements and, therefore, in ameliorating the conflict between economic growth and environmental quality. However, the diffusion of new technologies can prove a costly and lengthy process, meaning that many firms do not invest in best-practice technologies. The author offers important new explanations for this energy-efficiency paradox. This volume contributes to a better understanding of the interplay between economic growth, energy use and technological change, with particular emphasis on the adoption and diffusion of energy-saving technologies. In the theoretical section, the author examines how several characteristics of technological change and environmental policy affect the dynamics of technology choice. He demonstrates how technological complementarity, learning processes and uncertainty can help explain why the innovation and diffusion of new technologies is such a protracted and complex procedure. The empirical section explores long-run trends in energy and labour productivity performance, as well as patterns of substitutability and technological change across a range of OECD countries. The book concludes by integrating the results in an applied policy model of economy-energy interaction. This book is unique in applying insights from different perspectives to the field of energy economics, and by focusing on the diffusion of energy-saving technologies rather than their innovation. It will be of immense value to academics and policymakers with an interest in energy economics, environmental economics and the interaction between economic growth and natural resources.

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Modern economies are described as ‘knowledge based’. This book investigates the meaning of such a statement, assessing the relevance of knowledge and the channels through which knowledge is exchanged, both from a theoretical and an empirical perspective. Moving within the realm of complexity theory, the authors provide a methodological assessment of the knowledge diffusion debate as well as presenting theoretical and applied models of knowledge diffusion and innovation. They illustrate how geography plays a role in shaping innovative patterns and how dense networks generally result in more innovative environments. The book concludes that establishing the right connections within such dense networks appears to be more crucial than any other factor, thus highlighting the importance of linkages (or the effects of their absence) within innovation systems.Proposing a taxonomy of knowledge-sharing patterns, this book will be warmly welcomed by academics, researchers and postgraduate students in the areas of the economics of innovation, evolutionary economics and knowledge economics.

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The explosive spread of democracy has radically transformed the international political landscape and captured the attention of academics, policy makers, and activists alike. With interest in democratization still growing, Nathan J. Brown and other leading political scientists assess the current state of the field, reflecting on the causes and diffusion of democracy over the past two decades. The volume focuses on three issues very much at the heart of discussions about democracy today: dictatorship, development, and diffusion. The essays first explore the surprising but necessary relationship between democracy and authoritarianism; they next analyze the introduction of democracy in developing countries; last, they examine how international factors affect the democratization process. In exploring these key issues, the contributors ask themselves three questions: What causes a democracy to emerge and succeed? Does democracy make things better? Can democracy be successfully promoted? In contemplating these questions, The Dynamics of Democratization offers a frank and critical assessment of the field for students and scholars of comparative politics and the political economy of development. Contributors: Gregg A. Brazinsky, George Washington University; Nathan J. Brown, George Washington University; Kathleen Bruhn, University of California at Santa Barbara; Valerie J. Bunce, Cornell University; Jose Antonio Cheibub, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Bruce J. Dickson, George Washington University; M. Steven Fish, University of California at Berkeley; John Gerring, Boston University; Henry E. Hale, George Washington University; Susan D. Hyde, Yale University; Craig M. Kauffman, George Washington University; Staffan I. Lindberg, University of Florida; Sara Meerow, University of Amsterdam; James Raymond Vreeland, Georgetown University; Sharon L. Wolchik, George Washington University

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The explosive spread of democracy has radically transformed the international political landscape and captured the attention of academics, policy makers, and activists alike. With interest in democratization still growing, Nathan J. Brown and other leading political scientists assess the current state of the field, reflecting on the causes and diffusion of democracy over the past two decades. The volume focuses on three issues very much at the heart of discussions about democracy today: dictatorship, development, and diffusion. The essays first explore the surprising but necessary relationship between democracy and authoritarianism; they next analyze the introduction of democracy in developing countries; last, they examine how international factors affect the democratization process. In exploring these key issues, the contributors ask themselves three questions: What causes a democracy to emerge and succeed? Does democracy make things better? Can democracy be successfully promoted? In contemplating these questions, The Dynamics of Democratization offers a frank and critical assessment of the field for students and scholars of comparative politics and the political economy of development. Contributors: Gregg A. Brazinsky, George Washington University; Nathan J. Brown, George Washington University; Kathleen Bruhn, University of California at Santa Barbara; Valerie J. Bunce, Cornell University; Jose Antonio Cheibub, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Bruce J. Dickson, George Washington University; M. Steven Fish, University of California at Berkeley; John Gerring, Boston University; Henry E. Hale, George Washington University; Susan D. Hyde, Yale University; Craig M. Kauffman, George Washington University; Staffan I. Lindberg, University of Florida; Sara Meerow, University of Amsterdam; James Raymond Vreeland, Georgetown University; Sharon L. Wolchik, George Washington University

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This book examines B2B decision making processes for software application development. To learn what really happens and why it happens, this study provides a multi-level hermeneutic system starting with written accounts of decision-making associated with development and delivery of new software applications these accounts are then revisited through multiple rounds of researcher and informant interpretations. The framework and supporting analysis is applied to six application software case studies that created new Internet-based software applications which were either disruptive or supporting disruptive innovations. The findings from six case studies suggest that the hermeneutic research framework proposals provide a strong systematic platform to analyse and interpret decision-making with deep prospective, introspective, retrospective, and with imaginatively unbounded current and future perspectives.The author, Arch Woodside received the 1998 Living Legend in Marketing Award. This book is International in scope. It provides DSA Models, event chronology maps, and cognitive maps for more comprehensive analysis. It includes individual case study and cross-case findings for new theory development.

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This volume gathers papers presented at the Workshop on Computational Diffusion MRI (CDMRI’18), which was held under the auspices of the International Conference on Medical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention in Granada, Spain on September 20, 2018. It presents the latest developments in the highly active and rapidly growing field of diffusion MRI. The reader will find papers on a broad range of topics, from the mathematical foundations of the diffusion process and signal generation, to new computational methods and estimation techniques for the in-vivo recovery of microstructural and connectivity features, as well as harmonisation and frontline applications in research and clinical practice. The respective papers constitute invited works from high-profile researchers with a specific focus on three topics that are now gaining momentum within the diffusion MRI community: i) machine learning for diffusion MRI; ii) diffusion MRI outside the brain (e.g. in the placenta); and iii) diffusion MRI for multimodal imaging. The book shares new perspectives on the latest research challenges for those currently working in the field, but also offers a valuable starting point for anyone interested in learning computational techniques in diffusion MRI. It includes rigorous mathematical derivations, a wealth of full-colour visualisations, and clinically relevant results. As such, it will be of interest to researchers and practitioners in the fields of computer science, MRI physics and applied mathematics alike.

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It is widely recognized that social movements may spread - or 'diffuse' - from one site to another. Such diffusion, however, is a complex and multidimensional process that involves different actors, networks, and mechanisms. This complexity has spawned a large body of literature on different aspects of the diffusion process, yet a comprehensive framework remains an elusive target. This book is a response to that need, and its framework focuses on three basic analytical questions. First, what is being diffused? Second, how does diffusion occur? Finally, what is the impact of diffusion on organizational development and shifts in the scale of contentious politics? This volume suggests that diffusion is not a simple matter of political contagion or imitation; rather, it is a creative and strategic process marked by political learning, adaptation, and innovation.

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Change and motion define and constantly reshape the world around us, on scales from the molecular to the global. In particular, the subtle interplay between chemical reactions and molecular transport gives rise to an astounding richness of natural phenomena, and often manifests itself in the emergence of intricate spatial or temporal patterns. The underlying theme of this book is that by “setting chemistry in motion” in a proper way, it is not only possible to discover a variety of new phenomena, in which chemical reactions are coupled with diffusion, but also to build micro-/nanoarchitectures and systems of practical importance. Although reaction and diffusion (RD) processes are essential for the functioning of biological systems, there have been only a few examples of their application in modern micro- and nanotechnology. Part of the problem has been that RD phenomena are hard to bring under experimental control, especially when the system’s dimensions are small. Ultimately this book will guide the reader through all the aspects of these systems – from understanding the basics to practical hints and then to applications and interpretation of results. Topics covered include: An overview and outlook of both biological and man-made reaction-diffusion systems. The fundamentals and mathematics of diffusion and chemical reactions. Reaction-diffusion equations and the methods of solving them. Spatial control of reaction-diffusion at small scales. Micro- and nanofabrication by reaction-diffusion. Chemical clocks and periodic precipitation structures. Reaction-diffusion in soft materials and at solid interfaces. Microstructuring of solids using RD. Reaction-diffusion for chemical amplification and sensing. RD in three dimensions and at the nanoscale, including nanosynthesis. This book is aimed at all those who are interested in chemical processes at small scales, especially physical chemists, chemical engineers, and material scientists. The book can also be used for one-semester, graduate elective courses in chemical engineering, materials science, or chemistry classes.

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The wave of ethnic conflict that has recently swept across parts of Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, and Africa has led many political observers to fear that these conflicts are contagious. Initial outbreaks in such places as Bosnia, Chechnya, and Rwanda, if not contained, appear capable of setting off epidemics of catastrophic proportions. In this volume, David Lake and Donald Rothchild have organized an ambitious, sophisticated exploration of both the origins and spread of ethnic conflict, one that will be useful to policymakers and theorists alike. The editors and contributors argue that ethnic conflict is not caused directly by intergroup differences or centuries-old feuds and that the collapse of the Soviet Union did not simply uncork ethnic passions long suppressed. They look instead at how anxieties over security, competition for resources, breakdown in communication with the government, and the inability to make enduring commitments lead ethnic groups into conflict, and they consider the strategic interactions that underlie ethnic conflict and its effective management. How, why, and when do ethnic conflicts either diffuse by precipitating similar conflicts elsewhere or escalate by bringing in outside parties? How can such transnational ethnic conflicts best be managed? Following an introduction by the editors, which lays a strong theoretical foundation for approaching these questions, Timur Kuran, Stuart Hill, Donald Rothchild, Colin Cameron, Will H. Moore, and David R. Davis examine the diffusion of ideas across national borders and ethnic alliances. Without disputing that conflict can spread, James D. Fearon, Stephen M. Saideman, Sandra Halperin, and Paula Garb argue that ethnic conflict today is primarily a local phenomenon and that it is breaking out in many places simultaneously for similar but largely independent reasons. Stephen D. Krasner, Daniel T. Froats, Cynthia S. Kaplan, Edmond J. Keller, Bruce W. Jentleson, and I. William Zartman focus on the management of transnational ethnic conflicts and emphasize the importance of domestic confidence-building measures, international intervention, and preventive diplomacy.

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