Search results for ""Author Roberto"

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the XXIInd International Conference on AIxIA 2023 – Advances in Artificial Intelligence, AIxIA 2023, held in Rome, Italy, during November 6–10, 2023.The 33 full papers included in this book were carefully reviewed and selected from 53 submissions. They were organized in topical sections as follows: Argumentation and Logic Programming, Natural Language Processing, Machine Learning, Hybrid AI and Applications of AI.

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The recent financial crisis has highlighted the need for better valuation models and risk management procedures, better understanding of structured products, and has called into question the actions of many financial institutions. It has become commonplace to blame the inadequacy of credit risk models, claiming that the crisis was due to sophisticated and obscure products being traded, but practitioners have for a long time been aware of the dangers and limitations of credit models. It would seem that a lack of understanding of these models is the root cause of their failures but until now little analysis had been published on the subject and, when published, it had gained very limited attention. Credit Models and the Crisis is a succinct but technical analysis of the key aspects of the credit derivatives modeling problems, tracing the development (and flaws) of new quantitative methods for credit derivatives and CDOs up to and through the credit crisis. Responding to the immediate need for clarity in the market and academic research environments, this book follows the development of credit derivatives and CDOs at a technical level, analyzing the impact, strengths and weaknesses of methods ranging from the introduction of the Gaussian Copula model and the related implied correlations to the introduction of arbitrage-free dynamic loss models capable of calibrating all the tranches for all the maturities at the same time. It also illustrates the implied copula, a method that can consistently account for CDOs with different attachment and detachment points but not for different maturities, and explains why the Gaussian Copula model is still used in its base correlation formulation. The book reports both alarming pre-crisis research and market examples, as well as commentary through history, using data up to the end of 2009, making it an important addition to modern derivatives literature. With banks and regulators struggling to fully analyze at a technical level, many of the flaws in modern financial models, it will be indispensable for quantitative practitioners and academics who want to develop stable and functional models in the future.

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Abolition can be a spiritual practice, a spiritual journey, and a spiritual commitment. What does abolition mean and how can we get there as a collective and improvisational project?To posit the spirituality of abolition, is to consider the ways historical and contemporary movements against slavery, prisons, the wage system, animal and earth exploitation, racialized, gendered, and sexualized violence, and the death penalty necessitate epistemologies that have been foreclosed through violent force by Western thought of philosophical and theological kinds. It is also to claim that the material conditions that will produce abolition are necessarily Black, Indigenous, queer and trans, feminist, and also about disabled and other non-conforming bodies in force and verve.Abolition and Spirituality asks what can prison abolition teach us about spiritual practice, spiritual journey, spiritual commitment? And, what can these things underscore about the struggle for abolition as a desired manifestation of material change in worlds we inhabit currently? Collecting writings, poetry, and art from thinkers, organizers, and incarcerated people the editors trace the importance of faith and spirit in our ongoing struggle towards abolitionist horizons.

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Let Secret Berlin guide you around the unusual and unfamiliar. Step off the beaten track with this fascinating Berlin guide book and let our local experts show you the well-hidden treasures of this fascinating city. Ideal for local inhabitants, curious visitors and armchair travellers alike. Wander around the hotel lobby where a glass floor reveals excavations of the old medieval town; take a seat in an amphitheatre where animal dissections once took place; let yourself be moved by the sounds of the largest pipe organ, still used today to bring silent films to life; take a break in one of the few well-preserved Baroque vaults housing coffins fitted with windows; climb onto a bunker that contained anti-aircraft guns during the Second World War and accept a Russian soldier's invitation to admire it from within; take a dip in one of the most beautiful bathing spots built during Europe's Art Nouveau movement; enjoy a stroll under the Spree river; go see the very first computer (designed by a Berliner) or the first synthesizer of East Germany; scale the mountain of rubble where a Skiing World Cup race was held; station yourself at the peak of the artificial hill where aviation pioneer Otto Lilienthal made his first attempts at flight; and grab a bite on the island in the Havel river where Werner von Braun launched his first rocket. Absent from the usual "must-see" lists despite residing in the heart of the bustling capital, fascinating historical treasures can be found all over Berlin's city centre and its large surrounding neighbourhoods. Take another look and discover the hidden gems eluding those who think they know Berlin inside out.

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Illicit drugs are an emerging class of environmental contaminants and mass spectrometry is the technique of choice for their analysis. This landmark reference discusses the analytical techniques used to detect illicit drugs in wastewater and surface water, details how to estimate the levels of contaminants in the environment, and explores the behavior, fate, and toxic effects of this new class of contaminants, now a ubiquitous presence in wastewater and surface water. The book details how an estimate of illicit drug consumption in a given population can be developed from an analysis of the residues of illicit drugs in wastewater. An important resource for analytical chemists, environmental researchers, forensic scientists, biologists, and toxicologists.

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A beautiful presentation of a new suite of works made for the Menil Collection by Allora & Calzadilla The Puerto Rico–based collaborative duo Allora & Calzadilla created Specters of Noon as a group of seven large-scale works specifically for the Menil Collection. The ensemble is orchestrated around the idea of solar noon, a notion derived from Surrealist texts by Caillois, Césaire, and others that probe the transcultural mythology of noon—a time when shadows vanish and delirious visions momentarily reign. The works include light projections, guano, ship engines, live vocal performance, and coal. Using the Menil’s Surrealist holdings as a point of departure, Specters of Noon is infused throughout with a Caribbean perspective that addresses the instability of environmental and colonial politics; one work is a power transformer damaged in Hurricane Maria that is half-sheathed in bronze. Filled with stunning installation photography and insightful texts both commissioned and reprinted, this volume captures the spirit of Jennifer Allora (b. 1974) and Guillermo Calzadilla’s (b. 1971) deeply researched and multifaceted work.Distributed for the Menil CollectionExhibition Schedule:Menil Collection, Houston (September 26, 2020–June 20, 2021)

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This open access book offers a cross-sectoral reference for both managers and scientists interested in climate-smart forestry, focusing on mountain regions. It provides a comprehensive analysis on forest issues, facilitating the implementation of climate objectives. This book includes structured summaries of each chapter.Funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme, CLIMO has brought together scientists and experts in continental and regional focus assessments through a cross-sectoral approach, facilitating the implementation of climate objectives. CLIMO has provided scientific analysis on issues including criteria and indicators, growth dynamics, management prescriptions, long-term perspectives, monitoring technologies, economic impacts, and governance tools.

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A Young Man's Guide to Self-Mastery is an invaluable resource for practitioners in mental health clinics, juvenile justice facilities, and residential and outpatient facilities who are working with adolescents who have a masculine experience of the world. This is designed for a wide range of youth, including those who are transgender or nonbinary. It is a trauma-informed, gender-responsive treatement program that addresses the impacts of socialization and adverse (traumatic) life experiences and how these contribute to impaired critical thinking, trouble in dealing with emotions, increase their communication skills, better understand their sexual and gender identities, and build healthy relationships. It incorporates grounding techniques, experiential learning activites, discussion groups, and written assignments in an atmosphere of safety and mutual learning. The comprehensive facilitator's guide explains the theoretical foundation and real-life connection between trauma and substance use, and provides clear guidelines and strategies for conducting the program.

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The first European novel, exquisitely translated by Margaret Sayers Peden A timeless story of love, morality, and tragedy, Fernando de Rojas’s Celestina is a classic of Spanish literature. Second only to DonQuixote in its cultural importance, Rojas’s dramatic dialogue presents the elaborate tale of a star-crossed courtship between the young nobleman Calisto and the beautiful maiden Melibea in fifteenth-century Spain. Their unforgettable saga plays out in vibrant exchanges, presented here in a brilliant new translation by award-winning translator Margaret Sayers Peden. After a chance encounter with Melibea entrances Calisto, he enlists the services of Celestina, an aged prostitute, madam, and procuress, to arrange another meeting. She promptly seizes control of the affair, guiding it through a series of mishaps before it meets its tragic end. At times a comic character and at others a self-assertive promoter of women’s sexual license, Celestina is an inimitable personality with a surprisingly modern consciousness, certain to be relished by a new generation of readers.

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Between 1949 and 1989, remarkable buildings of late modernity were constructed in the coastal city of Kuwait. Within these four decades, the city state on the Arabian Gulf was comprehensively restructured and practically redesigned. Following a first volume with 150 carefully selected exemplary buildings, this second volume features interviews, essays and arguments, as well as transcripts of contemporary publications of these years. The texts from local and international scholars focus on questions regarding the significance and function of the buildings along with the role of individual and corporate protagonists that influenced, defined and created this highly dynamic restructuring process. Furthermore, all aspects are integrated into a wider regional and international context. The contributions are complemented by an extensive array of photographic, layout, and archive materials.

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Varied approaches to an overlooked time period in the history and archaeology of the MediterraneanThis book presents multidisciplinary perspectives on Greece, Corsica, Malta, and Sicily from the fourth to the thirteenth centuries, an often-overlooked time in the history of the central Mediterranean.The research approaches and areas of specialization collected here range from material culture to landscape settlement patterns, from epigraphy to architecture and architectural decoration, and from funerary archaeology to urban fabric and cityscapes.Topics covered in these chapters include late Roman villas; the formation of Byzantine and Islamic settlements in western Sicily; re-use of protohistoric sites in late antiquity and the middle ages in eastern Sicily; early Christian landscapes and settlements in Corsica; the transition from late antiquity through Byzantine rule to Muslim conquest in Malta; trade network trajectories of the Aegean islands and Crete; and crosscultural interactions in medieval Greece. Together, these essays show the potential of post-Ancient and post-Classical archaeology, highlighting missing links between the Roman world and medieval Byzantium and broadening the horizons of new generations of archaeologists.

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Sassetta, the subtle genius from Siena, revolutionized Italian painting with an altarpiece for the small Tuscan town of Borgo San Sepolcro in 1437–1444. Originally standing some six yards high, double-sided, with a splendid gilt frame over the main altar of the local Franciscan church, it was the Rolls Royce of early Renaissance painting. But its myriad figures and scenes tempted the collectors of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and today its disassembled panels can be found in twelve museums throughout Europe and the United States. To produce this landmark volume, experts in art and general history, painting technique and conservation, woodworking, architecture, and liturgy have joined forces across the boundaries of eight different nations. A model of collaboration, it opens new windows onto the creative process of the artist as he confronted a late-medieval church at a crossroad of cultures, the miracle-working body of a holy man, and a community of Franciscan friars breathing the exhilarating air of reform. To confront such challenges, Sassetta raised the most spiritual school of early Italian art, the Sienese, to a higher level of understanding, grace, and splendor.

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An underlying assumption undergirding institutions of higher education is that they serve as a means to upward socioeconomic mobility and, in turn, a way to address poverty that is tied to certain racialized/sexualized bodies. Although the education crisis is not an American or European problem in the geographic sense, but instead a global problem that plays itself out differentially across space and time, this volume focuses on the westernized university, in the US and abroad. It asks questions about what is westernized about the university, what its aims are, and how those who work in, through and outside these sites of knowledge production—with local or global social movements—can participate in the slow, careful process of decolonizing the westernized university. Decolonizing the Westernized University: Interventions in Philosophy of Education from Within and Without provides a sharper understanding of the crisis and the responses to the westernized university at multiple sites around the world. As an intervention in the philosophy of education discourse, which tends to assume the university is a neutral space, this collection will be of particular value to students and scholars working in philosophy of education, Latina/o philosophy, Africana philosophy, social epistemology, education, cultural studies, and ethnic studies, as well as to intellectual activists in the United States, south of the border, and around the world.

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"The Canto General", thought by many of Neruda's most prominent critics to be the poet's masterpiece, is the stunning epic of an entire continent and its people.

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While some research methods or techniques are applicable in several areas of medicine, research in cardiovascular diseases requires knowledge of an increasing array of procedures, techniques and measurements that are highly specialized and unique to this area of investigation. Edited by senior clinical investigators who are recognized leaders in cardiovascular medicine worldwide, this book provides readers with a comprehensive, practical “how-to-do-it” review of best-practice techniques for cardiovascular research.

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Coastal Structures are undergoing renewal and innovation to better serve the needs of our society - from environmental co-existence and habitat enhancement to risk management. The CSt07 conference is the fifth in a series that highlight significant progress in the innovation, design and construction of coastal structures. Proceedings of these CSt conferences have yielded milestone works, frequently cited references in the field.This two-volume proceedings contains the final revised version of 178 papers that have been reviewed, selected and discussed at the CSt07 conference. The volume brings to readers a comprehensive range of contributions, covering all aspects of research, design, construction, and maintenance of coastal structures including new up-to-date interesting topics, such as tsunamis and storm surge defences, climate change, piled coastal structures as well as ecological issues, a new addition to the traditional program.

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Drought remains the biggest single threat from climate change to the production of key cereal crops, such as wheat and barley. Cereals also respond in complex ways to drought stress, making improved drought tolerance a challenging trait to achieve. With many cereals recognised as staple food crops due to their nutritional value, more research is required into improving drought tolerance as a means of ensuring the future food security of millions.Developing drought-resistant cereals reviews the wealth of research which addresses how to overcome this challenge in order to mitigate climate change effects in cereal production. This collection details our understanding of the mechanisms of drought tolerance, as well as developments in techniques for improving resistance, including phenotyping, identifying genes relating to root and photosynthetic function and the use of genomic selection and genome editing.

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This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Computer-Aided Systems Theory, EUROCAST 2022, held in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, during February 20–25, 2022. The 77 full papers included in this book were carefully reviewed and selected from 110 submissions. They were organized in topical sections as follows: Systems Theory and Applications, Theory and Applications of Metaheuristic Algorithms, Model-Based System Design, Verification and Simulation, Applications of Signal Processing Technology, Artificial Intelligence and Data Mining for Intelligent Transportation Systems and Smart Mobility, Computer Vision, Machine Learning for Image Analysis and Applications, Computer and Systems Based Methods and Electronic Technologies in Medicine, Systems in Industrial Robotics, Automation and IoT, Systems Thinking. Relevance for Technology, Science and Management Professionals.

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At a time when public administrations are increasingly subjected to transparency requirements this book provides timely analysis on the role of transparency in the context of public procurement within the EU. It provides a blend of theoretical analysis and practical insights into the operation of freedom of information requirements associated with the expenditure of public funds through purchasing, contracting out and commissioning activities. The first part of the book critically assesses a number of key issues surrounding transparency in public procurement including: corruption prevention, competition, commercial issues and access to remedies. The second part of the book features contributions from leading experts across ten European jurisdictions, providing a comparative view of transparency requirements and freedom of information rules in the context of public procurement. Overall the book provides a conceptual framework to understand the relationship between business secrets, freedom of information rules and the regulation of public procurement across Europe. This book will be of interest to scholars and students researching across public, administrative and comparative law. Practising lawyers who are involved with cross-border procurement tenders will also find this book to be a useful resource as it provides a comprehensive overview of regulatory standards at a national and European level.

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Collaborative Strategy enables you to move past thinking about alliances based on hunches and move toward real empirical insight into the use, creation, and management of successful alliances. It is a comprehensive review of the current cutting-edge thinking about alliances, which are becoming such an increasingly pervasive part of both private and public industry. Whether you are contemplating a new equity joint venture, entry into a new market, or reassessing your current alliance portfolio you'll find this book full of useful insights into what it takes to succeed at the alliance game. One of the most comprehensive looks at alliances I've seen, delivered succinctly and organized to be easily navigated.'- Russ Buchanan, Xerox Corporation'Alliances and networks present a broad range of challenges as well as opportunities for executives. Academics have studied these relationships from various disciplinary perspectives while employing diverse research methodologies. This volume unpacks this breadth and complexity, and covers many of the cutting-edge research questions in the field. The contributors are the ''Who's Who'' of the top scholars in the field. The volume is particularly valuable to scholars as well as students who are new to the area, and seek concise and insightful summaries of the many different streams of research on alliances and networks.'- Riitta Katila, Stanford University'For managers forming or having formed partnerships with other institutions, this is a must read. Collaborative Strategy reveals what we are doing and why, and how we can do it better, in a seldom-achieved style that addresses the complexity of the academic debate whilst presenting key implications for practitioners.'- Andreas Moosdorf, Pan-European Processes, AmazonThis book provides approachable and insightful chapters that summarize state-of-the-art thinking and research on alliances and networks. Contributions by leading scholars cover foundations or fundamentals as well as frontier areas through a diverse range of perspectives. Topics include: the theoretical foundations of collaborative strategy firms' partner selection and investment decisions contractual foundations of collaboration relational and behavioral aspects of collaboration, networks and portfolios novel collaborative relationships such as ecosystems and public-private partnerships, and the consequences of inter-organizational collaborations. For doctoral and masters students, as well as managers new to the area of collaborative strategy, this collection provides concise chapters and literature reviews that make it an invaluable resource. Business practitioners and consultants who want to learn about this area and the underlying theory will also find this book a useful reference.Contributors: A. Ariño, B. Arslan, N. Asgari, R.P. Bremner, S.M. Bruhs, C. Butter, S. Cabral, L. Capron, T. Chi, J. Choi, F.J. Contractor, Y. Doz, P. Dussauge, J. Dyer, K.M. Eisenhardt, D.W. Elfenbein, A. Gambardella, F. Habasche, J. Hagedoorn, D.P. Hannah, K.R. Harrigan, W. Hesterly, M.A. Hitt, W.H. Hoffmann, P. Kale, A. Keller, I. Kivleniece, T. Kretschmer, D. Lavie, S. Lazzarini, D. Li, J. Li, R. Madhavan, X. Martin, O.J. Martinez, K.J. Mayer, T. Mellewigt, L.F. Mesquita, W. Mitchell, K. Neumann, T. Nguyen, J.E. Oxley, C. Panico, L. Poppo, J. Prescott, B.V. Quélin, R. Ragozzino, J.J. Reuer, M. Rivera-Santos, A. Seth, B.S. Silverman, H. Singh, K. Singh, I. Stern, M. Stienstra, M. Sytch, S. Tallman, B.S. Vanneste, F. Wohlgezogen, X. Zhe, M. Zollo

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This volume contains recent results in quantum probability and related topics. The contributions include peer-reviewed papers on interacting Fock space and orthogonal polynomials, quantum Markov semigroups, infinitely divisible processes, free probability, white noise, quantum filtering and control, quantum information, dilations, applications of quantum probability in physics, and quantum and classical models in biology. This diversity reflects the strong and constructive relations between quantum probability and different sectors of mathematics, physics, and other sciences and technologies.

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Collaborative Strategy enables you to move past thinking about alliances based on hunches and move toward real empirical insight into the use, creation, and management of successful alliances. It is a comprehensive review of the current cutting-edge thinking about alliances, which are becoming such an increasingly pervasive part of both private and public industry. Whether you are contemplating a new equity joint venture, entry into a new market, or reassessing your current alliance portfolio you'll find this book full of useful insights into what it takes to succeed at the alliance game. One of the most comprehensive looks at alliances I've seen, delivered succinctly and organized to be easily navigated.'- Russ Buchanan, Xerox Corporation'Alliances and networks present a broad range of challenges as well as opportunities for executives. Academics have studied these relationships from various disciplinary perspectives while employing diverse research methodologies. This volume unpacks this breadth and complexity, and covers many of the cutting-edge research questions in the field. The contributors are the ''Who's Who'' of the top scholars in the field. The volume is particularly valuable to scholars as well as students who are new to the area, and seek concise and insightful summaries of the many different streams of research on alliances and networks.'- Riitta Katila, Stanford University'For managers forming or having formed partnerships with other institutions, this is a must read. Collaborative Strategy reveals what we are doing and why, and how we can do it better, in a seldom-achieved style that addresses the complexity of the academic debate whilst presenting key implications for practitioners.'- Andreas Moosdorf, Pan-European Processes, AmazonThis book provides approachable and insightful chapters that summarize state-of-the-art thinking and research on alliances and networks. Contributions by leading scholars cover foundations or fundamentals as well as frontier areas through a diverse range of perspectives. Topics include: the theoretical foundations of collaborative strategy firms' partner selection and investment decisions contractual foundations of collaboration relational and behavioral aspects of collaboration, networks and portfolios novel collaborative relationships such as ecosystems and public-private partnerships, and the consequences of inter-organizational collaborations. For doctoral and masters students, as well as managers new to the area of collaborative strategy, this collection provides concise chapters and literature reviews that make it an invaluable resource. Business practitioners and consultants who want to learn about this area and the underlying theory will also find this book a useful reference.Contributors: A. Ariño, B. Arslan, N. Asgari, R.P. Bremner, S.M. Bruhs, C. Butter, S. Cabral, L. Capron, T. Chi, J. Choi, F.J. Contractor, Y. Doz, P. Dussauge, J. Dyer, K.M. Eisenhardt, D.W. Elfenbein, A. Gambardella, F. Habasche, J. Hagedoorn, D.P. Hannah, K.R. Harrigan, W. Hesterly, M.A. Hitt, W.H. Hoffmann, P. Kale, A. Keller, I. Kivleniece, T. Kretschmer, D. Lavie, S. Lazzarini, D. Li, J. Li, R. Madhavan, X. Martin, O.J. Martinez, K.J. Mayer, T. Mellewigt, L.F. Mesquita, W. Mitchell, K. Neumann, T. Nguyen, J.E. Oxley, C. Panico, L. Poppo, J. Prescott, B.V. Quélin, R. Ragozzino, J.J. Reuer, M. Rivera-Santos, A. Seth, B.S. Silverman, H. Singh, K. Singh, I. Stern, M. Stienstra, M. Sytch, S. Tallman, B.S. Vanneste, F. Wohlgezogen, X. Zhe, M. Zollo

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The first book to cover one of the hottest subjects in wireless communications today, Mobile WiMAX Summarises the fundamental theory and practice of Mobile WiMAX Presents topics at introductory level for readers interested in understanding communication and networking knowledge for Mobile WiMAX, whilst addressing advanced / specialised subjects related to Mobile WiMAX Contains the latest advances and research from the field and shares knowledge from the key players working in this area Chapter 1 updates Mobile WiMAX status and standards; Chapters 2-6 are related to physical layer transmission; Chapters 7-12 deal with MAC and networking issues; Chapters 13-14 discuss relay networks for mobile WiMAX; and Chapters 15-19 present multimedia networking for mobile WiMAX and application scenarios. Ideal for Mobile WiMAX R&D/practicing engineers (systems, applications and services, field, terminal, IC design, integration), business development professionals, academic researchers. Graduate students conducting research and graduate students studying in mobile WiMAX and next generation wireless communications. Undergraduate students studying mobile WiMAX related subjects

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This book reports four structural equation models (SEM) for quantifying the relationship between the most important lean manufacturing (LM) practices applied to the manufacturing industry. The SEMs are evaluated using 220 responses to a survey applied to manufacturing companies applying LM principles in the production system and are related to: distribution and maintenance, production process and quality system, supply chain and quality, and an integrator model. The findings identify the most important activities for every LM practices and how they are related. These relationship’ values will help administrators, managers, engineers to focus their efforts on these most important activities, facilitating the decision-making process.

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Network traffic has fractal properties such as impulsiveness, selfsimilarity, and long-range dependence over several time scales, from milliseconds to minutes. These features have motivated the development of new traffic models and traffic control algorithms. This book presents a new statespace model for Internet traffic, which is based on a finite-dimensional representation of the Autoregressive Fractionally Integrated Moving Average (ARFIMA) random process. The modeling via Autoregressive (AR) processes is also investigated.

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Catalyzed by the development of new neurobiological and behavioral techniques as well as new conceptual and theoretical approaches to the study of the relationship between brain and behavior, research exploring brain functions enabling learning and memory has greatly accelerated in recent years. The chapters in this book reflect current theoretical approaches to the study of brain and memory and provide new insights concerning the cellular bases of memory and the differential involvement of brain systems in different forms of memory. By presenting up-to-date summaries of research investigating brain mechanisms underlying learning and memory, these chapters help to place current findings in appropriate theoretical context, and further stimulate research inquiry attempting to understand how the brain makes memory. Divided into three sections, coverage in this volume includes: * a discussion of pharmacological approaches to the study of brain and memory; * a review of experiments using a variety of techniques, including brain lesions, brain grafting, and electrophysiological recording to investigate the role of different brain regions in learning and memory; and * an examination of molecular analyses of events associated with memory formation.

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Bringing together the voices of local scholars in the Philippines, this book offers critical insights into one of the world’s most disaster-prone regions. The Asia-Pacific region is one of the most vulnerable regions in the world, with the effects of climate change contributing to rising sea levels and increasingly frequent typhoons and floods. Case studies in this book examine such disasters, including the aftermath of 2013 super typhoon Haiyan. Discussions are centered around four themes: women and empowerment, economics and recovery, community and resilience, and religion and spirituality. Through its analysis, the book demonstrates the scopes, inequities, and inefficiencies of policies and responses, as well as forms of empowerment and resilience, in meeting challenges in disaster-afflicted communities in the Philippines. Its conclusions provide a more nuanced and grounded perspective of policies, practices, and approaches in the sociology of disasters today.

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Little Rabbit has been invited to a party, but is not at all sure that it will be as fun as everyone says...It's nearly time to go to the party, but there are just a few small worries standing in the way . . . Yes, there will be cake and carrots - but what if it's too loud? And what if Rabbit gets tired and wants to come home? An empowering story about the fun you can have when you overcome your fears, from the bestselling creator of A Tale of Two Beasts. Praise for A Tale of Two Beasts: 'Roberton's premise is as sublime as it is simple, with a subtle message. Totally delightful.' - Kirkus Reviews

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The Military Balance is an authoritative assessment of the military capabilities and defence economics of 171 countries. Detailed A–Z entries list each country’s military organisation, personnel numbers, equipment inventories, and relevant economic and demographic data. Regional and select country analyses cover the major developments affecting defence policy and procurement, and defence economics. The opening graphics section displays notable defence statistics, while additional data sets detail selected arms orders and military exercises, as well as comparative defence expenditure and personnel numbers. The Military Balance is an indispensable handbook for anyone conducting serious analysis of security policy and military affairs. The International Institute for Strategic Studies, founded in 1958, is an independent centre for research, analysis and debate on the problems of conflict, however caused, that have, or potentially have, an important military dimension.'Amid continuing conflict and broadening insecurity, The Military Balance provides essential facts and analysis for decision-makers and for better informed public debate.' - Dr Robert M. Gates, former U.S. Secretary of Defense'Because military affairs are inevitably clouded in fog, the IISS Military Balance is an essential companionfor those who seek to understand.' - Lord Roberton of Port Ellen, former Secretary-General of NATO'The Military Balance is widely recognised as the best unclassified source of defense information on personnel, equipment and budgets for every country.' - Leon Panetta, former U.S. Secretary of Defense

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