Search results for ""springer international publishing ag""

In this new edition of the Handbook of Signal Processing Systems, many of the chapters from the previous editions have been updated, and several new chapters have been added. The new contributions include chapters on signal processing methods for light field displays, throughput analysis of dataflow graphs, modeling for reconfigurable signal processing systems, fast Fourier transform architectures, deep neural networks, programmable architectures for histogram of oriented gradients processing, high dynamic range video coding, system-on-chip architectures for data analytics, analysis of finite word-length effects in fixed-point systems, and models of architecture. There are more than 700 tables and illustrations; in this edition over 300 are in color. This new edition of the handbook is organized in three parts. Part I motivates representative applications that drive and apply state-of-the art methods for design and implementation of signal processing systems; Part II discusses architectures for implementing these applications; and Part III focuses on compilers, as well as models of computation and their associated design tools and methodologies.

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This text focuses on developing an intimate acquaintance with the geometric meaning of curvature and thereby introduces and demonstrates all the main technical tools needed for a more advanced course on Riemannian manifolds. It covers proving the four most fundamental theorems relating curvature and topology: the Gauss-Bonnet Theorem, the Cartan-Hadamard Theorem, Bonnet’s Theorem, and a special case of the Cartan-Ambrose-Hicks Theorem.

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This textbook develops the essential tools of linear algebra, with the goal of imparting technique alongside contextual understanding. Applications go hand-in-hand with theory, each reinforcing and explaining the other. This approach encourages students to develop not only the technical proficiency needed to go on to further study, but an appreciation for when, why, and how the tools of linear algebra can be used across modern applied mathematics.Providing an extensive treatment of essential topics such as Gaussian elimination, inner products and norms, and eigenvalues and singular values, this text can be used for an in-depth first course, or an application-driven second course in linear algebra. In this second edition, applications have been updated and expanded to include numerical methods, dynamical systems, data analysis, and signal processing, while the pedagogical flow of the core material has been improved. Throughout, the text emphasizes the conceptual connections between each application and the underlying linear algebraic techniques, thereby enabling students not only to learn how to apply the mathematical tools in routine contexts, but also to understand what is required to adapt to unusual or emerging problems.No previous knowledge of linear algebra is needed to approach this text, with single-variable calculus as the only formal prerequisite. However, the reader will need to draw upon some mathematical maturity to engage in the increasing abstraction inherent to the subject. Once equipped with the main tools and concepts from this book, students will be prepared for further study in differential equations, numerical analysis, data science and statistics, and a broad range of applications. The first author’s text, Introduction to Partial Differential Equations, is an ideal companion volume, forming a natural extension of the linear mathematical methods developed here.

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This book covers the new Omics area, Metallomics. As Metallomics is intrinsically a transdisciplinary area, this book is authored by experts in the field on such diverse topics as Environmental, Nuclear, and Human Metallomics. Within these topics metals play important role, as being part of biomolecules, controlling different biochemical process, being signaling agents, being catalyst of biochemical reactions, among others. This volume demonstrates the importance of more investigation about metals and their interactions with biomolecules. As the knowledge in this field is growing and growing daily, then new challenges concerning studies involving Metallomics is appearing, such as comparative metallomics, speciation metallomics, real-time metallomics, new predictions of metals in biomolecules, metalloprotein databank expansion, interactions between metalloprotein-metalloprotein, among others.

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This book develops a comparative study on violence in Jamaica, El Salvador, and Belize based on a theoretical approach, extensive field research, and in-depth empirical research. It combines the Caribbean and Central America into a single comparative research that explores the historical (from the conquista onwards) as well as contemporary causes of violence in these societies. The volume focuses on forms of violence such as gang violence, police violence, every day forms of violence, vigilantism, and organized crime. The analysis provides a theoretical perspective that bridges political economy as well as cultural approaches in violence research. As such, it will be of interest to readers studying development, violence, political, Central American, and Caribbean studies.

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This book covers each step in the asset allocation process, addressing as many of the relevant questions as possible along the way. How can we formulate expectations about long-term returns? How relevant are valuations? What are the challenges to optimizing the portfolio? Can factor investing add value and, if so, how can it be implemented? Which are the key performance drivers for each asset class, and what determines how they are correlated? How can we apply insights about the business cycle to tactical asset allocation? The book is aimed at finance professionals and others looking for a coherent framework for decision-making in asset allocation, both at the strategic and tactical level. It stresses analysis rather than pre-conceived ideas about investments, and it draws on both empirical research and practical experience to give the reader as strong a background as possible.

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This book focuses on the critical care of the patient with acute, acute on chronic and chronic liver failure as well as the peri-operative care of the patient with liver transplantation. Each of these disease processes is unique in pathophysiological manifestations, underpinnings of physiology and treatment options.Patients with acute, chronic or acute on chronic liver failure are a growing fraction of ICU admissions. Hepatic Critical Care serves as the essential reference for both practicing intensivists at community hospitals and tertiary referral centers. This textbook is also targeted towards trainees specifically interested in taking care of patients with liver disease and liver transplantation.

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This collection reflects on the emerging phenomenon of ‘selfie citizenship’, which capitalises on individual visibility and agency, at the time when citizenship itself is increasingly governed through biometrics and large-scale dataisation. Today we are witnessing a global rise of politicised selfies: photographs of individuals with handwritten notes or banners, various selfie memes and hashtag actions, spread on social media in actions of protest or social mobilistion. Contributions in this collection range from discussions of citizen engagement, to political campaigning, to selfies as forms of citizen witnessing, to selfies without a face. The chapters cover uses of selfies by activists, tourists and politicians, victims and survivors, adults and children, in a broad range of geopolitical locations –China, Germany, Iran, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, the UK and the US. Written by an international and interdisciplinary group of authors, from senior professors to junior scholars, artists, graduate students and activist, the book is aimed at students, researchers, and media practitioners.

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These proceeding cover new trends presented at the IV Congress of the International Society of Reconstructive Neurosurgery (ISRN), 2015. ISRN is an “open” multidisciplinary society that deals with advances in spine and peripheral-nerve reconstructive surgery, central nervous system revascularization (surgical, radio interventional), neuromodulation, bioengineering and transplantation, which are the latest tools used to promote reconstruction, restoration and rehabilitation.

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This book is the first reference book covering exclusively all aspects of this challenging disease. It is designed to serve as a succinct appropriate resource for neurosurgeons, otorhinolaryngologists, neuroradiologists, researchers and infectious disease specialists with an interest in cranial infection. Cranial Osteomyelitis provides an in-depth review of knowledge of the management of skull osteomyelitis, with an emphasis on risk factors, causative pathogens, pathophysiology of dissemination, clinical presentations, neuroradiological findings and treatment modalities, medical and surgical. Sections on the prognosis and prevention of this illness are also included. The book will help the reader in choosing the most appropriate way to manage this challenging bone infection. In addition, it supplies clinicians and investigators with both basic and more sophisticated information and procedures relating to the complications associated with skull osteomyelitis. It also considers future areas of investigation and innovative therapeutic philosophies. The book is richly illustrated to provide readers with unparalleled access to a comprehensive collection of cranial osteomyelitis images (biological, clinical, neuroradiological, and surgical) taken directly from the author’s collection and experience in the field.

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This book is intended for medical students and surgical trainees such as surgical residents and fellows. It provides a practical preparation guide for common surgical procedures. Operations are divided into twelve sections that cover commonly performed general surgery operations such as bariatric, breast, cardiothoracic, colorectal, minimally invasive, and more. The chapters included in these sections aim to assist residents and fellows in facilitating memorization of the operation sequence and movements required to perform a given task. It will also help enhance skill development in the operating room.Written by residents and highly experienced attending surgeons, Mental Conditioning to Perform Common Operations in General Surgery Training: A Systematic Approach to Expediting Skill Acquisition and Maintaining Dexterity in Performance provides a comprehensive systematic approach to performing surgical procedures.

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This volume provides an overview of new concepts in neurovascular interventions based on clinical and scientific knowledge of cerebrovascular disorders. It especially focuses on subarachnoid hemorrhage and cerebrovascular malformations, e.g. aneurysms, arterio-venous malformations, and cavernomas. A separate part addresses cerebral revascularization for both complex aneurysms and ischemia. All contributions were written by recognized experts and cover original papers presented at the 7th European Japanese Stroke Surgery Conference, held in Verona, Italy in June 2014. The authors present new trends and strategies for managing emerging problems, as well as in-depth discussions on controversial issues in the field.

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This book critically assesses mobilities across the Mediterranean Basin and explores the implications of changing European relationships in the light of observations of the intersectional formation and evolution of identities, behavior and ideas. Further, it discusses the timely topic of a new diversity of migration and mobility practices (personal and virtual mobilities in terms of gender, motivations, emotional geographies, impacts, and circulation) from conceptual and empirical perspectives, providing new insights for scholars and policy makers in the context of urgently needed national and European policies. Mediterranean Mobilities is based on fieldwork in European and non-European countries and on mutual learning and transfer of knowledge among scholars from nine universities in Morocco, Algeria, Israel, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain, as well as stakeholders in Europe and North Africa. The results stem from the FP7 Marie Curie IRSES project MEDCHANGe coordinated by the book editor. The project comprises fieldwork conducted by distinguished scholars in Europe, Morocco, Algeria and Israel, generating original data and findings on fast changing realities. This book appeals to researchers but also serves as a basic or complementary text in advanced undergraduate, graduate or master’s courses on mobilities/migration, regionalization, cooperation, international relations and Mediterranean studies as part of teaching programs in geography, sociology, international political sciences, as well as programs focusing on regional studies (e.g., European integration). It is also of interest to the professional and institutional community in the wide area of Mediterranean politics, economy and society as well as a general readership.

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This book explores the various features of work environments that affect nurses' experiences of their work, their interactions with co-workers and patients, and ultimately health care quality and patient outcomes. Using a broad and comprehensive approach, the authors identify the most extensively researched and best-understood concepts in the field and presents a critical and up-to-date review of the evidence regarding causes and effects of work environment features. It then presents evidence regarding organizational interventions aimed at broad ranges of clinical practices and outcomes, such as team-based interventions and management practices to improve practice climate. The ideas, approaches, and evidence are presented by a team of researchers and experienced practitioner/leaders; taken together, they form a state-of-the-science toolkit. Unique features of this book include a systematic presentation of best practices in nursing and healthcare leadership, along with the conceptual grounding and empirical support for these approaches, and extensive demonstrations of how these practices, many of which originated in North America, apply to European contexts.

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This textbook is a guide to success during the PhD trajectory. The first part of this book takes the reader through all steps of the PhD trajectory, and the second part contains a unique glossary of terms and explanation relevant for PhD candidates. Written in the accessible language of the PhD Talk blogs, the book contains a great deal of practical advice for carrying out research, and presenting one’s work. It includes tips and advice from current and former PhD candidates, thus representing a broad range of opinions. The book includes exercises that help PhD candidates get their work kick-started. It covers all steps of a doctoral journey in STEM: getting started in a program, planning the work, the literature review, the research question, experimental work, writing, presenting, online tools, presenting at one’s first conference, writing the first journal paper, writing and defending the thesis, and the career after the PhD. Since a PhD trajectory is a deeply personal journey, this book suggests methods PhD candidates can try out, and teaches them how to figure out for themselves which proposed methods work for them, and how to find their own way of doing things.

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This volume analyzes the corruption phenomenon in Africa and how to combat it from a governance perspective with illustrated case studies from three of the most corrupt of those nations covering, respectively, the Southern Africa region (Swaziland); the Eastern Africa region (Kenya); and the Western Africa region (Nigeria). Drawing on the available data, research literature, and field practice experience, the nature and extent of corruption are identified; the factors influencing the causes and determining the consequences of corruption are delineated; measures that have been put in place to control corruption are outlined and discussed; and new policy solutions are proposed and advocated to more effectively control the corruption menace in Africa.

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This book explores women writers’ involvement with the Gothic. The author sheds new light on women’s experience, a viewpoint that remains largely absent from male-authored Colonial Gothic works. The book investigates how women writers appropriated the Gothic genre—and its emphasis on fear, isolation, troubled identity, racial otherness, and sexual deviancy—in order to take these anxieties into the farthest realms of the British Empire. The chapters show how Gothic themes told from a woman’s perspective emerge in unique ways when set in the different colonial regions that comprise the scope of this book: Canada, the Caribbean, Africa, India, Australia, and New Zealand. Edmundson argues that women’s Colonial Gothic writing tends to be more critical of imperialism, and thereby more subversive, than that of their male counterparts. This book will be of interest to students and academics interested in women’s writing, the Gothic, and colonial studies.

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Globalization has been a key force in the development of business in recent decades. But with nationalism on the rise in Europe, the United States and elsewhere, the future of global trade and international business has been thrown into doubt. In this new and challenging context, innovative companies have the opportunity not only to find new ways to operate across borders, but also to help forge a new system of relations between people of different nationalities and cultures. This book features a collection of case studies that illustrate how companies from different corners of the globe are succeeding in reaching out to distant customers, stakeholders and partners. It features inspiring examples of leaders who are actively developing imaginative ways to connect across continents. It is a vital reference tool for companies that plan to continue operating globally or to expand their international presence. A clarion call for the renewed relevance and importance of globalized business, this book suggests a future where companies can contribute positively to achieving sustainable growth and a fairer distribution of wealth across the globe.

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In a world of rapid and unpredictable change, the problem with strategic planning is that if you follow your plan through to the end, you will get exactly what you used to want. What you need is a framework for planning and implementing a strategy that is agile enough to adapt to a dynamic environment but focused enough to deliver. That framework is the Dynamic Balanced Scorecard. The original Balanced Scorecard system has proven the most popular, successful and enduring framework for strategy execution over the last 25 years. Comprising a Strategy Map and a scorecard of KPIs, targets and initiatives, the framework helped organizations distil a strategy into actionable components and measure progress towards a strategic vision, while also implementing and monitoring the actions that drove change. However, for all its success, the Balanced Scorecard system now needs to evolve for the digital age. Until now, building the system, rolling it out enterprise-wide and adapting it to external changes has been a lengthy process. While the fundamental principles of the system are still sound and relevant, it needs to become nimbler and more responsive. The book provides a step-by-step guide to agile strategy management: from formulation to implementation to learning and adapting. For each of the steps, the book explains how Dynamic Balanced Scorecards, fit for the digital age, are built and deployed.

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On-surface synthesis is appearing as an extremely promising strategy to create organic nanoarchitectures with atomic precision. Molecular building blocks holding adequate functional groups are dosed onto surfaces that support or even drive their covalent linkage. The surface confinement and the frequent lack of solvents (most commonly being performed under vacuum conditions) create a completely new scenario fully complementary to conventional chemistry. In a pedagogical way and based on the most recent developments, this volume presents our current understanding in the field, addressing fundamental reaction mechanisms, synthetic strategies to influence the reactions according to our needs, as well as the ultimate growth and characterization of functional materials.Verging on chemistry, physics and materials science, the book is aimed at students and researchers interested in nanochemistry, surface science, supramolecular materials and molecular devices.Chapters "Mechanistic insights into surface-supported chemical reactions", "Reactivity on and of Graphene Layers: Scanning Probe Microscopy Reviels" and "Bottom-up fabrication of atomically precise graphene nanoribbons" of this book are available open access under a CC BY 4.0 license at link.springer.com

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This book provides a practical approach to the anesthetic management of surgical and nonsurgical procedures across the spectrum of anesthesia sub-specialties. This book will assist the practitioner to plan their anesthetic from preoperative evaluation phase to complete recovery or transfer to another special care area. The emphasis is on both the planned technique and more importantly the logic or reasoning behind the suggested technique.This book addresses all important procedures in anesthesiology, including preoperative evaluation, airway management, and fluid administration. Every chapter discusses a specific surgery or procedure. Some topics of special interest are also included.Anesthesiology: A Practical Approach is aimed at anesthesia residents, anesthesia nurse practitioners, and experienced anesthesiologists called upon to work in any area or anesthetizing location.

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This book celebrates the work of Don Pigozzi on the occasion of his 80th birthday. In addition to articles written by leading specialists and his disciples, it presents Pigozzi’s scientific output and discusses his impact on the development of science. The book both catalogues his works and offers an extensive profile of Pigozzi as a person, sketching the most important events, not only related to his scientific activity, but also from his personal life. It reflects Pigozzi's contribution to the rise and development of areas such as abstract algebraic logic (AAL), universal algebra and computer science, and introduces new scientific results. Some of the papers also present chronologically ordered facts relating to the development of the disciplines he contributed to, especially abstract algebraic logic. The book offers valuable source material for historians of science, especially those interested in history of mathematics and logic.

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This textbook provides an overview on current cell culture techniques, conditions, and applications specifically focusing on human cell culture. This book is based on lectures, seminars and practical courses in stem cells, tissue engineering, regenerative medicine and 3D cell culture held at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna BOKU and the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz University Hannover, complemented by contributions from international experts, and therefore delivers in a compact and clear way important theoretical, as well as practical knowledge to advanced graduate students on cell culture techniques and the current status of research. The book is written for Master students and PhD candidates in biotechnology, tissue engineering and biomedicine working with mammalian, and specifically human cells. It will be of interest to doctoral colleges, Master- and PhD programs teaching courses in this area of research.

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Change is an inherent feature of all aspects of clinical practice and patient management. This book seeks to contribute to presenting novel knowledge in various fields of clinical work. The articles tackle transdisciplinary topics and focus on the underlying mechanisms of clinical disorders, their prevention and management. The themes addressed include allergy and pseudoallergy in the pediatric population, influenza-related infections and their sequelae, which continues to be a scourge in the developing world, the risk of lung cancer repeats and their management, viral hepatitis that may lead to hepatocarcinoma, respiratory consequences of diaphragmatic hernias, disorders of steroid hormone metabolism, and others. The articles bring the updated strategies, research, and best practices to improve outcomes and to deliver state-of-the-art clinical care to patients. The book will be of interest to physicians, academic scientists, and researchers who are keen in sharing the latest medical practice developments.

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This book aims to offer a thorough study and reference textbook on electrical machines and drives. The basic idea is to start from the pure electromagnetic principles to derive the equivalent circuits and steady-state equations of the most common electrical machines (in the first parts). Although the book mainly concentrates on rotating field machines, the first two chapters are devoted to transformers and DC commutator machines. The chapter on transformers is included as an introduction to induction and synchronous machines, their electromagnetics and equivalent circuits. Chapters three and four offer an in-depth study of induction and synchronous machines, respectively. Starting from their electromagnetics, steady-state equations and equivalent circuits are derived, from which their basic properties can be deduced. The second part discusses the main power-electronic supplies for electrical drives, for example rectifiers, choppers, cycloconverters and inverters. Much attention is paid to PWM techniques for inverters and the resulting harmonic content in the output waveform. In the third part, electrical drives are discussed, combining the traditional (rotating field and DC commutator) electrical machines treated in the first part and the power electronics of part two. Field orientation of induction and synchronous machines are discussed in detail, as well as direct torque control. In addition, also switched reluctance machines and stepping motors are discussed in the last chapters. Finally, part 4 is devoted to the dynamics of traditional electrical machines. Also for the dynamics of induction and synchronous machine drives, the electromagnetics are used as the starting point to derive the dynamic models. Throughout part 4, much attention is paid to the derivation of analytical models. But, of course, the basic dynamic properties and probable causes of instability of induction and synchronous machine drives are discussed in detail as well, with the derived models for stability in the small as starting point. In addition to the study of the stability in the small, a chapter is devoted to large-scale dynamics as well (e.g. sudden short-circuit of synchronous machines). The textbook is used as the course text for the Bachelor’s and Master’s programme in electrical and mechanical engineering at the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture of Ghent University. Parts 1 and 2 are taught in the basic course ’Fundamentals of Electric Drives’ in the third bachelor. Part 3 is used for the course ’Controlled Electrical Drives’ in the first master, while Part 4 is used in the specialised master on electrical energy.

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MATRIX is Australia’s international, residential mathematical research institute. It facilitates new collaborations and mathematical advances through intensive residential research programs, each lasting 1-4 weeks. This book is a scientific record of the five programs held at MATRIX in its first year, 2016: - Higher Structures in Geometry and Physics - Winter of Disconnectedness - Approximation and Optimisation - Refining C*-Algebraic Invariants for Dynamics using KK-theory - Interactions between Topological Recursion, Modularity, Quantum Invariants and Low- dimensional Topology The MATRIX Scientific Committee selected these programs based on their scientific excellence and the participation rate of high-profile international participants. Each program included ample unstructured time to encourage collaborative research; some of the longer programs also included an embedded conference or lecture series.The articles are grouped into peer-reviewed contributions and other contributions. The peer-reviewed articles present original results or reviews on selected topics related to the MATRIX program; the remaining contributions are predominantly lecture notes based on talks or activities at MATRIX.

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In the last few decades, DNA-based tools for the investigation of fungal taxonomy, signal transduction and regulation, differentiation processes and biosynthetic potential have accelerated advances in our understanding of the Mycota. This completely updated and revised second edition presents a selection of exciting issues involving basic and applied aspects of fungal physiology and genetics. In 14 chapters, respected experts provide an overview of traditional, topical and future aspects of basic fungal principles and potential applications in biotechnology. The contributions will bring scientists up-to-date on the latest developments, and help students familiarize themselves with the different topics.

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This book explores the concept and vocabulary of postdramatic theatre from a pedagogical perspective. It identifies some of the major anxieties and paradoxes generated by teaching postdramatic theatre through practice, with reference to the aesthetic, cultural and institutional pressures that shape teaching practices. It also presents a series of case studies that identify the pedagogical fault lines that expose the power-relations inherent in teaching (with a focus on the higher education sector as opposed to actor training institutions). It uses auto-ethnography, performance analysis and critical theory to assist university teachers involved in directing theatre productions to deepen their understanding of the concept of postdramatic theatre.

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This book demonstrates a new, interdisciplinary approach to life writing about torture that situates torture firmly within its socio-political context, as opposed to extending the long line of representations written in the idiom of the proverbial dark chamber. By dismantling the rhetorical divide that typically separates survivors’ suffering from human rights workers’ expertise, contributors engage with the personal, professional, and institutional dimensions of torture and redress. Essays in this volume consider torture from diverse locations – the Philippines, Argentina, Sudan, and Guantánamo, among others. From across the globe, contributors witness both individual pain and institutional complicity; the challenges of building communities of healing across linguistic and national divides; and the role of the law, art, writing, and teaching in representing and responding to torture.

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This book is open access under a CC BY 4.0 license.This timely book addresses the conflict between globalism and nationalism. It provides a liberal communitarian response to the rise of populism occurring in many democracies. The book highlights the role of communities next to that of the state and the market. It spells out the policy implications of liberal communitarianism for privacy, freedom of the press, and much else. In a persuasive argument that speaks to politics today from Europe to the United States to Australia, the author offers a compelling vision of hope. Above all, the book offers a framework for dealing with moral challenges people face as they seek happiness but also to live up to their responsibilities to others and the common good.At a time when even our most basic values are up for question in policy debates riddled with populist manipulation, Amitai Etzioni’s bold book creates a new frame which introduces morals and values back into applied policy questions. These questions span the challenges of jobless growth to the unanswered questions posed by the role of artificial intelligence in a wide range of daily life tasks and decisions. While not all readers will agree with the communitarian solutions that he proposes, many will welcome an approach that is, at its core, inclusive and accepting of the increasingly global nature of all societies at the same time. It is a must read for all readers concerned about the future of Western liberal democracy.Carol Graham, Leo Pasvolsky Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution and College Park Professor/University of MarylandIn characteristically lively, engaging, and provocative style Etzioni tackles many of the great public policy dilemmas that afflict us today. Arguing that we are trapped into a spiral of slavish consumerism, he proposes a form of liberal communitarian that, he suggests, will allow human beings to flourish in changing circumstances. Jonathan Wolff, Blavatnik Chair of Public Policy, Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford

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This book addresses the environmental, legal, social, and economic aspects of corporate social responsibility in the maritime industry. It discusses the voluntary aspects of the CSR concept and how the lines between informal and formal rules are merging and becoming fuzzy. Further, it shows how regulation is enhancing responsibility and sustainability in the maritime industry.The book gathers the experiences of the WMU, IMO, UN and public and private actors in developing and developed countries in the maritime industry.

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The second edition of this encyclopedia presents about 1000 chapters and includes thousands of biologically important signaling molecules and the content is built on the core concepts of their functions along with early findings written by some of the world’s foremost experts. The molecules are described by recognized leaders in each molecule. The interactions of these single molecules in signal transduction networks will also be explored. This encyclopedia marks a new era in overview of current cellular signaling molecules for the specialist and the interested non-specialist alike. Currently, there are more than 30,000 genes in human genome. However, not all the proteins encoded by these genes work equally in order to maintain homeostasis. Understanding the important signaling molecules as completely as possible will significantly improve our research-based teaching and scientific capabilities.

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This concise and practical book provides an overview of neuromuscular disorders in clinical practice. Diagnostic approaches are covered along with patient management strategies in an easy-to-understand and introductory framework. Filling a significant gap in the literature, this resource delivers essential information for neurology trainees and practitioners, as well as anyone interested in learning the fundamentals of this important medical subspecialty.

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This book offers a collection of original peer-reviewed contributions presented at the 7th International Congress on Design and Modeling of Mechanical Systems (CMSM’2017), held in Hammamet, Tunisia, from the 27th to the 29th of March 2017. It reports on both research findings, innovative industrial applications and case studies concerning mechanical systems and related to modeling and analysis of materials and structures, multiphysics methods, nonlinear dynamics, fluid structure interaction and vibroacoustics, design and manufacturing engineering. Continuing on the tradition of the previous editions, this proceedings offers a broad overview on the state-of-the art in the field and a useful resource for academic and industry specialists active in the field of design and modeling of mechanical systems. CMSM’2017 was jointly organized by two leading Tunisian research laboratories: the Mechanical, Modeling and Manufacturing Laboratory of the National Engineering School of Sfax and the Mechanical Engineering Laboratory of the National Engineering School of Monastir..

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This book introduces the latest advances relating to the pathophysiology, biophysics, monitoring and treatment of traumatic brain injury, hydrocephalus, and stroke presented at the 16th International Conference on Intracranial Pressure and Neuromonitoring (the "ICP Conference"), held in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in June 2016 in conjunction with the 6th Annual Meeting of the Cerebral Autoregulation Research Network. Additionally, the conference held special sessions on neurocritical care informatics and cerebrovascular autoregulation. The peer-reviewed papers included were written by leading experts in neurosurgery, neurointensive care, anesthesiology, physiology, clinical engineering, clinical informatics and mathematics who have made important contributions in this translational area of research, and their focus ranges from the latest research findings and developments to clinical trials and experimental studies. The book continues the proud tradition of publishing key work from the ICP Conferences and is a must-read for anyone wishing to stay abreast of recent advances in the field.

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The first three CEAS (Counsil of European Aerospace Societies) Specialist Conferences on Guidance, Navigation and Control (CEAS EuroGNC) were held in Munich, Germany in 2011, in Delft, Netherlands in 2013 and in Toulouse, France in 2017. The Warsaw University of Technology (WUT) and the Rzeszow University of Technology (RzUT) accepted the challenge of jointly organizing the 4th edition. The conference aims to promote scientific and technical excellence in the fields of Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) in aerospace and other fields of technology. The Conference joins together the industry with the academia research. This book covers four main topics: Guidance and Control, Control Theory Application, Navigation, UAV Control and Dynamic. The papers included focus on the most advanced and actual topics in guidance, navigation and control research areas: · Control theory, analysis, and design · ; Novel navigation, estimation, and tracking methods · Aircraft, spacecraft, missile and UAV guidance, navigation, and control · Flight testing and experimental results · Intelligent control in aerospace applications · Aerospace robotics and unmanned/autonomous systems · Sensor systems for guidance, navigation and control · Guidance, navigation, and control concepts in air traffic control systems For the 4th CEAS Specialist Conference on Guidance, Navigation and Control the International Technical Committee established a formal review process. Each paper was reviewed in compliance with good journal practices by independent and anonymous reviewers. At the end of the review process papers were selected for publication in this book.

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This comprehensive reference offers a robust framework for introducing and sustaining trauma-responsive services and culture in child welfare systems. Organized around concepts of safety, permanency, and well-being, chapters describe innovations in child protection, violence prevention, foster care, and adoption services to reduce immediate effects of trauma on children and improve long-term development and maturation. Foundations and interventions for practice include collaborations with families and community entities, cultural competency, trauma-responsive assessment and treatment, promoting trauma-informed parenting, and, when appropriate, working toward reunification of families. The book’s chapters on agency culture also address staffing, supervisory, and training issues, planning and implementation, and developing a competent, committed, and sturdy workforce. Among the topics covered: Trauma-informed family engagement with resistant clients. Introducing evidence-based trauma treatment in preventive services. Working with resource parents for trauma-informed foster care. Use of implementation science principles in program development for sustainability. Trauma informed and secondary traumatic stress informed organizational readiness assessments. Caseworker training for trauma practice and building worker resiliency. Trauma Responsive Child Welfare Systems ably assists psychology professionals of varied disciplines, social workers, and mental health professionals applying trauma theory and trauma-informed family engagement to clinical practice and/or research seeking to gain strategies for creating trauma-informed agency practice and agency culture. It also makes a worthwhile text for a child welfare training curriculum.

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This book tells a series of living stories about a domain of social activity, “the work and play of the mind,” in a particular historical epoch: the “information age.” The stories concern political processes and movements as varied as the World Trade Organization’s Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, China’s Great Firewall, practices of image sharing in social media, Occupy Wall Street, The Arab Spring, The Alt-Right, and the use of geographical indications by indigenous peoples and farmers to defend their lifestyles.In its theoretical analysis, the book illuminates four alternative political agendas for the work and play of the mind. These four “propertyscapes” represent competing visions for social life, framing projects for collective political action that are at times competing, at times overlapping. The author prompts us to consider whose property is the work and play of the mind, as well as addressing larger questions regarding the framing of political space, the kinds of political communities we may need for the future, and the changing place of the work and play of the mind within these social imaginaries. The book will be of interest to students and scholars across a range of disciplines including media and communications, arts and design, law, politics and interdisciplinary social sciences.

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This is the first textbook dedicated to explaining how artificial intelligence (AI) techniques can be used in and for games. After introductory chapters that explain the background and key techniques in AI and games, the authors explain how to use AI to play games, to generate content for games and to model players. The book will be suitable for undergraduate and graduate courses in games, artificial intelligence, design, human-computer interaction, and computational intelligence, and also for self-study by industrial game developers and practitioners. The authors have developed a website (http://www.gameaibook.org) that complements the material covered in the book with up-to-date exercises, lecture slides and reading.

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This book explains the state-of-the-art algorithms used to simulate biological dynamics. Each technique is theoretically introduced and applied to a set of modeling cases. Starting from basic simulation algorithms, the book also introduces more advanced techniques that support delays, diffusion in space, or that are based on hybrid simulation strategies.This is a valuable self-contained resource for graduate students and practitioners in computer science, biology and bioinformatics. An appendix covers the mathematical background, and the authors include further reading sections in each chapter.

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The overall objective of the book is to holistically assess the property tax systems in BRICS megacities. As megacities play a vital role within their respective countries – economically, administratively, and from a human development perspective – they experience the costs and benefits of urbanization simultaneously with major investment needs, rising poverty, and increasing congestion and pollution levels in the context of limited financial resources, raising the question for a suitable decentralized funding source. This book highlights the property tax as a means to help further improve the financial sustainability of megacities, the reliability and quality of their services, and megacities’ contribution to supporting economic growth.

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Solar energetic particles (SEPs) emitted from the Sun are a major space weather hazard motivating the development of predictive capabilities. This book presents the results and findings of the HESPERIA (High Energy Solar Particle Events forecasting and Analysis) project of the EU HORIZON 2020 programme. It discusses the forecasting operational tools developed within the project, and presents progress to SEP research contributed by HESPERIA both from the observational as well as the SEP modelling perspective. Using multi-frequency observational data and simulations HESPERIA investigated the chain of processes from particle acceleration in the corona, particle transport in the magnetically complex corona and interplanetary space, to the detection near 1 AU. The book also elaborates on the unique software that has been constructed for inverting observations of relativistic SEPs to physical parameters that can be compared with space-borne measurements at lower energies. Introductory and pedagogical material included in the book make it accessible to students at graduate level and will be useful as background material for Space Physics and Space Weather courses with emphasis on Solar Energetic Particle Event Forecasting and Analysis.This book is published with open access under a CC BY license.

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This book argues that separation consciousness has kept a collective demand for corporate social responsibility at bay, even providing justification for business to neglect society. Yet there are signs that separation consciousness is being replaced with the expectation that businesses engage in symbiotic relationships with stakeholders that yield triple bottom line benefits. The potential for business to enact this social contract depends largely on the ability of top executives to discover how to activate the organizational values that make such benefits possible. The author argues that the required mind-set for this task bears a strong resemblance to the scientific discovery mentality, and that if executives were to embed this mentality in organizational decision making, shared consciousness between firms and stakeholders of the values that support corporate responsibility is feasible. CSR Discovery Leadership examines this prospect of shared value consciousness, a new frontier for CSR leadership.

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This book analyses the language that ordinary people employ when discussing money, debt and financial behaviour. It documents and critiques this language from an array of disciplinary perspectives, with chapters on children’s books, government infomercials, television poverty porn, the emotional experience of being indebted, and more. In doing so, it addresses common underlying questions concerning definitions of money and value, and scrutinises how people construct, negotiate and articulate meaning in these domains. This wide-ranging edited collection will be of interest to students and scholars of linguistics, sociology, communication, literature and anthropology.

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This book focuses on workplace innovation, which is a key element in ensuring that organizations and the people within them can adapt to and engage in healthy, sustainable change. It features a collection of multi-level, multi-disciplinary contributions that combine theory, research and practical perspectives. In addition, the book presents new perspectives from a number of nations on policies with novel theoretical approaches to workplace innovation, as well as international case studies on the subject. These cases highlight the role of leadership, the relation between workplace innovation and well-being, as well as the do’s and don’ts of workplace innovation implementation. Whether you are an experienced workplace practitioner, manager, a policy-maker, unionist, or a student of workplace innovation, this book contains a range of tips, tools and international case studies to help the reader understand and implement workplace innovation.

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This text presents a graduate-level introduction to differential geometry for mathematics and physics students. The exposition follows the historical development of the concepts of connection and curvature with the goal of explaining the Chern–Weil theory of characteristic classes on a principal bundle. Along the way we encounter some of the high points in the history of differential geometry, for example, Gauss' Theorema Egregium and the Gauss–Bonnet theorem. Exercises throughout the book test the reader’s understanding of the material and sometimes illustrate extensions of the theory. Initially, the prerequisites for the reader include a passing familiarity with manifolds. After the first chapter, it becomes necessary to understand and manipulate differential forms. A knowledge of de Rham cohomology is required for the last third of the text.Prerequisite material is contained in author's text An Introduction to Manifolds, and can be learned in one semester. For the benefit of the reader and to establish common notations, Appendix A recalls the basics of manifold theory. Additionally, in an attempt to make the exposition more self-contained, sections on algebraic constructions such as the tensor product and the exterior power are included.Differential geometry, as its name implies, is the study of geometry using differential calculus. It dates back to Newton and Leibniz in the seventeenth century, but it was not until the nineteenth century, with the work of Gauss on surfaces and Riemann on the curvature tensor, that differential geometry flourished and its modern foundation was laid. Over the past one hundred years, differential geometry has proven indispensable to an understanding of the physical world, in Einstein's general theory of relativity, in the theory of gravitation, in gauge theory, and now in string theory. Differential geometry is also useful in topology, several complex variables, algebraic geometry, complex manifolds, and dynamical systems, among other fields. The field has even found applications to group theory as in Gromov's work and to probability theory as in Diaconis's work. It is not too far-fetched to argue that differential geometry should be in every mathematician's arsenal.

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This book addresses the challenges companies face when different customer value propositions require them to pursue a differentiated supply chain strategy. It provides practical insights on how to achieve successful supply chain segmentation and presents the benefits this can yield for companies on the basis of best-in-class industry case studies from Gardena, Philips Luminaire, Siemens Healthcare and Volvo Construction Equipment. Drawing on these examples, it provides recommendations and solutions on how to define supply chain segmentation, and how to set up and implement a transformation program. Furthermore, it presents an in-depth discussion of the current theoretical background of supply chain segmentation and introduces the current trends and available frameworks. Offering readers specific, pragmatic guidance on the main challenges and opportunities and proposing ways to effectively measure efficiency and performance, the book concludes with the do’s, don’ts and most important aspects to keep in mind when considering an end-to-end segmentation.

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This book looks at the persistence of life and how difficult it would be to annihilate life, especially a species as successful as humanity. The idea that life in general is fragile is challenged by the hardiness of microbes, which shows that astrobiology on exoplanets and other satellites must be robust and plentiful. Microbes have adapted to virtually every niche on the planet, from the deep, hot biosphere, to the frigid heights of the upper troposphere. Life, it seems, is almost indestructible. The chapters in this work examine the various scenarios that might lead to the extermination of life, and why they will almost always fail. Life's highly adaptive nature ensures that it will cling on no matter how difficult the circumstances. Scientists are increasingly probing and questioning life's true limits in, on and above the Earth, and how these limits could be pushed elsewhere in the universe. This investigation puts life in its true astronomical context, with the reader taken on a journey to illustrate life's potential and perseverance.

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