Search results for ""taylor francis inc""

To achieve the complex task of interpreting what we see, our brains rely on statistical regularities and patterns in visual data. Knowledge of these regularities can also be considerably useful in visual computing disciplines, such as computer vision, computer graphics, and image processing. The field of natural image statistics studies the regularities to exploit their potential and better understand human vision. With numerous color figures throughout, Image Statistics in Visual Computing covers all aspects of natural image statistics, from data collection to analysis to applications in computer graphics, computational photography, image processing, and art.The authors keep the material accessible, providing mathematical definitions where appropriate to help readers understand the transforms that highlight statistical regularities present in images. The book also describes patterns that arise once the images are transformed and gives examples of applications that have successfully used statistical regularities. Numerous references enable readers to easily look up more information about a specific concept or application. A supporting website also offers additional information, including descriptions of various image databases suitable for statistics.Collecting state-of-the-art, interdisciplinary knowledge in one source, this book explores the relation of natural image statistics to human vision and shows how natural image statistics can be applied to visual computing. It encourages readers in both academic and industrial settings to develop novel insights and applications in all disciplines that relate to visual computing.

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Computer Graphics professionals can now find in one volume a collection of 32 "gems" chosen by the editors of the journal of graphics tools, one of the leading publications in the field. These selected papers provide practical ideas and techniques that solve real problems in the areas of - Math & Programming Techniques - Polygon Techniques - Simulation and Collision Detection - Ray Tracing - Rendering and Shadowing - Sampling and Shading - Image Processing Supplementary material in the form of updates on techniques presented, extensions to the original idea, and comments on the impact of the original publication have been provided by many of the authors.

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Probability plays an essential role in making decisions in areas such as business, politics, and sports, among others. Professor Rabinowitz, based on many years of teaching, has created a textbook suited for classroom use as well as for self-study that is filled with hundreds of carefully chosen examples based on real-world case studies about sports, elections, drug testing, legal cases, population growth, business, and more. His approach is innovative, practical, and entertaining. Elementary Probability with Applications will serve to enhance classroom instruction, as well as benefit those who want to review the basics of probability at their own pace. The text is used at several colleges and for some high school classes.

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This volume deals with core problems in robotics, like motion planning, sensor-based planning, manipulation, and assembly planning. It also discusses the application of robotics algorithms in other domains, such as molecular modeling, computer graphics, and image analysis. Topics Include: - Planning - Sensor Based Motion Planning - Control and Motion Planning - Geometric Algorithms - Visibility - Minimalism and Controllability - Algorithms for Manufacturing - Contact and Tolerancy - Beyond Robotics

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This book is a comprehensive tool both for self-study and for use as a text in classical geometry. It explains the concepts that form the basis for computer-aided geometric design.

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According to the National Resources Defense Council, stormwater runoff rivals or exceeds discharges from factories and sewage plants as a source of pollution throughout the United States. The Environmental Protection Agency identifies urban stormwaters as the second largest source of water quality damage in estuaries and a significant contributor to the damage to lakes, rivers, and bays. The full impacts of marginal pollution, particularly that caused by uncontrolled overflows, must be recognized now and planning needs to be initiated to improve sewerage sytem efficiencies in order to bring wastewater flows under control. Time is of the essence for municipal programs because corrective action is a time consuming process. Current research and development is elucidating the most efficient and least costly methods needed to restore and maintain water resources.Based on seminars presented by international experts for the U.S. EPA, Wet-Weather Flow in the Urban Watershed: Technology and Management covers a broad spectrum of urban wet-weather flow management and pollution abatement topics. The topics covered will assist municipal engineers, consultants, and academic researchers with design, cost, and water quality issues. About the Editors:Richard Field has over 39 years of experience working in the environmental engineering field and is a registered professional engineer in the states of New York and New Jersey. Mr. Field has been in charge of the EPA's National Storm and Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Technology Research and Development program located at the National Risk Management Research Laboratory's Edison, New Jersey location since 1970. He has over 300 peer-reviewed publications to his credit. Mr. Field has received numerous outstanding achievement awards and citations for on-the-job performance and technological contribution including two EPA Bronze Medals, the ASCE State-of-the-Art of Civil Engineering Award, two New York Water Pollution Control Association Awards for excellence in technicological advancement, and three U.S. EPA Scientific and Technical Achievement Awards.Daniel Sullivan has over 32 years experience working in the field of environmental engineering and is a registered professional engineer in the sates of New York and New Jersey. He has served as Chief of the Urban Watershed Management Branch which conducts the U.S. EPA national wet-weather flow (WWF) and watershed management research program. Mr. Sullivan began his EPA career in 1972 and has authored, co-authored, presented and/or published a combination of more than 100 peer-reviewed publications on the topics of hazardous waste control and WWF. He has received two EPA Bronze Medals for his work in the EPA's WWF research program and environmental technology verification program.

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The discovery of high-temperature superconductivity [1986] by Bendnorz and Müller in the La-BA-Cu-O system resulted in very extensive research work about the discovery and synthesis of other high-temperature superconductors, such as Y-BA-Cu-O and Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O. These new superconducting materials, possessing superconductivity above liquid nitrogen boiling point, are used in many engineering applications, from electronic sensors to rotating electrical generators and from nanometer-scale thin films to kilometer-long wires and coils. Therefore, design and net-shape manufacturing of superconducting components, starting from the initial synthesized powders, is now of utmost industrial importance.This book is primarily focused on the bulk-fabrication techniques of high-temperature ceramic superconducting components, especially on the combination of dynamic powder-consolidation and subsequent deformation processing. The properties of these ceramics, which are difficult-to-form materials by applying conventional techniques, are combined for the net-shape manufacturing of such components for the construction of HTS devices. However, very important topics such as superconducting structures, chemical synthesis, film fabrication and characterization techniques are also reviewed to provide a complete, comprehensive view of superconductors engineering.

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Volume 2 of the conference proceedings of the SPE/Antac on 'Plastics Bridging the Millennia- subtopic of 'Materials', held on the 2-6 May 1999 in New York City, USA.

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Optimal Structural Design can be referred to as one of the most important and promising branches of applied mathematics and mechanics. The basic problem of optimal design is to construct a structure that satisfied a system of given constraints and provides the best quality and performance. This book reflects the culmination of Russian activity in the field of optimal structural design.

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This text covers nucleation and growth; modeling and phase equilibria; properties characterisation; diamond-like carbon; and wide bandgap nitrides and carbides of Diamond and Diamond-Film applications as presented as the proceedings of the third international symposium on Diamond Films in St.Petersburg, Russia June 16-19, 1996

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From the PrefaceSurgical tissue adhesives are an ancient idea, going back to the beginnings of recorded history. The concept of adhering, rather than suturing, packing, or stapling planes of tissue is attractive, in that it is fast-acting and assures complete closure. Numerous technologies have been tried; some with limited success, others outright failures. In short, the perfect adhesive does not exist. Limitations occur in a number of areas: strength, toxicity, degradation, and safety. It is also important to keep in mind that "one size fits all" does not apply to adhesives in surgical applications any more than it does in day-to-day application. As one would not use paper glue to seal a bathtub, one would presumably not apply an adhesive onto tendons, which is suitable for sealing corneas. The properties required of an adhesive for each indication are quite different. Over the last twenty-five years, advances have been made in a wide range of technologies targeting some embodiment of a practical and safe adhesive. Foremost and successful among these are cyanoacrylates, marine adhesive proteins, and fibrin-based sealants. Another promising adhesive technology is laser solders, a mixture of polypeptides and proteoglycans, which integrates with the repair site when laser energy is applied. In light of these advances in the field, the Symposium for Surgical Tissue Adhesives was organized and held at the Atlanta Hyatt from October 8-10, 1993. The goal was to bring together these far-flung technologies in a comprehensive and cohesive manner. Presentations by investigators from around the world described the history of adhesives in medicine, current technologies, laboratory characterizations, and application developments, as well as regulatory aspects and clinical applications. We felt that as many viewpoints as possible, however conflicting, were important to present in order to give the most complete picture of the state of the art of surgical adhesives.

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New analytical techniques have enhanced current understanding of the behavior of trace and ultratrace elements in the biogeochemical cycling, chemical speciation, bioavailability, bioaccumulation, and as applied to the phytoremediation of contaminated soils. Addressing worldwide regulatory, scientific, and environmental issues, Trace Elements in the Environment explores these frontiers, including biotechnological aspects of metal-binding proteins and peptides and phytoremediation strategies using trees, grasses, crop plants, aquatics, and risks to ecological and human health. Discussing trace elements in the holistic environment, this book covers advances in state-of-the-art analytical techniques, molecular biotechology, and contemporary biotechnology that enhances knowledge of the behavior of trace elements in the biogeosphere and at the cellular and molecular level.The editors and their hand-picked panel of contributors provide authoritative coverage of trace elements in the environment. They highlight cutting-edge applications of emerging strategies and technologies to the problems of trace elements in the environment. The editors discuss emerging areas such as bacterial biosorption of trace elements, processes, and applications of electroremediation of heavy metals-contaminated soils, application of novel nanoporous sorbents for the removal of heavy metals, metalloids, and radionuclides. The book focuses on the effects of increasing levels of trace elements on ecological and human health, evaluates the effectiveness of methods of phytoremediation, and covers risk assessment, pathways, and trace element toxicity.Containing more than 150 illustrations, tables, photographs, and equations, the book's coverage spans the entire body of knowledge available about how and why plants interact with metals and other trace elements.

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There are approximately 10,000 combined sewer overflow (CSO) locations in the United States. During peak storm events they can release about 1.2 trillion gallons of waste and up to 95% of a municipality's raw sewage into surface waters. Although many cities have initiated programs, the CSO problem remains largely unsolved and continues to be a major area of responsibility for environmental professionals, engineers, and public works officials. Sponsored by the EPA, written by internationally recognized experts, and subjected to extensive peer review, Management of Combined Sewer Overflows provides the latest information on the subject from analysis of contaminants to long-term CSO control plans. Coverage includes:CSO analysis and characterization of contaminants Analysis and characterization of receiving-water impacts Methods of control such as storage, treatment, disinfection, and systems optimization Regulations and compliance Systems retrofits and upgrades Long-term CSO control plans Research and design needsAbatement or prevention of pollution stormwater runoff and CSOs is one of the most challenging areas in the environmental engineering field. The facts of life - from an engineering standpoint - are difficult to face in terms of design and cost. And operational problems can be just as foreboding. A reference for anyone combating urban wet-weather-induced water pollution, Management of Combined Sewer Overflows covers the gamut of engineering requirements, from pollution problem assessment and associated tools, to management and control planning and design.

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This handbook guides the user to hundreds of technologies, practices, partnership opportunities, and funding resources. Presented in non-technical language, it covers hundreds of publicly available resources for pollution prevention, control, remediation, and assessment.Environmental Technology Resources Handbook will help you: REDUCE-time, effort, and money to search for innovative technologies LOCATE-federal dollars to support development of innovative technologies ANTICIPATE-environmental compliance problems by early adoption of technology UNDERSTAND-the process of forming partnerships to develop or market your "green" products or solutions PARTICIPATE-in verifying technologies under development.The Handbook is a highly cost-effective tool for environmental policymakers, corporate EHS personnel, engineers, consultants, governmental program managers, technology vendors, international development assistance professionals, and academics teaching environmental courses.Environmental Technology Resources Handbook indexes information by key words, 12 technology and environmental media areas, 15 types of resources offered, and major industry and government sectors. Contacts, including URLs, e-mail addresses, and phone and fax numbers allow you to access more detailed information.

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Most books covering the use of computer models in agricultural management systems target only one or two types of models. There are few texts available that cover the subject of systems modeling comprehensively and that deal with various approaches, applications, evaluations, and uses for technology transfer. Agricultural System Models in Field Research and Technology Transfer fills this need. It presents the latest advances in the use of various computer models in agricultural management systems. This authoritative reference provides guidance on the use of models in field research, decision support, precision farming, and technology transfer to farmers and ranchers. Derived from an international symposium co-sponsored by the American Society of Agronomy, the Soil Science Society of America, and the USDA's Agricultural Research Service, it analyzes current system model applications for the modeling of natural resources, crop production, grazing lands, and animal production systems. Leading international agricultural system scientists present their experiences and provide guidance on how models can be used to enhance the quality of field research, transfer of research information and technology to farmers and ranchers, and decision support for agricultural management. They provide an expert review of the existing problems and possible solutions to improve future applications. In addition, Agricultural System Models in Field Research and Technology Transfer explores the possible use of an international modular computer framework to improve current modeling procedures in an effort to develop problem-specific models in the future.

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While innovative technologies in remediation need to be developed, so do innovative ways of site assessment. This monograph describes the development, testing, and performance of a new laser-induced fluorescence soil probe. A screening tool for site characterization, this probe has the potential to provide an economical, rapid assessment of contaminated sites.Cone Penetrometer testing equipment advances the probe into the subsurface. The probe identifies hydrocarbon classes using a multi-channel excitation-emission matrix. This technique facilitates the collection of significant amounts of subsurface information - surpassing conventional data collection methods - that can be used to rapidly identify areas of concern beneath a site. The technology has significant application for the following:Rapid environmental site assessment Monitoring remediation programs Monitoring manufacturing processes and industrial waste water operationsSubsurface Contamination Monitoring Using Laser Fluorescence provides comprehensive reference material for researchers and engineers as well as engineering consultants interested in subsurface monitoring techniques or further development of this technology. It describes innovative technology that focuses on finding cost effective solutions for site assessment and remediation.

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The completion of the initial phase of the U.S. National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program (NAPAP) in 1990 marked the end of the largest environmental research and assessment effort to that time. The resulting series of 27 State of Science and Technology (SOS/T) Reports and the NAPAP Integrated Assessment represent a decade of work by hundreds of scientists, engineers, and economists. Since then, many new, significant, more refined studies on acid deposition have been completed and published, considerably broadening knowledge in this area.Aquatic Effects of Acidic Deposition summarizes and synthesizes these major advancements, particularly those topics that are directly relevant to policy making. It offers complete coverage of recent findings that have substantiated, deepened, modified, or in some cases, revolutionized scientific understanding in environmental research.This resource addresses the quantification of effects and recent developments in predictive modeling capabilities. It covers virtually all aspects of nitrogen effects research, the importance of natural sources of acidity, the influence of land use and landscape change on drainage water chemistry, and the role of short-term episodic events. This comprehensive update thoroughly illustrates the progression and refinement in the field. Aquatic Effects of Acidic Deposition helps you make educated decisions based on the most recent, reliable data for air pollution sensitivities, effects, remediation, and future research.

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A shift from government oversight to private sector self-regulation appears to be the future of environmental management. This will be a complex and complicated transition, as individual companies attempt to balance their needs against that of the surrounding communities - and world.Voluntary Environmental Management: The Inevitable Future explores how business and industry are preparing for this dramatic shift in responsibility and accountability.John Morelli pinpoints companies that have already adopted environmental auditing and management tools; examines the deficiencies of government-imposed environmental regulations; and shows how businesses can become more proactive in monitoring and managing their environmentally affective activities.The role of global marketplace forces receives substantial emphasis in Voluntary Environmental Management: The Inevitable Future, especially in light of the widespread international acceptance of new ISO 14000 standards.

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Soils comprise the largest pool of terrestrial carbon and therefore are an important component of carbon storage in the biosphere-atmosphere system. Structure and Organic Matter Storage in Agricultural Soils explores the mechanisms and processes involved in the storage and sequestration of carbon in soils. Focusing on agricultural soils - from tropical to semi-arid types - this new book provides an in-depth look at structure, aggregation, and organic matter retention in world soils. The first two sections of the book introduce readers to the basic issues and scientific concepts, including soil structure, underlying mechanisms and processes, and the importance of agroecosystems as carbon regulators. The third section provides detailed discussions of soil aggregation and organic matter storage under various climates, soil types, and soil management practices. The fourth section addresses current strategies for enhancing organic matter storage in soil, modelling techniques, and measurement methods.Throughout the book, the importance of the soil structure-organic matter storage relationship is emphasized. Anyone involved in soil science, agriculture, agronomy, plant science, or greenhouse gas and global change studies should understand this relationship. Structure and Organic Matter Storage in Agricultural Soils provides an ideal source of information not only on the soil structure-storage relationship itself, but also on key research efforts and direct applications related to the storage of organic matter in agricultural soils.

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This volume, seventh in the Service-Learning in the Disciplines Series, explores the important lessons women’s history and women’s studies hold for the broader service-learning community and the critical opportunity for women’s studies to reconnect with its activist past. The book includes essays with real examples of service-learning projects in women’s studies and lists an extensive bibliography of service-learning and women’s studies sources.

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This volume is focused on the growth techniques for III-Nitrides featuring chapters written by leading experts in the field. This unique volume provides a comprehensive review and introduction to growth issues, substrates and characterization of GaN and related compounds for newcomers to the field and stimulus for further advances for experienced researchers. The technical chapters in this volume are focused on various aspects of growth modes, growth techniques such as molecular beam epitaxy, metalorganic chemical vapor deposition, metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy, epitaxial lateral overgrowth, hydride vapor phase epitaxial growth, as well as substrate issues and characterization results.

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The concepts in this book will provide a comprehensive overview of the current state for a broad range of nitride semiconductor devices, as well as a detailed introduction to selected materials and processing issues of general relevance for these applications. This compilation is very timely given the level of interest and the current stage of research in nitride semiconductor materials and device applications. This volume consists of chapters written by a number of leading researchers in nitride materials and device technology addressing Ohmic and Schottky contacts, AIGalnN multiple quantum well laser diodes, nitride vertical cavity emitting lasers, and ultraviolet photodetectors. This unique volume provides a comprehensive review and introduction to application and devices based on GaN and related compounds for newcomers to the field and stimulus to further advances for experienced researchers.

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This second part presents a comprehensive overview of fundamental optical properties of the III Nitride Semiconductor. All optoelectronic applications based on III-nitrides are due to their unique optical properties and characterizations of III-nitrides. Much information, which is critical to the design and improvement of optoelectronic devices based on III-nitrides has been obtained in the last several years. This is the second of a two part Volume in the seriesOptoelectronic Properties of Semiconductors and Superlattices.

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This new edition offers a clear and through examination of the most recent results of thirty years of research on calcium-activated-neutral protease (CANP or Calpain). Coverage includes the implications of the recently gained ability to produce functionally active recombinant calpain in various human disorders such as cerebal ischemia, traumatic brain and spinal cord injury, cataract formation, myocardial infarction, and Alzheimer's disease. The resulting research to find more selective calpain inhibitors is also discussed. With a copy of Calpain: Pharmacology and Toxicology of Calcium Dependent Protease you will better understand why the calpain research area is such an exciting and promising one.

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In this edited casebook, therapists identified with major theoretical approaches demonstrate how they use the Adaptive Counselling and Therapy ACT Model in combination with their preferred theoretical perspective. Differences in each therapist's tone and approach are captured in six case chapters. Weaving the integrative thread of ACT throughout the tapestry of cases, this text combines illustrative material from specific theoretical approaches.; A major focus of the volume involves combining ACT with Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Humanistic Psychotherapy, Systems Theory, Time-Limited Psychodynamic Counselling and Eclectic Counselling for women and men.; Serving as a text for graduate-level methods and theory courses in counselling, psychology, mental health counselling and counselling guidance, this book can also be used as a resource for practitioners in the same areas. It emphasises tasks, readiness, and adapting therapist behaviour and treatments to each client.

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This text identifies the problems and opportunities of converting wastes into useful materials or fuels. Chapters cover such issues as waste Utilization And Recycling; Plastics, Polymers, Tyres And Automotive wastes; and the potential usage of coal conversion by-products.

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This book provides an overview of the chemical and physical concepts of instability and incompatibility of petroleum and liquid fuels. It helps the petroleum refinery personnel to handle liquid fuels from other sources as feedstocks for the refinery system.

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Wilderness Therapy for Women offers women risktaking adventure activities in the outdoors as an alternative to traditional therapy. The contributing authors illustrate the empowerment, confidence, and self-esteem women can derive from adventure and experiential activities. This is the first book of its kind devoted to the symbolic value of wilderness accomplishments to women’s mental health. Wilderness Therapy for Women unites women with nature and each other by lifting the social constraints surrounding women in adventure pursuits. It offers women a new method of healing while developing an appreciation for the uniqueness of the environment. Daring experiences in the outdoors rekindles a sense of strength and a respect for the provider of that strength. A therapeutic experience from the outdoors provides women with an awareness of their capabilities to strengthen and preserve themselves and their surroundings. This book is divided into four parts: Theoretical Perspectives, Wilderness Therapy in Action, Special Populations, and Personal Narratives. Readers will find many topics of interest including: Body image and wilderness therapy The therapeutic value of the wilderness Ethical considerations of experiential therapy Ropes courses for women All-women’s river trips Special populations: rape and incest survivors, welfare mothers, and mid-life women. Intended as a guide book, Wilderness Therapy for Women is ideal for mental health professionals who are either practicing wilderness therapy or merely inquisitive about it. Outfitters and professional outdoor leaders will benefit from chapters on theory, applications, and special populations. Outdoor program administrators and educators who must remain on the cutting edge of their industry will also profit from this book.

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Teachers and student teachers in social work will gain valuable insight into the artistry that makes truly great teaching from the accounts found in this new book. Master teachers examine the processes they use in the classroom and present them in a format that facilitates the practical application of their ideas. The teaching methods recounted here emphasize the learners as the most important component of the teaching/learning experience and demonstrate techniques to enliven and enhance the reader’s own teaching methods. This vital book focuses on teaching “technologies,” defined as bodies of knowledge or skills ordered for use, that are comprised of techniques or systematic procedures that bring the technologies to life. By utilizing the techniques and technologies portrayed in this volume, social work educators at the graduate and undergraduate levels will become more effective at reaching their students and helping them grow into professional social workers.Teaching Secrets helps teachers increase the effectiveness of their teaching by demonstrating how to pay attention to acts and nuances that stimulate and assist students in their learning. Individual chapters focus on specific classroom environments, providing practical advice to improve learning in each situation. Social work teachers will discover more effective teaching through the use of student journals, the use of self in teaching doctoral research, the use of authority, and the benefits of student-student learning in work groups. Other chapters offer practical advice on reaching different groups of students such as black teachers leading white students, white teachers leading black students, and special efforts for reaching female students. This exciting book reveals that great teachers are not born but made, and shares the secrets that will help all social work educators to develop greatness in their own classrooms.

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Marriage and Family Therapy: A Sociocognitive Approach is a comprehensive and clearly written introduction to sociocognitive therapy. It is rich with transcripts and case examples, culled from the authors’more than thirty-five years of practice, providing you with valuable background information on helping difficult-to-reach and hard-to-help populations. In practical language, this volume takes you step-by-step through methods of assessment and change that are useful in traditional and nontraditional families and couples. With clear language and taxonomy for family troubles and their resolution, Marriage and Family Therapy provides conceptual handles to guide you in learning intervention strategies, enabling you to work effectively with, most notably, lower working-class and poor inner-city, African-American families. A highlight of the book is the detailed look at terminal and instrumental interaction hypotheses and how they can be applied in actual therapy situations. With Marriage and Family Therapy as a guide, you will develop multiple skills and methods that equip you to better handle the challenging task of helping troubled families and couples.The first two chapters present the theoretical framework of the sociocognitive approach. In the third chapter, the assessment and change concepts central to Dr. Hurvitz's approach are introduced. The last four chapters show how these humanist principles are applied through the phases of opening, change-producing, and termination in therapy, creating an invaluable book for marriage and family therapists, social workers, psychologists, and educators.

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The information in From Toads to Queens: Transvestism in a Latin American Setting (a 2000 Lammy Nominee) is crucial to understanding Latin American culture and its relation to HIV prevention. You’ll find research findings that offer insights into and analysis of the sexual culture and risk factors that place transvestites in the sex trade and their customers at risk of contracting HIV. This information could prove valuable to developing preventions and interventions for similar populations in countries all over the world.In From Toads to Queens, transvestites in the sex trade and their customers share fascinating personal accounts from their daily lives, including details of their sexual encounters. Specifically you will gain insight into: sexual practices pay rates in the sex trade types of lovers and sexual partners locations of “work” conceptions of fashion and beauty among transvestites relations between transvestites, the police, and gay bashers clients who are heterosexual men drug consumption and unsafe sexFrom this book, you will gain a comprehensive analysis of Latin transvestites, how this population questions assumptions about sexual orientation and practice, and how they are affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Most importantly, From Toads to Queens documents boundry-crossing individuals’existence and subverts the simplistic division of people into traditional psychiatric categories, a crucial first step in devising ways to decrease the rates of HIV infection among specific populations.

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Face the challenge of change in the global agricultural trade market!This insightful book presents a comprehensive overview of the trade situation facing agriculture in the 21st century. This esteemed collection of the field?s foremost researchers evaluates anticipated changes to the agricultural trade market and the competitiveness of commodities and products resulting from existing and potential international policies. Agricultural Trade Policies in the New Millennium provides an in-depth understanding of multilateral trade negotiations (past, present, and future) and the impact of regionalism on agricultural trade. It also analyzes trade issues specific to individual commodities, such as rice, wheat, and cotton.Agricultural Trade Policies in the New Millennium consolidates essential trade research into a one-of-a-kind reference source for economists, academics, and agriculture professionals. The book provides a detailed overview of current and potential trade situations, divided into three concise sections: key issues influencing trade negotiations from the perspective of developed and developing countries and the environment; commodity trade and trade policy issues concerning competitiveness and the international policy environment for coarse grains, cotton, rice, sugar, and wheat; and general issues related to multilateral and regional trade agreements, including policy tools within the World Trade Organization, anti-dumping actions, regionalism, price volatility, and the macroeconomic effects of trade liberalization. Agricultural Trade Policies in the New Millennium examines: key issues influencing trade negotiations commodity trade and trade policy issues issues and concerns related to multilateral and regional trade negotiations challenges facing trade policy prospects for the agricultural sector in the new millennium With international policy issues like the WTO’s Millennium Round and the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) in negotiation and a new United States farm bill pending, Agricultural Trade Policies in the New Millennium provides much-needed textbook analysis by expert researchers. This vital book will keep you in touch with current trade negotiations and policy decisions that are certain to hold major implications for the agricultural sector.

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Concise definitions and descriptions to more than 1,000 termsillustrated and fully referencedThe Dictionary of Plant Tissue Culture is a user-friendly A-to-Z resource for the technical terms that apply to plant cell, tissue, and organ culture. Filled with illustrations of key concepts and references to up-to-date textbooks, papers, and reviews, this handy guidebook defines both the terms that come from plant tissue culture, and those that originate from plant anatomy, genetics, stress physiology, growth regular research, microbiology, and plant pathology. It’s an essential resource for anyone involved in tissue culture or using plant tissue culture systems for plant cloning, secondary metabolic production, plant pathology, and genetic manipulations. The Dictionary of Plant Tissue Culture is an invaluable reference tool for teachers, students, and researchers working in basic and applied plant tissue culture. The book’s entries are cross-referenced where appropriate, with references mainly to general textbooks on plant anatomy, biochemistry and histochemistry, developmental biology, genetics, microbiology, micropropagation, plant breeding, plant biotechnology, plant pathology and plant tissue culture. From ABA (abscisic acid) to zygotic embryo, this concise glossary will save you valuable time in your efforts to find concise definitions and descriptions to more than 1,000 terms. Entries to the Dictionary of Plant Tissue Culture include: acclimatization caulogenesis feeder cells hyperhydricity indexing micro-grafting phytosanitary certificate re-invigoration synseed totipotency and much more! The Dictionary of Plant Tissue Culture is an essential reference resource for undergraduate and postgraduate students, teachers, researchers, and technicians working in plant tissue culture and genetic engineering.

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Discover farming techniques that will decrease soil erosion and costs!Soil erosion from U.S. croplands has long been recognized as a national problem. Conservation Tillage in U.S. Agriculture: Environmental, Economic, and Policy Issues is the first ever complete study of the costs and benefits of using conservation tillage to prevent soil erosion. Designed for professionals working in the areas of soil science, agronomy, economics, environmental studies, and agriculture, this complete study covers everything from machinery and trends in conservation tillage to its adoption to use in regions of the United States.With this in-depth manual, you will examine different types of tillage and the many benefits this practice can ensure, such as improving water quality, increasing organic matter in your soil, sequestering carbon, and providing habitat and food for wildlife. Covering the economic, environmental, and policy issues of this practice, Conservation Tillage in U.S. Agriculture features: the history of conservation tillage case studies on costs and benefits of differing conservation tillage practices with various crops tables and graphs of trends, and case studies concerning the use of different farming methods U.S. Department of Agriculture soil conservation policies how to prevent soil erosion without harming the environment factors affecting conservation tillage, adoption, and use for crops such as peanuts, potatoes, beets, tobacco, and vegetables. With the help of this book, you will measure the benefits and costs of conservation tillage based on profitability and environmental impact and explore the positive and negative environmental consequences that may involve air, land, water, and/or the health and ecological status of wildlife. Conservation Tillage in U.S. Agriculture is a timely and informative look at conservation tillage practices that will help you improve residue management and create better conditions for wildlife and the environment.

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Find out more about convenient immunoassays you can implement in your own research! From the Foreword, by M. S. Swaminathan, Chairman of the M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation: The book provides remedies to the common maladies relating to quality and safety of dietary material. Professor Narayanasamy has compiled and presented with great clarity the latest information on all aspects relating to immunology in plant health and food safety. We owe Professor Narayanasamy a deep debt of gratitude for this labor of love in the cause of improving food and feed quality and safety.Immunology in Plant Health and Its Impact on Food Safety suggests cost-effective, simple, and sensitive immunological techniques to assess plant health and food safety for the production of desirable foods, feeds, and timbers. This book explores the structure and biochemical constituents of healthy plants and the abiotic and biotic stresses that can cause a marked reduction in quantity and quality of agricultural produce. Researchers, faculty members, and graduate scholars in plant pathology, microbiology, biochemistry, environmental sciences, and food technology will find this text useful for producing healthy plants while maintaining a pollution-free environment. In Immunology in Plant Health and Its Impact on Food Safety, methods to develop stress-resistant cultivars are discussed to enable you to select the most suitable strategies for maintaining production and quality without the use of chemicals. This valuable resource provides detailed instructions for employing immunoassays that are rapid, reproducible, and amenable for large-scale application in place of cumbersome and expensive methods currently in use. With this important tool, you will be able to plan and develop programs to obtain agricultural produce of high quality acceptable for human and animal consumption. With Immunology in Plant Health and Its Impact on Food Safety, you’ll learn more about: agrosystems immunological reactions preparations of antisera immunodetection techniques plant-stress interactions genetic manipulations disease resistance and the production of disease-free plants mycotoxins chemical residues This essential guide provides you with access to a wide spectrum of information never before encompassed in a single book, saving you time and energy. Figures, photographs, and tables with appropriate data supply visual and factual support for the points discussed in the text. Immunology in Plant Health and Its Impact on Food Safety includes a large number of citations (over 1000) for further research and development in your chosen field of study.

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Reduce the environmentally negative aspects of industrial agriculture with an ecologically sound philosophy! New Dimensions in Agroecology explores the latest developments in the emerging science of agroecology, focusing on how these new concepts and cutting-edge tools will help minimize the impact of agriculture on the environment and foster the use of sustainable agricultural practices. This book expands your scope of thinking by providing information on current innovative agroecological research and education as well as emerging issues, such as biotechnology and climate change. Prominent specialists from around the world offer a diversity of stimulating perspectives and topics that will benefit agricultural researchers, extension personnel, and upper-level students in agroecology, ecology, and agronomy programs. In New Dimensions in Agroecology, you will learn why conventional agriculture practices frequently result in environmental problems such as eutrophication at the landscape scale, reduction in soil quality, and decreased biodiversity. This timely tool contributes practical suggestions to design sustainable crop and meat production systems that replace current wasteful and unsustainable industrial agriculture to nourish the world without major damage to the health and quality of our total environment. The book points to future possibilities for research and application with the hope that agroecology becomes the new discipline in agricultural issues rather than just a buzzword. New Dimensions in Agroecology covers groundbreaking investigations on a wide variety of agriculture and ecology, including: holistic landscape-level approaches the integration of ecological principles into cropping systems the utilization of biodiversity in agriculture new ways of seeing the soil in agrosystems ecological pest management and its extension and much more! New Dimensions in Agroecology goes beyond preserving the total sustainability of our agricultural systems, including social, environmental, and economic measures of sustainability in the equation. Generously enhanced with tables, figures, models, and diagrams, this book scrutinizes the current state of affairs in agriculture and presents a better solution. Change will not come easily, but this text is the first step towards a new, environmentally acceptable way.

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Learn what it takes to create and implement a truly successful seed policy!This unique book brings together international experts on seed policy and law. While other books approach the subject from the perspective of seed industry development and privatization, Seed Policy, Legislation, and Law makes clear that a successful national seed policy must be based on a thorough analysis of connected issues such as biodiversity and rural development. In addition to giving you an essential overview of seed regulatory reform, this book will also bring you up to date on recent developments in the field, such as intellectual property and the biosafety of GMOs.Seed Policy, Legislation, and Law examines: quality control issues in developing countries case studies from Turkey, Uganda, and Bangladesh property rights for plant varieties the regulation of genetically modified seeds in emerging economies agro-biodiversity as it relates to seed policy why a farmer seed system is essential in a national seed sector the impact of the transition from central seed sector planning to a free market how international seed associations can impact policy development new technological developments like GURTs and appropriate policy responses

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Produce more abundant, high-quality crops with the information you'll find in this book!Recent concerns over environmental pollution and food quality degradation caused by the excessive use of chemicals have prompted scientists and policymakers to re-evaluate modern agricultural processes and search for alternatives that will aid in the production of healthy foods and the protection of our environment. Nature Farming and Microbial Applications summarizes current research in the field, highlighting unique practices such as the use of microbial inoculants and various alternatives to chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The principles of nature farming, as set forth by Japanese philosopher Mokichi Okada, must fulfill these requirements: producing safe and nutritious food that promotes good health providing economic and spiritual benefits to both producers and consumers being sustainable and easily practiced conserving and protecting the environment producing sufficient high-quality food for an expanding world populationTo this end, Nature Farming and Microbial Applications addresses issues of concern to organic farmers, including: soil fertility pest control effective microorganisms photosynthesis transpiration plant-water relations stress resistance of growing cropsThis well-referenced volume contains unique and original methods of modeling and analysis. It will be used again and again as a reference source for students and researchers.

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The lives of more than a billion people depend on the answer!Thirty years ago, the Green Revolution changed the way agriculture was practiced on the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP). This valuable book critically analyzes and discusses the rice-wheat cropping system introduced at that time. The Rice-Wheat Cropping System of South Asia: Trends, Constraints, Productivity and Policy addresses the crucial question, ”Are the sustainability and productivity of this system in a state of decline?” The Rice-Wheat Cropping System of South Asia brings together information gathered from research institutions, government organizations, and farmer surveys. The analysis concentrates on the trends of rice-wheat cropping over time, paying special attention to the evidence of-and reasons for-changes in productivity. It also analyzes the impact of this regional system on soil fertility and water supplies, as well as the increasing demands for new and better fertilizers and pesticides. The Rice-Wheat Cropping System of South Asia looks at the problems that have arisen for both the rice and wheat phases, including: the need for changes in crop establishment techniques for crop diversification declining soil fertility changes in pest populations a host of water-management issues the need for policy redirection to sustain productivity growth the impact of global climate change sustainable improvements in productivityThis informative book is an essential planning tool for agronomists, policymakers, and agroeconomists. It is also a useful reference for anyone interested in the problems of famine and intensive cropping not only in South Asia but in the world.

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During World War II, Japanese fighters, such as the famed Zero, were among the most respected and feared combat aircraft in the world. But for decades following the defeat of Japan in 1945, a variety of political and economic factors prevented Japan from developing its own modern national fighter.This changed in the 1980s. Japan began independently developing its first world-class fighter since World War II. After several years of contentious negotiations, the Japanese agreed to work with the United States to cooperatively develop a minimally modified F-16, the FS-X. The new fighter, however, has evolved into a world-class aircraft developed largely by Japanese industry primarily due to errors committed by the U.S. side. By the fall of 1995, fifty years after the end of World War II, the Zero for the 1990s will have made its first flight, catapulting Japan into the elite ranks of nations capable of developing the most advanced weapon systems.In Troubled Partnership, Mark Lorell traces the evolution of the FS-X, disclosing the conflicting economic and security objectives advanced by U.S. officials, the flawed U.S. policy of technology reciprocity, and the challenges of international collaboration. Its deep intimacy with the interplay of policy and economy will make this volume of intense interest to political scientists, military studies specialists, historians, and government officials.

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The literature on modernist and postmodernist urban development is abundant, yet few researchers have taken up the challenge of studying the areas hi which marginalized people live as sources of resistance to continued modernization. In Marginal Spaces, Michael Smith has assembled case studies combining structural and historical analyses of the moves of powerful social interests to dominate social space, and the tactics and strategies various marginalized social groups employ to reclaim dominated space for their own use. The marginal spaces embodied in the title of this fifth volume of the Comparative Urban and Community Research series include five sites of domination and resistance. A squatters' movement in Ann Arbor, Michigan, resists the adverse consequences of four decades of urban development. A homeless encampment in Chicago engages hi "guerilla architecture" and other moves designed to reconstitute prevailing social constructions of the problem of "homelessness." An antigentrification movement hi the East Village of New York engages hi an ongoing struggle to resist efforts by developers to market their neighborhood as space for luxury condominium development. There is a Public Housing Council organized by African American women hi New Orleans that is resisting both the material regulation of their daily lives and the dominant social construction of public housing as a racially gendered space suitable only for "dependent" women and children of color. Finally, there is a subordinate labor market niche hi California agriculture where indigenous Mixtec peasants from Oaxaca are displacing the more traditional mestizo farm workers, but who are also politically organizing as a transnational grassroots movement, pursuing a binational strategy to alleviate then- economic, political, and cultural marginality. Contributions and contributors include: "House People, Not Cars!" by Corey Dolgon, Michael Kline, and Laura Dresser; "Tranquillity City" by Tahnadge Wright; "Private Redevelopment and the Changing Forms of Displacement hi the East Village of New York" by Christopher Mele; "Resisting Racially Gendered Space" by Alma Young and Jyaphia Christos-Rodgers; and "Mixtecs and Mestizos hi California Agriculture" by Carol Zabin. This volume will be of interest to urban planners, sociologists, and political scientists, especially those with strong interests hi local ethnography and concrete policy.

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This work looks into how, why, and when people pursue things in life that they desire, those that make their existence attractive and worth living. Robert A. Stebbins calls this "Positive Sociology," the study of what people do to organize their lives such that they become substantially rewarding, satisfying, and fulfilling. Western society has many challenges: crime, drug addiction, urban pollution, daily stress, domestic violence, and overpopulation. Significant levels of success in avoiding these problems brings a noticeable measure of tranquility, but it does not necessarily generate a positive life.Personal Decisions in the Public Square draws upon, in large part, the sociology of leisure, a "happy science." Among the basic concepts in the sociology of leisure are activity and human agency. The centrality of positive activity is one of its hallmarks and separates it from other social science specialties. Stebbins's positive sociology centers on conceptual roots found in the "serious leisure" perspective. This theoretical framework synthesizes three main forms of leisure (serious, casual, and project-based) while showing their distinctive features, similarities, and interrelationships. Positive sociology also considers two other domains of life: work and non-work obligations.This new approach focuses on the pursuit of "that which makes life worth living." Stebbins explores goals that are important to all people, such as negotiating the right work/family or obligation/leisure balance and the tricky relationship between money and happiness. Research scientists or the general public may find the ideas presented in this volume help them better understand and negotiate situations, by showing how to approach them in a positive way rather than as "problems" that need to be solved.

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To understand comedy is to understand humanity, for the comic sense is central to what it means to be human. Nearly all the major issues with which human beings have exercised themselves are touched upon in some manner by the comic spirit. Yet education in the art of comedy and in comic appreciation is given little attention in most societies. The Spirituality of Comedy explores the wisdom of comedy and the comic answer to tragedy (in both popular and classical senses of the term). Tragedy is seen as a fundamental problem of human existence, while comedy is its counterweight and resolution.Conrad Hyers has taken a fresh look at comedy from the standpoint of comparative mythology and religion, and thus comedy's spiritual significance. In his unique study of the comic tradition, Hyers explains the difficulty in pinning down themes, structures, plots, or characters that are common to all comedy. Instead he argues that there is an essence of comedy in the area of pattern. He draws upon the rich historical ensemble of types of comic figures: the humorist, comedian, comic hero, rogue, trickster, clown, fool, underdog, and simpleton. He shows how each type incarnates a comic heroism in its own unique manner, offering a profound wisdom and philosophy of life.The approach of this book is broadly interdisciplinary, with materials and interpretations introduced from the various fields of the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences as they illuminate both the tragic and comic sensibilities. The methodological thread that draws this all together is an analysis of the major types of comic figures in terms of the myths and legends associated with them, the rituals they produce and enact, and the symbolism of the comic figures themselves. Written in a very readable literary style, The Spirituality of Comedy will appeal to psychologists, social scientists, clergy, philosophers, and students of literature.

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Shortlisted for the 2018 TWS Wildlife Publication Awards in the edited book categoryThe various species of new world blackbirds, often intermingled in large foraging flocks and nighttime roosts, collectively number in the hundreds of millions and are a dominant component of the natural and agricultural avifauna in North America today. Because of their abundance, conspicuous flocking behavior, and feeding habits, these species have often been in conflict with human endeavors. The pioneering publications on blackbirds were by F. E. L. Beal in 1900 and A. A. Allen in 1914. These seminal treatises laid the foundation for more than 1,000 descriptive and experimental studies on the life histories of blackbirds as well as their ecology and management in relation to agricultural damage and other conflicts such as caused by large winter roosting congregations. The wealth of information generated in over a century of research is found in disparate outlets that include government reports, conference proceedings, peer-reviewed journals, monographs, and books. For the first time, Ecology and Management of Blackbirds (Icteridae) in North America summarizes and synthesizes this vast body of information on the biology and life histories of blackbirds and their conflicts with humans into a single volume for researchers, wildlife managers, agriculturists, disease biologists, ornithologists, policy makers, and the public. The book reviews the life histories of red-winged blackbirds, yellow-headed blackbirds, common grackles, and brown-headed cowbirds. It provides in-depth coverage of the functional roles of blackbirds in natural and agricultural ecosystems. In doing so, this authoritative reference promotes the development of improved science-based, integrated management strategies to address conflicts when resolutions are needed.

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This book provides a systematic presentation of the mathematical foundation of modern physics with applications particularly within classical mechanics and the theory of relativity. Written to be self-contained, this book provides complete and rigorous proofs of all the results presented within. Among the themes illustrated in the book are differentiable manifolds, differential forms, fiber bundles and differential geometry with non-trivial applications especially within the general theory of relativity. The emphasis is upon a systematic and logical construction of the mathematical foundations. It can be used as a textbook for a pure mathematics course in differential geometry, assuming the reader has a good understanding of basic analysis, linear algebra and point set topology. The book will also appeal to students of theoretical physics interested in the mathematical foundation of the theories.

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Mobile Cloud Computing: Models, Implementation, and Security provides a comprehensive introduction to mobile cloud computing, including key concepts, models, and relevant applications. The book focuses on novel and advanced algorithms, as well as mobile app development.The book begins with an overview of mobile cloud computing concepts, models, and service deployments, as well as specific cloud service models. It continues with the basic mechanisms and principles of mobile computing, as well as virtualization techniques. The book also introduces mobile cloud computing architecture, design, key techniques, and challenges.The second part of the book covers optimizations of data processing and storage in mobile clouds, including performance and green clouds. The crucial optimization algorithm in mobile cloud computing is also explored, along with big data and service computing.Security issues in mobile cloud computing are covered in-depth, including a brief introduction to security and privacy issues and threats, as well as privacy protection techniques in mobile systems. The last part of the book features the integration of service-oriented architecture with mobile cloud computing. It discusses web service specifications related to implementations of mobile cloud computing.The book not only presents critical concepts in mobile cloud systems, but also drives readers to deeper research, through open discussion questions. Practical case studies are also included. Suitable for graduate students and professionals, this book provides a detailed and timely overview of mobile cloud computing for a broad range of readers.

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Providing a reasonable level of profitability through productivity is - and will remain - one of the fundamental tasks of the management teams of any production company. Manufacturing Cost Policy Deployment (MCPD) and Methods Design Concept (MDC): The Path to Competitiveness contains two new methodologies to improving the productivity and profitability of production systems that continuously increase competitiveness: Manufacturing Cost Policy Deployment (MCPD) and Methods Design Concept (MDC). Both MCPD and MDC are the result of long-time synthesis and distillation, being implemented successfully, totally or partially, in many companies. The MCPD system, developed by Alin Posteucă, is a manufacturing cost policy aimed at continuous cost improvement through a systemic and systematic approach. The MCPD is a methodology that improves the production flow driven by the need for Manufacturing Cost Improvement (MCI) for both existing and future products through setting targets and means to continuously improve production process productivity for each product family cost. The MDC, developed by Shigeyasu Sakamoto, design the effective manufacturing methods using a tool of engineering steps identifying ideas for increasing productivity called KAIZENSHIRO (improvable value as a target). The MDC results on production methods lead to effectiveness of work measurement for performance (P) and to knowledge and improvement of production control and planning as utilization (U), in order to achieve labor target costs.The combination of MCPD and MDC methodologies can provide a unique approach for the managers who are seeking new ways for increasing productivity and profitability to increase the competitive level of their manufacturing company.

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Automatic biometrics recognition techniques are increasingly important in corporate and public security systems and have increased in methods due to rapid field development. This book discusses classic behavioral biometrics as well as collects the latest advances in techniques, theoretical approaches, and dynamic applications. This future-looking book is an important reference tool for researchers, practitioners, academicians, and technologists. While there are existing books that focus on physiological biometrics or algorithmic approaches deployed in biometrics, this book addresses a gap in the existing literature for a text that is solely dedicated to the topic of behavioral biometrics.

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