Search results for ""TAYLOR FRANCIS""

Find out how the tension between LGBT studies and queer theory exists in the classroom, politics, communities, and relationshipsLGBT Studies and Queer Theory: New Conflicts, Collaborations, and Contested Terrain examines the similarities and differences between LGBT studies and queer theory and the uneasy relationship between the two in the academic world. This unique book meets the challenge that queer theory presents to the study and politics of gay and lesbian studies with a collection of essays from leading academics who represent a variety of disciplines. These original pieces place queer theory in social and historical contexts, exploring the implications for social psychology, religious studies, communications, sociology, philosophy, film studies, and women's studies. The book's contributors address queer theory's connections to a wide range of issues, including the development of capitalism, the evolution of the gay and lesbian movement, and the study of bisexuality and gender. Many scholars working in gay and lesbian studies still question the intellectual and political value of queer theory. As a result, queer theory has often been concentrated in the humanities, while gay and lesbian studies are concentrated in the social sciences and history. But this has begun to change in the past 10-15 years, as documented by the 12 essays presented in LGBT Studies and Queer Theory: New Conflicts, Collaborations, and Contested Terrain.LGBT Studies and Queer Theory: New Conflicts, Collaborations, and Contested Terrain includes: historical notes on LGBT studies and queer theory some continuing tensions between LGBT studies and queer theory doubts about whether queer theory can lead to social change an analysis of the current state of proto-fields of LGBT studies and queer studies in religion concerns that queer theory’s "erasure of identity" feeds into late capitalism an analysis of variability in social psychologists’ studies of anti-homosexual prejudice an exploration of the commodification of queer identities in independent cinema how and why the category of bisexuality has been marginalized a historical review and assessment of recent bisexual theory a case study of Provincetown, Massachusetts an investigation of the interarticulation of race/ethnicity and gender a case study of the struggle to introduce LGBT studies in the curriculum at West Chester University and much more LGBT Studies and Queer Theory: New Conflicts, Collaborations, and Contested Terrain is an essential read for researchers, academics, and practitioners involved in exploring multifaceted aspects of LGBT Studies and Queer Theory and their points of convergence and divergence.

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Take a look at how narrative has shaped gay and lesbian cultureA Sea of Stories: The Shaping Power of Narrative in Gay and Lesbian Cultures: A Festschrift for John P. De Cecco is an unforgettable collection of personal narratives that explores the historical, psychological, and sociological contexts of homosexuality in locations ranging from Nazi Germany to Colorado. Some of the prominent authors in this collection include David Bergman, Louis Crew, Diana Hume George, and Ruth Vanita. Scholars in gay and lesbian studies, political movements, cultural studies, and narratology, and anyone interested in gay history will want to explore these intriguing narratives on topics such as sex and sin in the South, selling gay literature before Stonewall, growing up gay in India, and the story of an interracial male couple facing homophobic ignorance in a small town.A Sea of Stories also contains creative fiction and nonfiction love stories, war stories, oral stories, and bibliographies, and a beautiful post-Stonewell and post-modern narrative set on a South African seascape that tells the story of two professional men and the possibility of a kiss. For a complete list of contents, please visit our Web site at www.haworthpressinc.com.This book offers you a variety of narratives that cover a wide range, including: memoirs of gay Holocaust survivors and the emergence of the first lesbian and gay book club in its wake homophobia in the workplace and the use of coming-out stories to enhance workplace diversity the establishment of a gay/straight alliance in a Salt Lake City high school that is heavily dominated by Mormons gay literary heritage that examines the works of Langston Hughes as well as Martin Duberman, Paul Monette, and Edmund White in relation to the lesbian 70s creative nonfiction about a woman's love for another woman, her lifelong friend Provincetown's remarkable community response to the AIDS epidemicA collection of chapters written by the colleagues and former students of John P. De Cecco, pioneering editor of the Journal of Homosexuality, A Sea of Stories takes its title from a phrase Dr. De Cecco used in his keynote address to the “History and Memory” conference at Allegheny College in 1997. This conference sparked the idea for this collection of essays that examine the homosexual experience through historical, psychological, and sociological viewpoints and homosexuality in literature. These courageous stories will assist readers to know themselves more deeply, to identify wih others, and to interpret gay and lesbian experiences in different narrative forms.

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Examine the impact of disclosure on sons whose fathers are gay! In this book, Andrew Gottlieb, author of Out of the Twilight: Fathers of Gay Men Speak, explores yet another side of the impact of homosexuality on families. He now looks at how sons react to learning that their fathers are gay, allowing us to see, over time, how this has changed their family relationships and their own lives. Simply and elegantly written, this psychoanalytically oriented qualitative research study is accessible to both the beginner and the more advanced researcher and practitioner. It draws from a wide range of literary, popular, and psychological sources and includes an interview guide, a reference section, and an index. When someone discloses as gay, lesbian, or bisexual, it is not just an individual event. It is a family event. Based on estimates of married gay, lesbian, and bisexual persons, a spouse's coming out affects up to 2,000,000 couples. Yet, its impact has been largely ignored. Children’s voices are the least often heard. . . . Little has been written about sons of fathers who came out during or after marriage. Data for studies that do exist most often draw from the fathers' point of view. . . . The significance of this study lies in its comprehensive, detailed picture of sons and gay fathers as they develop their separate self-images as well as the images of their son-father relationships over time. Painful, sensitive, often triumphant, the stories and [the author’s] analysis of their thoughts, perceptions, and feelings afford a multidimensional, longitudinal viewing. Step by step, we follow the complicated dance of these sons and fathers as they develop and define their connection. from the Foreword by Amity Pierce Buxton, Author of The Other Side of the Closet: The Coming-Out Crisis for Straight Spouses and Families Sons Talk About Their Gay Fathers: Life Curves is a storybookan extended narrative moved along, but not overshadowed, by psychoanalytic theory. The Introduction briefly reviews more recent writings of the fathering experience as told by gay men themselves, setting the stage for: Father to Childa look at the father as seen through the ever-shifting eyes of his son at different phases of the life cycle The Quest for the Real Fatheran examination of sons' responses to their fathers' homosexuality as captured in film, fiction, nonfiction, television, and the psychological literature Methodologythe story of the research process, including sampling, the search for subjects, trustworthiness, the interview, bias, and data collection The Storiesan anthology of narratives the author constructed from the interview material, painting an intimate portrait of each individual son Findingsa categorical analysis Discussiona summary of all the preceding material cast in a developmental framework, highlighting implications for future research and clinical practice

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Get the latest sustainable agriculture practices and keep an eye on the future Developing and Extending Sustainable Agriculture: A New Social Contract explores the challenges faced by today’s farmers and ranchers to provide practical strategies to develop a twenty-first century system of sustainable agriculture that is economically sound, environmentally compatible, and socially acceptable. This comprehensive look at the current state of farming and ranching presents leading authorities discussing concepts and approaches in sustainable agriculture such as crop rotations, integrated pest management, alternative sources of nutrients to maintain productivity, and rotational grazing systems.Presently there is a trend toward a more industrial agriculture and a global food system that will bring long-term negative impacts. If farmers look thoughtfully toward the future, alternatives are now available to help solve these problems to provide agricultural sustainability for generations to come. Developing and Extending Sustainable Agriculture: A New Social Contract provides a model for integrated research and outreach to everyone interested in sustainable development. A sensible framework of practical short-term strategies are combined with visionary long-term plans to provide viable approaches to sustain agriculture, secure our food system, and develop a more equitable society for the future. The text includes several tables and figures, extensive references, and comprehensive bibliographies.Topics in Developing and Extending Sustainable Agriculture: A New Social Contract include: the evolution of the concept of equitable and sustainable development on-farm research farmer to farmer education IPM (integrated pest management) soil management managed grazing whole-farm planning, including economic analysis training for sustainable agriculture motivation theory and research to foster positive sustainable development organic farming productivity the future of sustainable agriculture much, much more Developing and Extending Sustainable Agriculture: A New Social Contract is enlightening, horizon-expanding reading perfect for educators, students, government decision makers, cooperative extension educators, specialists, administrators, citizen members of county extension boards, and administrators in land grant universities.

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Fight rural poverty through the creation of significant policy mechanisms, microenterprises, and employment programsThe majority of the world’s poor live in Asia, and most of these live in rural areas. These areas are also infamous for the food insecurity and malnutrition associated with poverty. Making even a modest dent in rural Asian poverty has the potential to realize large gains in global human development. Reducing Rural Poverty in Asia provides evidence-based guidelines for policymakers in developing countries, for researchers focusing on development problems, and for the international development assistance community in the continuing search for ways to effectively reduce poverty in the developing world. Detailed examinations are clearly presented on the efforts for poverty alleviation through microenterprise development and rural public employment programs that focus on public works and household/small-scale industries. Asia-based case studies of various microenterprises and rural public employment projects reveal important policy mechanisms and the effectiveness of each poverty reduction measure. Tables, figures, and relevant glossaries make unfamiliar terms and difficult information easy to understand.Part I of Reducing Rural Poverty in Asia: presents a framework for the analysis of rural microenterprises with a focus on microfinance highlights the main findings of country-specific case studies suggests guidelines for an appropriate strategy for the provision of microfinance to reach the poor, alleviate poverty, and create financial stability analyzes the issues relating to public wage employment schemes and the principal findings of the case studies draws policy conclusions for the formulation of effective public employment schemes Part II of Reducing Rural Poverty in Asia presents case studies conducted in India, Bangladesh, and the Philippinesalong with revealing conclusions. These studies include: the SIDBI Foundation for Micro Credit in Indiaincluding the continuing problem of the exclusion of the poorest the Maharashtra Rural Credit Project in India and concerns about the sustainability of the financial infrastructure the Small Enterprises Development Project in Bangladesh and the high rate of return on capital from financed enterprises the successes of the Grameen Uddog, Agrani Bank Micro-Enterprise Development Unit (MEDU), and Kishoreganj Community-Based Projects in Bangladesh the income-stabilizing role of the Employment Guarantee Scheme in Maharashtra, India guidelines for the Public Works Employment policy and implementation in the Philippines Reducing Rural Poverty in Asia is a concise overview of the crucial research undertaken at the request of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and makes this a vital resource for researchers, educators, students, policymakers, and development experts working towards the goal of poverty reduction.

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Get up-to-date research and innovative management strategiesOrganizational behavior and human resource management are fundamental aspects in the profitability of any foodservice business. Human Resources in the Foodservice Industry: Organizational Behavior Management Approaches examines the latest research critical in understanding individual behavior and group dynamics. This resource provides researchers and practitioners with a clear view of human capital in a competitive global marketplacewith various possible managerial solutions to increase efficiency, employee and consumer satisfaction, and organizational success. Experts from around the world and diverse backgrounds discuss up-to-date empirical research, unique insights, and effective management strategies.As people across the country continue to spend more and more of their food dollars outside of the home every year, foodservice businesses must adapt to evolving consumer behavior and control the management of expendituresincluding human resourcesto be profitable. Human Resources in the Foodservice Industry: Organizational Behavior Management Approaches discusses in detail this essential part of managing organizational strategy in foodservice operations. From macro perspectives and the effects of globalization to approaches to managing a diverse workforce, this unique text examines the data, the strategies, and the theories to best help your people become more productive while making foodservice businesses profitable. The book contains extensive references and several figures, tables, and charts to clearly illustrate ideas.Topics in Human Resources in the Foodservice Industry: Organizational Behavior Management Approaches include: a theoretical framework for management development for chain restaurant operations the legal, business, and ethical issues in setting language policies for personnel language barriersand the impact on job satisfaction, performance, and turnover increasing performance to better monitor food temperature the efficacy of restaurant sales incentives cultural differences in collaborative ventures four mechanisms to spur employees to provide better customer service an empirical study on restaurant cooks’ locus of control, job satisfaction, work stress, and turnover intentions the perceptions of quick-service-restaurant managers regarding older workers comparison study of intern experiences in the United Kingdom and India Human Resources in the Foodservice Industry: Organizational Behavior Management Approaches is an insightful resource for researchers, practitioners of all types, educators, and students.

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Learn to produce crops with improved nutrition to alleviate malnourishment--using sustainable agriculture techniques!Utilizing complete food systems to improve nutrition has become a priority in the fight against malnutrition. This book examines all aspects of food systems, drawing on examples from various countries and geographical regions. Bringing together the most recent work of international experts, Food Systems for Improved Human Nutrition provides an important overview of the food systems approach. It also explores the extent of malnourishment in different areas; presents case studies from South Asia, China, India, Bangladesh, and East Africa; points to ways to improve food production and nutrient quality; and suggests directions for future research. Helpful charts and tables make the information in this well-referenced book easy to access and understand.Food Systems for Improved Human Nutrition brings you state-of-the-art information on: the potential benefits of agroforestry systems how to fortify food with micronutrients how to design population-appropriate nutrition interventions the ways that rapid economic change can affect human nutrition in a given area biotech approaches to improve nutrition in rice and maize crops crossbred cow technologies in the East African highlands and much more!

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The lives of more than a billion people depend on the answer!This valuable book surveys the problems of the rice-wheat cropping system practiced on the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP). Introduced at the time of the Green Revolution, it transformed agriculture and produced thirty years of bumper crops. The Rice-Wheat Cropping System of South Asia: Efficient Production Management offers scientific analysis of the aftereffects of this intense cropping.The Rice-Wheat Cropping System of South Asia: Efficient Production Management focuses on the questions of soil depletion, pest infestation, and soil alkalinity as elements of declining productivity. Along with clear charts, maps, and graphs, it provides practical suggestions for improving and maintaining the productivity of this irreplaceable farmland.The Rice-Wheat Cropping System of South Asia looks at the problems that have arisen for both the rice and wheat phases, including: depletion of micronutrients degradation of major nutrients from unbalanced fertilization practices infestations of nematodes increasing soil alkalinity as a result of irrigation It also suggests solutions for maintaining productivity, including: integrated pest management sustainable agriculture micronutrient fertilizers This informative book and its companion volume, The Rice-Wheat Cropping System of South Asia: Trends, Constraints, Productivity and Policy, are essential planning tools 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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Ithiel de Sola Pool was a distinguished scholar of the political process, and one of the most original thinkers in the development of an integrated social science. This volume focuses upon his contributions to the development of research methods that deepen our understanding of human behavior.The book is divided into five parts treating the analysis of communications, computer simulation, forecasting, network theory, and the social sciences in political contexts. The first part considers the problems and possibilities of analysis raised by the unprecedented quantity of data made available by widespread and improved communications technology; what should be counted and how should inferences be made. Part two explores computer simulation in the study of presidential election patterns and how it can provide in-depth analyses of crisis situations in history. Part three focuses on strategies for predicting the future of international politics and methods to forecast the impacts of new communications technologies, while part four offers a rigorous analysis of domestic and global contact networks and the so-called "small world" phenomenon.Part five is concerned with external challenges to the use of social science to create more humane politics, including the question of value neutrality, ideology, "deconstructive" critical theory, and threats by government to the health of universities. In a concluding essay Lloyd Etheredge draws upon Pool's work to discuss several new ways in which the methods treated in this volume can be applied to contemporary social change.

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Lasswell introduced the developmental construct of the garrison state as an antithesis of the civilian state more than fifty years ago, suggesting it would evolve from the industrial state in response to technical achievement. His original thoughts on the garrison state construct remain applicable today. This important volume brings together four major essays written by Lasswell.

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Great intellectual effort has gone into the development of sophisticated designs and methodologies to study individual policies, programs, and projects. Costly efforts to find the smallest evidence of a policy or program impact have been undertaken in the presumption that such data are central to policy decision making. Meanwhile, the intergovernmental nature of political and policy governance has been ignored. Whether it is Canada, the United States, England, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Japan, or any other industrial country, the governmental structure is essentially a web of interrelated policies, programs, and projects. To understand local responsibilities and requirements, one must also understand the role that regional and national governmental agencies and administrations play. Politics and Practice of Intergovernmental Evaluation is a landmark work in the area of the evaluation of intergovernmental policies, programs, and projects. Comparative and cross-national in its perspective, the material presented here not only provides a systematic theoretical and empirical treatment of intergovernmental evaluation, but does so with case material from seven nations and the European Union. No other such comparative work exists on this topic. Contributors include: Jan Eric Furubo; Mary Henkel; Linda G. Morra; Robert V. Segsworth and Dale H. Poel; and Willi Zimmermann and Peter Knoepfel. The Politics and Practice of Intergovernmental Evaluation will be of interest to political theorists, policymakers, and scholars and students of government and the evaluation community.

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Strategic Lean management efforts significantly fail because leaders often lack a map of their organizations. Written in a colloquial manner, The Hoshin Kanri Forest is for Lean practitioners who seek to design organizational structures that functionally support the dynamics associated with Lean Management. This book will provide a comprehensive quantifiable framework for strategically designing organizations for Lean management. Combining knowledge about strategic organizational design and Lean management, the author introduces a theory called the Hoshin Kanri Forest that considers organizations as networks with organizational structure, functional connectivity, and effective dynamic patterns for attaining an optimal strategic organizational design towards the strategic goal of Lean management. It presents the future of Lean organizations relying on strategically designing its structure, function, and effective dynamics.This book is about describing an evolutional approach toward a peaceful Lean revolution. It includes useful insights into organizational key-performance-indicator dynamics, gives leaders an implementation roadmap, and offers real examples from the author’s professional experience.

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This book provides an assorted set of reflections/lessons from the "trenches" of Lean service and brings to fore leadership challenges, new tools, and the known-unknowns (insights that very few know but many in journey of Lean transformation need to know). Lean has the ability to address a wide range of problems faced by service companies, such as: complexity reduction, sales force productivity enhancement, operations risk control, cost leadership, combining scale with flexibility, service excellence and improving employee morale and involvement. Many of the principles discussed in the book are based on the author's first-hand experience in Lean implementation.

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We are at the dawn of an era in networking that has the potential to define a new phase of human existence. This era will be shaped by the digitization and connection of everything and everyone with the goal of automating much of life, effectively creating time by maximizing the efficiency of everything we do and augmenting our intelligence with knowledge that expedites and optimizes decision-making and everyday routines and processes.The Future X Network: A Bell Labs Perspective outlines how Bell Labs sees this future unfolding and the key technological breakthroughs needed at both the architectural and systems levels. Each chapter of the book is dedicated to a major area of change and the network and systems innovation required to realize the technological revolution that will be the essential product of this new digital future.

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A Bridge to Higher Mathematics is more than simply another book to aid the transition to advanced mathematics. The authors intend to assist students in developing a deeper understanding of mathematics and mathematical thought. The only way to understand mathematics is by doing mathematics. The reader will learn the language of axioms and theorems and will write convincing and cogent proofs using quantifiers. Students will solve many puzzles and encounter some mysteries and challenging problems. The emphasis is on proof. To progress towards mathematical maturity, it is necessary to be trained in two aspects: the ability to read and understand a proof and the ability to write a proof. The journey begins with elements of logic and techniques of proof, then with elementary set theory, relations and functions. Peano axioms for positive integers and for natural numbers follow, in particular mathematical and other forms of induction. Next is the construction of integers including some elementary number theory. The notions of finite and infinite sets, cardinality of counting techniques and combinatorics illustrate more techniques of proof.For more advanced readers, the text concludes with sets of rational numbers, the set of reals and the set of complex numbers. Topics, like Zorn’s lemma and the axiom of choice are included. More challenging problems are marked with a star. All these materials are optional, depending on the instructor and the goals of the course.

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Now in its Third Edition, Practical Bomb Scene Investigation explores the investigative process that improvised explosive device (IED) specialists undertake at the scene of an explosion. Providing easy-to-understand, step-by-step procedures for managing and processing a bomb scene, it enables investigators to find the evidence and then make sense of what is found. The book is not only a roadmap on how to find and collect evidence and assess the scene, but also provides instruction on identifying the bombmaker's signature through latent print, DNA, explosive residue, metallurgical, and toolmark examination and forensic analysis.

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This book will provide all the basic details of neuroanaesthesia and how management of different neurosurgical cases may differ. Simple issues such as neurological examination of patient, understanding CT-scan and MRI scans along with anaesthetic management are discussed in simple language, making this book a ready-reckoner. The title provides an insight into all possible aspects of anesthetic management of neurosurgical and commonly encountered neurologic patients. The book also includes chapters related to allied specialities such as critical care, neurology and neuroradiology, making it a complete package.

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The third edition of this established reference is the product of the combined efforts of many professionals – obstetricians, pediatric cardiologists, sonographers, molecular biologists, and medical physicists – and is a comprehensive guide intended for anyone interested in scanning the fetal cardiac system.

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Handbook of Approximation Algorithms and Metaheuristics, Second Edition reflects the tremendous growth in the field, over the past two decades. Through contributions from leading experts, this handbook provides a comprehensive introduction to the underlying theory and methodologies, as well as the various applications of approximation algorithms and metaheuristics.Volume 1 of this two-volume set deals primarily with methodologies and traditional applications. It includes restriction, relaxation, local ratio, approximation schemes, randomization, tabu search, evolutionary computation, local search, neural networks, and other metaheuristics. It also explores multi-objective optimization, reoptimization, sensitivity analysis, and stability. Traditional applications covered include: bin packing, multi-dimensional packing, Steiner trees, traveling salesperson, scheduling, and related problems.Volume 2 focuses on the contemporary and emerging applications of methodologies to problems in combinatorial optimization, computational geometry and graphs problems, as well as in large-scale and emerging application areas. It includes approximation algorithms and heuristics for clustering, networks (sensor and wireless), communication, bioinformatics search, streams, virtual communities, and more.About the EditorTeofilo F. Gonzalez is a professor emeritus of computer science at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He completed his Ph.D. in 1975 from the University of Minnesota. He taught at the University of Oklahoma, the Pennsylvania State University, and the University of Texas at Dallas, before joining the UCSB computer science faculty in 1984. He spent sabbatical leaves at the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education and Utrecht University. He is known for his highly cited pioneering research in the hardness of approximation; for his sublinear and best possible approximation algorithm for k-tMM clustering; for introducing the open-shop scheduling problem as well as algorithms for its solution that have found applications in numerous research areas; as well as for his research on problems in the areas of job scheduling, graph algorithms, computational geometry, message communication, wire routing, etc.

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The first part of this book introduces the Schubert Cells and varieties of the general linear group Gl (k^(r+1)) over a field k according to Ehresmann geometric way. Smooth resolutions for these varieties are constructed in terms of Flag Configurations in k^(r+1) given by linear graphs called Minimal Galleries. In the second part, Schubert Schemes, the Universal Schubert Scheme and their Canonical Smooth Resolution, in terms of the incidence relation in a Tits relative building are constructed for a Reductive Group Scheme as in Grothendieck's SGAIII. This is a topic where algebra and algebraic geometry, combinatorics, and group theory interact in unusual and deep ways.

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This book will address concepts and techniques for preparation and disposal of low- (LLW) and intermediate-level (ILW) radioactive waste from the nuclear industry, the weapons industry, university labs, research institutes, and from the commercial industry. It will aid decision-makers in finding optimal technical/economical solutions, including how site investigations, design, construction, identification and selection of construction materials (clay and concrete), and monitoring can be made. It will also examine techniques for isolating soil and rock contaminated by leaking nuclear plants and from damaged nuclear reactors such as those at the Fukushima and Chernobyl nuclear plants.

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A variety of air pollutants are emitted into the atmosphere from human-caused and natural emissions sources throughout the United States and elsewhere. These contaminants impact sensitive natural resources in wilderness, including the national parks. The system of national parks in the United States is among our greatest assets. This book provides a compilation and synthesis of current scientific understanding regarding the causes and effects of these pollutants within national park lands. It describes pollutant emissions, deposition, and exposures; it identifies the critical (tipping point) loads of pollutant deposition at which adverse impacts are manifested.

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Now in full-colour, this eagerly-anticipated second edition continues to be the most comprehensive resource available on non-invasive ventilation (NIV), both in the hospital and at home. Reflecting a global perspective with expert contributors from more than 15 countries, the book:• provides clinical examples of NIV in practice with insightful vignettes• covers home- and intensive care-based ventilation• details NIV use in acute and chronic respiratory failure, plus paediatric and other specialty applications. Disease-specific sections provide best practice in the science, diagnostics and management of conditions such as COPD, cardiac failure, neuromuscular disease and obesity, while features such as ‘Common Clinical Questions & Answers’, abundant tables and illustrations, chapter summaries and new clinical vignettes showcase the realities of NIV in practice. This is essential reading for pulmonologists, critical care physicians and intensive care medicine specialists.

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Data Mining: A Tutorial-Based Primer, Second Edition provides a comprehensive introduction to data mining with a focus on model building and testing, as well as on interpreting and validating results. The text guides students to understand how data mining can be employed to solve real problems and recognize whether a data mining solution is a feasible alternative for a specific problem. Fundamental data mining strategies, techniques, and evaluation methods are presented and implemented with the help of two well-known software tools. Several new topics have been added to the second edition including an introduction to Big Data and data analytics, ROC curves, Pareto lift charts, methods for handling large-sized, streaming and imbalanced data, support vector machines, and extended coverage of textual data mining. The second edition contains tutorials for attribute selection, dealing with imbalanced data, outlier analysis, time series analysis, mining textual data, and more.The text provides in-depth coverage of RapidMiner Studio and Weka’s Explorer interface. Both software tools are used for stepping students through the tutorials depicting the knowledge discovery process. This allows the reader maximum flexibility for their hands-on data mining experience.

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Iterative processes are the tools used to generate sequences approximating solutions of equations describing real life problems. Intended for researchers in computational sciences and as a reference book for advanced computational method in nonlinear analysis, this book is a collection of the recent results on the convergence analysis of numerical algorithms in both finite-dimensional and infinite-dimensional spaces and presents several applications and connections with fixed point theory. It contains an abundant and updated bibliography and provides comparisons between various investigations made in recent years in the field of computational nonlinear analysis.The book also provides recent advancements in the study of iterative procedures and can be used as a source to obtain the proper method to use in order to solve a problem. The book assumes a basic background in Mathematical Statistics, Linear Algebra and Numerical Analysis and may be used as a self-study reference or as a supplementary text for an advanced course in Biosciences or Applied Sciences. Moreover, the newest techniques used to study the dynamics of iterative methods are described and used in the book and they are compared with the classical ones.

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This book will capture the heart of everyone who ever climbed a tree or gone fishing with their dad. Beyond that, it takes the reader deep into the life of a man whose father showed him how to hunt as well as how to live and how to pass the heritage on to his sons and theirs. Enjoy personal moments in the life of a great outdoorsman who has keen insight into life, the earth and her creatures. You won't shake off these stories after closing the book—you'll be hooked.

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The book shows how to use Planning by Design (PxD) for developing working models to any type of subject area. Section 1 describes the nature of planning in general, the formula of planning, the features that make it systematic, the essence of PxD, and developing and using the working model. Section 2 demonstrates personal application of creative planning to real life cases and practical working models on different subject areas. The book provides a general planning "master guide" that shows how to develop a working model of any definable subject matter. This objective will be accomplished by introducing the concepts, the process, and the methodology of PxD.

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Currently people deal with various entities (such as hardware, software, buildings, spaces, communities and other people), to meet specific goals while going about their everyday activities in work and leisure environments. These entities have become more and more complex and incorporate functions that hitherto had never been allocated such as automation, use in virtual environments, connectivity, personalization, mobility and friendliness. This book contributes to the analysis of human-system interactions from the perspective of ergonomics, regardless of how simple or complex they are, while incorporating the needs of users and workers in a healthy safe, efficient and enjoyable manner.This book provides a comprehensive review of the state of the art of current ergonomic in design methods and techniques that are being applied to products, machinery, equipment, workstations and systems while taking new technologies and their applications into consideration. Ergonomics in Design: Methods and Techniques is organized into four sections and 30 chapters covering topics such as conceptual aspects of ergonomics in design, the knowledge of human characteristics applied to design, and the methodological aspects of design. Examples are shown in several areas of design including, but not limited to, consumer products, games, transport, education, architecture, fashion, sustainability, biomechanics, intelligent systems, virtual reality, and neurodesign.This book will: Introduces the newest developments in social-cultural approaches Shows different ergonomics in design methodological approaches Divulges the ways that ergonomics can contribute to a successful design Applies different subjects to support the design including –ergonomics, engineering, architecture, urbanism, neuro, and product designs. Presents recent technologies in ergonomic design, as applied to product design. With the contributions from a team of 75 researchers from 11 countries, the book covers the state-of-the-art of ergonomics in a way to produce better design.

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This volume presents the latest scholarly research on the practice of public corruption. The authors explore the causes and methods of fraud-related crime, as well as how it can be detected. The book also investigates the best strategies to prevent corruption, as well as convention punishments for those convicted. Intended for criminal justice students and practitioners, Public Corruption: Regional and National Perspectives on Procurement Fraud is a valuable resource for all stages of fraud investigation.

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This book presents a set of tools that will aid in deciding whether a project should go ahead, be improved, or abandoned altogether by pinpointing its vulnerabilities. It offers a review of project feasibility analysis, and more critically, psychodynamic aspects that are often neglected, including how stakeholders interact. It provides a complement to the common techniques used for analyzing technical, financial, and marketing feasibility. The goal is to identify "hidden truths" and eliminate those gray areas that jeopardize the success of a given project. The focus is on uncovering points of vulnerabilities in four key aspects of a project: People, Power, Processes, and Plan.

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This book brings several original contributions to research and practical applications in the field of mass customization from the designer, manufacturer, and customer perspectives respectively. It presents advancements in product design for mass customization, design of assembly and supply chain processes, variety induced complexity models, complexity management, marketing tools, information systems to support decision-making, and critical success factors of this manufacturing and marketing strategy.. A special focus of interest is also on the use of product configurators in practice and sustainability assessment for mass customization strategy. The aim is to disseminate current developments and approaches for further theoretical investigation and practical applications of mass customized manufacturing systems.

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Phase morphology in multicomponent polymer-based systems represents the main physical characteristic that allows for control of the material design and implicitly the development of new plastics. Emphasizing properties of these promising new materials in both solution and solid phase, this book describes the preparation, processing, properties, and practical implications of advanced multiphase systems from macro to nanoscales. It covers a wide range of systems including copolymers, polymer blends, polymer composites, gels, interpenetrating polymers, and layered polymer/metal structures, describing aspects of polymer science, engineering, and technology. The book analyzes experimental and theoretical aspects regarding the thermal and electrical transport phenomena and magnetic properties of crucial importance in advanced technologies. It reviews the most recent advances concerning morphological, rheological, interfacial, physical, fire-resistant, thermophysical, and biomedical properties of multiphase polymer systems. Concomitantly the book deals with basic investigation techniques that are sensitive in elucidating the features of each phase. It also discusses the latest research trends that offer new solutions for advanced bio- and nanotechnologies. Introduces an overview of recent studies in the area of multiphase polymer systems, their micro- and nanostructural evolutions in advanced technologies, and provides future outlooks, new challenges and opportunities. Discusses multicomponent structures that offer enhanced physical, mechanical, thermal, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties adapted to current requirements of modern technologies. Covers a wide range of materials, such as composites, blends, alloys, gels and interpenetrating polymer networks. Presents new strategies for controlling the micro- and nanomorphology and the mechanical properties of multiphase polymeric materials. Describes different applications of multiphase polymeric materials in various fields, including automotive, aeronautics and space industry, displays, and medicine.

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Tracking is the goal of control of any object, plant, process, or vehicle. From vehicles and missiles to power plants, tracking is essential to guarantee high-quality behavior. Nonlinear Systems Tracking establishes the tracking theory, trackability theory, and tracking control synthesis for time-varying nonlinear plants and their control systems as parts of control theory. Treating general dynamical and control systems, including subclasses of input-output and state-space nonlinear systems, the book: Describes the crucial tracking control concepts that comprise effective tracking control algorithms Defines the main tracking and trackability properties involved, identifying properties both perfect and imperfect Details the corresponding conditions needed for the controlled plant to exhibit each property Discusses various algorithms for tracking control synthesis, attacking the tracking control synthesis problems themselves Depicts the effective synthesis of the tracking control, under the action of which, the plant behavior satisfies all the imposed tracking requirements resulting from its purpose With clarity and precision, Nonlinear Systems Tracking provides original coverage, presenting discovery and proofs of new tracking criteria and control algorithms. Thus, the book creates new directions for research in control theory, enabling fruitful new control engineering applications.

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Calcium Entry Channels in Non-Excitable Cells focuses on methods of investigating the structure and function of non-voltage gated calcium channels. Each chapter presents important discoveries in calcium entry pathways, specifically dealing with the molecular identification of store-operated calcium channels which were reviewed by earlier volumes in the Methods in Signal Transduction series. Crystallographic and pharmacological approaches to the study of calcium channels of epithelial cells are also discussed. Calcium ion is a messenger in most cell types. Whereas voltage gated calcium channels have been studied extensively, the non-voltage gated calcium entry channel genes have only been identified relatively recently. The book will fill this important niche.

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This book describes the fundamental knowledge of mechanics and its application to biomaterials. An overview of computer modeling in biomaterials is offered and multiple fields where biomaterials are used are reviewed with emphasis to the importance of the mechanical properties of biomaterials. The reader will obtain a better understanding of the current techniques to synthesize, characterize and integrate biomaterials into the human body.

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This handbook focuses on the enormous literature applying statistical methodology and modelling to environmental and ecological processes. The 21st century statistics community has become increasingly interdisciplinary, bringing a large collection of modern tools to all areas of application in environmental processes. In addition, the environmental community has substantially increased its scope of data collection including observational data, satellite-derived data, and computer model output. The resultant impact in this latter community has been substantial; no longer are simple regression and analysis of variance methods adequate. The contribution of this handbook is to assemble a state-of-the-art view of this interface. Features: An internationally regarded editorial team. A distinguished collection of contributors. A thoroughly contemporary treatment of a substantial interdisciplinary interface. Written to engage both statisticians as well as quantitative environmental researchers. 34 chapters covering methodology, ecological processes, environmental exposure, and statistical methods in climate science.

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Biogeography and Evolution in New Zealand provides the first in-depth treatment of the biogeography of New Zealand, a region that has been a place of long-enduring interest to ecologists, evolutionary scientists, geographers, geologists, and scientists in related disciplines. It serves as a key addition to the contemporary discussion on regionalization—how is New Zealand different from the rest of the world? With what other areas does it share its geology, history, and biota? Do new molecular phylogenies show that New Zealand may be seen as a biological ‘parallel universe’ within global evolution?

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This book will contain the most important ion exchange-related design and application issues. Using tables, graphs, and conversion tables, it will explain the fundamentals, providing the knowledge to use ion exchange to reuse wastewaters, recover valuable chemicals, and recycle industrial waters. For anyone who is designing unconventional ion exchange systems, or who needs a fundamental knowledge of ion exchange, this is the perfect working reference. This new edition will be updated throughout, add a new chapter (Selective Ion Exchange Resins), and include all new information on the removal of boron, arsenic, nitrates, ammonia, radioactivity, silica, and heavy metals from water.

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Toxins and Other Harmful Compounds in Foods provides information on the contents, distribution, chemical properties, and biological activity of toxins and other harmful compounds in foods that are natural components of the raw materials, accumulated due to microbial actions and environmental pollution, or are generated due to processing. This book shows how different factors related to the production of raw materials, as well as to storage and processing conditions, affect the presence and concentration of toxins and other harmful compounds in foods. It shows how various regulations, as well as unit operations and processes used in food production, may eliminate different toxins or generate new ones. The real health hazards for the consumers resulting from the presence of toxic/harmful compounds in aliments are discussed, and various national and international regulations obligatory in agriculture and industry aimed at increasing food safety are presented. Methods of analysis used for detection and determination of undesirable compounds are also discussed, making it possible to understand the effect of storage and processing parameters, as well as systems of quality assurance, on food safety and to select optimum procedures for analytical control.

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Innovation through specific and rational design and functionalization has led to the development of a wide range of mesoporous materials with varying morphologies (hexagonal, cubic, rod-like), structures (silicates, carbons, metal oxides), and unique functionalities (doping, acid functionalization) that currently makes this field one of the most exciting in materials science and energy applications. This book focuses primarily on the rapid progress in their application in energy conversion and storage technologies, including supercapacitor, Li-ion battery, fuel cells, solar cells, and photocatalysis (water splitting) and will serve as a valuable reference for researchers in the field

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Ever-increasing interest in oceanography and marine biology and their relevance to global environmental issues create a demand for authoritative reviews summarizing the results of recent research. Oceanography and Marine Biology: An Annual Review has catered to this demand since its founding by the late Harold Barnes more than 50 years ago. Its objectives are to consider, annually, the basic areas of marine research, returning to them when appropriate in future volumes; to deal with subjects of special and topical importance; and to add new subjects as they arise.The favourable reception and complimentary reviews accorded to all the volumes shows that the series is fulfilling a very real need. Volume 54 follows closely the objectives and style of the earlier volumes, continuing to regard the marine sciences—with all their various aspects—as a unity. Physical, chemical, and biological aspects of marine science are dealt with by experts actively engaged in these fields. The series is an essential reference text for researchers and students in all fields of marine science and related subjects, and it finds a place in libraries of universities, marine laboratories, research institutes and government departments. It is consistently among the highest ranking series in terms of impact factor in the marine biology category of the citation indices compiled by the Institute for Scientific Information/Web of Science.

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Developed for the Ultimate Introductory Engineering CourseIntroduction to Engineering: An Assessment and Problem-Solving Approach incorporates experiential, and problem- and activity-based instruction to engage students and empower them in their own learning. This book compiles the requirements of ABET, (the organization that accredits most US engineering, computer science, and technology programs and equivalency evaluations to international engineering programs) and integrates the educational practices of the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U). The book provides learning objectives aligned with ABET learning outcomes and AAC&U high-impact educational practices. It also identifies methods for overcoming institutional barriers and challenges to implementing assessment initiatives. The book begins with an overview of the assessment theory, presents examples of real-world applications, and includes key assessment resources throughout. In addition, the book covers six basic themes: Use of assessment to improve student learning and educational programs at both undergraduate and graduate levels Understanding and applying ABET criteria to accomplish differing program and institutional missions Illustration of evaluation/assessment activities that can assist faculty in improving undergraduate and graduate courses and programs Description of tools and methods that have been demonstrated to improve the quality of degree programs and maintain accreditation Using high-impact educational practices to maximize student learning Identification of methods for overcoming institutional barriers and challenges to implementing assessment initiative A practical guide to the field of engineering and engineering technology, Introduction to Engineering: An Assessment and Problem-Solving Approach serves as an aid to both instructor and student in developing competencies and skills required by ABET and AAC&U.

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The Nano Science and Technology Institute (NSTI) have built a tradition of being the most prestigious forum in the world for leading Nano Scientists. NSTI provides Nano Scientists with up-to-date global perspective on the latest developments in nanotechnology. This volume outlines the latest developments in: Advanced Manufacturing, Sustainable Nanomanufacturing, NanoFab: Manufacturing & Instrumentation, Flexible Electronics, Photonic Materials & Devices, Nanoelectronics, Materials & Devices, Modeling & Simulation of Microsystems, MEMS & NEMS Devices & Applications, Micro, Nano & Bio Fluidics, Inkjet Design, Materials & Fabrication

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Many shops have simplified their production control by using card-based systems such as kanban and Constant Work-in-Process (ConWIP). Although these systems provide a simple and highly effective visual approach for controlling manufacturing and service operations, all too many shops struggle with failed implementations or achieve results that fall below expectations. These outcomes can be attributed to a poor fit between the actual control problem and the solution applied.This book takes a different approach to most other books on the subject—as it starts with an introduction to the control problem, instead of the control solution. Card-Based Control Systems for a Lean Work Design outlines how the problems encountered in typical manufacturing shops and service providers can be characterized, which allows for improved problem diagnosis.The first four chapters of the book lay the foundations for problem diagnosis. The next three chapters then discuss, in sequence, each of the three "traditional" card-based control systems: kanban, ConWIP, and Paired-cell Overlapping Loops of Cards with Authorization (POLCA). The book explains how each of these card-based control systems works and identifies the specific type of control problem to which each system applies.The next two chapters focus on Control of Balance by Card-Based Navigation (COBACABANA), a system developed for high-variety shops producing made-to-order, customized products. This is the first book to discuss this novel approach, which includes the use of cards to estimate due dates or delivery time allowances.The book closes with a framework that provides guidance on which system to apply. This framework contrasts the control problem with the control solution. The potential of combining card-based systems is also discussed to create a nested solution.

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Placenta accreta comprises a spectrum of disorders where all or part of the placenta becomes attached to the muscular wall of the uterus, which can result in life-threatening hemorrhage at the time of delivery. Previous surgical procedures (including cesarean delivery) and placenta previa are important risk factors, and the incidence is dramatically increasing. This important practical guide to how clinicians should diagnose and manage placenta accreta will be an invaluable reference for all obstetricians and maternal-fetal specialists.

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This title presents a balanced blend between classical and intelligent load frequency control techniques, which is detrminant for continous supply of power loads. The classical control techniques introduced in this book include PID, pole placement, observer-based state feedback, static and dynamic output feedback controllers while the intelligent control techniques explained here are of adaptive fuzzy control types. This book will analyze and design different decentralized LF controllers in order to maintain the frequency deviations of each power area within the limits and keep the tie-line power flow between different power areas at the scheduled levels.

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Malaria is a potentially life-threatening disease that affects millions worldwide, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. The recent emergence and spread of multidrug resistance in parts of Southeast Asia prompts the urgent need for novel and effective therapy against the disease. Medicinal Plants and Malaria: Applications, Trends, and Prospects highlights the therapeutic potential of plants for treating malaria. It collates useful information on malaria, current prevention and treatment, and scientific research carried out.This up-to-date book details the medicinal plant species used in treating malaria and describes the plant parts used, methods of preparation, and doses where available. The book begins with a brief introduction of malaria, and covers its epidemiology and implications on public health, the life cycle of Plasmodium parasites, clinical presentation of the disease, currently available antimalarial drugs and their roles in therapy, and medicinal plants used for malaria, including those that are currently in clinical use in various countries.It discusses the latest findings from ethnobotanical research, the challenges and isolation of antiplasmodial phytochemicals from medicinal plants, and the results from clinical trials and public health interventions using medicinal plants. This book has something for everyone, serving as a vital resource for students, teachers, healthcare professionals, and researchers interested in medicinal plants and promising antimalarial preparations. It will also appeal to those in the general public who are interested in herbal medicine and how plants can be used to prevent and treat malaria.

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