Search results for ""ISTE Ltd""

Written by a group of acoustics and vibration specialists, this book studies the acoustic and vibrating phenomena that occur in diverse materials used for all kinds of purposes. The first part studies the fundamental aspects of propagation: analytical, numerical and experimental. The second part outlines industrial and medical applications. Covering a wide range of topics that associate materials science with acoustics, this will be of invaluable use to researchers, engineers, or practitioners in this field, as well as students in acoustics, physics, and mechanics.

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This title brings together a variety of papers presented at the 9th annual Meso meeting in 2007. The topics selected for Meso 2007 are designed to illustrate the relation of thresholds to multiscaling: Flow through capillary tubes in contrast to pipes Laminar and turbulent flow transition Heat convection of thin wires in contrast to cylinders Electrical conductance of macro- and nano-circuits Rubbery and glassy polymers Single- and poly-crystal behavior Strength of wires and round cylindrical bars Uni-axial and multi-axial material: linear and non-linear response Thin and thick plate behavior Brittle and ductile fracture Small and large crack growth behavior Low and high temperature effects Local and global material property characteristics Small and large bodies: size and time effects Specimen and structure

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This book is devoted to the system analysis of statistical experiments, determined by the averaged sums of sampling random variables. The dynamics of statistical experiments are given by difference stochastic equations with a speci?ed regression function of increments – linear or nonlinear. The statistical experiments are studied by the sample volume increasing (N ??), as well as in discrete-continuous time by the number of stages increasing (k ??) for different conditions imposed on the regression function of increments. The proofs of limit theorems employ modern methods for the operator and martingale characterization of Markov processes, including singular perturbation methods. Furthermore, they justify the representation of a stationary Gaussian statistical experiment with the Markov property, as a stochastic difference equation solution, applying the theorem of normal correlation. The statistical hypotheses verification problem is formulated in the classification of evolutionary processes, which determine the dynamics of the predictable component. The method of stochastic approximation is used for classifying statistical experiments.

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Recently, UNESCO has gradually started to recognize world geoparks ? territorial spaces with a geological heritage of international importance. This classification presents real challenges. Development strategies must align with the recommendations advocated by various non-governmental organizations. It is also necessary to involve the local actors, both in the preparation of application forms and in the implementation of a management plan that is suitable for sustainable global development. Managing the tensions and asymmetries that exist between the different groups of actors (politicians, managers, scientists, representatives of local populations) constitutes another major issue. It is in this context and through various case studies that this book questions the aims of the UNESCO global geoparks ? in terms of heritage inventory and conservation, the participation of local populations, the local development of a territory and its enhancement through heritage interpretation.

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To formalize the dynamics of living things is to search for invariants in a system that contains an irreducible aspect of “fuzziness”, because biological processes are characterized by their large statistical variability, and strong dependence on temporal and environmental factors. What is essential is the identification of what remains stable in a “living being” that is highly fluctuating. The use of mathematics is not limited to the use of calculating tools to simulate and predict results. It also allows us to adopt a way of thinking that is founded on concepts and hypotheses, leading to their discussion and validation. Instruments of mathematical intelligibility and coherence have gradually “fashioned” the view we now have of biological systems. Teaching and research, fundamental or applied, are now dependent on this new order known as Integrative Biology or Systems Biology.

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Wealth is no longer just an ability to live well in a world shaped by human activities. It is also an ability to push back or defer the limits of a world in biological and climatic closure. This book examines the theoretical conflicts and the power plays which often oppose the socio-political and technical-financial practices of recognition of what intervenes in the production of this wealth – i.e. of what has value. It lays down the principles of a contributory modeling method, allowing debates around the concept of development; the building of scenarios; the negotiation of their implementation; and a cross-sectoral reading of their social, ecological and economic costs. This method, called Dynamic Modeling of Cost Systems, is based on a territorial communication device which articulates political, contractual and accounting innovations using deliberative and normative digital tools. It combines different local representations of value, in order to approach wealth through an integrated analysis of micro-, meso- and macro- issues.

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Although complexity makes up the very fabric of our daily lives and has been more or less addressed in a wide variety of knowledge fields, the approaches developed in the Natural Sciences and the results obtained over the past century have not yet permeated Management Sciences very much. The main features of the phenomena that the Natural Sciences deal with are: non-linear behavior, self-organization and chaos. They are analyzed with the framing of what is called “systems thinking”, popularized by the mindset pertaining to cybernetics. All pioneers in systems thinking either had direct or indirect connections with Biology, which is the discipline considered complex par excellence by the public. When applying these concepts to Operations Management Systems and modeling organizations by BDI (Beliefs, Desires, Intentions) agents, the lack of predictability in the conduct of change management that is prone to bifurcations (tipping points) in terms of organizational structures and in forecasting future activities, reveals them to be ingrained in the interplay of complexity and chaos.

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This work analyzes the role of private equity firms (SCIs) in forming strategic alliances in the French private equity market. The subject is important because the formation of alliances and, more generally, the networking of SMEs, could be an alternative to the lack of medium-sized companies in France. For French SCIs, which are increasingly in a competitive situation, assistance in forming alliances for their holdings may represent a new activity and be a source of competitive advantage. The work is positioned transversally, touching the areas of corporate governance, entrepreneurial finance and strategy.

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Metaheuristic Algorithms in Maritime Operations Optimization focuses on the seaside and port side problems regarding the maritime transportation. The book reviews and introduces the most important problems regarding the shipping network design, long-term and short-term scheduling and planning problems in both bulk and container shipping as well as liquid maritime transportation. Application of meta heuristic algorithm is important for these problems, as most of them are hard and time-consuming to be solved optimally.

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Alternative Takes to the City presents the mosaic of relations and socio-spatial conditions which compose the plurality of contemporary everyday space(s) in cities, offering "a view from below". It proposes a multidisciplinary and gendered approach to the (relational) spatialities and temporalities of the everyday, of new mobilities and of global and local networks which constitute urban life in contemporary cities. The book raises an empirically informed theoretical proposition which springs from the multiplicity of everyday experiences, as a laboratory for understanding recent socio-spatial, political and ideological transformations. Each chapter takes forward the theoretical argument based on one or more examples of concrete cities, in order to unveil the complexity and diversity of the urban condition in changing conjunctures, in which local practices connect and collide with global developments.

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These four volumes present innovative thematic applications implemented using the open source software QGIS. These are applications that use remote sensing over continental surfaces. The volumes detail applications of remote sensing over continental surfaces, with a first one discussing applications for agriculture. A second one presents applications for forest, a third presents applications for the continental hydrology, and finally the last volume details applications for environment and risk issues.

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This book has as main aim to be an introductory textbook of applied knowledge in Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP), which is a method of weather forecasting that employs: A set of equations that describe the flow of fluids translated into computer code, combined with parameterizations of other processes, applied on a specific domain and integrated in the basis of initial and domain boundary conditions. Current weather observations serve as input to the numerical computer models through a process called data assimilation to produce atmospheric properties in the future (e.g. temperature, precipitation, and a lot of other meteorological parameters). Various case studies will be also presented and analyzed through this book.

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The Soviet / Russian space program was in the hands of three industrial empires: those of Serguei Korolev, the Soviet von Braun who launched Sputnik-1 and Yuri Gagarin, Vladimir Tchelomei, his main competitor, and Mikhail Yangel, Many launchers and satellites in Ukraine.In 2011, we published a first book on the history of the Soyuz launcher that was developed by Korolev and launched more than 1,800 copies. This time, we tell the story of the Proton, the main competitor of the European launcher Ariane, which was developed by Chelomei and launched more than 400 copies. Finally, the last book of the trilogy will deal with the many developments of Yangel. In the three books, the first part deals with the history of rockets in the USSR / Russia (East) and the second part on the history of their commercialization in the West.

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Optimal filtering applied to stationary and non-stationary signals provides the most efficient means of dealing with problems arising from the extraction of noise signals. Moreover, it is a fundamental feature in a range of applications, such as in navigation in aerospace and aeronautics, filter processing in the telecommunications industry, etc. This book provides a comprehensive overview of this area, discussing random and Gaussian vectors, outlining the results necessary for the creation of Wiener and adaptive filters used for stationary signals, as well as examining Kalman filters which are used in relation to non-stationary signals. Exercises with solutions feature in each chapter to demonstrate the practical application of these ideas using Matlab.

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This book gathers together a selection of papers presented at the Joint CTS-HYCON Workshop on Nonlinear and Hybrid Control held at the Paris Sorbonne, France, 10-12 July 2006. The main objective of the Workshop was to promote the exchange of ideas and experiences and reinforce scientific contacts in the large multidisciplinary area of the control of nonlinear and hybrid systems.

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This book explains the concept of spatial data quality, a key theory for minimizing the risks of data misuse in a specific decision-making context. Drawing together chapters written by authors who are specialists in their particular field, it provides both the data producer and the data user perspectives on how to evaluate the quality of vector or raster data which are both produced and used. It also covers the key concepts in this field, such as: how to describe the quality of vector or raster data; how to enhance this quality; how to evaluate and document it, using methods such as metadata; how to communicate it to users; and how to relate it with the decision-making process. Also included is a Foreword written by Professor Michael F. Goodchild.

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This book features four workshops from the INTEROP-ESA international conference, organized by the INTEROP NoE (Interoperability Research for Networked Enterprises Applications and Software Network of Excellence). It highlights key topics related to interoperability of enterprise applications and software. The workshops are related to the conference topics and will enable researchers to explore new research ideas for the future.

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This book examines multicast technology and will be a key text for undergraduate engineering students and master students in networks and telecoms. However, it will be equally useful for a wide range of professionals in this research field. Multicast routing was introduced with the advent of multiparty applications (for example, videoconferencing on the Internet) and collaborative work (for example, distributed simulations). It is related to the concept of group communication, a technique introduced to reduce communication costs. The various problems of multicast routing on the Internet are examined in detail. They include: group membership management, quality of service, reliability, safety, scalability and transport. Throughout the text, several protocols are introduced in order to analyze, compare and cover the various aspects of multicast routing.

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This title presents the general principles of instrumentation processes. It explains the theoretical analysis of physical phenomena used by standard sensors and transducers to transform a physical value into an electrical signal. The pre-processing of these signals through electronic circuits – amplification, signal filtering and analog-to-digital conversion – is then detailed, in order to provide useful basic information. Attention is then given to general complex systems. Topics covered include instrumentation and measurement chains, sensor modeling, digital signal processing and diagnostic methods and the concept of smart sensors, as well as microsystem design and applications. Numerous industrial examples punctuate the discussion, setting the subjects covered in the book in their practical context.

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This book is organized around the various sensing techniques used to achieve structural health monitoring. Its main focus is on sensors, signal and data reduction methods and inverse techniques, which enable the identification of the physical parameters, affected by the presence of the damage, on which a diagnostic is established. Structural Health Monitoring is not oriented by the type of applications or linked to special classes of problems, but rather presents broader families of techniques: vibration and modal analysis; optical fibre sensing; acousto-ultrasonics, using piezoelectric transducers; and electric and electromagnetic techniques. Each chapter has been written by specialists in the subject area who possess a broad range of practical experience. The book will be accessible to students and those new to the field, but the exhaustive overview of present research and development, as well as the numerous references provided, also make it required reading for experienced researchers and engineers.

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From the characterization of materials to accelerated life testing, experimentation with solids and structures is present in all stages of the design of mechanical devices. Sometimes only an experimental model can bring the necessary elements for understanding, the physics under study just being too complex for an efficient numerical model. This book presents the classical tools in the experimental approach to mechanical engineering, as well as the methods that have revolutionized the field over the past 20 years: photomechanics, signal processing, statistical data analysis, design of experiments, uncertainty analysis, etc. Experimental Mechanics of Solids and Structures also replaces mechanical testing in a larger context: firstly, that of the experimental model, with its own hypotheses; then that of the knowledge acquisition process, which is structured and robust; finally, that of a reliable analysis of the results obtained, in a context where uncertainty could be important.

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This book is the first of a series which focuses on the interpolation and extrapolation of optimal designs, an area with significant applications in engineering, physics, chemistry and most experimental fields. In this volume, the authors emphasize the importance of problems associated with the construction of design. After a brief introduction on how the theory of optimal designs meets the theory of the uniform approximation of functions, the authors introduce the basic elements to design planning and link the statistical theory of optimal design and the theory of the uniform approximation of functions. The appendices provide the reader with material to accompany the proofs discussed throughout the book.

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Petri Nets were defined for the study of discrete events systems and later extended for many purposes including dependability assessment. In our knowledge, no book deals specifically with the use of different type of PN to dependability. We propose in addition to bring a focus on the adequacy of Petri net types to the study of various problems related to dependability such as risk analysis and probabilistic assessment. In the first part, the basic models of PN and some useful extensions are briefly recalled. In the second part, the PN are used as a formal model to describe the evolution process of critical system in the frame of an ontological approach. The third part focuses on the stochastic Petri Nets (SPN) and their use in dependability assessment. Different formal models of SPN are formally presented (semantics, evolution rules…) and their equivalence with the corresponding class of Markov processes to get an analytical assessment of dependability. Simplification methods are proposed in order to reduce the size of analytical model and to make it more calculable. The introduction of some concepts specific to high level PN allows too the consideration of complex systems. Few applications in the field of the instrumentation and control (l&C) systems, safety integrated systems (SIS) emphasize the benefits of SPN for dependability assessment.

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This book deals with the dynamics of international specializations during the present period of trade globalization. It discusses international trade as a network linking countries, and uses structural techniques to analyze the evolving structure of this network. It offers a new approach to address the economic emergence of countries. Using these structural methods, the book also explains knowledge exchange. Indeed, the structure transformation of the international trade is partly due to an exchange of competencies between regions. Many concrete examples are proposed.

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The omnipresence of electronic devices in our everyday lives has been accompanied by the downscaling of chip feature sizes and the ever increasing complexity of digital circuits. This book is devoted to the analysis and design of digital circuits, where the signal can assume only two possible logic levels. It deals with the basic principles and concepts of digital electronics. It addresses all aspects of combinational logic and provides a detailed understanding of logic gates that are the basic components in the implementation of circuits used to perform functions and operations of Boolean algebra. Combinational logic circuits are characterized by outputs that depend only on the actual input values. Efficient techniques to derive logic equations are proposed together with methods of analysis and synthesis of combinational logic circuits. Each chapter is well structured and is supplemented by a selection of solved exercises covering logic design practices.

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This book deals with the management and valuation of energy storage in electric power grids, highlighting the interest of storage systems in grid applications and developing management methodologies based on artificial intelligence tools. The authors highlight the importance of storing electrical energy, in the context of sustainable development, in "smart cities" and "smart transportation", and discuss multiple services that storing electrical energy can bring. Methodological tools are provided to build an energy management system storage following a generic approach. These tools are based on causal formalisms, artificial intelligence and explicit optimization techniques and are presented throughout the book in connection with concrete case studies.

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In an increasingly interconnected world, "Communication Networks Economy" provides the rational understanding necessary to provide universal access to communication means in an efficient way. This book presents the principal elements of the economics of a network as it stands today, taking into account experiences of technicians in the field. The author gives a simplified picture of the current situation in terms of structures and architecture of a network, bearing in mind the necessary quality of service and the profitability of investments, accompanied by references to recent economic works. An overview is given on the general themes of regulation and tariff principles, and the relations between supply and demand, from the perspectives of professional and residential users and network operators. Different aspects of the present situations of networks and the incidence of the Internet on the economy are also presented. In conclusion, the reader will obtain an overview of the most significant issues likely to influence the economics of communications networks as they are today.

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Gas hydrates, or clathrate hydrates, are crystalline solids resembling ice, in which small (guest) molecules, typically gases, are trapped inside cavities formed by hydrogen-bonded water (host) molecules. They form and remain stable under low temperatures – often well below ambient conditions – and high pressures ranging from a few bar to hundreds of bar, depending on the guest molecule. Their presence is ubiquitous on Earth, in deep-marine sediments and in permafrost regions, as well as in outer space, on planets or comets. In addition to water, they can be synthesized with organic species as host molecules, resulting in milder stability conditions: these are referred to as semi-clathrate hydrates. Clathrate and semi-clathrate hydrates are being considered for applications as diverse as gas storage and separation, cold storage and transport and water treatment. This book is the first of two edited volumes, with chapters on the experimental and modeling tools used for characterizing and predicting the unique molecular, thermodynamic and kinetic properties of gas hydrates (Volume 1) and on gas hydrates in their natural environment and for potential industrial applications (Volume 2).

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This book is a general presentation of complex systems, examined from the point of view of management. There is no standard formula to govern such systems, nor to effectively understand and respond to them. The interdisciplinary theory of self-organization is teeming with examples of living systems that can reorganize at a higher level of complexity when confronted with an external challenge of a certain magnitude. Modern businesses, considered as complex systems, ideally know how to flexibly and resiliently adapt to their environment, and also how to prepare for change via self-organization. Understanding sources of potential crisis is essential for leaders, though not all crises are necessarily bad news, as creative firms know how to respond to challenges through innovation: new products and markets, organizational learning for collective intelligence, and more.

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This book is dedicated to the general study of fluid structure interaction with consideration of uncertainties. The fluid-structure interaction is the study of the behavior of a solid in contact with a fluid, the response can be strongly affected by the action of the fluid. These phenomena are common and are sometimes the cause of the operation of certain systems, or otherwise manifest malfunction. The vibrations affect the integrity of structures and must be predicted to prevent accelerated wear of the system by material fatigue or even its destruction when the vibrations exceed a certain threshold.

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The idea of autonomous systems that are able to make choices according to properties which allow them to experience, apprehend and assess their environment is becoming a reality. These systems are capable of auto-configuration and self-organization. This book presents a model for the creation of autonomous systems based on a complex substratum, made up of multiple electronic components that deploy a variety of specific features. This substratum consists of multi-agent systems which act continuously and autonomously to collect information from the environment which they then feed into the global system, allowing it to generate discerning and concrete representations of its surroundings. These systems are able to construct a so-called artificial corporeity which allows them to have a sense of self, to then behave autonomously, in a way reminiscent of living organisms.

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This third volume in the Handbook of Food Science and Technology Set explains the processing of raw materials into traditional food (bread, wine, cheese, etc.). The agri-food industry has evolved in order to meet new market expectations of its products; with the use of separation and assembly technologies, food technologists and engineers now increasingly understand and control the preparation of a large diversity of ingredients using additional properties to move from the raw materials into new food products. Taking into account the fundamental basis and technological specificities of the main food sectors, throughout the three parts of this book, the authors investigate the biological and biochemical conversions and physicochemical treatment of food from animal sources, plant sources and food ingredients.

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Over the last few years, multi-touch mobile devices have become increasingly common. However, very few applications in the context of 3D geometry learning can be found in app stores. Manipulating a 3D scene with a 2D device is the main difficulty of such applications. Throughout this book, the author focuses on allowing young students to manipulate, observe and modify 3D scenes using new technologies brought about by digital tablets. Through a user-centered approach, the author proposes a grammar of interactions adapted to young learners, and then evaluates acceptability, ease of use and ease of learning of the interactions proposed. Finally, the author studies in situ the pedagogic benefits of the use of tablets with an app based on the suggested grammar. The results show that students are able to manipulate, observe and modify 3D scenes using an adapted set of interactions. Moreover, in the context of 3D geometry learning, a significant contribution has been observed in two classes when students use such an application. The approach here focuses on interactions with digital tablets to increase learning rather than on technology. First, defining which interactions allow pupils to realize tasks needed in the learning process, then, evaluating the impact of these interactions on the learning process. This is the first time that both interactions and the learning process have been taken into account at the same time.

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This book presents the architecture of two networks that make up the backbone of the telephone service VoLTE and video service ViLTE. The 4G mobile network makes it possible to construct bearers through which IP packets, containing either telephone signals (SIP, SDP) or voice or video media (RTP stream), are transported. The IMS network performs the processing of the telephone signal to provide VoLTE and ViLTE services, including call routing and the provision of additional services. Different procedures are described: the set-up and termination of a session, interconnection with third-party networks, roaming and intra-system handover. The inter-system handover PS-CS is a special case that occurs when the mobile loses 4G network coverage over the course of a session. The e-SRVCC mechanism enables continuity of the service during the switch of the telephone communication to the 2G or 3G networks. The SMS service for short messages, which is a special telephone service in itself, is provided by two structures, one relying on the IMS network, and a second on the CSFB functionality.

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This book aims to extract the "molecular genes" leading to craziness! Geniuses are the ones who are "crazy enough to think they can change the world" and boldly go where no one has gone before. Where no past habit and usage are available, there is no proof of viability, as nobody has done it yet, or even imagined it, and no roadmap for guidance or market study has come up with it. The authors call upon Leonardo Da Vinci, the Renaissance genius, who as strange as it seems, shared many traits of personality with that of Steve Jobs, in terms of the ways of performing. Da Vinci helps in understanding Jobs, and hence Apple, with his unique way of designing radically novel concepts, which were actually quite crazy for his time. In order to shed light on a special creative posture, the indomitable sense of specifying undecidable objects – a hallmark of the late Steve Jobs – is what led the authors to match it with a specific design innovation theory. A real theory, backed by solid mathematical proof, exists and can account for the business virtue of a prolific ability to move into unknown crazy fields! The authors postulate that, by bringing the power of C-K theory to crack open a number of previous observations made about Apple’s methods, it is possible to identify most of the genes of this company. The authors analyze how and why an Apple way of doing business is radically different from standard business practices and why it is so successful. Genes are a measure of the entity at hand and can encourage past business education routine approaches, then become transferable across the spectrum of the socio-economic world.

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This book discusses the media, beliefs, the news, the Internet, etc. but it should not be seen as yet another critique of the media system, exploring with indignant fascination the idea of a machination against truth set up to serve a society of domination. These kinds of theories, whether they pertain to conspiracy theories or, more subtly, to a self-styled "critical" way of thinking, have always seemed to be the expression of a form of intellectual puerility. This is not to say that attempts at manipulating opinions do not occur, or that our world is free from compromised principles, or indeed corruption; far from it, but none of this is the key issue. In fact, reality can somehow be even more unsettling than those myths, however sophisticated they may be, that envisage the media system hand-in-hand with industry, science, and so forth, all in agreement so as to lead the "people" away from the truth. It is more unsettling because the processes described in this book and that allow falsehood and dubiousness to take hold of the public sphere are boosted by the development of IT, the workings of our minds, and the very nature of democracy. And finally, it is more unsettling because we are all responsible for what is going to happen to us.

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Applied RVE Reconstruction and Homogenization of Heterogeneous Materials Statistical correlation functions are a well-known class of statistical descriptors that can be used to describe the morphology and the microstructure-properties relationship. A comprehensive study has been performed for the use of these correlation functions for the reconstruction and homogenization in nano­composite materials. Correlation functions are measured from different techniques such as microscopy (SEM or TEM), small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and can be generated through Monte Carlo simulations. In this book, different experimental techniques such as SAXS and image processing are presented, which are used to measure two-point correlation function correlation for multi-phase polymer composites. Higher order correlation functions must be calculated or measured to increase the precision of the statistical continuum approach. To achieve this aim, a new approximation methodology is utilized to obtain N-point correlation functions for multiphase heterogeneous materials. The two-point functions measured by different techniques have been exploited to reconstruct the microstructure of heterogeneous media. Statistical continuum theory is used to predict the effective thermal conductivity and elastic modulus of polymer composites. N-point probability functions as statistical descriptors of inclusions have been exploited to solve strong contrast homogenization for effective thermal conductivity and elastic modulus properties of heterogeneous materials. Finally, reconstructed microstructure is used to calculate effective properties and damage modeling of heterogeneous materials.

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This book presents research work into the reliability of drinking water pipes. The infrastructure of water pipes is susceptible to routine failures, namely leakage or breakage, which occur in an aggregative manner in pipeline networks. Creating strategies for infrastructure asset management requires accurate modeling tools and first-hand experience of what repeated failures can mean in terms of socio-economic and environmental consequences. Devoted to the counting process framework when dealing with this issue, the author presents preliminary basic concepts, particularly the process intensity, as well as basic tools (classical distributions and processes). The introductory material precedes the discussion of several constructs, namely the non-homogeneous birth process, and further as a special case, the linearly extended Yule process (LEYP), and its adaptation to account for selective survival. The practical usefulness of the theoretical results is illustrated with actual water pipe failure data.

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This book focuses on the emergence of the "science of sustainability" and the key concepts in making sustainability operational in an organization. The authors discuss the methods, techniques and tools needed to manage the impact of sustainability and how these can be reformulated into business models and solutions for new growth and applications. They then move onto the reformulation of future thinking processes before ending by looking towards an approach for the measurement of sustainability and competitiveness.

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"Degradation process" refers to many types of reliability models, which correspond to various kinds of stochastic processes used for deterioration modeling. This book focuses on the case of a univariate degradation model with a continuous set of possible outcomes. The envisioned univariate models have one single measurable quantity which is assumed to be observed over time. The first three chapters are each devoted to one degradation model. The last chapter illustrates the use of the previously described degradation models on some real data sets. For each of the degradation models, the authors provide probabilistic results and explore simulation tools for sample paths generation. Various estimation procedures are also developed.

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The digital economy is now expanding rapidly, and is starting to overturn the past achievements of the Industrial Revolution. Initially engaging in the world of services, it is now turning to the manufacture of objects. Just as microcomputing evolved from large scale computing to more personal use, and as the Internet left behind the world of armies and universities to become universal, industrial production is gradually becoming directly controlled by individuals. This appropriation is being done either on a personal level, or, more significantly, within local or planetary communities: Fab Labs. These digital fabrication laboratories offer workshops to members of the public where all sorts of tools are available (including 3D printers, laser cutters and sanders) for the design and creation of personalized objects. The bringing together of various users (amateurs, designers, artists, “dabblers”, etc.) and possibilities for collaboration lies at the heart of these open-access productive spaces. This book covers a range of advances in this new personal fabrication and various issues that it has raised, especially in terms of the alternatives to salaried work, intellectual property, ecological openings and the hitherto unseen structuring of societies.

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This book is part of a set of books which offers advanced students successive characterization tool phases, the study of all types of phase (liquid, gas and solid, pure or multi-component), process engineering, chemical and electrochemical equilibria, and the properties of surfaces and phases of small sizes. Macroscopic and microscopic models are in turn covered with a constant correlation between the two scales. Particular attention has been given to the rigor of mathematical developments.

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Nowadays approximately 6 billion people use a mobile phone and they now take a central position within our daily lives. The 1990s saw a tremendous increase in the use of wireless systems and the democratization of this means of communication. To allow the communication of millions of phones, computers and, more recently, tablets to be connected, millions of access points and base station antennas have been extensively deployed. Small cells and the Internet of Things with the billions of connected objects will reinforce this trend. This growing use of wireless communications has been accompanied by a perception of risk to the public from exposure to radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic field (EMF). To address this concern, biomedical research has been conducted. It has also been important to develop and improve dosimetry methods and protocols that could be used to evaluate EMF exposure and check compliance with health limits. To achieve this, much effort has was made in the 1990s and 2000s. Experimental and numerical methods, including statistical methods, have been developed. This book provides an overview and description of the basic and advanced methods that have been developed for human RF exposure assessment. It covers experimental, numerical, deterministic and stochastic methods.

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Information Systems Management is intended to sensitize the heads of organizations to the issues raised by information systems (IS). Through its pedagogical presentation, the book ensures that issues related to IS are not left solely to the experts in the field. The book combines and analyzes three key concepts of IS: governance, urbanization and alignment. While governance requires the implementation of a number of means, bodies and procedures to manage IS more effectively, urbanization involves visualization methods to enable the manager to take into account the different levels of the organization of an IS and their coherence. Finally, alignment assesses the ability of the IS to make a significant contribution to the organization's strategy.

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The World is changing and then also how enterprises carry out innovation needs to change. The book presents new methods and tools (from Creativity to Engineering), aimed at promoting and sustaining enterprise innovation and production improvement. The book is primarily (but not exclusively) based on the new approaches, methods, frameworks, and tools conceived for enterprise innovation and production improvement, developed during the European Project BIVEE (Business Innovation for Virtual Enterprise Ecosystems.) Addressed topics range from Open Innovation in Virtual Enterprises to shared virtual spaces for collaborative creativity, to Innovation metrics and monitoring in the context of networked SMEs.

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The aim of this book is to present new quality practices adapted to the specifics of innovation processes in order to increase their chances of success while also facilitating support of the creators who are often put off by the constraints of traditional quality management methods. These practices are applied in businesses of all sizes who do not want to broadcast on this subject as they are at the center of the factors that make them competitive. These quality approaches, which are specific to each innovation process, rest on a common methodological platform that is at the core of this book.

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This book presents an up to date view of iron biogeochemistry in the ocean. It encompasses the description of iron speciation, the analytical methods used to measure the different iron forms in seawater and the different iron biogeochemical models.

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Evolutionary computation algorithms are employed to minimize functions with large number of variables. Biogeography-based optimization (BBO) is an optimization algorithm that is based on the science of biogeography, which researches the migration patterns of species. These migration paradigms provide the main logic behind BBO. Due to the cross-disciplinary nature of the optimization problems, there is a need to develop multiple approaches to tackle them and to study the theoretical reasoning behind their performance. This book explains the mathematical model of BBO algorithm and its variants created to cope with continuous domain problems (with and without constraints) and combinatorial problems.

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