Search results for ""john wiley sons inc""

NFC is a world standard since 2004 which is now within every smartphone on the market. Such a standard enables us to do mobile transactions (mobile payment) in a secure way along with many other information- based tap’n play operations. This book has a double role for computer scientists (from bachelor students in CS to IT professionals).

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This book is concerned with the theory of stochastic processes and the theoretical aspects of statistics for stochastic processes. It combines classic topics such as construction of stochastic processes, associated filtrations, processes with independent increments, Gaussian processes, martingales, Markov properties, continuity and related properties of trajectories with contemporary subjects: integration with respect to Gaussian processes, Itȏ integration, stochastic analysis, stochastic differential equations, fractional Brownian motion and parameter estimation in diffusion models.

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Invented by J. Monod, and independently by A. Novick and L. Szilard, in 1950, the chemostat is both a micro-organism culturing device and an abstracted ecosystem managed by a controlled nutrient flow. This book studies mathematical models of single species growth as well as competition models of multiple species by integrating recent work in theoretical ecology and population dynamics. Through a modeling approach, the hypotheses and conclusions drawn from the main mathematical results are analyzed and interpreted from a critical perspective. A large emphasis is placed on numerical simulations of which prudent use is advocated. The Chemostat is aimed at readers possessing degree-level mathematical knowledge and includes a detailed appendix of differential equations relating to specific notions and results used throughout this book.

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Transport systems are facing an impossible dilemma: satisfy an increasing demand for mobility of people and goods, while decreasing their fossil-energy requirements and preserving the environment. Additionally, transport has an opportunity to evolve in a changing world, with new services, technologies but also new requirements (fast delivery, reliability, improved accessibility). The subject of traffic is organized into two separate but complementary volumes: Volume 3 on Traffic Management and Volume 4 on Traffic Safety. Traffic Safety, Volume 4 of the Research for Innovative Transports Set, presents a collection of updated papers from the TRA 2014 Conference, highlighting the diversity of research in this field. Theoretical chapters and practical case studies address topics such as road safety management and policies, accident analysis and modeling, vulnerable road users' safety, road infrastructure safety, ITS and railway safety.

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Freight transport faces a dual challenge: it must satisfy the demands of globalized trade and meet environmental requirements. In this context, innovation is a crucial topic to enable the transition from the current transportation and logistics system to a sustainable system. This book provides an overview of the latest technological innovations in Europe and worldwide, based on ICT and new vehicle concepts, for all modes and all scales (urban, regional, national or international). The authors consider innovation supply, the process of innovation and innovative business models. Some perspectives and solutions are proposed on the deployment of innovation, specifically concerning the transformation of the organization of the system and the relationships between industry, governmental players, operators and users.

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The book focuses on the effect of ageing (thermo-oxidation, humid ageing) on the mechanical properties of organic matrix composite materials, covering: Bibliographic issues and a detailed state-of-the-art; phenomenological and experimental issues; modelling issues and models parameter identification; illustration and interpretation of experimental tests and proposal for novel test design in the light of the model predictions.

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Technological innovations, sociological and consumer trends, and growing internationalization are transforming the cultural and creative industries (CCIs). These changes present new challenges for CCIs that require original and inventive answers. Innovation in the Cultural and Creative Industries analyzes the powerful strategies put in place by CCI organizations such as Nintendo, the Lascaux Cave and Daft Punk. The case studies presented in this book cover video games, books, music, museums, fashion, film and architecture. Each chapter is organized around five key points: a theoretical framework that focuses on a specific concept, a description of the methodological mechanism mobilized, a presentation of the industry concerned, the analysis of the innovative strategy and a recap of the lessons and best practices demonstrated by the case.

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Human brains can be seen as knowledge processors in a distributed system. Each of them can achieve, conscious or not, a small part of a treatment too important to be done by one. These are also "hunter / gatherers" of knowledge. Provided that the number of contributors is large enough, the results are usually better quality than if they were the result of the activity of a single person, even if it is a domain expert. This type of activity is done via online games.

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This book presents basic stochastic processes, stochastic calculus including Lévy processes on one hand, and Markov and Semi Markov models on the other. From the financial point of view, essential concepts such as the Black and Scholes model, VaR indicators, actuarial evaluation, market values, fair pricing play a central role and will be presented. The authors also present basic concepts so that this series is relatively self-contained for the main audience formed by actuaries and particularly with ERM (enterprise risk management) certificates, insurance risk managers, students in Master in mathematics or economics and people involved in Solvency II for insurance companies and in Basel II and III for banks.

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The patent system is criticized today by some practitioners and economists. In fact, there is a partial disconnection between patent demographics and productivity gains, but also the development of actors who do not innovate and who develop business models that their detractors equate with a capture of annuities or a dangerous commodification of patents. This book provides a less Manichaean view of the position of patents in the system of contemporary innovation. It first recalls that these criticisms are not new, before arguing that if these criticisms have been revived, it is because of a partial shift from an integrated innovation system to a much more fragmented and open system. This shift accompanied the promotion of a more competitive economy. The authors show that this movement is coherent with a more intensive use of patents, but also one that is more focused on their signal function than on their function of direct monetary incentive to innovation.

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This book places IT in perspective by tracing its development through time, covering its origins in business, the massive expansion of the role of IT at the end of the 20th century, the growth of the internet, and the successes and failures of companies involved in this development. Despite its ubiquity in the modern world, the author highlights that efficient use of IT by businesses can only be gained by a good understanding of its potentials and pitfalls, highlighting how its informed use in practice is essential for companies to succeed. Finally, questions are raised concerning the future of IT: who will reap the benefits and why? Will IT continue to provide solutions and will it always deliver on its promise? Will it cease to advance and thus cease to be studied or will it continue to develop and thus provide new opportunities and challenges to users?

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This book provides an inventory of organic materials and products, the major components of all civil engineering projects, in terms of their scientific and technical background, including the regulations that cover their use and their predicted useful life. Such materials include: bitumen on the roads; geotextiles for retaining walls; membranes for bridges; tunnel and reservoir waterproofing; paint binders to protect metallic and concrete structures or to create road markings; injection resins; gluing products; concrete admixtures; and composite materials. The presentation is based on a physicochemical approach, which is essential if these products are to be considered as part of sustainable development: as such, those studying or working in these fields will find this an invaluable source of information.

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Equilibrium and Transfer in Porous Media 3 A porous medium is composed of a solid matrix and its geometrical complement: the pore space. This pore space can be occupied by one or more fluids. The understanding of transport phenomena in porous media is a challenging intellectual task. This book provides a detailed analysis of the aspects required for the understanding of many experimental techniques in the field of porous media transport phenomena. It is aimed at students or engineers who may not be looking specifically to become theoreticians in porous media, but wish to integrate knowledge of porous media with their previous scientific culture, or who may have encountered them when dealing with a technological problem. While avoiding the details of the more mathematical and abstract developments of the theories of macroscopization, the author gives as accurate and rigorous an idea as possible of the methods used to establish the major laws of macroscopic behavior in porous media. He also illustrates the constitutive laws and equations by demonstrating some of their classical applications. The priority is to put the constitutive laws in concrete circumstances without going into technical detail. This third volume in the three-volume series focuses on the applications of isothermal transport and coupled transfers in porous media.

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This book combines the research activities of the authors, both of whom are researchers at Ecole Nationale de l’Aviation Civile (French National School of Civil Aviation), and presents their findings from the last 15 years. Their work uses air transport as its focal point, within the realm of mathematical optimization, looking at real life problems and theoretical models in tandem, and the challenges that accompany studying both approaches. The authors’ research is linked with the attempt to reduce air space congestion in Western Europe, USA and, increasingly, Asia. They do this through studying stochastic optimization (particularly artificial evolution), the sectorization of airspace, route distribution and takeoff slots, and by modeling airspace congestion. Finally, the authors discuss their short, medium and long term research goals. They hope that their work, although related to air transport, will be applied to other fields, such is the transferable nature of mathematical optimization. At the same time, they intend to use other areas of research, such as approximation and statistics to complement their continued inquiry in their own field. Contents 1. Introduction. Part 1. Optimization and Artificial Evolution 2. Optimization: State of the Art. 3. Genetic Algorithms and Improvements. 4. A new concept for Genetic Algorithms based on Order Statistics. Part 2. Applications to Air Traffic Control 5. Air Traffic Control. 6. Contributions to Airspace Sectorization. 7. Contribution to Traffic Assignment. 8. Airspace Congestion Metrics. 9. Conclusion and Future Perspectives. About the Authors Daniel Delahaye works for Ecole Nationale de l’Aviation Civile (French National School of Civil Aviation) in France. Stéphane Puechmorel works for Ecole Nationale de l’Aviation Civile (French National School of Civil Aviation) in France.

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This book summarizes the main problems posed by the design of a man–machine dialogue system and offers ideas on how to continue along the path towards efficient, realistic and fluid communication between humans and machines. A culmination of ten years of research, it is based on the author's development, investigation and experimentation covering a multitude of fields, including artificial intelligence, automated language processing, man–machine interfaces and notably multimodal or multimedia interfaces.

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This book succinctly presents new methodological principles that will help you raise the quality of your valuable production to enhance your competitiveness. The concepts and models of principles of actions presented result from over 20 years of the author observing the ways in which companies of all sizes and in all sectors use specific mechanisms of quality production to give rise to long-lasting competitive factors. You’ll find practical guides that will help you better understand and strengthen your approaches to create new competitive edges, based on your employees’ culture of quality.

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The aim of this book is to give a broad overview of the TLM (Transmission Line Matrix) method, which is one of the “time-domain numerical methods”. These methods are reputed for their significant reliance on computer resources. However, they have the advantage of being highly general. The TLM method has acquired a reputation for being a powerful and effective tool by numerous teams and still benefits today from significant theoretical developments. In particular, in recent years, its ability to simulate various situations with excellent precision, including complex materials, has been demonstrated. Application examples are included in the last two chapters of the book, enabling the reader to draw conclusions regarding the performance of the implemented techniques and, at the same time, to validate them. Contents 1. Basis of the TLM Method: the 2D TLM Method. 2. 3D Nodes. 3. Introduction of Discrete Elements and Thin Wires in the TLM Method. 4. The TLM Method in Matrix Form and the Z Transform. Appendix A. Development of Maxwell’s Equations using the Z Transform with a Variable Mesh. Appendix B. Treatment of Plasma using the Z Transform for the TLM Method.

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This book proposes systemic design methodologies applied to electrical energy systems, in particular analysis and system management, modeling and sizing tools.It includes 8 chapters: after an introduction to the systemic approach (history, basics & fundamental issues, index terms) for designing energy systems, this book presents two different graphical formalisms especially dedicated to multidisciplinary devices modeling, synthesis and analysis: Bond Graph and COG/EMR. Other systemic analysis approaches for quality and stability of systems, as well as for safety and robustness analysis tools are also proposed. One chapter is dedicated to energy management and another is focused on Monte Carlo algorithms for electrical systems and networks sizing.The aim of this book is to summarize design methodologies based in particular on a systemic viewpoint, by considering the system as a whole. These methods and tools are proposed by the most important French research laboratories, which have many scientific partnerships with other European and international research institutions. Scientists and engineers in the field of electrical engineering, especially teachers/researchers because of the focus on methodological issues, will find this book extremely useful, as will PhD and Masters students in this field.

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Generally, books on mathematical statistics are restricted to the case of independent identically distributed random variables. In this book however, both this case AND the case of dependent variables, i.e. statistics for discrete and continuous time processes, are studied. This second case is very important for today’s practitioners. Mathematical Statistics and Stochastic Processes is based on decision theory and asymptotic statistics and contains up-to-date information on the relevant topics of theory of probability, estimation, confidence intervals, non-parametric statistics and robustness, second-order processes in discrete and continuous time and diffusion processes, statistics for discrete and continuous time processes, statistical prediction, and complements in probability. This book is aimed at students studying courses on probability with an emphasis on measure theory and for all practitioners who apply and use statistics and probability on a daily basis.

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In this book, we present medical robotics, its evolution over the last 30 years in terms of architecture, design and control, and the main scientific and clinical contributions to the field. For more than two decades, robots have been part of hospitals and have progressively become a common tool for the clinician. Because this domain has now reached a certain level of maturity it seems important and useful to provide a state of the scientific, technological and clinical achievements and still open issues. This book describes the short history of the domain, its specificity and constraints, and mature clinical application areas. It also presents the major approaches in terms of design and control including man-machine interaction modes. A large state of the art is presented and many examples from the literature are included and thoroughly discussed. It aims to provide both a broad and summary view of this very active domain as well as keys to understanding the evolutions of the domain and to prepare for the future. An insight to clinical evaluation is also proposed, and the book is finished with a chapter on future developments for intra-body robots.

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The main purpose of this book is to put forward the fundamental role of grain boundaries in the plasticity of crystalline materials. To understand this role requires a multi-scale approach to plasticity: starting from the atomic description of a grain boundary and its defects, moving on to the elemental interaction processes between dislocations and grain boundaries, and finally showing how the microscopic phenomena influence the macroscopic behaviors and constitutive laws. It involves bringing together physical, chemical and mechanical studies. The investigated properties are: deformation at low and high temperature, creep, fatigue and rupture.

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Wood as an engineering material can be technically defined “as a hygroscopic, orthotropic, biological, and permeable material having extreme chemical diversity and physical complexity with structures, that vary extensively in their shape, size, properties and function”. Therefore, using wood to its best advantage and most efficiency in engineering applications, specific characteristics or chemical, physical and mechanical properties must be considered. The products are divided into two classes, solid wood and composite wood products. Solid wood includes shipbuilding, bridges, flooring, mine timbers, etc. Composite wood products include insulation board, plywood, oriented strand board, hardboard and particle board. In recent years, the machining of wood products has acquired great importance due the short supply of wood and increasing environmental awareness among users and manufacturers. The optimization of the machining process centers around the mechanism of chip formation, tool wear, workpiece surface quality, crack initiation and propagation of different types of wood. Other factors are also humidity, temperature, static preloads, and vibrations that can affect the wood during the machining process. The book provides some fundamentals and recent research advances on machining wood and wood products.

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This book is a progressive presentation of kinetics of the chemical reactions. It provides complete coverage of the domain of chemical kinetics, which is necessary for the various future users in the fields of Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Macromolecular Chemistry and Combustion. It will help them to understand the most sophisticated knowledge of their future job area. Over 15 chapters, this book present the fundamentals of chemical kinetics, its relations with reaction mechanisms and kinetic properties. Two chapters are then devoted to experimental results and how to calculate the kinetic laws in both homogeneous and heterogeneous systems. The following two chapters describe the main approximation modes to calculate these laws. Three chapters are devoted to elementary steps with the various classes, the principles used to write them and their modeling using the theory of the activated complex in gas and condensed phases. Three chapters are devoted to the particular areas of chemical reactions, chain reactions, catalysis and the stoichiometric heterogeneous reactions. Finally the non-steady-state processes of combustion and explosion are treated in the final chapter.

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This book details recent advances in all aspects related to scale transition in crystal plasticity and damage, with a particular focus on the challenges associated with the characterization and modeling of this class of complex interactions. The following topics are included: Innovative characterization techniques (multi-scale characterization, SEMTEM coupling, TEM-micro-diffraction coupling, in-situ mechanical tests, localization, image correlation, displacement field measurements, tomography, etc.). Computational crystal plasticity and damage (dislocation dynamics and ab initio calculations, microstructure evolution of polycrystals, comparison between FE, fast Fourier transform and self-consistent approaches, intragranular slip, heterogeneities, discrete approaches, etc.). The book gathers together selected papers from the invited lectures presented at the 3rd and 4th US-France Symposia organized by the editors under the auspices of the International Center for Applied Computational Mechanics (ICACM).

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Synchronous motors are indubitably the most effective device to drive industrial production systems and robots with precision and rapidity. Their control law is thus critical for combining at the same time high productivity to reduced energy consummation. As far as possible, the control algorithms must exploit the properties of these actuators. Therefore, this work draws on well adapted models resulting from the Park’s transformation, for both the most traditional machines with sinusoidal field distribution and for machines with non-sinusoidal field distribution which are more and more used in industry. Both, conventional control strategies like vector control (either in the synchronous reference frame or in the rotor frame) and advanced control theories like direct control and predictive control are thoroughly presented. In this context, a significant place is reserved to sensorless control which is an important and critical issue in tomorrow’s motors.

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This book contains the proceedings of the international workshop “Designing and Building with Ultra-High Performance Fibre-Reinforced Concrete (UHPFRC): State of the Art and Development”, organized by AFGC, the French Association for Civil Engineering and French branch of fib, in Marseille (France), November 17-18, 2009. This workshop was focused on the experience of a lot of recent UHPFRC realizations. Through more than 50 papers, this book details the experience of many countries in UHPFRC construction and design, including projects from Japan, Germany, Australia, Austria, USA, Denmark, the Netherlands, Canada… and France. The projects are categorized as novel architectural solutions, new frontiers for bridges, new equipments and structural components, and extending the service life of structures. The last part presents major research results, durability and sustainability aspects, and the updated AFGC Recommendations on UHPFRC.

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This book provides a sound basis in the challenging area of the mechanics of unsaturated geomaterials. The objective is to supply the reader with an exhaustive overview starting from the basics and covering the most recent theories and applications (i.e. natural disasters, nuclear waste disposal, oil and agriculture productions). The presentation of the fundamental concepts is based on an interdisciplinary approach, in the areas of soil, rock and cement-based material mechanics.

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Wall turbulence is encountered in many technological applications as well as in the atmosphere, and a detailed understanding leading to its management would have considerable beneficial consequences in many areas. A lot of inspired work by experimenters, theoreticians, engineers and mathematicians has been accomplished over recent decades on this important topic and Statistical Approach to Wall Turbulence provides an updated and integrated view on the progress made in this area. Wall turbulence is a complex phenomenon that has several industrial applications, such as in aerodynamics, turbomachinery, geophysical flows, internal engines, etc. Several books exist on fluid turbulence, but Statistical Approach to Wall Turbulence is original in the sense that it focuses solely on the turbulent flows bounded by solid boundaries. The book covers the different physical aspects of wall turbulence, beginning with classical phenomenological aspects before advancing to recent research in the effects of the Reynolds numbers, near wall coherent structures, and wall turbulent transport process. This book would be of interest to postgraduate and undergraduate students in mechanical, chemical, and aerospace engineering, as well as researchers in aerodynamics, combustion, and all applications of wall turbulence.

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Monitoring and diagnosis of electrical machine faults is a scientific and economic issue which is motivated by objectives for reliability and serviceability in electrical drives. This book provides a survey of the techniques used to detect the faults occurring in electrical drives: electrical, thermal and mechanical faults of the electrical machine, faults of the static converter and faults of the energy storage unit. Diagnosis of faults occurring in electrical drives is an essential part of a global monitoring system used to improve reliability and serviceability. This diagnosis is performed with a large variety of techniques: parameter estimation, state observation, Kalman filtering, spectral analysis, neural networks, fuzzy logic, artificial intelligence, etc. Particular emphasis in this book is put on the modeling of the electrical machine in faulty situations. Electrical Machines Diagnosis presents original results obtained mainly by French researchers in different domains. It will be useful as a guideline for the conception of more robust electrical machines and indeed for engineers who have to monitor and maintain electrical drives. As the monitoring and diagnosis of electrical machines is still an open domain, this book will also be very useful to researchers.

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The role of optical instruments is very important and affects all areas of human activity, from scientific analysis (such as spectrometry) to recreation and leisure pursuits like photography and television. Optical components are often an essential part of the instrument, but are not always visible. It is therefore useful and important to understand how they work. In this book the reader will find both a review of the most important components currently used, the theoretical foundation for their application, and an example of evolution. To do this, we first supply the basic knowledge in optics necessary for the understanding of the instruments: geometrical optics, photometry, colorimetry, image analysis and processing, as well as a short description of the sources used: lamps, lasers and semiconductor sources. Optical systems such as zoom lens under different illuminations are discussed. As a first example of application, the evolution of microscopy, up to the most recent technological progress, are given.

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This book deals with the formulation of industrial products Its field of application goes from food-processing industry to the industry of elastomers showing that the principles of development follow always the same methodology.

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This book concerns the analysis and design of induction heating of poor electrical conduction materials. Some innovating applications such as inductive plasma installation or transformers, thermo inductive non-destructive testing and carbon-reinforced composite materials heating are studied. Analytical, semi-analytical and numerical models are combined to obtain the best modeling technique for each case. Each model has been tested with experimental results and validated. The principal aspects of a computational package to solve these kinds of coupled problems are described. In the first chapter, the mathematical tools for coupled electromagnetic and thermal phenomena are introduced. In Chapter 2, these tools are used to analyze a radio frequency inductive plasma installation. The third chapter describes the methodology of designing a low frequency plasma transformer. Chapter 4 studies the feasibility of the thermo inductive technique for non-destructive testing and the final chapter is dedicated to the use of induction heating in the lifecycle of carbon-reinforced composite materials. Contents 1. Thermal and Electromagnetic Coupling, Javad Fouladgar, Didier Trichet and Brahim Ramdane.2. Simplified Model of a Radiofrequency Inductive Thermal Plasma Installation, Javad Fouladgar and Jean-Pierre Ploteau.3. Design Methodology of A Very Low-Frequency Plasma Transformer, Javad Fouladgar and Souri Mohamed Mimoune.4. Non Destructive Testing by Thermo-Inductive Method, Javad Fouladgar, Brahim Ramdane, Didier Trichet and Tayeb Saidi.5. Induction Heating of Composite Materials, Javad Fouladgar, Didier Trichet, Samir Bensaid and Guillaume Wasselynck

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This book covers the development of efficient methods for the assessment and the management of civil structures is today a major challenge from economical, social and environmental aspects. Tools for handling uncertainties in loads, geometry, material properties, construction and operating conditions are nowadays essential. Covers the key concepts across topics including probability theory and statistics, structural safety, performance-based assessment, modelling uncertainties and principles of decision theory.

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Ultra Wide Band Technology (UWB) has reached a level of maturity that allows us to offer wireless links with either high or low data rates. These wireless links are frequently associated with a location capability for which ultimate accuracy varies with the inverse of the frequency bandwidth. Using time or frequency domain waveforms, they are currently the subject of international standards facilitating their commercial implementation. Drawing up a complete state of the art, Ultra Wide Band Antennas is aimed at students, engineers and researchers and presents a summary of internationally recognized studies.

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A voltage converter changes the voltage of an electrical power source and is usually combined with other components to create a power supply. This title is devoted to the control of static converters, which deals with pulse-width modulation (PWM) techniques, and also discusses methods for current control. Various application cases are treated. The book is ideal for professionals in power engineering, power electronics, and electric drives industries, as well as practicing engineers, university professors, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students.

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Lithography is now a complex tool at the heart of a technological process for manufacturing micro and nanocomponents. A multidisciplinary technology, lithography continues to push the limits of optics, chemistry, mechanics, micro and nano-fluids, etc. This book deals with essential technologies and processes, primarily used in industrial manufacturing of microprocessors and other electronic components.

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Sonar and Underwater Acoustics brings together all the concepts necessary for designers and users of sonar systems. Unlike other books on this subject, which are often too specialized, this book is accessible to a wider audience. The first part focuses on the acoustic environment, antenna structures, and electric acoustic interface. The latter provides knowledge required to design, as well as the development and implementation of chain processes for an active sonar from the conditioning input to output processing. The reader will find a comprehensive range of all problems encountered in underwater acoustics for a sonar application, from physical phenomena governing the environment and the corresponding constraints, through to the technical definition of transducers and antennas, and the types of signal processing involved. In one section, measures in underwater acoustics are also proposed.

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In an increasingly digital economy, mastering the quality of data is an increasingly vital yet still, in most organizations, a considerable task. The necessity of better governance and reinforcement of international rules and regulatory or oversight structures (Sarbanes Oxley, Basel II, Solvency II, IAS-IFRS, etc.) imposes on enterprises the need for greater transparency and better traceability of their data. All the stakeholders in a company have a role to play and great benefit to derive from the overall goals here, but will invariably turn towards their IT department in search of the answers. However, the majority of IT systems that have been developed within businesses are overly complex, badly adapted, and in many cases obsolete; these systems have often become a source of data or process fragility for the business. It is in this context that the management of ‘reference and master data’ or Master Data Management (MDM) and semantic modeling can intervene in order to straighten out the management of data in a forward-looking and sustainable manner. This book shows how company executives and IT managers can take these new challenges, as well as the advantages of using reference and master data management, into account in answering questions such as: Which data governance functions are available? How can IT be better aligned with business regulations? What is the return on investment? How can we assess intangible IT assets and data? What are the principles of semantic modeling? What is the MDM technical architecture? In these ways they will be better able to deliver on their responsibilities to their organizations, and position them for growth and robust data management and integrity in the future.

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Both naturally-occurring and man-made materials are often heterogeneous materials formed of various constituents with different properties and behaviours. Studies are usually carried out on volumes of materials that contain a large number of heterogeneities. Describing these media by using appropriate mathematical models to describe each constituent turns out to be an intractable problem. Instead they are generally investigated by using an equivalent macroscopic description - relative to the microscopic heterogeneity scale - which describes the overall behaviour of the media. Fundamental questions then arise: Is such an equivalent macroscopic description possible? What is the domain of validity of this macroscopic description? The homogenization technique provides complete and rigorous answers to these questions. This book aims to summarize the homogenization technique and its contribution to engineering sciences. Researchers, graduate students and engineers will find here a unified and concise presentation. The book is divided into four parts whose main topics are Introduction to the homogenization technique for periodic or random media, with emphasis on the physics involved in the mathematical process and the applications to real materials. Heat and mass transfers in porous media Newtonian fluid flow in rigid porous media under different regimes Quasi-statics and dynamics of saturated deformable porous media Each part is illustrated by numerical or analytical applications as well as comparison with the self-consistent approach.

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Markov Decision Processes (MDPs) are a mathematical framework for modeling sequential decision problems under uncertainty as well as reinforcement learning problems. Written by experts in the field, this book provides a global view of current research using MDPs in artificial intelligence. It starts with an introductory presentation of the fundamental aspects of MDPs (planning in MDPs, reinforcement learning, partially observable MDPs, Markov games and the use of non-classical criteria). It then presents more advanced research trends in the field and gives some concrete examples using illustrative real life applications.

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Internet of Things: Connecting Objects puts forward the technologies and the networking architectures which make it possible to support the Internet of Things. Amongst these technologies, RFID, sensor and PLC technologies are described and a clear view on how they enable the Internet of Things is given. This book also provides a good overview of the main issues facing the Internet of Things such as the issues of privacy and security, application and usage, and standardization.

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Semiconductor flash memory is an indispensable component of modern electronic systems which has gained a strategic position in recent decades due to the progressive shift from computing to consumer (and particularly mobile) products as revenue drivers for Integrated Circuits (IC) companies. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the different technological approaches currently being studied to fulfill future memory requirements. Two main research paths are identified and discussed. Different "evolutionary paths" based on the use of new materials (such as silicon nanocrystals for storage nodes and high-k insulators for active dielectrics) and of new transistor structures (such as multi-gate devices) are investigated in order to extend classical floating gate technology to the 32 nm node. "Disruptive paths" based on new storage mechanisms or new technologies (such as phase-change devices, polymer or molecular cross-bar memories) are also covered in order to address 22 nm and smaller IC generations. Finally, the main factors at the origin of these phenomena are identified and analyzed, providing pointers on future research activities and developments in this area.

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A major challenge in constraint programming is to develop efficient generic approaches to solve instances of the constraint satisfaction problem (CSP). With this aim in mind, this book provides an accessible synthesis of the author's research and work in this area, divided into four main topics: representation, inference, search, and learning. The results obtained and reproduced in this book have a wide applicability, regardless of the nature of the problem to be solved or the type of constraints involved, making it an extremely user-friendly resource for those involved in this field.

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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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