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Walling Out the Insiders: Controlling Access to Improve Organizational Security
by Michael ErbschloeInsider threats are everywhere. To address them in a reasonable manner that does not disrupt the entire organization or create an atmosphere of paranoia requires dedication and attention over a long-term. Organizations can become a more secure, but to stay that way it is necessary to develop an organization culture where security concerns are inherent in all aspects of organization development and management. While there is not a single one-size-fits-all security program that will suddenly make your organization more secure, this book provides security professionals and non-security managers with an approach to protecting their organizations from insider threats.
Wandering Games
by Melissa KagenAn analysis of wandering within different game worlds, viewed through the lenses of work, colonialism, gender, and death.Wandering in games can be a theme, a formal mode, an aesthetic metaphor, or a player action. It can mean walking, escaping, traversing, meandering, or returning. In this book, game studies scholar Melissa Kagen introduces the concept of &“wandering games,&” exploring the uses of wandering in a variety of game worlds. She shows how the much-derided Walking Simulator—a term that began as an insult, a denigration of games that are less violent, less task-oriented, or less difficult to complete—semi-accidentally tapped into something brilliant: the vast heritage and intellectual history of the concept of walking in fiction, philosophy, pilgrimage, performance, and protest. Kagen examines wandering in a series of games that vary widely in terms of genre, mechanics, themes, player base, studio size, and funding, giving close readings to Return of the Obra Dinn, Eastshade, Ritual of the Moon, 80 Days, Heaven&’s Vault, Death Stranding, and The Last of Us Part II. Exploring the connotations of wandering within these different game worlds, she considers how ideologies of work, gender, colonialism, and death inflect the ways we wander through digital spaces. Overlapping and intersecting, each provides a multifaceted lens through which to understand what wandering does, lacks, implies, and offers. Kagen&’s account will attune game designers, players, and scholars to the myriad possibilities of the wandering ludic body.
Wandering Towards a Goal: How Can Mindless Mathematical Laws Give Rise To Aims And Intention? (The Frontiers Collection)
by Anthony Aguirre Brendan Foster Zeeya MeraliThis collection of prize-winning essays addresses the controversial question of how meaning and goals can emerge in a physical world governed by mathematical laws. What are the prerequisites for a system to have goals? What makes a physical process into a signal? Does eliminating the homunculus solve the problem? The three first-prize winners, Larissa Albantakis, Carlo Rovelli and Jochen Szangolies tackle exactly these challenges, while many other aspects (agency, the role of the observer, causality versus teleology, ghosts in the machine etc.) feature in the other award winning contributions. All contributions are accessible to non-specialists.These seventeen stimulating and often entertaining essays are enhanced versions of the prize-winning entries to the FQXi essay competition in 2017.The Foundational Questions Institute, FQXi, catalyzes, supports, and disseminates research on questions at the foundations of physics and cosmology, particularly new frontiers and innovative ideas integral to a deep understanding of reality, but unlikely to be supported by conventional funding sources.
Wanted, More than Human Intellectual Property: Animal Authors and Human Machines
by Johanna GibsonThis book analyses animal creativity in order to unsettle the dominant assumptions that underpin current ideas of authorship and ownership in intellectual property.Drawing upon theories of animal behaviour and cognitive ethology, the book exposes and disrupts the anthropocentrism that informs prevailing assumptions about creativity, intentionality, and authorship within the field of intellectual property, towards a new theory of authorship and personhood through play and the playful. Moving on to challenge the invocation of a more general human-nonhuman distinction in this context, the book also engages the challenge to this distinction posed by artificial intelligence. Incorporating critical animal studies, behavioural science, ethology, critical legal studies, and legal philosophy, the book presents a new idea of creativity, which undermines the kind of rivalrous models now common in the field of intellectual property.This book will be of considerable interest to those studying and teaching in the area of intellectual property, as well as in animal law. It will also appeal to legal theorists and others working in the social sciences in the areas of posthumanism and animal studies.
War Games (Quick Takes: Movies and Popular Culture)
by Jonna EagleThe word “wargames” might seem like a contradiction in terms. After all, the declaration “This is war” is meant to signal that things have turned deadly serious, that there is no more playing around. Yet the practices of war are intimately entangled with practices of gaming, from military videogames to live battle reenactments. How do these forms of play impact how both soldiers and civilians perceive acts of war? This Quick Take considers how various war games and simulations shape the ways we imagine war. Paradoxically, these games grant us a sense of mastery and control as we strategize and scrutinize the enemy, yet also allow us the thrilling sense of being immersed in the carnage and chaos of battle. But as simulations of war become more integrated into both popular culture and military practice, how do they shape our apprehension of the traumatic realities of warfare? Covering everything from chess to football, from Saving Private Ryan to American Sniper, and from Call of Duty to drone interfaces, War Games is an essential guide for anyone seeking to understand the militarization of American culture, offering a compact yet comprehensive look at how we play with images of war.
War Games (SideStreets)
by Jacqueline GuestRyan Taber's father is about to deploy for his first tour of duty with the Canadian army in Afghanistan. Ryan lives his days on an army base in Alberta, and spends his evenings at the CyberKnights cafe, playing his favourite video game, Desert Death. At CyberKnights, Ryan meets the Desert Death ultimate champion and becomes entangled in a world of danger and deceit that begins to resemble the very real circumstances his father is facing overseas.
War Play
by Corey MeadA behind-the-scenes look at how the military uses video game technology to train soldiers, treat veterans, and entice new recruits How does the U.S. military train its soldiers for new forms of armed conflict, all within the constraints of diminished defense budgets? Increasingly, the answer is cutting-edge video game technology. Corey Mead shows us training sessions where soldiers undertake multiplayer "missions" that test combat skills, develop unit cohesion, and teach cultural awareness. He immerses himself in 3-D battle simulations so convincing that they leave his heart racing. And he shows how the military, which has shaped American education more than any other force over the last century, fuels the adoption of games as learning tools--and recruitment come-ons. Mead also details how the military uses games to prepare soldiers for their return to the home front and to treat PTSD. Military-funded researchers were closely involved with the computing advances that led to the invention of the Internet. Now, as Mead proves, we are poised at the brink of a similar explosion in game technology. War Play reveals that many of tomorrow's teaching tools, therapies, and entertainments can be found in today's military.
War with Russia: From Putin & Ukraine to Trump & Russiagate
by Stephen F. CohenAre we in a new Cold War with Russia? How does a new Cold War affect the safety and security of the United States? Does Vladimir Putin really want to destabilize the West?America is in a new Cold War with Russia even more dangerous than the one the world barely survived in the twentieth century. The Soviet Union is gone, but the two nuclear superpowers are again locked in political and military confrontations, now from Ukraine to Syria. All of this is exacerbated by Washington’s war-like demonizing of the Kremlin leadership and by Russiagate’s unprecedented allegations. US mainstream media accounts are highly selective and seriously misleading. American “disinformation,” not only Russian, is a growing peril. In War With Russia?, Stephen F. Cohen—the widely acclaimed historian of Soviet and post-Soviet Russia—gives readers a very different, dissenting narrative of this more dangerous new Cold War from its origins in the 1990s, the actual role of Vladimir Putin, and the 2014 Ukrainian crisis to Donald Trump’s election and today’s unprecedented Russiagate allegations. Cohen’s views have made him, it is said, “America’s most controversial Russia expert.” Some say this to denounce him, others to laud him as a bold, highly informed critic of US policies and the dangers they have helped to create.War With Russia? gives readers a chance to decide for themselves who is right: are we living, as Cohen argues, in a time of unprecedented perils at home and abroad?
Warcraft: Of Blood and Honor
by Chris MetzenReveals part of the rich backstory of the worldwide bestelling computer game--an essential omnibus for the millions of WarCraft game players.
Warcraft: The Sundering
by Richard A. KnaakThe hour of wrath draws near. . . The valiant night elves have been shattered by the loss of their beloved general. The black dragon, Neltharion, has claimed the Demon Soul and scattered the mighty dragonflights to the winds. Above all, the demonlord, Archimonde, has led the Burning Legion to the very brink of victory over Kalimdor. As the land and its denizens reel from this unstoppable evil, a terror beyond all reckoning draws ever nearer from the Well of Eternity's depths. . . WARCRAFTIn the final, apocalyptic chapter of this epic trilogy, the dragon-mage Krasus and the young druid Malfurion must risk everything to save Azeroth from utter destruction. Banding together the dwarves, tauren and furbolg races, the heroes hope to spark an alliance to stand against the might of the Burning Legion. For if the Demon Soul should fall into the Legion's hands, all hope for the world will be lost. This then, is the hour. . . where past and future collide!THE SUNDERINGAn original trilogy of magic, warfare, and heroism based on the bestselling, award-winning electronic game series from Blizzard Entertainment.
Warcross (Warcross #1)
by Marie Lu&“A vibrant, action-packed shot of adrenaline.&”—Leigh Bardugo, #1 New York Times bestselling author &“The Hunger Games meets Minecraft.&”—SeventeenFrom #1 New York Times bestselling author—when a game called Warcross takes the world by storm, one girl hacks her way into its dangerous depths. For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn&’t just a game—it&’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down Warcross players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty-hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. To make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation. Convinced she&’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game&’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year&’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika&’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she&’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire. In this sci-fi thriller, #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu conjures an immersive, exhilarating world where choosing who to trust may be the biggest gamble of all.
Warehousing and Material Handling Systems for the Digital Industry: The New Challenges for the Digital Circular Economy
by Riccardo Manzini Riccardo AccorsiThis book illustrates innovative support-decision models, methods, and advanced automation and robotic technologies aimed at enhancing the overall performance of Warehousing and Material Handling (WMH) in terms of time and space efficiency, service levels, labor safety, and ergonomics. It provides a collection of cutting-edge issues commonly faced in warehousing systems worldwide, along with a structured set of methodologies and technological solutions to address them.Warehousing and Material Handling (WMH) are pivotal processes within supply chain and production systems. They involve the handling, consolidation, and storage of goods such as raw materials, parts, components, and finished products within distribution centers. WMH is also a key component of distribution networks, serving as a hierarchy of facilities dedicated to receiving materials from vendors and shipping to customers while meeting service level and performance targets.The book offers readers the opportunity to explore this topic from multiple knowledge levels and perspectives. At the basic level, it introduces readers to the problems, issues, nomenclature, fundamental models, and methods to support the decision-making process. At an intermediate level, it delves into the state-of-the-art on critical issues in warehousing and material handling systems. Finally, at an advanced level, it delves into the most challenging and recent research and industry issues, addressing both providers and users of WMH solutions and technologies.The book's intended audience includes undergraduate students, graduate students, PhD students, post-doc researchers, scholars, and researchers from academia and industry. It is also relevant for practitioners and managers working in production, logistics, and supply chain environments. The authors' approach is multidisciplinary, with a special focus on logistics, automation, optimization, safety, ergonomics, and the overall sustainability of WMH systems and operations.
Warenhandel mit erhöhter Wahrscheinlichkeit: Ein Leitfaden für die Analyse der Rohstoffmärkte, die Entwicklung von Strategien, Risikomanagement.
by Carley GarnerIn der Absicht den Händler durch die Prozesse der Warenmarktanalyse, Strategieentwicklung und des Risikomanagements zu leiten, erörtert HIGHER PROBILITY COMMODITY TRADING verschiedene alternative Marktkonzepte und unkonventionelle Ansichten, wie z.B. Optionsverkaufstaktiken, die Absicherung von Futures-Positionen mit Optionen und die Kombination der Praxis von fundamentaler, technischer, saisonaler und die Stimmungsanalyse zur Beurteilung von Marktpreisänderungen.
Wargames
by Martin Van CreveldWhere did wargames come from? Who participated in them, and why? How is their development related to changes in real-life warfare? Which aspects of war did they capture, which ones did they leave out, how, and why? What do they tell us about the conduct of war in the times and places where they were played? How useful are they in training and preparation for war? Why are some so much more popular than others, and how do men and women differ in their interest? Starting with the combat of David versus Goliath, passing through the gladiatorial games, tournaments, trials by battle, duels, and boardgames such as chess, all the way to the latest simulations and computer games, this unique book traces the subject in all its splendid richness. As it does so, it provides new and occasionally surprising insights into human nature.
Warranty Fraud Management: Reducing Fraud and Other Excess Costs in Warranty and Service Operations (Wiley and SAS Business Series)
by D. N. Murthy Matti Kurvinen Ilkka TöyryläCut warranty costs by reducing fraud with transparent processes and balanced control Warranty Fraud Management provides a clear, practical framework for reducing fraudulent warranty claims and other excess costs in warranty and service operations. Packed with actionable guidelines and detailed information, this book lays out a system of efficient warranty management that can reduce costs without upsetting the customer relationship. You'll dig into the whole spectrum of warranty fraud, from simple sloppy procedures to systematic organized crime, and get to know the fraudulent parties, the victims, as well as the objectives and methods of the fraudulent activities in different scenarios. You'll learn how to implement controls to detect and reduce fraudulent claims and decrease the overall warranty costs. The impact of fraudulent claims is plainly spelled out alongside detailed descriptions of typical symptoms and process gaps present in diverse companies. A comprehensive, multi-modal framework for robust warranty management is presented as a template for revamping your own company's strategy. Fraudulent warranty claims occupy an estimated 3-15 percent of the average company's warranty costs, which generally average between 1-4 percent of sales. Many companies are unaware of the issue or struggle to take action against the claims for fear of upsetting business partners, or because they lack tangible evidence. This book details a robust warranty control framework that institutes transparency and control over the whole warranty chain—supporting the process far beyond just fraud reduction. Understand the different actors (customers, sales channels, service agents, warranty providers, etc.) and different forms of warranty fraud Uncover issues in your company's warranty processes Learn methods to detect and prevent fraudulent activities Implement a robust system of warranty cost control Warranty fraud is a major cost-control issue for most companies, but the sensitive nature of the topic leaves most reluctant to share their experiences and divulge their strategies. Warranty Fraud Management brings warranty fraud out into the open, and provides a clear, actionable framework for cost-savings through fraud reduction.
Warring Souls: Youth, Media, and Martyrdom in Post-Revolution Iran
by Roxanne VarziWith the first Fulbright grant for research in Iran to be awarded since the Iranian revolution in 1979, Roxanne Varzi returned to the country her family left before the Iran-Iraq war. Drawing on ethnographic research she conducted in Tehran between 1991 and 2000, she provides an eloquent account of the beliefs and experiences of young, middle-class, urban Iranians. As the first generation to have come of age entirely in the period since the founding of the Islamic Republic of Iran, twenty-something Iranians comprise a vital index of the success of the nation's Islamic Revolution. Varzi describes how, since 1979, the Iranian state has attempted to produce and enforce an Islamic public sphere by governing behavior and by manipulating images--particularly images related to religious martyrdom and the bloody war with Iraq during the 1980s--through films, murals, and television shows. Yet many of the young Iranians Varzi studied quietly resist the government's conflation of religious faith and political identity. Highlighting trends that belie the government's claim that Islamic values have taken hold--including rising rates of suicide, drug use, and sex outside of marriage--Varzi argues that by concentrating on images and the performance of proper behavior, the government's campaign to produce model Islamic citizens has affected only the appearance of religious orthodoxy, and that the strictly religious public sphere is partly a mirage masking a profound crisis of faith among many Iranians. Warring Souls is a powerful account of contemporary Iran made more vivid by Varzi's inclusion of excerpts from the diaries she maintained during her research and from journal entries written by Iranian university students with whom she formed a study group.
Was Menschen verbindet: Sozialer Klimawandel durch neue Wertschätzung
by Stephan Petzolt Natalja Althauser Cristina Petzolt Stephan GrabmeierDieses Buch entwickelt die relevanten Facetten von Wertschätzung und zeigt die Verbindung zu Wertschöpfung in Zeiten von Industrie 4.0, der Digitalisierung und des Klimawandels auf. Dabei wird deutlich, dass Wertschätzung sowohl für den Einzelnen, als auch für das Miteinander einen besonderen Stellenwert hat. Wertschätzung sorgt für Selbstbewusstsein, Selbstwirksamkeit und bildet die Grundlage für adäquate Kommunikation auf Augenhöhe. Auf organisationaler Ebene bewirkt Wertschätzung eine Verminderung von Komplexität und ermöglicht angstfreie Räume ohne Repressalien. Das Buch zeigt neue Formen der Wertschöpfung, in denen Risiken und Fehler frühzeitig erkannt werden und der Auftrag der Organisation im Zentrum kollektiver Aktivitäten steht. Darüber hinaus bietet Wertschätzen praktische Anregungen sowohl zur individuellen als auch organisationalen Weiterentwicklung.
Was geht mich die Physik an?: Physikalisch denken in Gesellschaft, Politik und Management.
by Reiner KreePolitische Themen mit wissenschaftlichem Bezug werden medial immer präsenter. In Talkshows, Zeitungen und politischen Beratungsgremien finden oft Expertinnen und Experten mit Physikausbildung Gehör. Egal, ob es um Klimawandel, Finanzmarktcrashs, Pandemiepolitik oder erneuerbare Energien geht: wir müssen den Aussagen dieser Expertinnen und Experten blind vertrauen, wenn wir selbst kein Fachwissen besitzen. In diesem Buch werden physikalische Grundlagen hinter gesellschaftlich relevanten Themen auf eine allgemeinverständliche Weise erklärt. Dabei geht es vor allem darum, die für die Physik typischen Denkweisen klar zu machen. Auf welchen Grundlagen (Mechanik, Elektrodynamik, Quantentheorie, Feldtheorien, Relativitätstheorien, Statistische Physik) beruhen eigentlich physikalische Aussagen? Wie sind diese Grundlagen entstanden? Wie erstellt man in der Physik Modelle zur Beschreibung komplexer Themen? Was ist „Wahrheit" in Wissenschaften? Wie ist das Verhältnis von Modellen zur Wirklichkeit? Beim Beantworten dieser und vieler weiterer Fragen hat der Autor darauf geachtet, nur Mathematik vorauszusetzen, die das Niveau der Mittelstufe nicht überschreitet. Der vorliegende Band richtet sich an alle, die für Entscheidungen und Urteile ein einfaches aber solides Verständnis des physikalischen Denkens suchen: sei es im Alltag, in Unternehmen oder in der Politik.
Was vernetzt ist, ist angreifbar: Wie Geheimdienste und Kriminelle uns im Netz infiltrieren
by Mikko HypponenAll unsere Geräte und Gadgets - von unseren Kühlschränken bis hin zu unseren Haussicherheitssystemen, Staubsaugern und Stereoanlagen - werden über kurz oder lang online sein, genau wie unsere Computer. Aber wenn wir unsere Geräte erst einmal erfolgreich mit dem Internet verbunden haben, können wir dann überhaupt noch hoffen, sie und uns selbst vor den Gefahren zu schützen, die in den digitalen Gewässern lauern? In seinem Buch liefert der erfahrene Cybersicherheitsexperte Mikko Hyppönen eine augenöffnende und teilweise erschreckende Erkundung der besten - und schlimmsten - Dinge, die uns das Internet beschert hat. Von der sofortigen Konnektivität zwischen zwei beliebigen Punkten auf der Welt bis hin zu organisierten Ransomware-Banden - das Netz ist Segen und Fluch zugleich. In diesem Buch erforscht der Autor das Veränderungspotenzial und die Zukunft des Internets, aber auch die Dinge, die seine weitere Existenz bedrohen: staatliche Überwachung, Zensur, organisiertes Verbrechen und mehr. Die Leser finden außerdem: - aufschlussreiche Diskussionen darüber, wie Strafverfolgungsbehörden und Geheimdienste im Internet arbeiten; - ausführliche Schilderungen darüber, wie Geld zu Daten wurde, und über die Auswirkungen der weit verbreiteten Nutzung mobiler Supercomputertechnologie; - fesselnde Geschichten aus Mikko Hypponens 30-jähriger Karriere im Bereich der Informationssicherheit. Das Buch ist perfekt für alle, die sich mit den drängendsten Problemen im Bereich der Cybersicherheit und Technologie auseinandersetzen wollen. Es wird sich einen Platz in den Bibliotheken all derer verdienen, die sich für die Zukunft des Internets interessieren.
Watch Me Play: Twitch and the Rise of Game Live Streaming (Princeton Studies in Culture and Technology #13)
by T. L. TaylorA look at the revolution in game live streaming and esports broadcastingEvery day thousands of people broadcast their gaming live to audiences over the internet using popular sites such as Twitch, which reaches more than one hundred million viewers a month. In these new platforms for interactive entertainment, big esports events featuring digital game competitors live stream globally, and audiences can interact with broadcasters—and each other—through chat in real time. What are the ramifications of this exploding online industry? Taking readers inside home studios and backstage at large esports events, Watch Me Play investigates the rise of game live streaming and how it is poised to alter how we understand media and audiences.Through extensive interviews and immersion in this gaming scene, T. L. Taylor delves into the inner workings of the live streaming platform Twitch. From branding to business practices, she shows the pleasures and work involved in this broadcasting activity, as well as the management and governance of game live streaming and its hosting communities. At a time when gaming is being reinvented through social media, the potential of an ever-growing audience is transforming user-generated content and alternative distribution methods. These changes will challenge the meaning of ownership and intellectual property and open the way to new forms of creativity.The first book to explore the online phenomenon Twitch and live streaming games, Watch Me Play offers a vibrant look at the melding of private play and public entertainment.
Water Informatics: Challenges and Solutions Using State of Art Technologies (Water Informatics for Water Resource Management)
by Arindam Biswas Sheng-Lung Peng Supreeti KamilyaThis book provides a clear view of various applications for water resource management using different state-of-the-art technologies such as artificial intelligence, IoT, and cellular automata. The book also shows the analytical part of surface water as well as groundwater bodies to control pollution and save ecology. It gives an idea about the collection of data for disaster management such as flood prediction and flood inoculation. The book provides the fundamental aspects of various computational or simulation methods for surface and underground water body detection, prediction of non-biodegradable elements in water bodies, water potability, and predictions of natural disasters like floods. The book summarizes different aspects of water body challenges and the possible solutions proposed using new technologies. The book opens up a future research direction of dealing with various challenges and solutions based on emerging technologies. This book comes up with a direction for the researchers interested in dealing with various aspects of water challenges and finding solutions using emerging technologies in the new era of modern computations.
Water Resources Management and Sustainability (Advances in Geographical and Environmental Sciences)
by Pankaj Kumar Anju Singh Gaurav Kant Nigam Manish Kumar SinhaWater is the elixir of life and is crucial for sustainable development. Earlier, it was considered to be a limitless or at least a fully renewable natural resource. During the past 20 years, however, there has been tremendous pressure on this precious natural resource mainly due to rapid urbanization, industrialization and the increase in the human population. Together, these have resulted in increasing demand for irrigation, industrial, and household purposes to meet supply-chain requirements. Keeping in mind the scarcity of available water resources in the near future and its impending threats, it has become imperative on the part of scientists in hydrology and allied disciplines such as geography, landscape planning, sustainability science etc. Regional planners and supply chain management experts also must be involved in studying the spatial and temporal nature of the growing demand for water and the future availability for its judicial use and sustainable management. A primary intent of the book is to provide comprehensive scientific knowledge base on water resource management and sustainability. It covers geo-engineering and scientific problems, case studies, and sustainable solutions in the water resources management domain. Additionally and of equal importance, the chapters of the book provide in-depth coverage on water resource vulnerability, water quality, wastewater treatment, application of remote sensing and geographical information systems hydrological modeling and harvesting, climate variability and runoff, sediment discharge and irrigation planning, community participation in water governance, internet of things and machine learning applications for sustainable water resources management. This practical, state-of-the-art reference book is a valuable resource for students, researchers, scientists, policymakers, spatio-temporal designers of water resource systems, various stake holders interested in hydro-climatology and sustainable water resources management.
Water Resources Systems of the Philippines: Modeling Studies (World Water Resources #4)
by Guillermo Q. Tabios IIIThis book presents a number of modeling studies of various water resources systems in the humid tropics and the typical short, steep mountain-to-coast systems in the archipelagic setting of the Philippines. Covering natural and rural systems, urban watersheds and built systems, such as reservoirs and flood control systems, it discusses modeling studies based on pure simulation and combined optimization-simulation. The book offers insights into real-world water resources modeling, and as such is a valuable resource for academics and practitioners in the Philippines, as well as those in other Asian regions with similar water resources systems, and similar issues, problems and concerns.
Water and Energy Management in India: Artificial Neural Networks and Multi-Criteria Decision Making Approaches
by Mrinmoy Majumder Ganesh D. KaleThis book provides an innovative, realistic and reliable solution to the common problem of Indian water and energy sector due to the onset of the Impact of Climate Change and Large-Scale Urbanization. Twelve Case Studies and One Review Paper that were included in this book depict the way soft computation techniques, simulation and decision-making framework can optimize the best solution from multiple solutions to the problems of water and energy management which corresponds to a novel symbiotic and synchronous nexus between water and the energy sector. All the studies included in this book are collected from all parts of India. The selected studies utilized the latest technologies like Multi-Criteria Decision Frame Work, Neural Networks and Nature-Based Optimization techniques to achieve diverse objectives from the prediction of climatic parameters to yield from ungauged watershed to performance optimization of Water Treatment Plant, Hydropower as well as futuristic alternative energy systems like Wave to Power Plants.
Water in Biomechanical and Related Systems (Biologically-Inspired Systems #17)
by Adam GadomskiThe contributed volume puts emphasis on a superior role of water in (bio)systems exposed to a mechanical stimulus. It is well known that water plays an extraordinary role in our life. It feeds mammalian or other organism after distributing over its whole volume to support certain physiological and locomotive (friction-adhesion) processes to mention but two of them, both of extreme relevance.Water content, not only in the mammalian organism but also in other biosystems such as whether those of soil which is equipped with microbiome or the ones pertinent to plants, having their own natural network of water vessels, is always subjected to a force field.The decisive force field applied to the biosystems makes them biomechanically agitated irrespective of whether they are subjected to external or internal force-field conditions. It ought to be noted that the decisive mechanical factor shows up in a close relation with the space-and-time scale in which it is causing certain specific phenomena to occur.The scale problem, emphasizing the range of action of gravitational force, thus the millimeter or bigger force vs. distance scale, is supposed to enter the so-called macroscale approach to water transportation through soil or plants’ roots system. It is merely related to a percolation problem, which assumes to properly inspect the random network architecture assigned to the biosystems invoked. The capillarity conditions turn out to be of prior importance, and the porous-medium effect has to be treated, and solved in a fairly approximate way.The deeper the scale is penetrated by a force-exerting and hydrated agent the more non-gravitational force fields manifest. This can be envisaged in terms of the corresponding thermodynamic (non-Newtonian) forces, and the phenomena of interest are mostly attributed to suitable changes of the osmotic pressure. In low Reynolds number conditions, thus in the (sub)micrometer distance-scale zone, they are related with the corresponding viscosity changes of the aqueous, e.g. cytoplasmatic solutions, of semi-diluted and concentrated (but also electrolytic) characteristics. For example, they can be observed in articulating systems of mammals, in their skin, and to some extent, in other living beings, such as lizards, geckos or even insects. Through their articulating devices an external mechanical stimulus is transmitted from macro- to nanoscale, wherein the corresponding osmotic-pressure conditions apply.The content of the proposed work can be distributed twofold. First, the biomechanical mammalian-type (or, similar) systems with extraordinary relevance of water for their functioning will be presented, also including a presentation of water itself as a key physicochemical system/medium. Second, the suitably chosen related systems, mainly of soil and plant addressing provenience, will be examined thoroughly. As a common denominator of all of them, it is proposed to look at their hydrophobic and/or (de)hydration effects, and how do they impact on their basic mechanical (and related, such as chemo-mechanical or piezoelectric, etc.) properties. An additional tacit assumption employed throughout the monograph concerns statistical scalability of the presented biosystems which is equivalent to take for granted a certain similarity between local and global system’s properties, mostly those of mechanical nature. The presented work’s chapters also focus on biodiversity and ecological aspects in the world of animals and plants, and the related systems. The chapters’ contents underscore the bioinspiration as the key landmark of the proposed monograph.