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A Systemic-Structural Theory of Activity: Applications to Human Performance and Work Design
by Waldemar Karwowski Gregory BednyWhile its importance is widely recognized, the theoretical basis and practical applications of Activity Theory have not yet been firmly established in the field of human factors and ergonomics, experimental, and work psychology. This book presents the foundations of the systemic-structural theory of human activity. It contains multiple practical examples of systemic-structural theory of activity analyses, including a study of production operations in the manufacturing environment, system safety evaluation, work improvement, equipment design, robot system performance, and design of human/computer interaction tasks in the context of training, efficiency, work motivation, fatigue, personality, and individual style of performance.
A Systems Approach to Agroecology
by Pablo TittonellAs agroecology gains momentum in the international research-for-development arena, there is an urgent need for methods and tools to support the codesign and evaluation of agroecological systems and their transitions. The social and ecological complexity of agroecosystems, their dynamics, uncertainties and sustainability, calls for a holistic, systemic approach to agroecology. As such, several questions arise for example: how do we deal with heterogeneity, landscapes, biodiversity or learning processes in agroecosystems analysis? How do we categorise diversity or analyse trade-offs in social-ecological interactions? How do we conceptualise, codesign and monitor agroecological transitions? This book sets out to answer these questions by building on the valuable ‘classics’ in agroecology. The book presents a systems perspective that underpins a combination of methodologies, ranging from participatory tools and field observations to mathematical simulation modelling. Researchers, advanced students and transdisciplinary practitioners will find in this book insights and methods to design research and (co-) innovation processes to foster agroecological transitions.
A Systems Approach to Conservation Tillage
by Frank M. D'ItriThis book describes concepts, value judgments and background information on the expanding conservation tillage practices in the United States and provides a technical appraisal of the state of the art. Still, much remains to be learned about the agronomic, agricultural engineering and environmental parameters; and it is hoped that the inormation herein presented will stimulate further research toward a more integrated apporach to conversation tillage practices.
A Systems Approach to the Environmental Analysis of Pollution Minimization
by Sven E. JorgensenThe environmental analysis of pollution problems always involves the use of mass and energy balances to quantify the extent of pollution and its sources. This same form of analysis can be applied to ecosystems, production systems, a whole country or a region. A Systems Approach to the Environmental Analysis of Pollution Minimization identifies and describes the common factors shared by these systems.The book is organized in twelve chapters and progresses from general concepts to specific assessment methods. Chapter one is a general introduction to environmental management principles. Chapter two discusses conservation principles and their applications to environmental health. Chapters three and four explore ecosystem health, properties and analysis. Chapters five through eleven present different methods of analysis including Green Accounting, Clean Technology, Life Cycle Analysis, and Risk Assessment. Editor Sven Jorgensen closes the book with a sweeping summary. Jorgensen is a internationally published authority on the use and analysis of ecosystem models. His new book is a comprehensive guide for both students and professionals. A Systems Approach to the Environmental Analysis of Pollution Minimization is an invaluable contribution.Features
A Systems Description of Flow Through Porous Media (SpringerBriefs in Earth Sciences)
by Jan Dirk JansenThis text forms part of material taught during a course in advanced reservoir simulation at Delft University of Technology over the past 10 years. The contents have also been presented at various short courses for industrial and academic researchers interested in background knowledge needed to perform research in the area of closed-loop reservoir management, also known as smart fields, related to e.g. model-based production optimization, data assimilation (or history matching), model reduction, or upscaling techniques. Each of these topics has connections to system-theoretical concepts. The introductory part of the course, i.e. the systems description of flow through porous media, forms the topic of this brief monograph. The main objective is to present the classic reservoir simulation equations in a notation that facilitates the use of concepts from the systems-and-control literature. Although the theory is limited to the relatively simple situation of horizontal two-phase (oil-water) flow, it covers several typical aspects of porous-media flow. The first chapter gives a brief review of the basic equations to represent single-phase and two-phase flow. It discusses the governing partial-differential equations, their physical interpretation, spatial discretization with finite differences, and the treatment of wells. It contains well-known theory and is primarily meant to form a basis for the next chapter where the equations will be reformulated in terms of systems-and-control notation.The second chapter develops representations in state-space notation of the porous-media flow equations. The systematic use of matrix partitioning to describe the different types of inputs leads to a description in terms of nonlinear ordinary-differential and algebraic equations with (state-dependent) system, input, output and direct-throughput matrices. Other topics include generalized state-space representations, linearization, elimination of prescribed pressures, the tracing of stream lines, lift tables, computational aspects, and the derivation of an energy balance for porous-media flow. The third chapter first treats the analytical solution of linear systems of ordinary differential equations for single-phase flow. Next it moves on to the numerical solution of the two-phase flow equations, covering various aspects like implicit, explicit or mixed (IMPES) time discretizations and associated stability issues, Newton-Raphson iteration, streamline simulation, automatic time-stepping, and other computational aspects. The chapter concludes with simple numerical examples to illustrate these and other aspects such as mobility effects, well-constraint switching, time-stepping statistics, and system-energy accounting. The contents of this brief should be of value to students and researchers interested in the application of systems-and-control concepts to oil and gas reservoir simulation and other applications of subsurface flow simulation such as CO2 storage, geothermal energy, or groundwater remediation.
A Systems Perspective on Financial Systems (Communications in Cybernetics, Systems Science and Engineering)
by Jeffrey Yi-Lin ForrestThis book is devoted to a systems-theoretical presentation of the main results of applying the systemic yoyo model and relevant analytical tools to the topics of money and financial institutions. The author presents the main concepts and results of the subject matter in the language of systems science, which has in the past century prompted revolut
A Taste For Honey
by H F HeardMycroft has turned detective...A masterclass of classic crime - 'A triumph of ingenuity and horrific simplicity' Boris Karloff'A very clever thriller' Raymond ChandlerIn an English country village, a recluse and a beekeeper team up to catch a cunning villain.Far from the noise of Victorian London, Sydney Silchester's two passions are privacy and honey. But when his honey supplier is found stung to death by her hive, the search for a new beekeeper takes Sydney to Mr. Mycroft, a brilliant man who has retired to Sussex to take up precisely this occupation, and who shares many traits with the great detective, Sherlock Holmes. Mycroft, himself no stranger to crime-solving, immediately senses the bloody hand of murder. But what villain would have the mad intelligence to train an army of killer bees? And will Mycroft risk his own life to find the killer?
A Taste of the Science of Eating: Insights from the Science of Smelling and Tasting
by Garmt DijksterhuisWhy do you taste what you taste, and what about smelling? Many books address good food, but few go deeper, explaining the processes behind smelling and tasting. The book addresses the senses of smell and taste and the many more senses and their interactions during eating. It also stresses the importance of psychology when you smell, taste and eat. Some of the other topics include flavour, the working of the nose and olfactory (cross-)adaptation, the use of odorants, the relation between emotion and eating, and many more. The book helps you understand why you like and eat food, and shows the intriguing complexity of the area.
A Teacher's Guide to Using the Next Generation Science Standards with Gifted and Advanced Learners
by Cheryll Adams Alicia Cotabish Debbie DaileyA Teacher's Guide to Using the Next Generation Science Standards With Gifted and Advanced Learners provides teachers and administrators with practical examples of ways to build comprehensive, coherent, and rigorous science learning experiences for gifted and advanced students from kindergarten to high school. It provides an array of examples across the four domains of science: physical sciences; Earth and space sciences; life sciences; and engineering, technology, and applications of science. Each learning experience indicates the performance expectation addressed and includes a sequence of activities, implementation examples, connections to the CCSS-Math and CCSS-ELA, and formative assessments. Chapters on specific instructional and management strategies, assessment, and professional development suggestions for implementing the standards within the classroom will be helpful for both teachers and administrators.
A Teacher’s Guide to Conversational AI: Enhancing Assessment, Instruction, and Curriculum with Chatbots
by David A. JoynerA Teacher’s Guide to Conversational AI explores the practical role that language-based artificial intelligence tools play in classroom teaching, learning experiences, and student assessment. Today’s educators are well aware that conversational and generative AI—chatbots, intelligent tutoring systems, large language models, and more—represent a complex new factor in teaching and learning. This introductory primer offers comprehensive, novice-friendly guidance into the challenges and opportunities of incorporating AI into K-12 schools and college classes in ways that are appropriate, nourishing to students, and outcomes-driven.Opening with an informative overview of the foundational properties, key terminology, and ethical considerations of these tools, the book offers a coherent and realistic vision of classrooms that are enhanced, rather than stymied, by AI systems. This includes strategies for:· designing assessments that are conducive to students’ beneficial use of AI while mitigating overreliance or dishonesty;· using AI to generate lesson examples for student critique or custom content that reinforces course principles;· leveraging chatbots as a co-instructor or a tutor, a guide during student-driven learning, a virtual debate or brainstorming partner, and a design project; and· creating course content, lesson plans and activities, expanded language and accessibility options, and beyond. Through the depth of understanding and applied approach provided in these chapters, teachers and leaders in training and in service, alongside private tutors, college instructors, and other educators, will be better prepared to future-proof their efforts to serve new generations of learners.
A Technological History of Cold-War India, 1947–1969: Autarky and Foreign Aid (Palgrave Studies in the History of Science and Technology)
by William A.T. LoganThis book provides a technological history of modern India, in particular the Nehruvian development in the context of the Cold War. Through a series of case studies about military modernization, transportation infrastructure, and electric power, it examines how the ideals of autarky and technological indigenization conflicted with the economic and political realities of the Cold War world. Where other studies tend to focus on the political leaders and economists who oversaw development, this book demonstrates how the perspective of the engineers, government bureaucrats, and aid workers informed and ultimately implemented development.
A Technology Portfolio of Nature Based Solutions: Innovations In Water Management
by Sean O'Hogain Liam McCartonThis book aims to define the concept of Nature Based Solutions (NBS) by using case studies from members of the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) Water Action Group - NatureWat. NBS is defined and characterized in terms of water source, contaminants, removal mechanisms and resource recovery potential. The case studies presented illustrate the appropriateness of NBS promoting climate resilience. Readers will discover a technology portfolio based on a number of demonstration sites in the fields of climate change adaption, water and wastewater treatment, resource recovery and re-use, and restoring ecosystems to promote the use of nature based solutions. The chapters in the book present a multidisciplinary approach involving social scientists, governance representatives and engineers. The underlying philosophy of the book is the circular economy of water which prioritizes the concepts of resource recovery and resilience within water resource management. The first section of the book presents the background and objectives of the study, and how the action group aims to promote the use of nature based solutions through its diverse technology portfolio. Particular attention is given to the goals of finding cost-effective solutions for wastewater treatment, climate change mitigation, disaster risk reduction, flood protection, greening cities, degraded areas restoration and biodiversity preservation. The chapter on reclaimed water addresses water reuse and defines the term fit for purpose. Barriers and limitations related to NBS for water resource management are discussed. The book concludes with several case studies at local, regional and global levels which illustrate a new approach to water management. These case studies illustrate the application of a hybrid green and grey infrastructure system. This is a combination of traditional engineered infrastructure with nature based solutions which combines centralised and decentralised systems to optimise the reclamation of water for reuse in a fit for purpose model.
A Telephone for the World: Iridium, Motorola, and the Making of a Global Age
by Martin CollinsIn a post–Cold War world, the Iridium satellite network revealed a new age of globalization.In June 1990, Motorola publicly announced an ambitious business venture called Iridium. The project’s signature feature was a constellation of 77 satellites in low-Earth orbit which served as the equivalent of cellular towers, connecting to mobile customers below using wireless hand-held phones. As one of the founding engineers noted, the constellation "bathed the planet in radiation," enabling a completely global communications system. Focusing on the Iridium venture, this book explores the story of globalization at a crucial period in US and international history. As the Cold War waned, corporations and nations reoriented toward a new global order in which markets, neoliberal ideology, and the ideal of a borderless world predominated. As a planetary-scale technological system, the project became emblematic of this shift and of the role of the United States as geopolitical superpower. In its ambition, scope, challenges, and organizing ideas, the rise of Iridium provides telling insight into how this new global condition stimulated a re-thinking of corporate practices—on the factory floor, in culture and knowledge, and in international relations.Combining oral history interviews with research in corporate records, Martin Collins opens up new angles on what global meant in the years just before and after the end of the Cold War. The first book to tell the story of Iridium in this context, A Telephone for the World is a fascinating look at how people, nations, and corporations across the world grappled in different ways with the meaning of a new historical era.
A Test of the General Validity of the Heckscher-Ohlin Theorem for Trade in the European Community
by Dalia HakuraA report from the International Monetary Fund.
A Textbook of Optics
by Suresh Chandra Mohit Kumar SharmaThis book is designed to serve as a textbook for courses offered to upper-undergraduate students enrolled in physics and explains the broad spectrum of optics in a student-friendly way. The textbook covers the entire syllabi of the undergraduate courses being taught at both national and international universities including adequate details of mathematical expressions to help students understand the subject matter. The topics covered in this book are reflection, refraction, cardinal points, interference, Fresnel diffraction, Fraunhofer diffraction, lasers and holography, fiber optics, etc. This book explains each topic in a simple and lucid language with the help of solved problems. Exercises with multiple choice questions have been given at the end of each chapter for self-assessment. The detailed coverage and pedagogical tools make this an ideal textbook for students and researchers enrolled in senior undergraduate and beginning postgraduate physics students.
A Textbook on ATM Telecommunications: Principles and Implementation
by P. S. NeelakantaWith quantum leaps in science and technology occurring at breakneck speed, professionals in virtually every field face a daunting task-practicing their discipline while keeping abreast of new advances and applications in their filed. In no field is this more applicable than in the rapidly growing field of telecommunications engineering. Practicing engineers who work with ATM technology on a daily basis must not only keep their skill sharp in areas such as ATM network interfaces, protocols, and standards, but they must also stay informed, about new classes of ATM applications.A Textbook on ATM Telecommunications gives active telecommunications engineers the advantage they need to stay sharp in their field. From the very basics of ATM to state-of-the-art applications, it covers the gamut of topics related to this intriguing switching and multiplexing strategy. Starting with an introduction to telecommunications, this text combines the theory underlying broadband communications technology with applied practical instruction and lessons gleaned from industry. The author covers fundamental communications and network theory, followed by applied ATM networking. Each chapter includes design exercises as well as worked examples .A Textbook on ATM Telecommunications includes examples of design and implementation-making it an ideal took for both aspiring and practicing telecommunication professionals.Features
A Theoretical Introduction to Numerical Analysis
by Victor S. Ryaben'kii Semyon V. TsynkovA Theoretical Introduction to Numerical Analysis presents the general methodology and principles of numerical analysis, illustrating these concepts using numerical methods from real analysis, linear algebra, and differential equations. The book focuses on how to efficiently represent mathematical models for computer-based study. An access
A Theory of Creative Thinking: Construction and Verification of the Dual Circulation Model (Lecture Notes in Educational Technology)
by Kekang HeThis book examines research on creative thinking, both current and historical. It explores two dimensions of human thought (time and space) and two modes of thinking (conscious and unconscious) as well as both left and right brain functions and artistic and scientific creative activities. The book proposes a "Double Circulation" model of creative thinking and argues that imagery thinking, intuitive thinking and logical thinking are main parts of creative thinking and that dialectical thinking and horizontal-vertical thinking are the guides for highly complex problem-solving thoughts and strategies. The book focuses on education and psychology and also covers how to use ICT to promote students' creative thinking skills. Researchers will benefit from the "Double Circulation" model, which provides a new perspective on conducting creative thinking research. The book is also a valuable resource for graduate students in the fields of educational technology and psychology and for all readers who are interested in creative thinking.
A Thermochemical Heat Storage System for Households: Combined Investigations of Thermal Transfers Coupled to Chemical Reactions (Springer Theses)
by Armand Fopah LeleThe book offers a comprehensive report on the design and optimization of a thermochemical heat storage system for use in buildings. It combines theoretical and experimental work, with a special emphasis on model-based methods. It describes the numerical modeling of the heat exchanger, which allows recovery of about two thirds of the waste heat from both solar and thermal energy. The book also provides readers with a snapshot of current research on thermochemical storage systems, and an in-depth review of the most important concepts and methods in thermal management modeling. It represents a valuable resource for students, engineers and researchers interested in thermal energy storage processes, as well as for those dealing with modeling and 3D simulations in the field of energy and process engineering.
A Thirsty Land: The Fight for Water in Texas (Natural Resources Management and Conservation)
by Seamus McGraw“An important story not just about [Texas’s] water history, but also about its social, economic, and political identity” (Western Historical Quarterly).As a changing climate threatens the whole country with deeper droughts and more furious floods that put ever more people and property at risk, Texas has become a bellwether state for water debates. Will there be enough water for everyone? Is there the will to take the steps necessary to defend ourselves against the sea? Is it in the nature of Americans to adapt to nature in flux?The most comprehensive—and comprehensible—book on contemporary water issues, A Thirsty Land delves deep into the challenges faced not just by Texas but also by the nation, as we struggle to find a way to balance the changing forces of nature with our own ever-expanding needs. Part history, part science, part adventure story, and part travelogue, this book puts a human face on the struggle to master that most precious and capricious of resources, water. Seamus McGraw goes to the taproots, talking to farmers, ranchers, businesspeople, and citizen activists, as well as to politicians and government employees. Their stories provide chilling evidence that Texas—and indeed the nation—is not ready for the next devastating drought, the next catastrophic flood. Ultimately, however, A Thirsty Land delivers hope. This deep dive into one of the most vexing challenges facing Texas and the nation offers glimpses of the way forward in the untapped opportunities that water also presents.“A hard look at a hard problem: finding sufficient water to live in a place without much of it. . . . McGraw’s fine book serves as a useful guide. Observers of Western waterways will want to have this on their shelves alongside the likes of Marc Reisner and Charles Bowden.” —Kirkus Reviews“In stark prose that often gleams like a bone pile bleached in the sun, McGraw travels back and forth across Texas to give a free-ranging but deadeye view of the crisis on the horizon.” —Texas Monthly“It’s hard to write about the slow creep of environmental crises like drought without resorting to shock tactics or getting lost in the weeds . . . [McGraw] draws out the conflicts in compelling ways by drilling into the plight of individual water users. Even if you feel no connection to Texas, these stories are relevant to every part of the country.” —Outside“Interviewing both scientific experts and everyday water users, [McGraw] clearly delineates the competing interests, describes political and geological reality, and makes a compelling argument for statewide water policy that utilizes modern technology and fairly weighs parochial needs against the good of the whole.” —Arizona Daily Star, Southwest Books of the Year
A Thirsty Land: The Fight for Water in Texas (Natural Resources Management and Conservation)
by Seamus McGraw“An important story not just about [Texas’s] water history, but also about its social, economic, and political identity” (Western Historical Quarterly).As a changing climate threatens the whole country with deeper droughts and more furious floods that put ever more people and property at risk, Texas has become a bellwether state for water debates. Will there be enough water for everyone? Is there the will to take the steps necessary to defend ourselves against the sea? Is it in the nature of Americans to adapt to nature in flux?The most comprehensive—and comprehensible—book on contemporary water issues, A Thirsty Land delves deep into the challenges faced not just by Texas but also by the nation, as we struggle to find a way to balance the changing forces of nature with our own ever-expanding needs. Part history, part science, part adventure story, and part travelogue, this book puts a human face on the struggle to master that most precious and capricious of resources, water. Seamus McGraw goes to the taproots, talking to farmers, ranchers, businesspeople, and citizen activists, as well as to politicians and government employees. Their stories provide chilling evidence that Texas—and indeed the nation—is not ready for the next devastating drought, the next catastrophic flood. Ultimately, however, A Thirsty Land delivers hope. This deep dive into one of the most vexing challenges facing Texas and the nation offers glimpses of the way forward in the untapped opportunities that water also presents.“A hard look at a hard problem: finding sufficient water to live in a place without much of it. . . . McGraw’s fine book serves as a useful guide. Observers of Western waterways will want to have this on their shelves alongside the likes of Marc Reisner and Charles Bowden.” —Kirkus Reviews“In stark prose that often gleams like a bone pile bleached in the sun, McGraw travels back and forth across Texas to give a free-ranging but deadeye view of the crisis on the horizon.” —Texas Monthly“It’s hard to write about the slow creep of environmental crises like drought without resorting to shock tactics or getting lost in the weeds . . . [McGraw] draws out the conflicts in compelling ways by drilling into the plight of individual water users. Even if you feel no connection to Texas, these stories are relevant to every part of the country.” —Outside“Interviewing both scientific experts and everyday water users, [McGraw] clearly delineates the competing interests, describes political and geological reality, and makes a compelling argument for statewide water policy that utilizes modern technology and fairly weighs parochial needs against the good of the whole.” —Arizona Daily Star, Southwest Books of the Year
A Thousand Ways Denied: The Environmental Legacy of Oil in Louisiana
by John T. ArnoldFrom the hill country in the north to the marshy lowlands in the south, Louisiana and its citizens have long enjoyed the hard-earned fruits of the oil and gas industry’s labor. Economic prosperity flowed from pioneering exploration as the industry heralded engineering achievements and innovative production technologies. Those successes, however, often came at the expense of other natural resources, leading to contamination and degradation of land and water. In A Thousand Ways Denied, John T. Arnold documents the oil industry’s sharp interface with Louisiana’s environment. Drawing on government, corporate, and personal files, many previously untapped, he traces the history of oil-field practices and their ecological impacts in tandem with battles over regulation. Arnold reveals that in the early twentieth century, Louisiana helped lead the nation in conservation policy, instituting some of the first programs to sustain its vast wealth of natural resources. But with the proliferation of oil output, government agencies splintered between those promoting production and others committed to preventing pollution. As oil’s economic and political strength grew, regulations commonly went unobserved and unenforced. Over the decades, oil, saltwater, and chemicals flowed across the ground, through natural drainages, and down waterways. Fish and wildlife fled their habitats, and drinking-water supplies were ruined. In the wetlands, drilling facilities sat like factories in the midst of a maze of interconnected canals dredged to support exploration, manufacture, and transportation of oil and gas. In later years, debates raged over the contribution of these activities to coastal land loss.Oil is an inseparable part of Louisiana’s culture and politics, Arnold asserts, but the state’s original vision for safeguarding its natural resources has become compromised. He urges a return to those foundational conservation principles. Otherwise, Louisiana risks the loss of viable uses of its land and, in some places, its very way of life.
A Time Apart
by Diane StanleyWhile her mother undergoes treatment for cancer, thirteen-year-old Ginny is sent to live with her father in England. Once there, she becomes part of an archaeological experiment that investigates life during the iron age.
A Tool for Determining e-Learning Readiness (SpringerBriefs in Educational Communications and Technology)
by Katherine Cennamo Cathy James-SpringerThis book presents a tool to determine e-learning readiness in workplace organizations. It offers a case study of the design and development process and outlines factors to be taken into account to determine e-learning readiness. It details the four objectives of this tool: to highlight specific parameters for determining e-learning readiness, to provide a systematic process to determine the readiness of an organization, to enable flexibility for the environmental context, and to capture the interrelatedness of the many areas in the organization. Next, it discusses the main element of the tool: surveys that are used to facilitate collection of data on organizational, learner and technology readiness. The book concludes with a look at practical ways of using the information gathered from the data produced.
A Tradition in Transition, Water Management Reforms and Indigenous Spate Irrigation Systems in Eritrea: PhD, UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, Delft, The Netherlands
by Abraham Mehari HaileA Tradition in Transition presents an in-depth assessment of the century-old Wadi Laba indigenous spate irrigation system in Eritrea. This system has relied on earthern and brushwood structures and customary water rules to support subsistence livelihoods of the Wadi Laba communities for many years. The book presents original research, which analyzes the effectiveness of contemporary water laws and a new headwork in improving production and standard of living. It also compares the lack of success of these new approaches with traditional methods of water management.