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Cloud Management and Security
by Imad M. AbbadiWritten by an expert with over 15 years’ experience in the field, this book establishes the foundations of Cloud computing, building an in-depth and diverse understanding of the technologies behind Cloud computing. In this book, the author begins with an introduction to Cloud computing, presenting fundamental concepts such as analyzing Cloud definitions, Cloud evolution, Cloud services, Cloud deployment types and highlighting the main challenges. Following on from the introduction, the book is divided into three parts: Cloud management, Cloud security, and practical examples. Part one presents the main components constituting the Cloud and federated Cloud infrastructure (e.g., interactions and deployment), discusses management platforms (resources and services), identifies and analyzes the main properties of the Cloud infrastructure, and presents Cloud automated management services: virtual and application resource management services. Part two analyzes the problem of establishing trustworthy Cloud, discusses foundation frameworks for addressing this problem – focusing on mechanisms for treating the security challenges, discusses foundation frameworks and mechanisms for remote attestation in Cloud and establishing Cloud trust anchors, and lastly provides a framework for establishing a trustworthy provenance system and describes its importance in addressing major security challenges such as forensic investigation, mitigating insider threats and operation management assurance. Finally, part three, based on practical examples, presents real-life commercial and open source examples of some of the concepts discussed, and includes a real-life case study to reinforce learning – especially focusing on Cloud security. Key Features • Covers in detail two main aspects of Cloud computing: Cloud management and Cloud security • Presents a high-level view (i.e., architecture framework) for Clouds and federated Clouds which is useful for professionals, decision makers, and students • Includes illustrations and real-life deployment scenarios to bridge the gap between theory and practice • Extracts, defines, and analyzes the desired properties and management services of Cloud computing and its associated challenges and disadvantages • Analyzes the risks associated with Cloud services and deployment types and what could be done to address the risk for establishing trustworthy Cloud computing • Provides a research roadmap to establish next-generation trustworthy Cloud computing • Includes exercises and solutions to problems as well as PowerPoint slides for instructors
Power Quality Enhancement using Artificial Intelligence Techniques
by Ahmed S. Abbas Adel Ali Abou El-Ela Ragab A. El-Sehiemy Adel A. ElbasetThis text discusses sensitivity parametric analysis for the single tuned filter parameters and presents an optimization-based method for solving the allocation problem of the distributed generation units and capacitor banks in distribution systems. It also highlights the importance of artificial intelligence techniques such as water cycle algorithms in solving power quality problems such as over-voltage and harmonic distortion. Features: Presents a sensitivity parametric analysis for the single tuned filter parameters. Discusses optimization-based methods for solving the allocation problem of the distributed generation units and capacitor banks in distribution systems. Highlights the importance of artificial intelligence techniques (water cycle algorithm) for solving power quality problems such as over-voltage and harmonic distortion. Showcases a procedure for harmonic mitigation in active distribution systems using the single tuned harmonic filters. Helps in learning how to determine the optimal planning of the single tuned filters to mitigate the harmonic distortion in distorted systems. It will serve as an ideal reference text for graduate students and academic researchers in the fields of electrical engineering, electronics and communication engineering, Power systems planning and analysis.
Fog Computing: Theory and Practice (Wiley Series on Parallel and Distributed Computing)
by Assad Abbas Samee U. Khan Albert Y. ZomayaSummarizes the current state and upcoming trends within the area of fog computing Written by some of the leading experts in the field, Fog Computing: Theory and Practice focuses on the technological aspects of employing fog computing in various application domains, such as smart healthcare, industrial process control and improvement, smart cities, and virtual learning environments. In addition, the Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication methods for fog computing environments are covered in depth. Presented in two parts—Fog Computing Systems and Architectures, and Fog Computing Techniques and Application—this book covers such important topics as energy efficiency and Quality of Service (QoS) issues, reliability and fault tolerance, load balancing, and scheduling in fog computing systems. It also devotes special attention to emerging trends and the industry needs associated with utilizing the mobile edge computing, Internet of Things (IoT), resource and pricing estimation, and virtualization in the fog environments. Includes chapters on deep learning, mobile edge computing, smart grid, and intelligent transportation systems beyond the theoretical and foundational concepts Explores real-time traffic surveillance from video streams and interoperability of fog computing architectures Presents the latest research on data quality in the IoT, privacy, security, and trust issues in fog computing Fog Computing: Theory and Practice provides a platform for researchers, practitioners, and graduate students from computer science, computer engineering, and various other disciplines to gain a deep understanding of fog computing.
From Algorithms to Hardware Architectures: Using Digital Radios as a Design Example
by Karim AbbasThis book uses digital radios as a challenging design example, generalized to bridge a typical gap between designers who work on algorithms and those who work to implement those algorithms on silicon. The author shows how such a complex system can be moved from high-level characterization to a form that is ready for hardware implementation. Along the way, readers learn a lot about how algorithm designers can benefit from knowing the hardware they target and how hardware designers can benefit from a familiarity with the algorithm. The book shows how a high-level description of an algorithm can be migrated to a fixed-point block diagram with a well-defined cycle accurate architecture and a fully documented controller. This can significantly reduce the length of the hardware design cycle and can improve its outcomes. Ultimately, the book presents an explicit design flow that bridges the gap between algorithm design and hardware design.Provides a guide to baseband radio design for Wi-Fi and cellular systems, from an implementation-focused, perspective;Explains how arithmetic is moved to hardware and what the cost of each operation is in terms of delay, area and power;Enables strategic architectural decisions based on the algorithm, available processing units and design requirements.
Handbook of Digital CMOS Technology, Circuits, and Systems
by Karim AbbasThis book provides a comprehensive reference for everything that has to do with digital circuits. The author focuses equally on all levels of abstraction. He tells a bottom-up story from the physics level to the finished product level. The aim is to provide a full account of the experience of designing, fabricating, understanding, and testing a microchip. The content is structured to be very accessible and self-contained, allowing readers with diverse backgrounds to read as much or as little of the book as needed. Beyond a basic foundation of mathematics and physics, the book makes no assumptions about prior knowledge. This allows someone new to the field to read the book from the beginning. It also means that someone using the book as a reference will be able to answer their questions without referring to any external sources.
Analysis and Application of Natural Language and Speech Processing (Signals and Communication Technology)
by Mourad AbbasThis book presents recent advances in NLP and speech technology, a topic attracting increasing interest in a variety of fields through its myriad applications, such as the demand for speech guided touchless technology during the Covid-19 pandemic. The authors present results of recent experimental research that provides contributions and solutions to different issues related to speech technology and speech in industry. Technologies include natural language processing, automatic speech recognition (for under-resourced dialects) and speech synthesis that are useful for applications such as intelligent virtual assistants, among others. Applications cover areas such as sentiment analysis and opinion mining, Arabic named entity recognition, and language modelling. This book is relevant for anyone interested in the latest in language and speech technology.
Practical Solutions for Diverse Real-World NLP Applications (Signals and Communication Technology)
by Mourad AbbasThis book unveils the most advanced techniques and innovative applications in the natural language processing (NLP) field. It uncovers the secrets to enhancing language understanding, and presents practical solutions to different NLP tasks, as text augmentation, paraphrase generation, and restoring spaces and punctuation in multiple languages. It unlocks the potential of hierarchical multi-task learning for cross-lingual phoneme recognition, and allows readers to explore more real-world applications such as error correction, aggregating industrial security findings as well as predicting music emotion values from social media conversations. "Practical Solutions for Diverse Real-World NLP Applications" is the suitable guidebook for researchers, students, and practitioners as it paves the way for them by delivering invaluable insights and knowledge.
Guessing Random Additive Noise Decoding: A Hardware Perspective
by Syed Mohsin Abbas Marwan Jalaleddine Warren J. GrossThis book gives a detailed overview of a universal Maximum Likelihood (ML) decoding technique, known as Guessing Random Additive Noise Decoding (GRAND), has been introduced for short-length and high-rate linear block codes. The interest in short channel codes and the corresponding ML decoding algorithms has recently been reignited in both industry and academia due to emergence of applications with strict reliability and ultra-low latency requirements . A few of these applications include Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication, augmented and virtual Reality, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), the Internet of Things (IoTs), and Ultra-Reliable and Low Latency Communications (URLLC), which is an important use case for the 5G-NR standard. GRAND features both soft-input and hard-input variants. Moreover, there are traditional GRAND variants that can be used with any communication channel, and specialized GRAND variants that are developed for a specific communication channel. This book presents a detailed overview of these GRAND variants and their hardware architectures. The book is structured into four parts. Part 1 introduces linear block codes and the GRAND algorithm. Part 2 discusses the hardware architecture for traditional GRAND variants that can be applied to any underlying communication channel. Part 3 describes the hardware architectures for specialized GRAND variants developed for specific communication channels. Lastly, Part 4 provides an overview of recently proposed GRAND variants and their unique applications.This book is ideal for researchers or engineers looking to implement high-throughput and energy-efficient hardware for GRAND, as well as seasoned academics and graduate students interested in the topic of VLSI hardware architectures. Additionally, it can serve as reading material in graduate courses covering modern error correcting codes and Maximum Likelihood decoding for short codes.
Backscattering and RF Sensing for Future Wireless Communication
by Qammer H AbbasiDiscover what lies ahead in wireless communication networks with this insightful and forward-thinking book written by experts in the field Backscattering and RF Sensing for Future Wireless Communication delivers a concise and insightful picture of emerging and future trends in increasing the efficiency and performance of wireless communication networks. The book shows how the immense challenge of frequency saturation could be met via the deployment of intelligent planar electromagnetic structures. It provides an in-depth coverage of the fundamental physics behind these structures and assesses the enhancement of the performance of a communication network in challenging environments, like densely populated urban centers. The distinguished editors have included resources from a variety of leading voices in the field who discuss topics like the engineering of metasurfaces at a large scale, the electromagnetic analysis of planar metasurfaces, and low-cost and reliable backscatter communication. All of the included works focus on the facilitation of the development of intelligent systems designed to enhance communication network performance. Readers will also benefit from the inclusion of: A thorough introduction to the evolution of wireless communication networks over the last thirty years, including the imminent saturation of the frequency spectrum An exploration of state-of-the-art techniques that next-generation wireless networks will likely incorporate, including software-controlled frameworks involving artificial intelligence An examination of the scattering of electromagnetic waves by metasurfaces, including how wave propagation differs from traditional bulk materials A treatment of the evolution of artificial intelligence in wireless communications Perfect for researchers in wireless communications, electromagnetics, and urban planning, Backscattering and RF Sensing for Future Wireless Communication will also earn a place in the libraries of government policy makers, technologists, and telecom industry stakeholders who wish to get a head start on understanding the technologies that will enable tomorrow's wireless communications.
Machine Dynamics: Kinematics and Dynamics
by Alireza Abbasimoshaei Thorsten A. KernIn this book, we aim to give a thorough introduction to machine dynamics. It covers the theoretical basis of dynamics, modelling, mechanical design, practical applications, kinematics and kinetics, principles of mechanics, equations of motion for multibody systems, applications to mechanisms, vehicle dynamics, and static and dynamic balancing. It covers a complete range of mechanisms and concepts, from the determination of degrees of freedom to the design of complex cams. This progression is explained at a reasonable pace so that by the end the reader is able to design and analyze mechanical systems. Throughout the book, we also try to introduce conceptual examples and exercises to make the text more practical and understandable for the reader and also useful as a reference for lectures in universities. In addition, most books in this field are too voluminous and therefore are not suitable as a reference for a lecture. In this book, we have reduced the unnecessary theory part and put more emphasis on practical examples. Moreover, it is written in such a way that it will guide the readers even if they have forgotten the dynamics and basic concept and provide enough information. So this book can be used as a self-study book.
3D Modeling of Nonlinear Wave Phenomena on Shallow Water Surfaces
by I. B. AbbasovWith climate change, erosion, and human encroachment on coastal environments growing all over the world, it is increasingly important to protect populations and environments close to the sea from storms, tsunamis, and other events that can be not just costly to property but deadly. This book is one step in bringing the science of protection from these events forward, the most in-depth study of its kind ever published. The analytic and numerical modeling problems of nonlinear wave activities in shallow water are analyzed in this work. Using the author’s unique method described herein, the equations of shallow water are solved, and asymmetries that cannot be described by the Stokes theory are solved. Based on analytical expressions, the impacts of dispersion effects to wave profiles transformation are taken into account. The 3D models of the distribution and refraction of nonlinear surface gravity wave at the various coast formations are introduced, as well. The work covers the problems of numerical simulation of the run-up of nonlinear surface gravity waves in shallow water, transformation of the surface waves for the 1D case, and models for the refraction of numerical modeling of the run-up of nonlinear surface gravity waves at beach approach of various slopes. 2D and 3D modeling of nonlinear surface gravity waves are based on Navier-Stokes equations. In 2D modeling the influence of the bottom of the coastal zone on flooding of the coastal zone during storm surges was investigated. Various stages of the run-up of nonlinear surface gravity waves are introduced and analyzed. The 3D modeling process of the run-up is tested for the coast protection work of the slope type construction. Useful for students and veteran engineers and scientists alike, this is the only book covering these important issues facing anyone working with coastal models and ocean, coastal, and civil engineering in this area.
Computer Modeling in the Aerospace Industry
by Iftikhar B. AbbasovDevoted to advances in the field of computer simulation of aerospace equipment, this study is the most up-to-date coverage of the state-of-the-art on coastal and passenger aircraft, drones, and other recent developments in this constantly changing field. This book is devoted to unique developments in the field of computer modeling in aerospace engineering. The book describes the original conceptual models of amphibious aircraft, ground-effect vehicles, hydrofoil vessels, and others, from theory to the full implementation in industrial applications. The developed models are presented with the design of passenger compartments and are actually ready for implementation in the aircraft industry. The originality of the concepts are based on biological prototypes, which are ergonomic, multifunctional and aesthetically pleasing. The aerodynamic layout of prospective convertible land and ship-based aircrafts of vertical and short takeoff-landing is presented, as well as the development of the original model of the unmanned aerial vehicle, or drone. The results of full-scale experiments are presented, including the technology of modeling aerospace simulators based on the virtual reality environment with technical vision devices. Whether for the practicing engineer in the field, the engineering student, or the scientist interested in new aerospace developments, this volume is a must-have. This groundbreaking new volume: Presents unique developments of coastal aircraft concepts based on biological prototypes, from the idea to the finished model Gives the process of modeling the original unmanned aerial vehicle Investigates aerospace simulators based on virtual reality environment with technical vision devices Covers the original ideas of creating carrier-based aviation for sea ships and the results of field experiments simulating an unmanned aerial vehicle Provides many useful illustrations of naval aviation Audience: The book is intended for aerospace engineers, mechanical engineers, structural engineers, researchers and developers in the field of aerospace industry, for aircraft designers and engineering students. It will be useful for scientists, students, graduate students and engineers in the field of naval aviation and space simulators.
Recognition and Perception of Images
by Iftikhar B. AbbasovThis book is dedicated to the unique interdisciplinary research of imagery processing, recognition and perception. The contents of this book are based on the concepts of mathematical processing, compositional analysis applied in the art and design, and psychological factors of the information perception process. The conduction of compositional analysis carried out in the course of images processing and recognition, creation of the image project solution and modeling of the conceptual space structures are considered together with the mechanism of their perception. Edited and written by a group of international experts, the practical applications for industry are covered, including the influence of internet memes on social networks and face recognition technology subject to interferences. The algorithms of perception and improving of accuracy necessary for satellite imagery recognition and complex reflection from the object are represented with the use of artificial neural networks. Not just a study in how humans recognize and perceive images, this outstanding new volume delves into how these processes are used in technology for continuously evolving industrial applications. Whether for the veteran scientist or engineer, or for the student, this is a must-have for any library.
Ecosystem Services in Azerbaijan: Value and Losses
by Rovshan Abbasov Rovshan Karimov Natavan JafarovaThis book aims to draw readers' attention to the benefits once present nature in Azerbaijan. Over the past hundred years, much of this has been lost because of the neglect of the intrinsic values of nature by both managers and local authorities, and the overuse of natural resources. For example, oil pollution and overfishing in the Caspian Sea have almost destroyed its fish and caviar resources. In this volume, the authors distinguish between the concepts of "gain" and "income" and show readers that short-term benefits based solely on monetary income deprive people and nature itself of long-term, lasting value. The book provides readers with real historical information, discusses the interactions between humans and nature, and shows, with real data and trends, the consequences of anthropogenic activity on natural resources in Azerbaijan. The authors cover fish, water, forest, mountain, and pasture ecosystems, draw attention to the impacts that pollution and other forms of environmental degradation have had on these resources, and the show the impact that resource depletion on people’s livelihoods. The book is intended primarily for managers, policymakers, students, and academics, and will be of interest to natural scientists, historians, and students of culture.
Shepherding UxVs for Human-Swarm Teaming: An Artificial Intelligence Approach to Unmanned X Vehicles (Unmanned System Technologies)
by Hussein A. Abbass Robert A. HunjetThis book draws inspiration from natural shepherding, whereby a farmer utilizes sheepdogs to herd sheep, to inspire a scalable and inherently human friendly approach to swarm control. The book discusses advanced artificial intelligence (AI) approaches needed to design smart robotic shepherding agents capable of controlling biological swarms or robotic swarms of unmanned vehicles. These smart shepherding agents are described with the techniques applicable to the control of Unmanned X Vehicles (UxVs) including air (unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs), ground (unmanned ground vehicles or UGVs), underwater (unmanned underwater vehicles or UUVs), and on the surface of water (unmanned surface vehicles or USVs). This book proposes how smart ‘shepherds’ could be designed and used to guide a swarm of UxVs to achieve a goal while ameliorating typical communication bandwidth issues that arise in the control of multi agent systems. The book covers a wide range of topics ranging from the design of deep reinforcement learning models for shepherding a swarm, transparency in swarm guidance, and ontology-guided learning, to the design of smart swarm guidance methods for shepherding with UGVs and UAVs. The book extends the discussion to human-swarm teaming by looking into the real-time analysis of human data during human-swarm interaction, the concept of trust for human-swarm teaming, and the design of activity recognition systems for shepherding.Presents a comprehensive look at human-swarm teaming;Tackles artificial intelligence techniques for swarm guidance;Provides artificial intelligence techniques for real-time human performance analysis.
Security and Resilience in Cyber-Physical Systems: Detection, Estimation and Control
by Masoud Abbaszadeh Ali ZemoucheThis book discusses the latest advances in cyber-physical security and resilience of cyber-physical systems, including cyber-attack detection, isolation, situation awareness, resilient estimation and resilient control under attack. It presents both theoretical results and important applications of the methods. Security and Resilience in Cyber-Physical Systems begins by introducing the topic of cyber-physical security, covering state-of-the-art trends in both theory and applications, as well as some of the emerging methodologies and future directions for research. It then moves on to detail theoretical methods of attack detection, resilient estimation and control within cyber-physical systems, before discussing their various applications, such as power generation and distribution, autonomous systems, wireless communication networks and chemical plants. Focusing on the detection of and accommodation to cyber-attacks on cyber-physical systems, and including both estimation and artificial-intelligence-based methods, this book will be of interest to researchers, engineers and graduate students within the fields of cyber-physical security and resilient control.
High-Z Materials for X-ray Detection: Material Properties and Characterization Techniques
by Leonardo Abbene Krzysztof Kris IniewskiThis book will provide readers with a good overview of some of most recent advances in the field of High-Z materials. There will be a good mixture of general chapters in both technology and applications in opto-electronics, X-ray detection and emerging optoelectronics applications. The book will have an in-depth review of the research topics from world-leading specialists in the field.
Design and Modeling of Mechanical Systems - IV: Proceedings of the 8th Conference on Design and Modeling of Mechanical Systems, CMSM'2019, March 18–20, Hammamet, Tunisia (Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering)
by Mohamed Slim Abbes Fakher Chaari Mohamed Haddar Lotfi Romdhane Abdelmajid Benamara Mnaouar Chouchane Nizar Aifaoui Zouhaier Affi Lassad WalhaThis book offers a collection of original peer-reviewed contributions presented at the 8th International Congress on Design and Modeling of Mechanical Systems (CMSM’2019), held in Hammamet, Tunisia, from the 18th to the 20th of March 2019. It reports on research, innovative industrial applications and case studies concerning mechanical systems and related to modeling and analysis of materials and structures, multiphysics methods, nonlinear dynamics, fluid structure interaction and vibroacoustics, design and manufacturing engineering. Continuing on the tradition of the previous editions, these proceedings offers a broad overview of the state-of-the art in the field and a useful resource for academic and industry specialists active in the field of design and modeling of mechanical systems. CMSM’2019 was jointly organized by two leading Tunisian research laboratories: the Mechanical Engineering Laboratory of the National Engineering School of Monastir, University of Monastir and the Mechanical, Modeling and Manufacturing Laboratory of the National Engineering School of Sfax, University of Sfax.
Mechatronic Systems: Theory and Applications
by Mohamed Slim Abbes Jean-Yves Choley Fakher Chaari Abdessalem Jarraya Mohamed HaddarThe book offers a snapshot of the state-of-art in the field of model-based mechatronic system design. It covers topics including machine design and optimization, predictive systems in manufacturing networks, and the development of software for modeling and simulation of processes, which are supplemented by practical case studies. The book is a collection of fifteen selected contributions presented during the Workshop on Mechatronic Systems, held on March 17-19, 2014, in Mahdia, Tunisia. The workshop was jointly organized by the Laboratory of Mechanics Modeling and Production (LA2MP) of the National School of Engineers Sfax, Tunisia, and the Laboratory for Mechanical Systems and Materials Engineering (LISMMA) of Higher Institute of Mechanics (SUPMECA), Paris, France.
Renewable Gas: The Transition to Low Carbon Energy Fuels (Energy, Climate and the Environment)
by Jo AbbessThe author looks at the prospects for a transition from natural gas to low carbon gas, which could take several decades, and at how this will depend on the evolution of the fossil fuel industry. She investigates the technologies and energy systems for making the best use of renewable gas resources.
Renewable Gas: The Transition to Low Carbon Energy Fuels (Energy, Climate and the Environment)
by Jo AbbessThe author looks at the prospects for a transition from natural gas to low carbon gas, which could take several decades, and at how this will depend on the evolution of the fossil fuel industry. She investigates the technologies and energy systems for making the best use of renewable gas resources.
Feminist Interpretations of John Rawls: Feminist Interpretations Of John Rawls (Re-Reading the Canon)
by Ruth AbbeyIn Feminist Interpretations of John Rawls, Ruth Abbey collects eight essays responding to the work of John Rawls from a feminist perspective. An impressive introduction by the editor provides a chronological overview of English-language feminist engagements with Rawls from his Theory of Justice onward. Abbey surveys the range of issues canvassed by feminist readers of Rawls, as well as critics’ wide disagreement about the value of Rawls’s corpus for feminist purposes. The eight essays that follow testify to the continuing ambivalence among feminist readers of Rawls. From the perspectives of political theory and moral, social, and political philosophy, the contributors address particular aspects of Rawls’s work and apply it to a variety of worldly practices relating to gender inequality and the family, to the construction of disability, to justice in everyday relationships, and to human rights on an international level. The overall effect is to give a sense of the broad spectrum of possible feminist critical responses to Rawls, ranging from rejection to adoption.Aside from the editor, the contributors are Amy R. Baehr, Eileen Hunt Botting, Elizabeth Brake, Clare Chambers, Nancy J. Hirschmann, Anthony Simon Laden, Janice Richardson, and Lisa H. Schwartzman.
Feminist Interpretations of John Rawls (Re-Reading the Canon)
by Ruth AbbeyIn Feminist Interpretations of John Rawls, Ruth Abbey collects eight essays responding to the work of John Rawls from a feminist perspective. An impressive introduction by the editor provides a chronological overview of English-language feminist engagements with Rawls from his Theory of Justice onward. Abbey surveys the range of issues canvassed by feminist readers of Rawls, as well as critics’ wide disagreement about the value of Rawls’s corpus for feminist purposes. The eight essays that follow testify to the continuing ambivalence among feminist readers of Rawls. From the perspectives of political theory and moral, social, and political philosophy, the contributors address particular aspects of Rawls’s work and apply it to a variety of worldly practices relating to gender inequality and the family, to the construction of disability, to justice in everyday relationships, and to human rights on an international level. The overall effect is to give a sense of the broad spectrum of possible feminist critical responses to Rawls, ranging from rejection to adoption.Aside from the editor, the contributors are Amy R. Baehr, Eileen Hunt Botting, Elizabeth Brake, Clare Chambers, Nancy J. Hirschmann, Anthony Simon Laden, Janice Richardson, and Lisa H. Schwartzman.
The Diesel That Did It: General Motors' FT Locomotive (Railroads Past and Present)
by Wallace W. AbbeyThe Diesel That Did It tells the story of the legendary diesel-electric locomotive, the FT.As war loomed in 1939, American railroads were on the precipice of railroad transformation. In an obscure factory in La Grange, Illinois, a group of gifted engineers and designers were planning a revolution that would shake railroading to its foundations and eventually put the steam locomotive out of business. Their creation, the FT, was a diesel-electric, semi-streamlined freight engine. The FT would establish a new standard for reliability, flexibility, and cost, but its arrival unsettled many railroad employees and gave fresh ammunition to their labor unions, who believed that it threatened a century-old culture.Wallace W. Abbey's The Diesel That Did It is the story of a revolution. He explores how EMC (and its successor Electro-Motive Division of General Motors) conceived the FT, and how it ultimately emerged as the dominant locomotive power plant for 20 years. However, for Abbey, the history of the Santa Fe Railway and the FT go hand in hand. The Diesel That Did It also offers a penetrating look at how the great American railroad, at the height of its Super Chief glamor, threw its conservative mechanical traditions aside to bet big on the diesel. Showcasing more than 140 exquisite photographs by Abbey and other noted photographers, The Diesel That Did It is a captivating story not to be missed by railroaders and railfans.
The Environmental Crunch in Africa: Growth Narratives Vs. Local Realities
by Jon AbbinkThis book discusses the problems and challenges of environmental–ecological conditions in Africa, amidst the current craze of economic growth and ‘development’. Africa’s significant economic dynamics and growth trajectories are marked by neglect of the environment, reinforcing ecological crises. Unless environmental–ecological and population growth problems are addressed as an integral part of developmental strategies and growth models, the crises will accelerate and lead to huge costs in later years. Chapters examine multiple emerging tension points all across the continent, including the potential benefits and harm of growing urban-based ecotourism, the trajectory of labour-saving technologies and the problems facing agro-pastoralism. Although environmental management and sustainability features of African rural societies should not be idealized, functional 'traditional' economies, interests and management practices are often bypassed, seen by state elites as inefficient and inhibiting 'growth'. In many regions the seeds are now sown for lasting environmental crises that will affect local societies that have rarely been given opportunity to claim accountability from the state regimes and donors driving these changes.