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Federalism, Devolution and Cleavages in Africa (Federalism and Internal Conflicts)
by Assefa FisehaThis book explores the relationship between federalism, social divides and conflict in African countries. It details the origins, design and performance of major federal and quasi-federal states to assess their performance and propose new methods for managing these divides. Drawing on evidence from countries such as Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa, the book examines the nature and causes of ethnonationalism, mobilisation and confrontation with the nation state. The book is a comprehensive treatment of the five major federal and devolved systems in Africa. It explains their origin, design and operation, and assesses their performance. More importantly, the book explains the distinct nature of federal and devolved systems in the Global South. Federal and devolved systems in Africa cannot be understood in isolation from the nature of state power on the continent. The book explains the impact of unregulated state power on the dynamics of federal and devolved systems in Africa. Federalism and devolution have not failed but have been betrayed – both in the past and the present – in serving as a venue for accommodation, intergovernmental bargaining and negotiated reform.
Black Silicon: Formation, Properties, and Application (Synthesis Lectures on Materials and Optics)
by Gagik AyvazyanThe book systematically accounts for the scientific and technological problems of nanostructured silicon in the form of porous and black silicon. Nanostructured silicon is currently a pioneer research topic worldwide due to its enormous potential applications for modern electronic devices, such as sensitive photodetectors, solar cells, biochemical sensors, hydrogen generators, and display devices. The main structural modifications of this nanomaterial are porous and black silicon. Porous silicon addresses crystalline silicon with nanopores and black silicon with nanoneedles. Historically, porous silicon is thought to be a kind of precursor to black silicon. The formation, research, and application of nanostructured silicon remains the main cornerstone of nanotechnologies, and this book is useful for a wide range of researchers in the fields of semiconductor physics, micro-, and nanoelectronics. The author outlines the prospect of black silicon fabrication and its various applications. As for porous silicon, the book contains a detailed analysis of this material as a precursor of black silicon. This allows it to be possible to carry out correlations between two structural modifications of nanostructured silicon to clearly and reasonably show their advantages and disadvantages. With many references to a vast resource of recently published literature, this book serves as an important and insightful source of valuable information and provides scientists and engineers with new ideas to better understand the formation processes of nanostructured silicon as well as improve and expand their properties.
British Cultural Diplomacy in South Africa, 1960–1994 (Britain and the World)
by Daniel J. FeatherThis book analyses the British government’s use of cultural diplomacy in South Africa from 1960 to 1994. Previously, scholarship on UK-South African relations has focussed mainly on political, economic, or military links; this book makes an important and original intervention by emphasising how the British government sought to use cultural ties as part of its diplomacy in South Africa. The book also highlights the controversy these links generated owing to broader international efforts to ostracise South Africa owing to the racist apartheid system in the country at the time. By examining British policy towards educational exchanges, performing arts tours, radio and television broadcasts, and sporting contact, this book provides a dynamic case study from which to analyse Britain’s use of cultural diplomacy during a period of relative decline, while also adding a new layer to the well-established literature on the UK-South African special relationship.
All Around Suboptimal Health: Advanced Approaches by Predictive, Preventive and Personalised Medicine for Healthy Populations (Advances in Predictive, Preventive and Personalised Medicine #18)
by Wei WangThis volume demonstrates advanced strategies in biomedical sciences and healthcare focused on suboptimal health conditions in the framework of Predictive, Preventive and Personalised Medicine (3PM/PPPM). Potential benefits in healthcare systems and for society at large include but are not restricted to an improved life-quality of major populations and socio-economical groups, advanced professionalism of healthcare-givers and sustainable healthcare economy. Reactive medical services applied to healthcare resulted in epidemics of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes mellitus type 2 with currently about a half of billion patients registered worldwide. Far-reaching consequences are cascading co-morbidities with poor prognosis such as severe cardiovascular and neurological disorders, eye pathologies (e.g., proliferative diabetic retinopathy as the world leading cause of blindness) and several types of cancer, amongst others. Corresponding socio-economic burden is tremendous. The paradigm changes from reactive medicine to PPPM propagated by EPMA is, therefore, pivotal for advanced healthcare to improve the economy of medical services, life quality of populations and individual outcomes. To this end, individuals with suboptimal health condition comprise the target group for predictive diagnostics and cost-effective personalised treatments to protect affected individuals and sub-populations against health-to-disease transition, a window of opportunity for PPPM. This goal is of highest priority benefiting millions of people and societies at large.
Mindfulness for Children, Adolescents, and Families: Integrating Research into Practice (Mindfulness in Behavioral Health)
by Herman Hay LoThis book examines mindfulness-based programs for children and adolescents with diverse needs as well as their parents and other family members. It addresses how a mindfulness approach has been translated to this specific population. Chapters explore theories and evidence in this growing field of interest, adaptations for children and teens with different diagnoses and their families, mindful parenting in relation to the developmental needs of children, implementation issues in everyday life, and the required competencies of mindfulness instructors. Key areas of coverage include:Application of mindfulness-based programs to address the developmental tasks and diverse needs of children and adolescents encountering challenges in mental health and social care.Mindfulness-based programs for parents and teachers and their impacts on children.Implementation science and ethics of mindfulness training across child developmental stages. Mindfulness for Children, Adolescents, and Families is an essential resource for researchers, professors, and graduate students as well as clinicians, therapists, and allied practitioners in developmental psychology, school psychology, child and adolescent psychology, social work, public health, pediatrics, complementary and alternative medicine, and all related disciplines.
Nonlinear Dynamics of Time Delay Systems: Methods and Applications
by Jian XuThis book presents research advancements in the dynamics of systems with time delay conducted by the group led by Professor Jian Xu. Addressing the challenges arising from the joint impact of time delay and nonlinearity, novel theoretical approaches are developed to formulate the nonlinear response of the system. This facilitates the classification of complex nonlinear dynamics, especially the non-resonant and resonant double Hopf bifurcation. In contrast to systems without time delay, time delay systems require specific considerations when identifying system parameters, particularly the time delay. Consequently, inverse problems of systems with time delay are also explored in this book. Moreover, detailed investigations on vibration suppression methods and experimental prototypes based on time delay, such as time delay isolators with quasi-zero stiffness, are conducted. Simultaneously, this book is enriched with a large number of case studies ranging from manufacturing, network science, biology, and public transportation, illuminating the mechanisms of delay-induced nonlinear dynamics in practical applications. This book is suitable for graduate students and researchers who are eager to understand the delay-induced nonlinear dynamics, or technical personnel in whose projects small variations of time delay may cause significant changes in system responses.
Kundendialog-Management: Wertstiftende Kundendialoge in Zeiten der digitalen Automation
by Nils Hafner Sophie HundertmarkDieses Buch liefert einen Überblick über den aktuellen Stand des Kundendialog-Managements in Zeiten der digitalen Transformation. Die rasante Entwicklung im Kundenmanagement durch die Digitalisierung erfordert innovative Ansätze, um den steigenden Ansprüchen der Kunden gerecht zu werden sowie eine schnellere und relevantere Kundenkommunikation zu ermöglichen. Renommierte Beitragsautoren aus Wissenschaft und Praxis stellen Ansätze zur Optimierung von Kundendialogstrategien vor. Sie liefern einen Überblick über die Möglichkeiten moderner Marketing-Automation, widmen sich dem Nutzungsgrad von Künstlicher Intelligenz und ihren Potentialen im Marketing sowie der Rolle der Datenerhebung und -nutzung. Ergänzend werden Beispiele für automatisierte Dialoge, die verkaufen, präsentiert. Ebenfalls gehen die Beitragsautoren auf die oft vernachlässigten Kundendialoge im Service ein. Dabei ist die Organisationsform des Customer Contact Centers aktueller denn je. Es werden die wichtigsten Kennzahlen und Benchmarks im Kundenservice aufgezeigt und hervorgehoben, dass auch automatisierte Kontakte wesentlich auf der Grundvoraussetzung des Vertrauens basieren. Zudem wird das Experiment von der Hochschule Luzern zum Design optimaler Chatbots «Be the bot» vorgestellt. Praxis-Beispiele von HUK24, Swisscard AECS und CSS Krankenversicherung runden dieses Werk ab.Dieses Fachbuch ist ein wertvolles Werkzeug für alle, die sich mit den Herausforderungen des modernen Kundendialog-Managements auseinandersetzen und nach nachhaltigen Strategien suchen.
The Politics of Literary History: Literary Historiography in Russia, Latvia, the Czech Republic and Finland after 1990
by Liisa Steinby Benedikts Kalnačs Mikhail Oshukov Viola Parente-ČapkováThis book looks at literary historiography in Russia, Latvia, the Czech Republic and Finland, focusing on how seismic shifts in state politics and ideology after 1990 changed the writing of national literary histories in these countries. While Russia saw a return to a more nationalist way of thinking about literature and a new emphasis on Orthodox religion after the fall of the Soviet Union, the opposite is true for Latvia, the Czech Republic and Finland. In these countries, literary historiography fosters connections between Western scholarship and literatures written in the national language and engages with questions such as transnationalism, minorities, culture and power, and the cultural construction of identities. This book scrutinizes the different ways in which the construction of national, cultural and European identities has occurred in and through the literary historiography of North-Eastern Europe in the last few decades.
Annual Report on China’s Petroleum, Gas and New Energy Industry (Current Chinese Economic Report Series)
by China International United Petroleum & Chemicals Co., Ltd. Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Peking UniversityThis book focuses on the global economy, oil industry, natural gas industry, hydrogen energy industry, and electricity industry in China under the Carbon Emission Peak Strategy and the whole world. It provides the overview of the China's energy economy development in 2022–2023 and has an in-depth analysis of the future development trends of the oil and gas and new energy industries. It aims to present Chinese insights on the development of the energy industry of China and the world.
An Instructor's Manual to H2H Marketing Case Studies: Teach Human-to-Human Marketing Effectively (Springer Business Cases)
by Philip Kotler Waldemar Pfoertsch Uwe Sponholz Kejsi SulajThis is an instructor's manual for the popular textbook 'H2H Marketing: Case Studies on Human-to-Human Marketing' (Springer, 2023). The authors have provided a perfect companion that enables teachers to adopt a case-by-case approach when using the material in the classroom.'H2H Marketing' focuses on redefining the role of marketing by reshaping the mindset of decision-makers and integrating concepts such as Design Thinking, Service-Dominant Logic, and Digitalization. By following this carefully designed manual, teachers can assist their students in gaining a deeper understanding of the case studies that illustrate various aspects of the concept, its fundamental elements, and its implementation.
Künstliche Intelligenz: Das Psi-Organ in der Nussschale
by Dietmar DietrichDie Psyche mit dem neuronalen System verschmelzen zu können, ist ein lang angestrebtes Ziel. Wissenschaftler brauchen oft Jahre, um die Hürden auf dem Weg dahin zu begreifen. Ist das unumgänglich? Welche naturwissenschaftlichen Prinzipien liegen dem vorliegenden Modell zugrunde? Kann es ohne mathematischen Formalismus verstanden werden? Wie kann ein simuliertes Modell dieser Zusammenführung von Psyche und Neurologie – nennen wir es das Psi-Organ – aus heutiger Sicht aussehen?Mit Hilfe von Simulationsexperimenten können damit psychologische und soziale Theorien auf naturwissenschaftlicher Basis überprüft werden. Das Modell kann als Grundlage für KI-Systeme dienen, die Menschenleben retten, Energie sparen, für Sicherheit auf Flughäfen sorgen, bei der Pflege älterer Menschen unterstützen und vieles mehr. Dieses Psi-Organ-Modell geht weit über die heutigen, hauptsächlich verhaltensbasierten KI-Systeme hinaus.Das Manuskript ist als Einführung zum Verständnis und der Modellierung des menschlichen Geistes und der künstlichen, humanoiden "Intelligenz" zu verstehen.
Utilitarianism in Outer Space: Space Policy, Socioeconomic Development and Security Strategies in Nigeria and South Africa (Southern Space Studies)
by Samuel OyewoleThis book showcases Nigerian and South African experiences on space politics, policy and strategy vis-à-vis their development and security aspirations, while contributing to the broader African and the Global-South perspectives on the subject. Space policy in developing countries such as Nigeria and South Africa is motivated by utilitarian promises that space and the attendant technologies have the potential to advance development and security interests of the affected nations. However, several decades into the orbital journey of these countries, little is known of their space politics, policies, strategies, capacities and capabilities, and realisation of desired objectives. Beyond pure and applied sciences reductionism, this book offers social science perspectives on space studies in Africa, as it examines the intricate relationships of historical, geographical, social, demographic, economic, political, administrative, and strategic factors, nationally, regionally and globally that have shaped research and development of space science and technologies, and their benefits, in Nigeria and South Africa.
Electricity: Electromagnetism and Electric Circuits
by Teruo MatsushitaThis book leads students to learn electromagnetism and then moves to chapters about electric circuits. It aims to give an understanding of electromagnetism which gives a fast way to master the features of circuit elements such as resistors, capacitors, and coils that compose electric circuits. The author provides chapters on electromagnetism and electric circuits separately and gives a chapter explaining the correlation between them in detail.In the chapters for electric circuit, DC electric circuits, transient and steady response of AC electric circuits are treated. AC circuit theory is introduced for describing the phenomena in circuits. Theoretical treatments such as branch current method, closed current method, and node potential method are also introduced to show the validity of solution methods that have been used in the book. The book can serve as a compact textbook for lectures, as an introduction for hardware system and electric control systems, and mechanical systems. Chapters for electromagnetism or ones for electric circuits are suitable for a lecture over a semester.
Dilations, Completely Positive Maps and Geometry (Texts and Readings in Mathematics #84)
by B.V. Rajarama Bhat Tirthankar BhattacharyyaThis book introduces the dilation theory of operators on Hilbert spaces and its relationship to complex geometry. Classical as well as very modern topics are covered in the book. On the one hand, it introduces the reader to the characteristic function, a classical object used by Sz.-Nagy and Foias and still a topic of current research. On the other hand, it describes the dilation theory of the symmetrized bidisc which has been developed mostly in the present century and is a very active topic of research. It also describes an abstract theory of dilation in the setting of set theory. This was developed very recently.A good portion of the book discusses various geometrical objects like the bidisc, the Euclidean unit ball, and the symmetrized bidisc. It shows the similarities and differences between the dilation theory in these domains. While completely positive maps play a big role in the dilation theory of the Euclidean unit ball, this is not so in the symmetrized bidisc for example. There, the central role is played by an operator equation. Targeted to graduate students and researchers, the book introduces the reader to different techniques applicable in different domains.
The Holistic Treatment of Sleep Disorders: Complementary Therapy Concept for Physicians and Psychotherapists
by Carolin Marx-DickThe book conveys a complete holistic therapy concept for the treatment of sleep disorders. Starting from the knowledge transfer on the functions of sleep and evident consequences of sleep disorders, Carolin Marx-Dick describes the multimodal treatment according to the concept of mind-body medicine with the help of compact and well-tested instructions for action. This includes mindfulness-based therapy techniques, body therapy elements, nutrition and exercise therapy as well as naturopathic treatment approaches. Work and patient materials are provided for download, enabling a straightforward and short-term application of the therapy methods. Overview tables provide the practitioner with a quick orientation for diagnostics, therapy planning and the use of targeted therapy modules. Every method presented has been proven in treatment practice and can enable patients to maintain their health in the long term.The translation was done with the help of artificial intelligence. A subsequent human revision was done primarily in terms of content.
Recent Trends in Image Processing and Pattern Recognition: 6th International Conference, RTIP2R 2023, Derby, UK, December 7–8, 2023, Revised Selected Papers, Part I (Communications in Computer and Information Science #2026)
by Kc Santosh Aaisha Makkar Myra Conway Ashutosh K. Singh Antoine Vacavant Anas Abou el Kalam Mohamed-Rafik Bouguelia Ravindra HegadiThis book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Recent Trends in Image Processing and Pattern Recognition, RTIP2R 2023, held in Derby, UK, during December 2023, in collaboration with the Applied AI Research Lab at the University of South Dakota.The 62 full papers included in this book were carefully reviewed and selected from 216 submissions. The papers are organized in the following topical sections:Volume I:Artificial intelligence and applied machine learning; applied image processing and pattern recognition; and biometrics and applications.Volume II:Healthcare informatics; pattern recognition in blockchain, IOT, cyber plus network security, and cryptography.
Matthew, Mark, & Luke: A Harmony of the Gospels (Calvin’s New Testament Commentaries (CNTC))
by John CalvinThis volume is one of twelve classic commentaries by John Calvin, theologian par excellence of the Reformation, whose expositions of Scripture remain as relevant as ever. Edited by David W. Torrance and Thomas F. Torrance, these twelve commentaries on the New Testament bring Calvin's authoritative voice to life in clear contemporary English. The translations all strive to retain the close coherence of Calvin's ideas and characteristic images while remaining faithful to the Latin text — doing full justice to the Reformer's qualities as one of history's finest expositors of the Word of God.
Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People: Answers to One of Life's Greatest Moral Questions
by David ArnoldThis simple, comprehensive tool teaches readers that the suffering, distress, and frustration they've encountered are not outside the assistance of God's grace.
Amos and Lamentations: God's People in Crisis (International Theological Commentary (ITC))
by Robert Martin-Achard S P Re'emi"Here in a straightforward and readable way S. Paul Re'emi takes us into the experience of exile in Lamentations, while Robert Martin-Achard takes us behind that moment into Amos's confrontations with Israel which preceded her exile. The commentaries enable the reader to appreciate much of the prayer and the challenge that these two books expressed, and encourage us to see them as not merely ancient texts but theological resources for the modern world." — John Goldingay St. John's College, Nottingham
Data Science at the Warriors
by Iavor Bojinov Michael ParzenAn introductory case for a data science course, which provides an overview of the data science pipeline.
Call of Fiduciary Duty: Microsoft Acquires Activision Blizzard
by James Barnett Jonas Heese Joseph PacelliIn January 2022, Microsoft announces its acquisition of the video game company Activision Blizzard, in a deal valued at $68.7 billion, which would make Microsoft the world's third largest video game company. The deal came as Activision Blizzard faced gender pay disparity and sexual harassment allegations.
Applied Intuition: Powering Autonomy
by Andy Wu Matt Higgins Rocio WuApplied Intuition, a leader in autonomous vehicle simulation software, has just closed on a $175 million round of Series D financing that values the four-year-old firm at $3.6 billion. With the immediate future secure, CEO Qasar Younis must now chart a strategic course for Applied Intuition's growth over the next ten years.
Karin Vinik at South Lake Hospital (A)
by Joseph L. Badaracco Jr. Kim B. ClarkA newly appointed hospital CEO must decide how aggressively she should pursue a sexual harassment accusation against a long-time senior hospital executive, who was also a rival for the CEO position.
Battle for the Soul of Capitalism: Unilever and the Kraft Heinz Takeover Bid (A)
by Amram Migdal William W. GeorgeThis case describes Kraft Heinz Company's (KHC) February 2017 unsolicited $143 billion takeover offer to acquire Unilever. The offer was made to Unilever CEO Paul Polman by KHC chairman Alexandre Behring, who was also co-founder and CEO of Brazilian-based 3G Capital (3G). Since being acquired by 3G in 2013, KHC profit margins had increased by more than half, to 28%, well above food industry averages, as its share price rose 24%. The case examines the divergent approaches to value creation embraced by 3G and Unilever, respectively. 3G had a well-earned reputation for immediate return to shareholders by cutting costs in its acquired companies, creating rapid increases in earnings and cash flow. Under the leadership of co-founder Jorge Paulo Lemann, 3G had teamed with Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway in recent years on the acquisitions of Burger King, which then bought Tim Horton's in Canada, and H.J. Heinz, which subsequently acquired Kraft Foods. Under Polman's leadership, Unilever focused on long-term shareholder value accretion with a multi-stakeholder approach that emphasized global growth in revenues and earnings through deep penetration in rapidly growing emerging markets and creation of competitive advantage through sustainability. In Polman's eight years at the helm, Unilever had delivered a 190% return to its shareholders. The case presents Polman's dilemma: a takeover of Unilever by KHC/3G could erode the company's commitment to sustainability and a multi-stakeholder model, and the 18% premium of KHC/3G's offer undervalued Unilever and its long-term value creation strategy. However, 3G's emphasis on efficiency could enhance Unilever's profitability, and Polman was obliged to give serious consideration to the KHC offer and whether it would drive near-term value creation for Unilever shareholders.