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Towards Unmanned Surface Vehicles: Methods and Practices
by Chenguang Liu Huarong ZhengTowards Unmanned Surface Vehicles: Methods and Practices presents the latest overview, methodologies, design practices, and applications of unmanned surface vehicles (USVs).The authors introduce advanced theories and algorithms for the analysis and design of a maritime unmanned surface vehicle system, covering the sensing, path following, navigation, and control of the ocean surface environment. They demonstrate the architectural design, implementation, and field testing of USVs as well as key applications, such as hostile military scenarios, scientific oceanographic observation, and intelligent waterborne transportation. In addition, they address the open challenges in the field and propose the corresponding future perspectives.The book will appeal to researchers, graduate students, and engineers interested in USVs.
Towards Unmanned Apple Orchard Production Cycle: Recent New Technologies (Smart Agriculture #6)
by Zhao Zhang Xufeng WangThe book provides the most recent technology for sensing and automation in apple production cycle in terms of bagging robotics, flower pollination robotics, pruning robotics, and harvest robotics. It does not only summarize the development of technology progress, but also discuss the future trend for unmanned apple production cycle. Though apple production still mainly relies on manual labor, a huge number of innovative technologies emerge during the past years, which pave the road for unmanned apple orchard management. A book summarizing all these new and innovative technologies is needed, to provide an easy approach to understand this field quickly and comprehensively, which drives the publication of this book. This book is a useful reference for students, researchers, and practitioners in the field of apple production.
Towards Universality: Le Corbusier, Mies and De Stijl
by Richard PadovanThere is no shortage of books about Le Corbusier, or Mies van der Rohe, or De Stijl. However, this book considers them in relation to each other, observing how a study of one can illuminate the works of the others. Going beyond a superficial look at the end-products of these architects, this book examines the philosophical foundations of their work, taking as its central theme the aim of universality, as opposed to the individual and the particular. Each of these three aimed at universality, but for each this concept took on a different form. The universality of De Stijl and artists like Van Doesburg and Mondrian resembled that of the universe itself: it was boundless, going beyond the limits of the canvas and seeking to abolish the wall as the boundary between interior and exterior space. In contrast, each of Le Corbusier’s creations was a self-contained universe within a clear frame, while Mies fluctuated between these two perspectives.
Towards Universal Health Care in Emerging Economies
by Ilcheong YiThis book explores how political, social, economic and institutional factors in eight emerging economies have combined to generate diverse outcomes in their move towards universal health care. Structured in three parts, the book begins by framing social policy as an integral system in its own right. The following two parts go on to discuss the opportunities and challenges of achieving universal health care in Thailand, Brazil and China, and survey the obstacles facing India, Indonesia, Russia, South Africa and Venezuela in the reform of their health care systems. The evolution of social policy systems and the cases in this volume together demonstrate that universalism in health care is continuously redefined by the interactions between diverse political forces and through specific policy processes. At a time when international and national-level discourse around health systems has once again brought universalism to the fore, this edited collection offers a timely contribution to the field in its thorough analysis of health care reform in emerging economies.
Towards Understanding the Qur'an: English Only Edition
by Sayyid Abul Mawdudi Zafar Ishaq AnsariAn immense understanding of the Qur'an is offered here, a vast treasure of knowledge and deep insight and a valuable exposition of some social, political, economic and legal teachings of the Qur'an. But what makes this work unique is that it presents the Qur'an as a book to be lived by. With thousands of notes, an introduction and comprehensive index.
Towards Understanding the Climate of Venus
by David Grinspoon Sebastien Lebonnois Lennart Bengtsson Symeon Koumoutsaris Roger-Maurice Bonnet Dmitri TitovESA's Venus Express Mission has monitored Venus since April 2006, and scientists worldwide have used mathematical models to investigate its atmosphere and model its circulation. This book summarizes recent work to explore and understand the climate of the planet through a research program under the auspices of the International Space Science Institute (ISSI) in Bern, Switzerland. Some of the unique elements that are discussed are the anomalies with Venus' surface temperature (the huge greenhouse effect causes the surface to rise to 460°C, without which would plummet as low as -40°C), its unusual lack of solar radiation (despite being closer to the Sun, Venus receives less solar radiation than Earth due to its dense cloud cover reflecting 76% back) and the juxtaposition of its atmosphere and planetary rotation (wind speeds can climb up to 200 m/s, much faster than Venus' sidereal day of 243 Earth-days).
Towards Understanding Islam
by Sayyid Abul MawdudiTowards Understanding Islam is a religious text with a difference. It offers a simple exposition of the essential teachings of Islam: its approach to life, the articles of its faith, its scheme of worship and prayers, and the social order that it envisages.
Towards Ultrasound-guided Spinal Fusion Surgery
by Amir ManbachiThis thesis describesthe design and fabrication of ultrasound probes for pedicle screw guidance. Theauthor details the fabrication of a 2MHz radial array for a pedicle screw insertioneliminatingthe need for manual rotation of the transducer. He includes radial images obtainedfrom successive groupings of array elements in various fluids. He also examines the manner in which it canaffect ultrasound propagation.
Towards Ulam Type Multi Stability Analysis: A Novel Approach for Fuzzy Dynamical Systems (Studies in Systems, Decision and Control #523)
by Reza Saadati Tofigh Allahviranloo Safoura Rezaei Aderyani Chenkuan LiThe main target of this book is to present a new concept of Ulam-type stability, i.e., multi-stability, through the classical, well-known special functions and to obtain the best approximation error estimates by a different concept of perturbation stability including fuzzy approaches for uncertainty considerations. This stability allows us to obtain diverse approximations depending on various special functions that are initially chosen and to evaluate maximal stability and minimal error which enable us to obtain a unique optimal solution of functional equations, inequalities, and fractional equations. Stability analysis in the sense of the Ulam and its different kinds has received considerable attention from the researchers. However, how to effectively generalize the Ulam stability problems and to evaluate optimized controllability and stability are new issues. The multi-stability not only covers the previous concepts but also considers the optimization of the problem and provides a comprehensive discussion of optimizing the different types of the Ulam stabilities of mathematical models used in the natural sciences and engineering disciplines with fuzzy attitudes. Besides, this book also deals with nonlinear differential equations with various boundary conditions or initial value problems, based on the matrix Mittag-Leffler function, fixed point theory, as well as Babenko's approach to study uniqueness and existence of solutions. In general, the benefits for the readers can be concluded as follows: 1. Evaluates maximal stability with minimal error to get a unique optimal solution. 2. Discusses an optimal method of the alternative to study existence, uniqueness, and different types of Ulam stabilities under special consideration of the fuzzy approaches. 3. Delves into the new study of boundary value problems of fractional integro-differential equations with integral boundary conditions and variable coefficients.
Towards Ubiquitous Low-power Image Processing Platforms
by Magnus Jahre Diana Göhringer Philippe MilletThis book summarizes the key scientific outcomes of the Horizon 2020 research project TULIPP: Towards Ubiquitous Low-power Image Processing Platforms. The main focus lies on the development of high-performance, energy-efficient embedded systems for the growing range of increasingly complex image processing applications. The holistic TULIPP approach is described in the book, which addresses hardware platforms, programming tools and embedded operating systems. Several of the results are available as open-source hardware/software for the community. The results are evaluated with several use cases taken from real-world applications in key domains such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), robotics, space and medicine.Discusses the development of high-performance, energy-efficient embedded systems for the growing range of increasingly complex image processing applications;Covers the hardware architecture of embedded image processing systems, novel methods, tools and libraries for programming those systems as well as embedded operating systems to manage those systems;Demonstrates results with several challenging applications, such as medical systems, robotics, drones and automotive.
Towards Trustworthy Artificial Intelligent Systems (Intelligent Systems, Control and Automation: Science and Engineering #102)
by Maria Isabel Aldinhas Ferreira Mohammad Osman TokhiThis present book provides valuable insights on the technical, societal and legal challenges posed by the use of artificial intelligent systems in a plethora of different applications, from embodied robotic systems to ML algorithms. Engaging with concerns about equity, privacy, surveillance and respect for human dignity, “Towards Trustworthy Artificial Intelligent Systems” highlights the fundamental factors on which stakeholders’ trust relies, identifying benchmarking, standardisation and certification as milestones grounding and consolidating that future trust. The multidisciplinary approach followed will make this book a valuable resource for all those involved in the production and deployment of AIs, as well as for academia and legal practitioners.
Towards Tree-level Evapotranspiration Estimation with Small UAVs in Precision Agriculture
by YangQuan Chen Haoyu NiuEstimating evapotranspiration (ET) has been one of the most critical research areas in agriculture because of water scarcity, the growing population, and climate change. The accurate estimation and mapping of ET are necessary for crop water management. Traditionally, researchers use water balance, soil moisture, weighing lysimeters, or an energy balance approach, such as Bowen ratio or eddy covariance towers to estimate ET. However, these ET methods are point-specific or area-weighted measurements and cannot be extended to a large scale. On the other hand, while remote sensing is able to provide spatially distributed measurements, the spatial resolution of multispectral satellite images is often not enough for crops with clumped canopy structures, such as trees and vines. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can mitigate these spatial and temporal limitations. Lightweight cameras and sensors can be mounted on the UAVs and take high-resolution images. Unlike satellite imagery, the spatial resolution of the UAV images can be at the centimeter-level. UAVs can also fly on-demand, which provides high temporal imagery. This book examines the different UAV-based approaches of ET estimation. Models and algorithms, such as mapping evapotranspiration at high resolution with internalized calibration (METRIC), the two-source energy balance (TSEB) model, and machine learning (ML) are discussed. It also covers the challenges and opportunities for UAVs in ET estimation, with the final chapters devoted to new ET estimation methods and their potential applications for future research.
Towards Tragedy/Reclaiming Hope: Literature, Theology and Sociology in Conversation
by Pink Dandelion Rachel Muers Brian Phillips Douglas GwynThe 'death of tragedy' in the modern era has been proposed and debated in recent years, largely in terms of literature and western culture in general. Today, any catastrophe or misadventure is likely to be labeled a 'tragedy', without any inference of a larger, transcendent horizon or providential design that the word once conveyed. This book offers new perspectives on the idea of the 'death of tragedy', taking England and the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in particular as a case study. Chapters focus on the origins of tragedy in ancient Greece, gospel and tragedy, the beginnings of the Quaker movement in seventeenth-century England, apocalyptic versus secularized experiences of time, Edwardian Quaker triumphalism, the search for English identity in postcolonial Britain, liberal Quakerism at the end of the twentieth century, and the promise and dilemma of postmodernity. The different disciplinary perspectives of the contributing authors bring literature, history, theology and sociology into a creative and revealing conversation. A Foreword by Richard Fenn introduces the book with an original and provocative meditation on tragedy and time.
Towards Tradable Water Rights
by Min JiangThis book provides a first comprehensive legal examination of water rights arrangements and water rights trading in China. Although recent water reform in China has made substantial progress in policy development and practice, how its legal and institutional framework facilitates or hinders the application of tradable water rights remains less addressed in the existing scholarship. Against the backdrop of China's water reform and the wider international debate in water governance, this book aims to provide an innovative approach to the complex issue of water governance by critically analysing the recent legal and policy developments in China towards tradable water rights. It examines the deficiencies of the current systems for water rights arrangements and trading, explores how China may learn from and build on the international trends in water rights trading practice (mainly Australia and the US), and proposes legal and policy frameworks for defining and administering tradable water rights in China that underpin sustainable water use in the face of exacerbated water scarcity, variability, and uncertainty. All in all, the book proposes pragmatic strategies for China's water law and policy reform to move towards tradable water rights, which encompasses a comprehensive prescription from initialising and defining tradable water rights to administering water rights and trading. By reflecting on the deepening water reforms in both China and other jurisdictions, the book aims to contribute to the international water governance debate by exploring from a legal and policy perspective, how China, comparative to other cases around the world, can find a balanced combination of water allocation mechanisms to address its water challenges. It is hoped that the observations and proposed implications for China's water reform will contribute to developing a better understanding of the way in which experiences in water markets can be shared from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
Towards The True Kinship Of Faiths: How the World's Religions Can Come Together
by His Holiness The Dalai LamaNo country, no culture, no person today is untouched by what happens in the rest of the world, and globalization presents many challenges. The Dalai Lama understands that the essential task of humanity in the twenty-first century must be to cultivate peaceful coexistence. In this book the Dalai Lama shows how in our globalized world, nations, cultures and individuals can find opportunities to connect through their shared human nature. All faiths turn to compassion as a guiding principle for living a good life. It is the responsibility of all people with an aspiration to spiritual perfection to help develop a deep recognition of the value of other faiths, and it is on that basis alone that we can cultivate genuine respect and cooperation.Towards the True Kinship of Faiths is a hopeful yet realistic look at how humanity can embrace a harmonious future.
Towards Tate Modern: Public Policy, Private Vision
by Caroline DonnellanTowards Tate Modern provides a new interdisciplinary account of Tate’s shifting position as a national arts institution. The book examines how earlier government directives impacted on Tate, which saw the organisation refocusing its aims and resulted in it pioneering new models for working across the public and private sectors. The decade prior to the opening of Tate Modern witnessed a changing political, economic, cultural and social landscape. As London was rebuilding its own vision, Tate re-configured its role as a public museum and gallery by engaging with the market. Tate re-imagined what a public museum and gallery can do, what it can look like and where it can be and, in doing so, responded to a new kind of audience with a larger appetite than before. Re-cast as a cultural and social forum, Tate Modern turned itself into a popular public event. This research considers how Tate Modern generated a set of new debates and what this might mean for the future role of the public museum and gallery. Towards Tate Modern will be of particular interest to academics and students, art practitioners and policy makers working in the fields of museum studies, policy studies, cultural studies, urban studies, and political and economic history, as well as those involved in archival research. It will also engage those wishing to widen their understanding of how an institution such as Tate Modern was created.
Towards THz Chipless High-Q Cooperative Radar Targets for Identification, Sensing, and Ranging (Springer Theses)
by Alejandro Jiménez-SáezThis work systematically investigates the use of high-quality (high-Q) resonators as coding particles of chipless cooperative radar targets to overcome clutter. Due to their high-Q, the backscattered signature can outlast clutter and permit reliable readouts in dynamic environments as well as its integration in other types of cooperative radar targets for joint identification, sensing, and ranging capabilities.This is first demonstrated with temperature and pressure sensors in the microwave frequency range, which include the characterization of a novel temperature sensor for machine tool monitoring up to 400 °C, as well as inside the machine. Afterwards, the thesis proposes and demonstrates the use of metallic as well as dielectric Electromagnetic BandGap (EBG) structures to enable the realization and to enhance the capabilities at mm-Wave and THz frequencies compared to microwave frequencies with compact monolithic multi-resonator cooperative radar targets. Furthermore, this work studies the integration of resonators as coding particles inside larger retroreflective configurations such as Luneburg lenses to achieve long-range and high accuracy for localization and, at the same time, frequency coding robust against clutter for identification. Finally, the successful readout of these cooperative radar targets is demonstrated in cluttered dynamic environments, as well as with readers based on Frequency-Modulated Continuous-Wave (FMCW) radars.
Towards Sustainable Well-Being: Moving beyond GDP in Canada and the World
by Anders Hayden Jeffrey Wilson Céofride GaudetTowards Sustainable Well-Being examines existing efforts and emerging possibilities to improve upon gross domestic product as the dominant indicator of economic and social performance. Contributions from leading international and Canadian researchers in the field of beyond-GDP measurement offer a rich range of perspectives on alternative ways to measure well-being and sustainability, along with lessons from around the world on how to bring those metrics into the policy process. Key topics include the policy and political impacts of major beyond-GDP measurement initiatives; the most promising possibilities and policy applications for beyond-GDP measurement; key barriers to introducing beyond-GDP metrics; and complementary measures to ensure new measurements are not merely calculated but taken into account in policymaking. The book highlights a distinction between a reformist beyond-GDP vision, which seeks to improve policymaking and quality of life within existing political and economic institutions, and a transformative vision aiming for more fundamental change including a move beyond economic growth. Illustrating the many advances that have occurred in Canada and internationally, Towards Sustainable Well-Being proposes next steps for both the reformist and transformative visions, as well as possible common ground between them in the pursuit of sustainable well-being.
Towards Sustainable Use of Rangelands in North-West China
by Guolin Li Victor Squires Limin Hua Degang ZhangThis book reviews the extent of resource debasement in China's pastoral zones and offers solutions for their sustainable use. The 5-parts deal with rangelands and the people who manage them, and assess the prospects for rehabilitation. Topics include Livestock husbandry development and agro-pastoral integration in NW China; Ecological restoration and control of rangeland degradation. Despite widespread degradation, the book reveals the possibilities for rehabilitation and the implementation of sustainable use and for reclamation of degraded lands.
Towards Sustainable Rural Regions in Europe: Exploring Inter-Relationships Between Rural Policies, Farming, Environment, Demographics, Regional Economies and Quality of Life Using System Dynamics (Routledge Studies in Development and Society)
by Tom Johnson John M. Bryden Sophia Efstratoglou Tibor Ferenczi Karlheinz Knickel Karen Refsgaard Kenneth J. ThomsonThis book presents the methodology and results of a three-year, eleven-country science-to-policy research project – Toward a Policy Model of Multifunctional Agriculture and Rural Development – undertaken between 2005 and 2008 and financed under the European Union's Sixth Framework program. It deals with an important contemporary policy issue: how best to ensure that an agriculturally-based policy can contribute to the development of rural regions. It tackles this problem in a number of different but complementary ways, primarily by the development of a unique and innovative dynamic systems model, POMMARD (a Policy Model of Multifunctional Agriculture and Rural Development).
Towards Sustainable Natural Resources: Monitoring and Managing Ecosystem Biodiversity
by Pavan Kumar Meenu Rani Bhagwan Singh Chaudhary Saleha JamalNatural resources not only contribute to overall growth of the economy but also help reduce poverty by providing employment and food security to populations on the continent, and is thus the most inclusive growth sector of the economy of Asian countries. Global weather and climate studies are also increasingly being considered a vital source of information to understand the earth’s environment, in particular in the framework of weather and climate studies, land use transformation and human influence across these areas. Satellite earth observing systems provide a unique tool to monitor these changes. This book includes significant and up to date contributions in the field of sustainable natural resources conservation across the globe. While the range of applications and innovative techniques is constantly increasing, this book provides a summary of key case studies where satellite data offers critical information to help understand the causes and effects of those environmental changes, allowing us to reflect on how to minimize their negative impacts. This book is of interest to researchers and practitioners in the field of remote sensing, geographical information, meteorology, and environmental sciences. Scientists and graduate to post-graduate-level students in environmental science will also find valuable information in this book.
Towards Sustainable Macroalgae Biorefineries: Advances in Predictive Modelling of a Green Seaweed Ulva sp. Cultivation (SpringerBriefs in Environmental Science)
by Meiron Zollmann Alexander Liberzon Alexander GolbergMarine biorefineries of macroalgal (seaweed) feedstock are sustainable sources of food, materials, and energy, and can alleviate the growing pressure on land and freshwater resources. Development of an environmentally friendly seaweed biorefinery at an industrial scale requires a better understanding of the seaweeds’ life cycle and improving the inefficiency of on- and offshore cultivation technologies and downstream processing. This study addresses the challenges of developing a reliable, efficient, and continuous macroalgae feedstock supply through an enhanced understanding of the cultivation dynamics of the green macroalgae Ulva. We identified and focused on six knowledge gaps in the macroalgae cultivation process: (i) insufficient knowledge regarding the combined effect of nutrient concentrations and relative water-thallus velocity on growth rates of Ulva sp.; (ii) lack of exergy analysis of macroalgae cultivation systems; (iii) poor information regarding the potential growth rates of macroalgae in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea (EMS) deep seawater (DSW) nutrient concentrations; (iv) a lack of high-resolution (time scale of hours-to-days) macroalgae growth and nutrient models describing the dynamics of ambient N concentrations, internal N content, and growth rate; (v) poor knowledge about nutrient and growth dynamics of Ulva sp. when cultivated in naturally varying environmental conditions offshore the EMS; and (vi) a lack of multi-scale nutrient removal and macroalgae growth dynamics model relating to temporal and spatial variations. We attempt to fill these gaps by measuring growth rates and chemical compositions of Ulva sp. macroalgae in cultivation experiments in different systems and under different conditions and by developing models that progress from an energy balance model, through a basic growth model, to a more advanced physiological model, all based on experimental results. Altogether, we create a methodology and a framework for future precision seaweed farming.
Towards Sustainable Livelihoods and Ecosystems in Mountain Regions
by Vishwambhar Prasad SatiSustainable livelihoods and ecosystems are far-reaching and burning issues in the wake of high growth of population, low production and per ha yield of crops and depletion of biodiversity resources. Mountainous regions of the world are facing the menace of poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition. Further, tremendous growth in population and slow pace of development have together forced most of the population to live below poverty line. Traditionally depending upon cultivating subsistence crops for food requirement, the people living in mountainous region are unable to produce sufficient food grains to run their livelihood smoothly. The Himalayas is one of the world's biodiversity hotspots and has an abundance of natural resources: land, water and forest - life sustaining factors. The geo-environmental conditions - climate and landscape further enhance the possibility of sustainable livelihoods through eco-tourism, harnessing water resources and utilizing forests and their products sustainably. Diversifying agricultural practices through cultivating cash and cereal crops and enhancing livelihood options through extensive use of timber and non-timber based forestry products can help to eradicate poverty and provide food security. This book consists of an introduction and nine chapters, covering geo-environmental setting, socio-economy and population profile, sustainable livelihoods: diversification and enhancement, livelihood analysis, development of tourism and hydroelectricity, case studies, mountain ecosystems, sustainable mountain development and also presents a conclusion.
Towards Sustainable Good Health and Well-being: The Role of Health Literacy
by Torstein Hole Marit Kvangarsnes Bodil J. Landstad Elise Kvalsund Bårdsgjerde Sandra Elizabeth Tippett-SpirtouThe purpose of this open access book is threefold. The first is to shed light on patient participation and health literacy for Good Health and Well-being, which is one of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Health literacy is considered a prerequisite for patients to be able to participate in shared decisions on their own treatment (WHO,1998). Health literacy has received increased international attention: the concept is linked to person-centred health services, sustainable resource utilization, health-promoting and preventive health work, treatment of chronic diseases and social inequality (WHO, 2016). The second purpose is to provide health professionals and students with educational models for building health literacy for patients and relatives. This purpose is linked to Quality Education, one of the UN's sustainability goals. The third purpose is to present critical perspectives on the demand for sustainability in healthcare services. Both ethical dilemmas and philosophical reflections on patient participation, health literacy and sustainability are presented. The Norwegian definition of health literacy is as follows: “Health competence is a person's ability to understand, assess and apply health information to be able to take knowledge-based decisions related to one's own health. This applies to both decisions related to lifestyle choices, disease prevention measures, self-management of disease and use of the health and care service” (Helsedireektoratet, 2020). The sustainability goal is clearly outlined in this definition, although the organisational perspective on health literacy is lacking. Patient participation leads to improved patient satisfaction and safety (Castro, Van Regenmortel, Vanhaecht, Sermeus, & Van Hecke, 2016; Collins, Britten, Ruusuvuori, & Thompson, 2007; Vahdat, Hamzehgardeshi, Hessam, & Hamzehgardeshi, 2014), efficient co-operation between patients and healthcare professionals, and enhanced management ofthe disease (Collins et al., 2007; Vahdat et al., 2014). Health literacy as well as patient participation are important aspects for sustainable development and good and effective healthcare services in the future.
Towards Sustainable Futures: The Role of Evaluation (Comparative Policy Evaluation)
by Kim Forss Ida Lindkvist Per Øyvind BastøeTowards Sustainable Futures serves as a guide to better understand what roles evaluation can play in sustainability. Rather than proposing a single definition of sustainability or methodological approach, this book gives us the tools to improve the quality and relevance of evaluation of sustainability. Divided into two parts, the first part introduces the reader to key debates and challenges related to evaluation of sustainability. Part Two provides examples of methods and applications. By combining a stellar line up of specialists, theorists, and practitioners in the field of development evaluation with expert, accessible and engaged analysis of key issues, Towards Sustainable Futures is a must-read source for re-tooling and re-focussing evaluation towards the green transition imperative. It should be essential reading for scholars and practitioners of evaluation.Chapters 1, 4, 6 and 15 of this book are freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons [Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND)] 4.0 license.