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Towards Green Marine Technology and Transport
by Guedes Soares R. Dejhalla D. PavletićTowards Green Marine Technology and Transport covers recent developments in marine technology and transport. The book brings together a selection of papers reflecting fundamental areas of recent research and development in the fields of ship hydrodynamics, marine structures, ship design, shipyard technology, ship machinery, maritime transportation,
Towards Green Lubrication in Machining
by Willey Liew Yun HsienThe book gives an overview of environmental friendly gaseous and vapour, refrigerated compressed gas, solid lubricant, mist lubrication, minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) and vegetable oils that can be used as lubricants and additives in industrial machining applications. This book introduces vegetable oils as viable and good alternative resources because of their environmental friendly, non-toxic and readily biodegradable nature. The effectiveness of various types of vegetables oils as lubricants and additives in reducing wear and friction is discussed in this book. Engineers and scientist working in the field of lubrication and machining will find this book useful.
Towards Green ICT (River Publishers Series In Communications Ser.)
by Homayoun Nikookar Peter Koch Ramjee Prasad Peter Gorm Larsen Peter Jung Masanori Hariyama Petar Popovski Dina Šimunić Yariv Taran Hiroyuki Morikawa Peter Lindgren Leo P. Ligthart Knud Erik Skouby Shingo Ohmori Dina Šimunic L. E. Mägi M. G. Gustafsson A. Kramers Hideaki Imaizumi Takeshi Mizuike Keizo Sugiyama Kishore Ramareddy Parag Pruthi Iwona Windekilde Christoph Spiegel Sebastian Rickers Woojin Shim Rami Lee Jae Hwang Yu Rasmus Krigslund Iskra Dukovska-Popovska Gert F. Pedersen Boris Manev Rasmus Hjorth Nielsen Albena Mihovska Ole Brun Madsen Alberto Nannarelli Nobuo Nakajima L. Jorguseski R. Litjens J. Oostveen H. Zhang John Rohde Sune Wolff Thomas Skjødeberg Toftegaard Kenneth Lausdahl Augusto Ribeiro Poul Ejnar Rovsing Masahide Sasaki Atsushi Waseda Masahiro Takeoka Mikio Fujiwara Hidema Tanaka Masahiro Umehira Michitaka Kameyama Hideaki Furukawa Naoya Wada Xiaohua Lian Kristin Saughaug Subria ClemensenICT is playing an increasingly important role in both business and individual's private life. It has increased international interconnectedness and speed up the process of globalization. But on the other side the total energy consumption by the communication and networking devices and the relevant global CO emission is increasing exponentially. ICT has, in many ways, a vital role to play. It accounts for about two percent of global CO emissions. Telecommunications applications can have a direct, tangible impact on lowering greenhouse gas emissions, power consumption, and achieve efficient recycling of equipment waste.This book is the outcome of the special session on Green Communications at 'The 12th International Symposium on Wireless Personal Multimedia Communications' (WPMC) held in September '09 in Sendai, Japan. To the best of the editors' knowledge this is the first book on the Green Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and can be considered a milestone and a key-tool aimed at driving the industrial, scientific and academic efforts of the international community to guarantee a greener future to the whole planet.
Towards Green Hydrogen Generation (Advances in Hydrogen Production and Storage (AHPS))
by Mehmet Sankir Nurdan Demirci SankirReaders will find a multidisciplinary approach elucidating all the important features of green hydrogen so that science researchers and energy engineers as well as those in economics, political science and international relations, will also find value. Energy sources and generation is the foremost concern of all governments, NGOs, and activist groups. With Green New Deals and reduced or net zero emission goals being implemented on a global scale, the quest for economic, scalable, efficient, and sustainable energy systems has reached a fever pitch. No one energy source ticks all the boxes and new energy technologies are being developed all the time as potential disruptors. Enter green hydrogen with zero emissions. Hydrogen is a rare gas in nature and is often found together with natural gas. While hydrogen is the most abundant element in the known universe, molecular hydrogen is very rare in nature and needs to be produced—and produced in large quantities, if we are serious about the Green Deal. This book has been organized into three parts to introduce and discuss these crucial topics. Part I discusses the Green Deal and the current state and challenges encountered in the industrialization of green hydrogen production, as well as related politics. Chapters in this section include how to decarbonize the energy industry with green hydrogen, and one that describes a gradual shift in the approach of hydrogen production technologies from non-renewable to renewable. Part II is devoted to carbon capturing and hydrogen. Chapters on biomass mass waste-to-hydrogen conversion and related efficient and sustainable hydrogen storage pathways, life cycle assessment for eco-design of biohydrogen factory by microalgae, and metal oxide-based carbon capture technologies are all addressed in this section. The third and final part of the book was designed to present all features of green hydrogen generation. Chapters include PEM water electrolysis and other electrolyzers, wind-driven hydrogen production, and bifunctional electrocatalysts-driven hybrid water splitting, are introduced and thoroughly discussed. Audience This book is directed to researchers and industry professionals in energy engineering, chemistry, physics, materials science, and chemical engineering, as well as energy policymakers, energy economists, and others in the social sciences.
Towards Green Cities
by Karsten Grunewald Junxiang Li Gaodi Xie Lennart Kümper-SchlakeThe book aims to capture, describe and convey the current significance, the values and potentials of urban biodiversity and ecosystem services to scientists and professionals in the context of sustainable urban development and ongoing urbanization processes. Current developments, different approaches and future challenges in the competition of green spaces and urban land consumption in China and Germany are elaborated, discussed and illustrated within case studies and good practice examples. The strategic goal is a long-term appreciation of the potentials and increased consideration of urban green spaces in city planning and development. This book provides tangible recommendations for urban planners, politicians and stakeholders in the fields of green infrastructure at the interface of environment and urban landscape.
Towards Green Chemical Processes: Strategies and Innovations (Intelligent Systems Reference Library #277)
by Pallavi Jain Sapna Raghav Anil Kumar JangirThis book is designed for forward-thinking professionals, researchers, and senior students in chemistry, chemical engineering, and industrial manufacturing, this essential resource explores how green chemistry can be effectively applied in real-world industrial settings. It also speaks directly to environmental engineers and sustainability experts eager to stay ahead of emerging trends and innovations in sustainable practices. With practical insights tailored for industry leaders and policymakers committed to reducing environmental impact, this work delivers scalable solutions and cutting-edge strategies for transforming industrial processes. A vital tool for anyone looking to drive meaningful change, it empowers organizations to meet sustainability targets while enhancing efficiency and innovation.
Towards Green Campus Operations: Energy, Climate And Sustainable Development Initiatives At Universities (World Sustainability Series)
by Walter Leal Filho Fernanda Frankenberger Patricia Iglecias Roberta Consentino Kronka MülfarthMatters related to sustainable development, albeit global in nature, are best handled at the local level. This line of thinking is particularly true to the higher education context, where the design and implementation of sustainability initiatives on campuses can demonstrate how a given university translates the principles of sustainable development into practice, at the institutional level. Yet, there is a paucity of specific events where a dialogue among sustainability academics and practitioners concerned with a) research, projects b) teaching and c) planning and infra-structure leading to campus greening takes place, so as to allow a transdisciplinary and cross-sectoral exchange of ideas and experiences on the issues, matters and problems at hand. It is against this background that this book has been prepared. It is one of the outcomes of the “First Symposium on Sustainability in University Campuses” (SSUC-2017) organised by the University of São Paulo in Brazil, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), the Research and Transfer Centre “Applications of Life Sciences” of the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (Germany), and the Inter-University Sustainable Development Research Programme (IUSDRP). This book showcases examples of campus-based research and teaching projects, regenerative campus design, low-carbon and zero carbon buildings, waste prevention, and resilient transport, among others. It also demonstrates the role of campuses as platforms for transformative social learning and research, and explores the means via which university campuses can be made more sustainable. The aims of this publication are as follows: i. to provide universities with an opportunity to obtain information on campus greening and sustainable campus development initiatives from round the world; ii. to document and promote information, ideas and experiences acquired in the execution of research, teaching and projects on campus greening and design, especially successful initiatives and good practice; iii. to introduce methodological approaches and projects which aim to integrate the topic of sustainable development in campus design and operations. This book entails contributions from researchers and practitioners in the field of campus greening and sustainable development in the widest sense, from business and economics, to arts, administration and environment.
Towards Good Lighting for the Stage: Aesthetic Theory for Theatrical Lighting Design
by Marcus DoshiTowards Good Lighting for the Stage: Aesthetic Theory for Theatrical Lighting Design explores the theoretical underpinnings of effective lighting design from conceptualization to live performance. Through an investigation of the author’s own aesthetic point of view—grounded in a broad investigation of art and design that blends pop culture and fine art, theory, and practice—this book documents the author’s thinking on the design process to fill the unexplored gap between an aesthetic philosophy and its expression in composition. Redefinitions of the artist, artwork, and spectator link beauty and artistic efficacy to arrive at a set of principles for assessment that demand that contemporary lighting design surpass utilitarian visibility to become a vital part of the total artwork that is a theatrical production. Inspired by the movements of the broader art and design worlds of the mid-19th century through present day—citing influences as diverse as Jennifer Tipton, Lois Tyson, Dieter Rams, and Dave Hickey—this book charts a course from the artistic team’s dramaturgical work to a solo studio concept to the tech table. Engaging and wide-ranging, Towards Good Lighting for the Stage synthesizes years of cross-disciplinary research and case studies of the author’s own work into provocative reading for practitioners of lighting design, advanced students, and academics, as well as those interested in connecting theatrical practice, aesthetic theory, and visual art.
Towards Glocal Social Work in the Era of Compressed Modernity: Towards an Era of Distorted Modernity (Contemporary Social Work Studies)
by Timo Harrikari Pirkko-Liisa RauhalaThis book addresses the change of social work in the frame of modernisation. Through Mary Richmond’s classical idea of social work, the book seeks to set current societal trends affecting social work into the context of a long historical line, opening spaces for the new debates within the social work discipline as well as proposing and taking some new directions in the current era of compressed modernity. From the viewpoint of social work, there still is an individual in a situation, however, the situation has profoundly changed during the past hundred years. Divided into seven chapters, topics covered include, firstly, the rethinking of Richmond’s original idea, revisiting the modernisation theories and social transformations as well as discussion on the social work theories and mandates according to the chosen classics. Secondly, the book continues with sketching the pillars of compressed modernity and rethinking the global and local relations. During the era of glocalisation, polycentrism, digitalisation and hybridisation, the previous conceptualisations of social theory have to be reconsidered. Finally, a proposal for glocal social work vision is represented by setting questions which should be taken under scrutinity. Academics, researchers, practising social workers and students of social work, as well as of social policy, administration, social law and other social sciences, will find this book to be an essential text for understanding the current societal changes, trends and tendencies. The book provides a lot of information for policymakers and citizens interested in the background knowledge for the contemporary societal situation.
Towards Global Sustainability
by Paul J. J. Welfens Jens K. Perret Tony Irawan Evgeniya YushkovaThis study develops a new indicator for national and global sustainability. The main components of the EIIW-vita indicator are: the share of renewable energy, the genuine savings rate and the relative "green export" position of the respective countries; it is in line with OECD requirements on composite indicators. As green exports are related to technological progress and environmental-friendly products, there is also a Schumpeterian perspective of this indicator. An extended version furthermore looks at water productivity. The analysis highlights the BRIICS countries as well as the US, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, the UK and Japan. Moreover the special challenges and dynamics of ASEAN countries and Asia are discussed. The book derives key implications for economic and environmental policy and shows that the new global sustainability indicator is not only relevant for green progress, but also useful as a signal for international investors. The construction of the EIIW-vita global sustainability indicator is such that investors, citizens and governments can easily interpret the results. Correlation analysis of the new sustainability indicator with the human development index indicates complementarity, so that a new hybrid superindicator can be constructed. Sustainability rhetoric dominates environmental policy. This fresh assessment of key "pillars" of sustainable economic performance and growth is a valuable contribution to greening the economy, the leitmotiv of the latest Rio Earth Summit. The book places the discussion of sustainability on solid data. The rather surprising results of its new sustainability index should make policy makers rethink their environmental and economic strategies. Prof. Dr. Peter Bartelmus Columbia University, New York Many people put the economy first when sustainability concerns are raised, while environmental indicators are often developed without a sense of socio-economic performance. This important new book bridges the gap. It sheds light on crucial indicators such as renewable energies, exporting green goods and services, genuine savings, and water productivity. And it helps to observe the impressive changes at a global scale and in countries such as China. A must read for all experts interested in those issues. Prof. Dr. Raimund Bleischwitz University College London
Towards Global Localization: The Computing And Communication Industries In Britain And France (Routledge Library Editions: Economic Geography)
by Philip CookeThis volume redefines the genre of sector studies. The first part of the book compares the experiences of Britain and France in the very voltaile world of high-tech industries during the 1980s. The macroeconomic regulation approach is carried over a microeconomic level in the empirical chapters through an analysis of studies of firms, each chapter written by authors well-placed to give a pan-European perspective.
Towards Global Justice: Sovereignty in an Interdependent World
by Simona ŢuţuianuWith Forewords by Geoffrey Robertson QC, Doughty Street Chambers, London, UK and Professor Mihail E. Ionescu, Bucharest, Romania Simona Ţuţuianu describes a new model of sovereignty which is fast replacing the traditional Westphalian model embodied in Article 2 of the UN Charter and rigorously followed throughout the Cold War. The scholarly basis for this new model draws upon developments in international criminal law which first emerged from the Nuremberg trials and upon more recent interstate economic cooperation which has turned sovereign independence into interdependence across a range of state functions. Does this mean that traditional Westphalian concepts of sovereignty should be abandoned in constructing a new theory of world governance for the twenty-first century? Not at all. A new model, which can be called the pattern of interdependence-based sovereignty, serves to explain contemporary events that puzzle traditional theorists, such as the war over Kosovo, the invasions of Iraq and Libya, the emergence of a "Responsibility to protect" doctrine and its recent validation in Security Council Resolutions 1970 and 1973. We are witnessing the emergence of a new philosophy of action, which is in the process of producing a 21st century system of international relations. The Book will appeal to academics, students and postgraduates studying international affairs, politics, international law, diplomatic history, or war and/or peace studies. It is particularly of interest for NATO establishments and national military schools, while experts and scholars will value its theory of what sovereignty means today. The Book offers a multidisciplinary approach which underpins a new theory of how human rights can be better protected in a better world. There is a unique case study of cooperative security in the Greater Black Sea Area, by one of the few experts on the politics of this region. It will be read and appreciated by those who need to understand how modern international law and diplomacy really work. Journalists, media commentators, human rights NGOs, aid agencies, diplomats and government officials need the information in this Book.
Towards Global Interpretation of LHC Data: SM and EFT Couplings from Jet and Top-Quark Measurements at CMS (Springer Theses)
by Toni MäkeläThis book presents the first global interpretation of measurements of jet and top quark production at the Large Hadron Collider, including a simultaneous extraction of the standard model parameters together with constraints on new physics, unbiased from the assumptions on the standard model parameters. As a long-standing problem, any hadron collider search for new physics depends on parton distribution functions, which cannot be predicted but are extracted experimentally. However, performing the extraction in the same kinematic region where physics beyond the standard model is expected to manifest causes the risk of absorbing the new physics effects into the parton distributions. In this book, the issue is addressed by extending the standard model by effective contributions from quark contact interactions describing new physics and extracting the parton distributions and standard model parameters simultaneously with setting limits on the contact interactions. In the process, the most precise single measurement of the strong coupling constant at the LHC is performed, to date. Furthermore, the book details the first investigation of the mass renormalization scale dependence of the top quark mass, highlighting the importance of a proper scale choice for obtaining robust predictions and improving the precision of experimental analyses. The initial chapters provide the reader with a succinct yet accessible introduction to the relevant theoretical and experimental topics. The presented investigations are at the edge of precision in the phenomenology of high-energy physics and serve to pave the road toward a global interpretation of LHC data.
Towards Gettysburg: A Biography Of General John F. Reynolds
by Edward J. NicholsThe definitive biography of Major-General John F. Reynolds, one of the finest generals to command in the Union ranks during the Civil War. The book follows Reynolds' exploits from childhood through his cadet years at West Point, active service in the Mexican War, and then in the Civil War. Universally respected by the men under his command and even within the Confederate ranks; he fought with skill and courage despite often being handicapped by the Union High Command. His lasting legacy rests on his superlative efforts on the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg, arriving in the nick of time to stall and then halt the Confederate advance at the cost of his life."A model of its kind."--New York Times Book Review
Towards Gender Equality in Law: An Analysis of State Failures from a Global Perspective
by David Davies Gizem Guney Po-Han LeeThis Open Access book aims to find out how and why states in various regions and of diverse cultural backgrounds fail in their gender equality laws and policies. In doing this, the book maps out states’ failures in their legal systems and unpacks the clashes between different levels and forms of law—namely domestic laws, local regulations, or the implementation of international law, individually or in combination. By taking off from the confirmation that the concept of law that is to be used in achieving gender equality is a multidimensional, multi-layered, and to an extent, contradictory phenomenon, this book aims to find out how different layers of laws interact and how they impact gender equality. Further to that, by including different states and jurisdictions into its analysis, this book unravels whether there are any similarities/patterns in how these states define and utilise policies and laws that harm gender equality. In this way, the book contributes to the efforts to devise holistic and universal policies to address various forms of gender inequalities across the world. This volume will be of interest to scholars and students in Gender Studies, Sociology, Law, and Criminology.
Towards Game Translation User Research (Elements in Translation and Interpreting)
by Mikołaj Deckert Krzysztof W. Hejduk Miguel Á. Bernal-MerinoThis Element takes the initiative to highlight the nascent state of audiovisual translation research centring on users of video games. It proposes ways of advancing the research by integrating numerous related perspectives from relevant fields to guide studies in translated game reception into further fruition. The Element offers an accessible overview of possible relationships between translation and its experiencers, showcasing ways to design game reception studies. Examples, methods, tools, and practical concerns are discussed to ultimately develop a blueprint for game translation user research which aims to consolidate scientific user-centric inquiry into video game translation. To that end, the blueprint captures the three-pronged interplay between the parameters of localisation-reception research in facets of user experience, facets of translated games, and facets of game users.
Towards Future Technologies for Business Ecosystem Innovation
by Ramjee Prasad Leo P. LigthartTowards Future Technologies for Business Ecosystem Innovation describes CONASENSE within the broad platform of the CTIF Global Capsule (CGC) covering future technologies and its enablers, smart cities, telemedicine, crowd computing, satellite, unmanned air vehicles , cooperative wireless sensor network, remotely piloted aircraft system, network neutrality as well as virtual business model
Towards Full Employment: A Policy Appraisal (Routledge Revivals)
by Ciaran DriverAt the time in which this book was first published in 1987, mass unemployment had emerged as the dominant, most visible, problem of the West European economies. The post-war experience of expansion was remarkable in that it experienced growth high enough to sustain a consensus on the possibility and desirability of full employment. This period declined into one of poor economic performance in the 1970s. Growth slowed and the subsequent years were characterised by painful adjustment and dislocation. In this challenging discussion of ways to overcome unemployment Ciaran Driver stresses the importance of managed restructuring. Driver focuses attention of the role of investment in fixed assets and human resources, and argues that governments do have a major role in steering the economy through a period of turbulent change, and that there are policies which can move the economy towards full employment. This book is ideal for students of business and economics.
Towards Friendship-Shaped Communities: A Practical Theology of Friendship
by Anne-Marie EllithorpeA unique and incisive exploration of the place and nature of friendship in both its personal and civic dimensions In Towards Friendship-Shaped Communities: A Practical Theology of Friendship, distinguished theological researcher Anne-Marie Ellithorpe delivers a constructive and insightful exploration of the place and nature of friendship as innate to being human, to the human vocation, and to life within the broader community. Of particular interest to members and leaders of faith communities, this book responds to contemporary concerns regarding relationality and offers a comprehensive theology of friendship. The author provides an inclusive and interdisciplinary study that brings previous traditions and texts into dialogue with contemporary contexts and concerns, including examples from Indigenous and Euro-Western cultures. Readers will reflect on the theology of friendship and the interrelationship between friendship and community, think critically about their own social and theological imagination, and develop an integrative approach to theological reflection that draws on Don Browning’s Fundamental Practical Theology. Integrating philosophical, anthropological, and theological perspectives on the study of friendship, this book presents: A thorough introduction to contemporary questions on friendship and discussions of co-existing friendship worlds Comprehensive explorations of friendship in first and second testament writings, as well as friendship within classical and Christian traditions Practical discussions of theology, friendship, and the social imagination, including explorations of mutuality and spirit-shaped friendships Considerations for outworking friendship ideals within communities of practice, from the perspective of strategic (or fully) practical theology Perfect for graduate and advanced undergraduate students taking courses on friendship or practical theology, Towards Friendship-Shaped Communities: A Practical Theology of Friendship will also earn a place in the libraries of scholars of practical theology and community practitioners, including ministers, priests, pastors, spiritual advisors, and counselors.
Towards Freedom in Pondicherry: Society, Economy and Politics under French Rule (1816-1962)
by J.B.P. MorePondicherry had its own history due to its connection with the French. After delving deeply into social, cultural, economic aspects of the Pondicherry society, the study focuses on politics and the freedom movement as it developed there, using sources written in Tamil, English and French. But when the freedom movement gathered steam in British India, Pondicherry and its dependencies were caught between the ideas of joining the French Union, or the Indian Union. Goubert’s Socialist Party’s strategy had always been to safeguard French India’s special identity and interests. He and his party associates and supporters turned against the French offer to hold a referendum on the question of independence and decided to join the Indian Union, because Jawaharlal Nehru provided him a better guarantee to safeguard French Indian and Pondicherry interests. It was rather a very well planned move that took all his political adversaries including the French by surprise. Goubert actually won his battle without bloodshed, by accepting to bear a certain dishonor for that among the French. The French government finally chose to set aside the constitutional provisions of Article 27 of the French Constitution, which stipulated that no cession, or exchange or addition to the territories was valid without the consent of the concerned population. Thus, they disregarded the population of French India deliberately and scuttled out of French India. Earlier, they had given away the loges to India even without consulting the parliament or the people concerned, but now they threw overboard the French constitutional provision to disengage themselves from India permanently, after obtaining some weak guarantees for their cultural presence.
Towards Financial Self-reliance: A Handbook of Approaches to Resource Mobilization for Citizens' Organizations
by Richard Holloway'Provides an excellent conceptual framework for the various approaches to resource mobilization.' Paiboon Wattanasiritham, Director General, Chief Executive Officer, Government Savings Bank, Thailand A clear and practical guide aimed at the managers of civil society organizations, including non-governmental organizations, citizens' movements, co-operatives, trade unions and other grass-roots organizations primarily in developing countries, on how to mobilize funds and other resources and in doing so become financially self-reliant. The author examines numerous and varied options, covering earned income, local foundations, governmental sources, foreign agencies, the corporate sector, microcredit, the internet and social investments, setting these within a strategic overview of planning and management effectiveness.
Towards Fairer University Assessment: Recognizing the Concerns of Students
by Bruce Johnson Nerilee FlintAfter all the hours of studying, reading and preparation, the nights spent revising and the writing and re-writing of assignments, ‘success’ for university students can often be represented with a single grade or digit, summing up a wide range of activities. The authors of this timely book ask how fair that assessment is. This book is about a long-ignored determinant of student satisfaction, concerning the perception of how fairly students are judged, marked, ranked and rewarded for demonstrating their capabilities at university. In the high stakes competitive field of higher education, students are increasingly positioned as customers whose views on their university experience are considered vitally important. Yet paradoxically, little research has been undertaken to find out more about how students decide whether they have been treated fairly and what they do about it. This book fills a major gap in our understanding of these issues, responding to four key questions: Why is the assessment of students’ capabilities the core business of universities? What are the main sources of student frustration with assessment arrangements? What do students do when they think they have been treated unfairly? What can be done to promote fair assessment at university? In doing so, this book goes beyond the superficial consideration of university assessment as a ‘necessary requirement’ by unravelling the underlying issues that really count – what is considered fair assessment and what is not. Towards Fairer University Assessment will be of interest to higher education academics, administrators and managers, researchers in the areas of education policy and politics, as well as advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students.
Towards Extensible and Adaptable Methods in Computing
by Sanjay Misra Shampa Chakraverty Anil GoelThis book addresses extensible and adaptable computing, a broad range of methods and techniques used to systematically tackle the future growth of systems and respond proactively and seamlessly to change. The book is divided into five main sections: Agile Software Development, Data Management, Web Intelligence, Machine Learning and Computing in Education. These sub-domains of computing work together in mutually complementary ways to build systems and applications that scale well, and which can successfully meet the demands of changing times and contexts. The topics under each track have been carefully selected to highlight certain qualitative aspects of applications and systems, such as scalability, flexibility, integration, efficiency and context awareness. The first section (Agile Software Development) includes six contributions that address related issues, including risk management, test case prioritization and tools, open source software reliability and predicting the change proneness of software. The second section (Data Management) includes discussions on myriad issues, such as extending database caches using solid-state devices, efficient data transmission, healthcare applications and data security. In turn, the third section (Machine Learning) gathers papers that investigate ML algorithms and present their specific applications such as portfolio optimization, disruption classification and outlier detection. The fourth section (Web Intelligence) covers emerging applications such as metaphor detection, language identification and sentiment analysis, and brings to the fore web security issues such as fraud detection and trust/reputation systems. In closing, the fifth section (Computing in Education) focuses on various aspects of computer-aided pedagogical methods.
Towards Explainable Fuzzy AI: Concepts, Paradigms, Tools, and Techniques (Studies in Computational Intelligence #1047)
by Vladik KreinovichModern AI techniques –- especially deep learning –- provide, in many cases, very good recommendations: where a self-driving car should go, whether to give a company a loan, etc. The problem is that not all these recommendations are good -- and since deep learning provides no explanations, we cannot tell which recommendations are good. It is therefore desirable to provide natural-language explanation of the numerical AI recommendations. The need to connect natural language rules and numerical decisions is known since 1960s, when the need emerged to incorporate expert knowledge -- described by imprecise words like "small" -- into control and decision making. For this incorporation, a special "fuzzy" technique was invented, that led to many successful applications. This book described how this technique can help to make AI more explainable.The book can be recommended for students, researchers, and practitioners interested in explainable AI.
Towards Excellence in Early Years Education: Exploring narratives of experience
by Kathleen GoouchThis book uniquely describes the work of two Early Years Professionals, drawing on their narrative accounts as they robustly describe and analyse their work with young children. Against a backcloth of increasing regulation and inspection of early years care and education, Kathy Gooch emphasizes the importance of building authentic relationships with children and their families, explores how play can be promoted as the central site for learning, and shows how professionals can use play to account for children’s development and learning. In analysing the Early Year Professionals’ narratives, this book explores key themes including: Traditional notions of ‘teaching’ and how they can be redefined The significance of talk in children’s lives Teachers’ professional identities How children’s potential in learning can be achieved through play Celebrating knowledge, skills and understanding and re-defining what it means to be a teacher, in its broadest sense, this fascinating book brings together research and literature from across disciplines. Containing a foreword by Tricia David, it will be of interest to academics, early years educators and students on early childhood education degree programmes and initial teacher education courses, as well as others concerned with the over prescriptive nature of early education.