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The Superior Project Organization: Global Competency Standards and Best Practices (PM Solutions Research)
by Frank ToneyThis text describes global best practices, competencies, and standards of superior project organizations based on research conducted by the Top 500 Project Management Forum. It details the results of seven years of benchmarking and the bottom line value of project organizations in large functional enterprises. The text also highlights enhancements in professional image, job performance, and personal earnings.
Food Toxicology
by William Helferich Carl K. WinterNew data continually indicate that antioxidants may contribute to reductions in cancer risks and that chronic consumption of low levels of chemical carcinogens in our diet may contribute to an increased risk of developing specific types of cancers. Research also shows that in America today, the leading causes of death are cancer and heart disease.
Lighting for Driving: Roads, Vehicles, Signs, and Signals
by Peter R. BoyceIntegrates Vehicle, Signal, and Road Lighting into a Unified SystemMany people drive many miles after dark and rely on lighting to help them gather information about the road ahead and the presence and intentions of other people on and near the road. With new technology on the industry's horizon, Lighting for Driving: Roads, Vehicle, Signs and Sign
A Precarious Happiness: Adorno and the Sources of Normativity
by Peter E. GordonA strikingly original account of Theodor Adorno’s work as a critique animated by happiness. "Gordon’s confidently gripping and persistently subtle interpretation brings a new tone to the debate about Adorno’s negativism."—Jürgen Habermas Theodor Adorno is often portrayed as a totalizing negativist, a scowling contrarian who looked upon modern society with despair. Peter E. Gordon thinks we have this wrong: if Adorno is uncompromising in his critique, it is because he sees in modernity an unfulfilled possibility of human flourishing. In a damaged world, Gordon argues, all happiness is likewise damaged but not wholly absent. Through a comprehensive rereading of Adorno’s work, A Precarious Happiness recovers Adorno’s commitment to traces of happiness—fragments of the good amid the bad. Ultimately, Gordon argues that social criticism, while exposing falsehoods, must also cast a vision for an unrealized better world.
Deception in Autonomous Transport Systems: Threats, Impacts and Mitigation Policies (Wireless Networks)
by Simon Parkinson Mauro Vallati Alexandros NikitasThis book provides a comprehensive overview of deception in autonomous transport systems. This involves investigating the threats facing autonomous transport systems and how they can contribute towards a deceptive attack, followed by their potential impact if successful, and finally, how they can be mitigated. The work in this book is grouped into three parts. This first part focuses on the area of smart cities, policies, and ethics. This includes critically appraising the trade-off between functionality and security with connected and autonomous vehicles. The second discusses a range of AI applications in the wider field of smart transport and mobility, such as detecting anomalies in vehicle behaviour to investigating detecting disobedient vehicles. Finally, the third part presents and discusses cybersecurity-related aspects to consider when dealing with Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs) and smart urban infrastructure. This includes analysing different attacks to investigating secure communication technologies. CAVs are a game-changing technology with the potential to transform the way transport is perceived, mobility is serviced, travel ecosystems ‘behave’, and cities and societies as a whole function. There are many foreseen safety, accessibility and sustainability benefits resulting from the adoption of CAVs because of their ability, in theory, to operate error-free and collaboratively, ranging from accident prevention, congestion reduction and decreased carbon emissions to time savings, increased social inclusion, optimised routing, and better traffic control. However, no matter what the expected benefits are, CAVs are at the same time susceptible to an unprecedented number of new digital and physical threats. The severity of these threats has resulted in an increased effort to deepen our understanding of CAVs when it comes to their safety and resilience. In this complex and multi-faceted scenario, this book aims to provide an extensive overview of the risks related to the malicious exploitation of CAVs and beyond, the potential ways in which vulnerabilities can be exploited, prevention and mitigation policies and techniques, and the impact that the non-acceptance of Connected and Autonomous Mobility can have on the Smart City agenda. This book targets researchers, practitioners, and advanced-level students in computer science and transport engineering.
Unraveling Breastfeeding Patterns in Mexico: A Case Study on Influential Factors in Early Health Choices
by Jamie Lee HarderThis book delves into the decision-making process behind (exclusive) breastfeeding in Mexico, examining the intricate interplay of individual and institutional factors that influence this critical health choice. Positioned within the context of Mexico's complex healthcare structures and existing health inequalities, this study serves as a significant case analysis within the Latin American region. Employing a comprehensive multi-methodological approach, the research combines quantitative analysis with qualitative insights from interviews with mothers. With a focus on unraveling how Mexican mothers decide to breastfeed, the study addresses the impact of institutional and individual factors, and the personal and structural barriers faced by mothers. Key findings underscore the pivotal role of childbirth experiences, prenatal care quality, and social support systems in shaping breastfeeding decisions. This research reveals that, despite efforts to promote health literacy and individual responsibility, institutional factors exert significant influence on breastfeeding choices. By providing unique insights and practical implications, this research contributes substantially to the fields of public health and sociology of health.
Forensic Imaging of Trauma
by Silke Grabherr Sarah Heinze Tony FracassoForensic Imaging is increasingly gaining importance in post-mortem and medico-legal investigations, particularly in cases of trauma. Indeed, the digitization of a body, serving as evidence in court, has become standard practice in many countries. To analyze forensic images effectively, one must possess expertise not only in radiological interpretation but also in understanding post-mortem changes as well as the morphology of lesions and their medico-legal implications. Neither of the two disciplines involved, Radiology and Forensic Medicine, can fully provide the necessary knowledge individually. Hence, Forensic Radiology is now recognized as a discipline that integrates both specializations. This book aims to bridge the gap between these two fields by elucidating the morphology of specific trauma-related lesions. It seeks to assist in identifying these lesions in forensic images and interpreting them accurately from a medico-legal perspective.The introductory chapter clarifies the distinctions between radiological interpretation and medico-legal imaging interpretation. It subsequently presents various techniques used in Forensic Imaging, outlining their respective advantages and limitations. Furthermore, this book is the first to comprehensively cover various types of trauma encountered in forensic medicine, including blunt trauma, sharp trauma, ballistic trauma, thermal trauma and explosions. A separate chapter is dedicated to each of them. Additionally, it addresses specific commonly observed cases such as traffic accidents, asphyxia and child abuse in dedicated chapters.Each chapter provides a concise summary of the essential medico-legal background and knowledge crucial for the final interpretation. It then outlines the appropriate radiological techniques for investigating the specific trauma and offers practical tips for image acquisition. Radiological findings are subsequently listed and illustrated in corresponding figures. Finally, the book explains the medico-legal interpretation of the observed findings and provides guidance on how to report them. This book represents a pioneering effort to amalgamate the knowledge of forensic medicine and radiology regarding the interpretation of various trauma cases. It serves as a valuable handbook for every practitioner in this field, offering practical insights from image acquisition to the ultimate interpretation of collected data.
Hierarchical Archimedean Copulas (SpringerBriefs in Applied Statistics and Econometrics)
by Ostap Okhrin Jan GóreckiThis book offers a thorough understanding of Hierarchical Archimedean Copulas (HACs) and their practical applications. It covers the basics of copulas, explores the Archimedean family, and delves into the specifics of HACs, including their fundamental properties. The text also addresses sampling algorithms, HAC parameter estimation, and structure, and highlights temporal models with applications in finance and economics. The final chapter introduces R, MATLAB, and Octave toolboxes for copula modeling, enabling students, researchers, data scientists, and practitioners to model complex dependence structures and make well-informed decisions across various domains.
Megatrend Gesundheit: 10 Trends und 30 Learnings für die Zukunft (Megatrends und Transformations-Management)
by Eike WenzelGesundheitserleben und medizinische Forschung stehen vor einem fundamentalen Wandel. Die Rollen für Ärzt*innen, Apotheker*innen, Forscher*innen und vor allem den Patient*innen werden neu definiert. Krankenkassen, Pharmaindustrie, Medizintechnik und nahezu alle Akteur*innen der Gesundheitsversorgung stehen vor großen Herausforderungen - und Chancen. Diese Trendstudie erläutert wie Digitalisierung und Individualisierung unsere Gesundheitsversorgung revolutionieren und analysiert die zehn wichtigsten Veränderungstreiber, die das Feld der Gesundheit in den kommenden Jahren signifikant transformieren werden.
Water Resources in the Lancang-Mekong River Basin: Impact of Climate Change and Human Interventions
by Qiuhong Tang Deliang Chen Junguo LiuThis open access book provides a comprehensive, up-to-date picture of the current state of knowledge covering climate change, surface water change, arsenic pollution, water utilization, water-food-energy nexus, water related hazards, water management, and water governance in the Lancang-Mekong River Basin. Considering the widely concerned fact that the climate change and human intervention induced impacts on water will bring unprecedented threats to human societies and ecosystems, the book intends to support UN’s sustainable development goals through sustainable use of water by providing the most accurate and updated information on climate and water changes in a consistent way. Underlying all aspects of the book is a strong commitment to assessing the science comprehensively, without bias and in a way that is relevant to policy but not policy prescriptive. It can provide implications to support decision-makers and stakeholders for integrated water resources management and sustainable development at all levels.
Handbuch Internationale Beziehungen
by Carlo Masala Frank Sauer Luba Von HauffDas Handbuch Internationale Beziehungen erscheint mittlerweile in der dritten, vollständig überarbeiteten und erweiterten Auflage. Das Handbuch vermittelt einen umfassenden Überblick über den state of the art der politikwissenschaftlichen Teildisziplin Internationale Beziehungen in deutscher Sprache. Es präsentiert theoretische und methodische Grundlagen der Forschung in den Internationalen Beziehungen und stellt die wesentlichen Akteure und Problemfelder der internationalen Politik vor. Das Nachschlagewerk richtet sich sowohl an Wissenschaftler*innen als auch an Studierende und die interessierte Öffentlichkeit.
Challenges of the Technological Mind: Between Philosophy and Technology (New Directions in Philosophy and Cognitive Science)
by Paulo Alexandre e CastroThis book presents a set of texts that reflect different approaches to the relationship between mind and technology. In today’s increasingly technological world, a myriad of different and dizzying challenges face humanity: the ever-closer relationship between man and machine, the exponential development of Artificial Intelligence, man's relationship with virtual worlds, the relationship with new realities such as the neuro potentiation of his capacities, the appearance of robots in everyday life, and so on. In this volume, renowned world specialists explore these concerns, and discuss limitations and possible problems surrounding the interaction of man and machine. The book provides a well-researched, thought-provoking analysis of the need to rethink the theory of the mind, proposing relevant answers to pressing questions and raising new questions that need to be considered.
The New Lean: The Modern Approach to Continuous Improvement
by Kyle ToppazziniIn today’s rapidly changing business landscape, organizations are challenged not only to adapt to evolving market dynamics but to excel in the face of uncertainty. Continuous improvement emerges as a strategic imperative, offering a systematic approach to enhance processes, boost efficiency, and drive innovation. This book delves into the heart of continuous improvement, providing a roadmap for organizations to navigate their journey toward maturity. The continuous improvement maturity model (CIMM) described in this book is not just a framework, but a holistic guide designed to support organizations in assessing and advancing their continuous improvement capabilities. As the author embarks on this exploration, he presents an approach that spans from foundational practices to advanced strategies. CIMM is a versatile tool adaptable to diverse industries, sectors, and organizational sizes. The key components of CIMM are: Integration with Best Practices—CIMM is not designed in isolation. We highlight its compatibility with established continuous improvement methodologies such as Lean, Six Sigma, Change Management, and Leadership Attributes. Learn how to leverage existing best practices while embracing the unique contributions of CIMM. Practical Application—Real-world examples and practical insights illustrate how organizations have successfully applied CIMM to overcome challenges, drive innovation, and achieve sustainable excellence. These stories offer inspiration and guidance for your own journey.
Plant Quarantine Challenges under Climate Change Anxiety
by Kamel A. Abd-Elsalam Salah M. Abdel-MomenThe effects of climate change on food safety and plant health represent a relatively new area of study. However, evidence from recent studies is clear: climate change contributes to increased and new food safety & plant health risks as one of several global change factors. This volume analyzes the scientific understanding of the relationship between climate change, food safety, plant pests, plant diseases, and trade. It identifies and discusses four key areas for future policy consideration: risk assessment, SPS capacity in developing countries, climate change resilience, and basic research challenges. We must effectively communicate the impacts of climate change on plant health and build the capacity of national plant protection organizations. More importantly, we need to mobilize resources that will help build stronger national phytosanitary systems that can prevent the spread of plant pests, thereby protecting our food sources and environment, and facilitating safe trade.The present volume is an asset for plant quarantine personnel working in the field, agricultural university students, plant health workers, farmers doing agriculture, plant & seed traders, and all those who use agricultural produce and products. The book is a useful resource for students and professional plant pathologists, entomologists, and plant breeders because it summarizes current knowledge and suggests new research directions. It is also suitable for ecologists & researchers working on crop protection, climate change, and pest control.
Air Quality and Human Health
by Markus Hecker Pratap Kumar Padhy Soumya Niyogi Pulak Kumar PatraThe book is one of the outcomes of the SPARC (Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration) project titled "Fine particulates matters in the air environment and their cancer risks in human beings," sponsored by MHRD (now MoE), Govt. of India. The editors of the book are PIs and Co-PIs of the said project. The text deliberates on air pollution's health risks with contributions from well-known experts from diverse research fields (environmental science, toxicology, geology, public health science, biology, physics, chemistry, and geospatial technology). It explores it its control and mitigation strategies. The book provides an up-to-date overview of the modern methods and tools used in air quality monitoring and human health risk assessment. Case studies from different global settings offer invaluable insights into air pollution-related regional health issues. It addresses all aspects of air quality, covering indoor-outdoor air pollution, gaseous and particulate pollutants; characterization of source and pathways of air pollutants; and the modeling and assessing of health risks (respiratory, epidemiological, and toxicological) with regional and global perspectives. It also addresses air quality management issues. The lucid explanation of the role of oxidative stress mechanisms and molecular biomarkers (genomics, proteomics) may be considered as inputs into the development of cancer therapeutics. Along with providing a scientific basis for air pollution, this book will help readers appreciate the environmental determinants of public health and apply research evidence to improve the quality of life. It also delineates future research initiatives and policy actions needed to protect human health from air pollution, locally and globally. The book will be of great educational value and help for consultation and teaching.
Standardized Procedures and Protocols for Starch (Methods and Protocols in Food Science)
by Sneh Punia BangarThis volumes provides protocols and methodology for understanding starch and its practical applications. Chapters guide readers through starch granule morphology, transmission electron microscope,amylose, amylopectin, chromatographic methods, X-rays by crystals,physical modification methods, and provides a comprehensive discussion of enzymatic modifications of starch. ritten in the format of the Methods and Protocols in Food Science series, the chapters include an introduction to the respective topic, list necessary materials and reagents, detail well-established and validated methods for readilyreproducible laboratory protocols, and contain notes on how to avoid or solve typical problems. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Standardized Procedures and Protocols for Starch aims to ensure successful results in the further study of this vital field.
South African Economy: Trails and Possibilities (African Histories and Modernities)
by Vusi Gumede Santos Bila Mduduzi Biyase Shonisani Chauke Sodiq ArogundadeThe South African economy has largely performed below its potential. Although the size of the South African economy has significantly increased since 1994, its performance has lagged behind other comparable economies, and has even been overtaken by Nigeria as the largest economy in Africa. Unemployment, income inequality, and poverty have remained high since 1994. In the past decade, South African economic performance has been so poor that is has resulted in declining per capita incomes. In this study, Vusi Gumede and his co-authors offer a comprehensive analysis of the South African economy since 1994, dealing with many important issues, ranging from its history to its political travails in an effort to provide better understanding and find possible solutions to ensuring inclusive growth.
Outer Space and Popular Culture: Influences and Interrelations, Part 4 (Southern Space Studies)
by Annette FroehlichFollowing on from the highly acclaimed Parts 1 to 3, this book provides detailed insights into how space and popular culture intersect across a broad spectrum of examples, including cinema, music, art, arcade games, cartoons, comics, and advertisements. This is a pertinent topic since the use of space themes differs in different cultural contexts, and these themes can be used to explore various aspects of the human condition and provide a context for social commentary on politically sensitive issues. With the use of space imagery evolving over the past sixty years of the space age, this is a topic ripe for in-depth exploration. The book also discusses the contrasting visions of space from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and the reality of today and analyzes space vehicles and habitats in popular depictions of space from an engineering perspective, exploring how many of those ideas have actually been implemented in practice and why or why not (a case of life imitating art and vice versa). As such, it covers a wide array of relevant and timely topics examining intersections between space and popular culture and offering accounts of space and its effect on culture, language, and storytelling from the southern regions of the world.
Good Practices and New Perspectives in Information Systems and Technologies: WorldCIST 2024, Volume 6 (Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems #990)
by Hojjat Adeli Álvaro Rocha Gintautas Dzemyda Aneta Poniszewska-Marańda Fernando MoreiraThis book is composed by a selection of articles from the 12th World Conference on Information Systems and Technologies (WorldCIST'24), held between 26 and 28 of March 2024, at Lodz University of Technology, Lodz, Poland. WorldCIST is a global forum for researchers and practitioners to present and discuss recent results and innovations, current trends, professional experiences and challenges of modern Information Systems and Technologies research, together with their technological development and applications. The main and distinctive topics covered are: A) Information and Knowledge Management; B) Organizational Models and Information Systems; C) Software and Systems Modeling; D) Software Systems, Architectures, Applications and Tools; E) Multimedia Systems and Applications; F) Computer Networks, Mobility and Pervasive Systems; G) Intelligent and Decision Support Systems; H) Big Data Analytics and Applications; I) Human-Computer Interaction; J) Ethics, Computers and Security; K) Health Informatics; L) Information Technologies in Education; M) Information Technologies in Radiocommunications; and N) Technologies for Biomedical Applications. The primary market of this book are postgraduates and researchers in Information Systems and Technologies field. The secondary market are undergraduates and professionals as well in Information Systems and Technologies field.
Climate Change and Safety in High-Risk Industries (SpringerBriefs in Applied Sciences and Technology)
by Corinne Bieder Gudela Grote Johannes WeyerThis open access book directs attention to the safety implications of disruptive, sustainability-driven changes in sociotechnical systems resulting from climate-change considerations in high-risk industries. It addresses not only the dismantling of currently prevalent systems and structures and the achievement of a stable future state but also the management of processes for establishing new practices in a safe and reliable manner without undue interruption of important functions and services.Leading scholars from various fields of research have contributed to this brief by analyzing case studies as well as through conceptual and methodological work. They propose strategies for coping with new kinds of risk at local and organizational levels. The oil and gas and nuclear industries are two cases investigated here. They present a challenging mixture of continuity and disruption and require strategies for coping with safety and sustainability issues at the same time. Innovativemethods such as real-world experimentation and computer-based simulation are discussed as means of investigating the issues at stake. Climate Change and Safety in High-Risk Industries brings together critical appraisals of the challenges that will be faced by industry, regulatory bodies and decision-makers in coming decades. It analyzes whether safety and sustainability are accurately thought of as competing imperatives or, rather, offer possibilities for a more cooperative approach to the necessary adaptations in our modes of production and consumption.
Good Practices and New Perspectives in Information Systems and Technologies: WorldCIST 2024, Volume 5 (Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems #989)
by Hojjat Adeli Álvaro Rocha Gintautas Dzemyda Aneta Poniszewska-Marańda Fernando MoreiraThis book is composed by a selection of articles from the 12th World Conference on Information Systems and Technologies (WorldCIST'24), held between 26 and 28 of March 2024, at Lodz University of Technology, Lodz, Poland. WorldCIST is a global forum for researchers and practitioners to present and discuss recent results and innovations, current trends, professional experiences and challenges of modern Information Systems and Technologies research, together with their technological development and applications. The main and distinctive topics covered are: A) Information and Knowledge Management; B) Organizational Models and Information Systems; C) Software and Systems Modeling; D) Software Systems, Architectures, Applications and Tools; E) Multimedia Systems and Applications; F) Computer Networks, Mobility and Pervasive Systems; G) Intelligent and Decision Support Systems; H) Big Data Analytics and Applications; I) Human-Computer Interaction; J) Ethics, Computers and Security; K) Health Informatics; L) Information Technologies in Education; M) Information Technologies in Radiocommunications; and N) Technologies for Biomedical Applications. The primary market of this book are postgraduates and researchers in Information Systems and Technologies field. The secondary market are undergraduates and professionals as well in Information Systems and Technologies field.
Lobbying in der Sozialwirtschaft: Eine Einführung (Basiswissen Sozialwirtschaft und Sozialmanagement)
by Günter RiegerDas Lehrbuch bietet eine umfassende, theoriebasierte und praxisnahe Einführung zum Lobbying der Sozialen Arbeit. Soziale Dienste, deren Handlungsbedingungen wesentlich politisch konstituiert sind, brauchen eine professionelle Interessenvertretung. Wer die Qualität Sozialer Arbeit verbessern will, muss auch ihre Politikfähigkeit steigern. Das Lehrbuch analysiert hierzu Grundfragen, Herausforderungen und Dilemmata des Soziallobbyings, erarbeitet Einflusschancen auf unterschiedlichen Ebenen der Politik, untersucht förderliche Bedingungen politischen Wandels und zeigt Wege und Instrumente einer gelingenderen Praxis des Soziallobbyings.
Global Perspectives in the Metaverse: Law, Economics, and Finance
by Nafis Alam Hung-Yi Chen Pawee JenweeranonThe metaverse is undergoing rapid and transformative changes, yet it has thus far lacked a comprehensive scholarly examination from a global and comparative standpoint. The publication addresses existing gaps by introducing fresh perspectives and frameworks across various domains within the metaverse, including law, economics, and finance. Drawing upon the expertise of an international cohort of scholars and practitioners, this volume illuminates emerging interdisciplinary insights with global relevance, facilitating a comparative analysis of diverse aspects of the metaverse. Timely and essential, this book contributes significantly to the metaverse literature, addressing urgent issues in this evolving landscape.
Towards a Smart, Resilient and Sustainable Industry: Proceedings of the 2nd International Symposium on Industrial Engineering and Automation ISIEA 2023 (Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems #745)
by Yuri Borgianni Guido Orzes Dominik T. Matt Margherita MolinaroThis book offers insights into the new trends that are pushing industries toward the 5.0 paradigm. Digitalization has made tremendous inroads, and the key enabling technologies for Industry 4.0 are increasingly mature. “Towards a Smart, Resilient and Sustainable Industry” not only strikes a balance among the current benefits, issues, and limitations of the current wave of digitalization, but also identifies the key challenges for making new industrial developments favorable for people and the environment. The different perspectives presented in this collection are gathered from contributions presented at the 2nd International Symposium on Industrial Engineering and Automation (ISIEA 2023), which took place at the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano on June 22-23, 2023. Readers will realize how aspects from different disciplines are interwoven to allow positive changes across industries: from engineering to artificial intelligence, from management to design, and from health care to biology.
A Love for Nothingness, A Love for Death: The Metaphysics of Desire
by Alberto CastelliThis book aims at explaining romantic love between straight adults through literary texts of the western canon from the nineteenth and twentieth century. Each chapter comes with a multidisciplinary approach in which protagonists are mutilated in their quest for loving as alternative to annihilation. The book emphasizes love as an obsession, thus as an exploration of the mind. From the passion-myth of Tristan and Isolde to the nihilist modernist representations, the western world has created a perverse concept of love. A love for nothingness, for death. Narcissistic and at times destructive, love is gained by overcoming obstacles. If without obstacles there is no love, then love becomes love for obstacles. Within this masochistic frame, love, falling in love, being loved always stand at the edge of pathology. At its core this book narrates a love story, more precisely a story of loves, the haunting evocation of a desire that by its very nature cannot be fulfilled. Inherent in the nature of love is a subtle dialectical activity between presence and absence, between creation and destruction, reality and void. Accordingly, the narrative raises questions that the past two centuries were incapable of answering. Does love only last the time of a kiss? Is its promise fatally destined to dissolve? What about violence? Physical, emotional, temporal. Is it an ineliminable part of love or its most extreme profanation? And what is the mystery that accompanies loves that know how to last without resigning themselves to the death of desire? It is to answer some of these questions that I wrote this text. Love is an unconscious process that dominates reason and destroys it when reason cannot be a mode of communication. Hence, the amorous romance is madness and this text is written as a loud reminder.