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Quantum-Like Models for Information Retrieval and Decision-Making (STEAM-H: Science, Technology, Engineering, Agriculture, Mathematics & Health)
by Diederik Aerts Andrei Khrennikov Massimo Melucci Bourama ToniRecent years have been characterized by tremendous advances in quantum information and communication, both theoretically and experimentally. In addition, mathematical methods of quantum information and quantum probability have begun spreading to other areas of research, beyond physics. One exciting new possibility involves applying these methods to information science and computer science (without direct relation to the problems of creation of quantum computers). The aim of this Special Volume is to encourage scientists, especially the new generation (master and PhD students), working in computer science and related mathematical fields to explore novel possibilities based on the mathematical formalisms of quantum information and probability. The contributing authors, who hail from various countries, combine extensive quantum methods expertise with real-world experience in application of these methods to computer science. The problems considered chiefly concern quantum information-probability based modeling in the following areas: information foraging; interactive quantum information access; deep convolutional neural networks; decision making; quantum dynamics; open quantum systems; and theory of contextual probability. The book offers young scientists (students, PhD, postdocs) an essential introduction to applying the mathematical apparatus of quantum theory to computer science, information retrieval, and information processes.
Urban Living Lab for Local Regeneration: Beyond Participation in Large-scale Social Housing Estates (The Urban Book Series)
by Nele Aernouts Francesca Cognetti Elena MaranghiThis open access book provides an integrated overview of the challenges and resources of large-scale social housing estates in Europe and outlines possible interdisciplinary approaches and tools to promote their regeneration. It especially focuses on the tool of urban living labs, as promising in promoting new and more effective local governance and in including the different actors into the planning process. The book combines theory and practice, since it is the result of action-research conducted in different social housing estates all over Europe.Building on the results of the SoHoLab project (2017–2020), the book benefits from a multidisciplinary perspective, since the researchers involved belong to the fields of anthropology, urban planning, architecture, urban sociology. The project combined theoretical reflections with the installation and/or the consolidation of Urban Living Labs, run by universities, in large social housing estates in three European cities: Brussels, Milan and Paris.
The Sustainable Provision of Environmental Services
by Philipp AerniThis book addresses the ability of market-based instruments to improve the sustainable provision of environmental services. The author combines field research and insights from the multi-stakeholder dialogue at the FAO to analyze the gap between the predictions provided by theory and the corresponding outcomes in practice. In particular, the author challenges the theory behind Payments for Environmental Services (PES), a concept derived from neoclassical welfare economics, by demonstrating that PES projects often lack financial sustainability unless local entrepreneurs make use of the resulting new networks to create innovative markets for environmental goods. The author calls for a shift of focus from regulation to innovation in projects and policies designed to improve the provision of environmental services. Its spotlight on the positive social impacts of companies that engage in hybrid PES schemes will make the book appealing to practitioners and policymakers alike.
History of Urban Form Before the Industrial Revolution
by A.E.J. MorrisProvides an international history of urban development, from its origins to the industrial revolution. This well established book maintains the high standard of information found in the previous two editions, describing the physical results of some 5000 years of urban activity. It explains and develops the concept of 'unplanned' cities that grow organically, in contrast with 'planned' cities that were shaped in response to urban form determinants. Spread throughout the texts are copious illustrations from a wealth of sources, including cartographic urban records, aerial and other photographs, original drawings and the author's numerous analytical line drawings.
Learning to Predict Climate Variations Associated with El Niño and the Southern Oscillation: Accomplishments and Legacies of the TOGA Program
by Advisory Panel for the Tropical Oceans Global Atmosphere ProgramThe TOGA (Tropical Ocean and Global Atmosphere) Program was designed to study short-term climate variations. A 10-year international program, TOGA made El Nino a household word. This book chronicles the cooperative efforts of oceanographers and meteorologists, several U.S. government agencies, many other nations, and international scientific organizations to study El Nino and the Southern Oscillation (ENSO).It describes the progression from being unable to detect the development of large climate variations to being able to make and use rudimentary climate predictions, especially for some tropical countries. It examines the development of the TOGA Program, evaluates its accomplishments, describes U.S. participation in the program, and makes general recommendations for developing better understanding and predictions of climate variations on seasonal to interannual time scales.
Oxygen Isotopes of Inorganic Phosphate in Environmental Samples: Purification and Analysis
by Joseph Adu-Gyamfi Verena PfahlerThis open access book distinguished itself from other publications by offering step-by-step instructions on how to extract, purify, provide modifications, and major issues to be encountered during the process. For the δ18OP method to progress, further fundamental research as well as field and laboratory studies need to be conducted for a better understanding of P cycling in the environment. Chapter 1 outlines the background and examples of δ18Op studies in sediments, soils, fresh water, mineral fertilizers, and plants. Chapters 2 and 3 examine the stepwise extraction and purification protocols including reagents, equipment and consumables and preparations for analyses. Chapter 4 examines some of the challenges and modifications during the purification process. Chapter 5 discusses planning and designing of a study using δ18Op, external quality assurance with an example of an inter-laboratory study. Chapter 6 outlines the conclusions, future trends, and opportunities, the scaling out of the method from laboratory to field studies. It is expected that the δ18OP would be extensively applied in research geared to understand phosphorus dynamics in different agro-environments.
Restorying Environmental Education
by Chessa Adsit-MorrisThis book examines a performative environmental educational inquiry through a place-based eco-art project collaboratively undertaken with a class of grade 4-6 students around the lost streams of Vancouver. The resulting work explores the contradictions gathered in relation to the Western educational system and the encounter with "Other" (real and imaginary others), including the shifting and growing "self," and an attempt to find and foster nourishing alliances for transforming environmental education. Drawing on the work of new materialist theorists Donna Haraway, Rosi Braidotti, and Karen Barad, Adsit-Morris considers the co-constitutive materiality of human corporeality and nonhuman natures and provides useful tools for finding creative theoretical alternatives to the reductionist, representationalist, and dualistic practices of the Western metaphysics.
Epistemic Justice, Mindfulness, and the Environmental Humanities: Reflections on Teaching
by Janelle AdsitEpistemic Justice, Mindfulness, and the Environmental Humanities explores how contemplative pedagogies and mindfulness can be used in the classroom to address epistemic and environmental injustice. In recent years, there has been a groundswell of interest in contemplative pedagogies in higher education, with increasing attention from the environmental sciences, environmental humanities, and sustainability studies. Teachers and writers have demonstrated how mindfulness practices can be a key to anti-oppression and anti-racist efforts, both in and out of the classroom. Not all forms of contemplative pedagogy are suited for this anti-colonial and anti-oppressive resistance, however. Simply adopting mindfulness practices in the classroom is not enough to dislodge and dismantle white supremacy in higher education. Epistemic Justice, Mindfulness, and the Environmental Humanities advocates for mindfulness practices that affirm multiple epistemologies and cultural traditions. Written for educators in the environmental humanities and other related disciplines, the chapters interrogate the western uptake of mindfulness practices and suggest anti-colonial and anti-oppressive methods for bringing mindfulness into the classroom. The chapters also discuss what mindfulness practices have to offer to the pursuit of a culturally relevant pedagogy. This highly applied and practical text will be an insightful read for educators in the environmental humanities and across the liberal arts disciplines.
Higher Education and Capacity Building in Africa: The geography and power of knowledge under changing conditions (Routledge Studies in African Development)
by Hanne Kirstine Adriansen Lene Møller Madsen Stig JensenHigher education has recently been recognized as a key driver for societal growth in the Global South and capacity building of African universities is now widely included in donor policies. The question is; how do capacity building projects affect African universities, researchers and students? Universities and their scientific knowledges are often seen to have universal qualities; therefore, capacity building may appear straight forward. Higher Education and Capacity Building in Africa contests such universalistic notions. Inspired by ideas about the ‘geography of scientific knowledge’ it explores what role specific places and relationships have in knowledge production, and analyses how cultural experiences are included and excluded in teaching and research. Thus, the different chapters show how what constitutes legitimate scientific knowledge is negotiated and contested. In doing so, the chapters draw on discussions about the hegemony of Western thought in education and knowledge production. The authors’ own experiences with higher education capacity building and knowledge production are discussed and used to contribute to the reflexive turn and rise of auto-ethnography. This book is a valuable resource for researchers and postgraduate students in education, development studies, African studies and human geography, as well as anthropology and history.
Biogeochemistry of Trace Metals: Advances In Trace Substances Research (CRC Press Revivals)
by Domy C. AdrianoBiogeochemistry of Trace Metals is a compendium of the most recent information available on the effects of trace metals in soil quality and its potential threat on the transfer of these contaminants to consumers. Most of the chapters in the book were presented as papers during the First International Conference on the Biogeochemistry of Trace Elements (formerly Metals in Soils, Plants, Waters, and Animals) held in Orlando, Florida in May, 1990. Topics discussed include background levels of metals in soils and/or plants (covering western Europe; temperate, humid Europe; and the People's Republic of China); metal cycling and transfer in the food chain in agroecosystems; uptake and accumulation of metals by bacteria, fungi, and invertebrates; mechanistic aspects of metals; the microbial aspects of soil selenium losses; and manganese sorption on soil constituents.
Corporate Sustainability in Africa: Responsible Leadership, Opportunities, and Challenges (Palgrave Studies in African Leadership)
by Samuel Adomako Albert Danso Agyenim BoatengThis book addresses empirical, theoretical, and policy perspectives in its examination of the development of sustainability management of African firms. Documenting cases of sustainable activities across Africa and accelerating knowledge about the opportunities and challenges facing firms operating in Africa, the chapters examine various aspects of sustainability and sustainable entrepreneurship/innovations in the African context. The authors seek to understand how African nations can be positioned to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals as well as the innovative strategies necessary to improve sustainability practices of African firms for greater success. With guidance for scholars and policymakers, this book will serve as a valuable resource, providing readers with an up-to-date and contextual understanding of sustainability practices, drivers, and challenges in Africa.
Tuna Wars: Powers Around the Fish We Love to Conserve
by Steven AdolfHistorically, whenever tuna was hauled ashore, the sounds of battle were never far away. ‘Tuna Wars’ tells the untold story of the power struggles emerging around tuna, from the distant past to your present-day dinner table.In the ancient past, the giant tuna was the first fish to become the basis of a large-scale industry and a ‘global’ trade that created fortunes: Hannibal was able to finance his elephant campaign on Rome thanks to tuna. From the Middle Ages on, a tuna fishing monopoly on Spain’s southern coast allowed the nobility to completely dominate the area and even lead the ‘invincible’ Armada. When the markets for tuna increased exponentially thanks to technical advances, tuna eventually became a billion-dollar business and one of the most-consumed fish species worldwide.But this massive expansion came at a price. An 18th century monk in Madrid was the first to warn that tuna fisheries needed to be run sustainably for the sake of future generations. And the issue of sustainability would go on to become a game-changer in the modern tuna wars, characterized by new alliances and partnerships, hybrid warfare and commercial power struggles. In addition to accompanying you through the history of tuna and sharing insights into fisheries science and approaches to sustainably managing fisheries, Tuna Wars offers practical guidance on choosing sustainably fished tuna. In short, it will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about tuna, but were afraid to ask.
Nico Stehr: Pioneer in the Theory of Society and Knowledge (Pioneers in Arts, Humanities, Science, Engineering, Practice #16)
by Marian T. AdolfThis unique volume brings together a selection of the most important texts of Nico Stehr for the first time and puts them in dialogue with original research that draws on his prolific work. Covering five decades of pioneering sociological research on the theory of society and knowledge, the book introduces the reader to Stehr’s seminal inquiries into the economic, political and social role of knowledge. Original concepts, such as his groundbreaking studies on the Knowledge Society, are introduced as the volume traces Stehr’s pursuit of social scientific research as a source of practical knowledge for modern society.The book comprises three parts devoted to the many facets and the remarkable range of Nico Stehr’s oeuvre. Part 1 provides an introduction to the significance of his pioneering work and career. Part 2 demonstrates the practical application of Nico Stehr’s research as seen through the eyes of eminent scholars. Part 3 presents a selection of the milestones of his publications.
Integral Community Enterprise in Africa: Communitalism as an Alternative to Capitalism (Transformation and Innovation)
by Anselm AdodoAt a time of global economic crisis and disillusionment with capitalism, Adodo offers refreshing and positive insight into a more integral way of business management, enterprise and community development as well as holistic healing in Africa. For over three decades, Africa was the recipient of billions of dollars in aid funds that were meant to catapult the continent from undeveloped to developed status. Yet the more the aid poured in, the poorer African countries became. The devastating effect of western economic models in Africa that followed is well documented. Integral Community Enterprise in Africa exposes the limitations of existing theories, such as capitalism, socialism and communism, and shows how western theories were imposed on Africa. Such imposition of concepts and ideas is not only demeaning but also unsustainable, serving only the interest of the elite. Father Anselm Adodo argues for the need to have a southern theory to serve as an alternative to western theories. The majority of African intellectuals and activists, while criticizing existing theories, often do not provide alternative theories to address the prevalent inadequacies entrenched in conventional social, political and economic systems. This revolutionary book aims to address this lapse and proposes the theory of communitalism as a more indigenous, sustainable and integral approach to tackling the social, political, economic and developmental challenges of today’s Africa. There is an African alternative to capitalism, socialism and communism – a surer path to sustainable development in and from Africa. This is a book that is positioned at the very core of a much needed African Renaissance. A profoundly new approach to development in Africa, this is essential reading for anyone concerned with authentic development in Africa and in the world.
Gifts of Cooperation, Mauss and Pragmatism (Routledge Global Cooperation Series)
by Frank AdloffThis book focuses on the contribution of Marcel Mauss (1872-1950) to social theory and a theory of cooperation. It shows that Mauss’s essay "The Gift" (1925) can be seen as a classic of a pragmatist, interactionist and anti-utilitarian sociology. It critiques the dichotomy of self-interest and normatively orientated action that forms the basis of sociology. This conceptual dichotomization has caused forms of social interaction (that cannot be localized either on the side of self-interest or on that of morality) to be overlooked or taken little notice of. The book argues that it is the logic of the gift and its reciprocity that accompany and structure all forms of interaction, from the social micro to the macro-level. It demonstrates that in modern societies agonistic and non-agonistic gifts form their own orders of interaction. This book uniquely establishes the paradigm of the gift as the basis for a theory of interaction. It will be of great interest to researchers and postgraduates in social theory, cultural theory, political sociology and global cooperation, anthropology, philosophy and politics.
General Relativity and Cosmology: A First Encounter (Graduate Texts in Physics)
by Ronald J. AdlerGravitational physics has now become a mainstream topic in physics and physics teaching. In particular cosmology and gravitational wave physics are at the focus of a great deal of current research. Thus it is important to introduce students to General Relativity as soon as reasonable. This textbook offers a brief but comprehensive treatment accessible to advanced undergraduate students, graduate students, and any physicist or mathematician interested in understanding the material in a short time. The author, an experienced teacher of the subject, has included numerous examples and exercises to help students consolidate the ideas they have learned.
The Clean Water Act 20 Years Later
by Robert W. Adler Diane M. Cameron Jessica C. LandmanThis volume explores the issues associated with the complex subject of water quality protection in an assessment of the successes and failures of the Clean Water Act over the past twenty years. In addition to examining traditional indicators of water quality, the authors consider how health concerns of the public have been addressed, and present a detailed examination of the ecological health of our waters. Taken together, these measures present a far more complete and balanced picture than raw water quality data alone.As well as reviewing past effectiveness, the book includes specific recommendations for the reauthorization of the Act, which is to be considered by Congress in 1995. This balanced and insightful account will surely shape the debate among legislative and policy experts and citizen activists at all levels who are concerned with issues of water quality.
Urban Ecosystems
by Frederick R. Adler Colby J. TannerAs humans have come to dominate the earth, the ideal of studying and teaching ecology in pristine ecosystems has become impossible to achieve. Our planet is now a mosaic of ecosystems ranging from the relatively undisturbed to the completely built, with the majority of people living in urban environments. This accessible introduction to the principles of urban ecology provides students with the tools they need to understand these increasingly important urban ecosystems. It builds upon the themes of habitat modification and resource use to demonstrate how multiple ecological processes interact in cities and how human activity initiates chains of unpredictable unintended ecological consequences. Broad principles are supported throughout by detailed examples from around the world and a comprehensive list of readings from the primary literature. Questions, exercises and laboratories at the end of each chapter encourage discussion, hands-on study, active learning, and engagement with the world outside the classroom window.
Neptune’s Laboratory: Fantasy, Fear, and Science at Sea
by Antony AdlerWe have long been fascinated with the oceans and sought “to pierce the profundity” of their depths. But the history of marine science also tells us a lot about ourselves. Antony Adler explores the ways in which scientists, politicians, and the public have invoked ocean environments in imagining the fate of humanity and of the planet.
First World Petro-Politics: The Political Ecology and Governance of Alberta
by Laurie AdkinFirst World Petro-Politics examines the vital yet understudied case of a first world petro-state facing related social, ecological, and economic crises in the context of recent critical work on fossil capitalism.A wide-ranging and richly documented study of Alberta's political ecology - the relationship between the province's political and economic institutions and its natural environment - the volume tackles questions about the nature of the political regime, how it has governed, and where its primary fractures have emerged. Its authors examine Alberta's neo-liberal environmental regulation, institutional adaptation to petro-state imperatives, social movement organizing, Indigenous responses to extractive development, media framing of issues, and corporate strategies to secure social license to operate. Importantly, they also discuss policy alternatives for political democratization and for a transition to a low-carbon economy.The volume's conclusions offer a critical examination of petro-state theory, arguing for a comparative and contextual approach to understanding the relationships between dependence on carbon extraction and the nature of political regimes.
Deep Foundations for Infrastructure Development in India: Proceedings of DFI-India 2021 Annual Conference (Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering #315)
by Boominathan Adimoolam Anirudhan I. V. Sunil S. Basarkar Amit PrashantThis book contains select proceedings of the 10th annual conference of Deep Foundations Institute of India, DFI India, 2021. It presents papers on 1) Geotechnical Investigation, Testing, Instrumentation, Monitoring, and Quality Management, 2) Ground Improvement Techniques, 3) Piling and Deep Foundation Techniques, 4) Earth Retention and Deep Excavation Support, 5) Research, Experimental and Numerical Methods in Deep Foundations and Deep Excavation Technologies, and 6) Safe and Efficient Geo-Construction. This book has seventeen articles, each with a specific field application value. The probabilistic approach in evaluating the field data, namely SPT N and pressure meter modulus for arriving at the geotechnical design parameters, multiphase site investigation program for complex underground construction activity, the safety of working platforms in foundation construction projects, usage of liner piles to support the reaction platform for static loading tests for piles, choice of foundation system for three bridges, emphasis on the importance of selecting an appropriate foundation system for the safe and timely completion of the project, challenges in deep excavations, constructions in confined spaces, groundwater level variations, and their influence on tunneling have been discussed. The usefulness of numerical analysis in the design of deep excavations and ground improvement projects is highlighted. The articles covered in this book are of immense value to professionals and academicians for improving their work practice.
Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering: IGC 2016 Volume 3 (Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering #15)
by Boominathan Adimoolam Subhadeep BanerjeeThis book gathers selected proceedings of the annual conference of the Indian Geotechnical Society, and covers various aspects of soil dynamics and earthquake geotechnical engineering. The book includes a wide range of studies on seismic response of dams, foundation-soil systems, natural and man-made slopes, reinforced-earth walls, base isolation systems and so on, especially focusing on the soil dynamics and case studies from the Indian subcontinent. The book also includes chapters addressing related issues such as landslide risk assessments, liquefaction mitigation, dynamic analysis of mechanized tunneling, and advanced seismic soil-structure-interaction analysis. Given its breadth of coverage, the book offers a useful guide for researchers and practicing civil engineers alike.
Geostatistics and Geospatial Technologies for Groundwater Resources in India (Springer Hydrogeology)
by Partha Pratim Adhikary Pravat Kumar Shit Priyabrata Santra Gouri Sankar Bhunia Ashwani Kumar Tiwari B. S. ChaudharyThis book offers essential information on geospatial technologies for water resource management and highlights the latest GIS and geostatistics techniques as they relate to groundwater.Groundwater is inarguably India's single most important natural resource. It is the foundation of millions of Indian farmers' livelihood security and the primary source of drinking water for a vast majority of Indians in rural and urban areas. The prospects of continued high rates of growth in the Indian economy will, to a great extent, depend on how judiciously we can manage groundwater in the years to come.Over the past three decades, India has emerged as by far the single largest consumer of groundwater in the world. Though groundwater has made the country self-sufficient in terms of food, we face a crisis of dwindling water tables and declining water quality. Deep drilling by tube wells, which was once part of the solution to water shortages, is now in danger of becoming part of the problem. Consequently, we urgently need to focus our efforts on the sustainable and equitable management of groundwater. Addressing that need, this book presents novel advances in and applications of RS–GIS and geostatistical techniques to the research community in a precise and straightforward manner.
Advances in Structural Technologies: Select Proceedings of CoAST 2019 (Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering #81)
by Sondipon Adhikari Anjan Dutta Satyabrata ChoudhuryThis book comprises select proceedings of the National Conference on Advances in Structural Technology (CoAST 2019). It brings together different applied and technological aspects of structural engineering. The main topics covered in this book include solid mechanics, composite structures, fluid-structure interaction, soil-structure interaction, structural safety, and structural health monitoring. The book also focuses on emerging structural materials and the different behavior of civil, mechanical, and aerospace structural systems. Given its contents, this book will be a useful reference for researchers and practitioners working in structural safety and engineering.
Advances in Structural Engineering and Rehabilitation: Select Proceedings of TRACE 2018 (Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering #38)
by Sondipon Adhikari B. Bhattacharjee J. BhattacharjeeThis book comprises select papers presented at the International Conference on Trends and Recent Advances in Civil Engineering (TRACE 2018). The book covers a wide range of topics related to recent advancements in structural engineering, structural health monitoring, rehabilitation and retrofitting of structures, and earthquake-resistant structures. Based on case studies and laboratory investigations, the book highlights latest techniques and innovative methods for building repair and maintenance. Recent development in materials being used in structural rehabilitation and retrofitting is also discussed. The contents of this book can be useful for researchers and professionals working in structural engineering and allied areas.