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Into the Deep: Science, Technology, and the Quest to Protect the Ocean
by Christy PetersonContaining 97 percent of Earth's water supply, the ocean plays a huge role in regulating global temperatures, supporting plant and animal life, and contributing to the livelihoods of millions of people. But in spite of all this, the ocean remains drastically unexplored, and the details of its impact on human lives aren't fully understood. Scientists from around the world are realizing that to address issues plaguing the ocean, such as dead zones, coral bleaching, and climate change, we need to better understand this incredible, unique feature of our planet. With a range of impressive, cutting-edge technologies at their disposal, oceanographers have set out to measure, sample, and analyze at every turn. Every day, mysteries about the ocean are being solved, and every day, new questions come to light. The more scientists learn, the better they are able to answer these new questions. What lies in the deep? And who is at the forefront of these exciting discoveries? The scientists and research included in this book shed light on the most pressing issues currently facing oceanographers and point us in the right direction to solving these challenges.
Into the Great Emptiness: Peril And Survival On The Greenland Ice Cap
by David RobertsA Library Journal Best Book of 2022 in Science and Technology “A gripping saga—and one of Roberts’s finest books.” —Jon Krakauer The riveting story of one of the greatest but least-known sagas in the history of exploration. By 1930, no place in the world was less well explored than Greenland. The native Inuit had occupied the relatively accessible west coast for centuries. The east coast, however, was another story. In August 1930, Henry George Watkins (nicknamed “Gino”), a twenty-three-year-old British explorer, led thirteen scientists and explorers on an ambitious expedition to the east coast of Greenland and into its vast and forbidding interior to set up a permanent meteorological base on the icecap, 8,200 feet above sea level. The Ice Cap Station was to be the anchor of a transpolar route of air travel from Europe to North America. The weather on the ice cap was appalling. Fierce storms. Temperatures plunging lower than –50° Fahrenheit in the winter. Watkins’s scheme called for rotating teams of two men each to monitor the station for two months at a time. No one had ever tried to winter over in that hostile landscape, let alone manage a weather station through twelve continuous months. Watkins was younger than anyone under his command. But he had several daring trips to the Arctic under his belt and no one doubted his judgement. The first crisis came in the fall when a snowstorm stranded a resupply mission halfway to the top for many weeks. When they arrived at the ice cap, there were not enough provisions and fuel for another two-man shift, so the station would have to be abandoned. Then team member August Courtauld made an astonishing offer. To enable the mission to go forward, he would monitor the station solo through the winter. When a team went up in March to relieve Courtauld, after weeks of brutal effort to make the 130-mile journey, they could find no trace of him or the station. By the end of March, Courtauld’s situation was desperate. He was buried under an immovable load of frozen snow and was disastrously short on supplies. On April 21, four months after Courtauld began his solitary vigil, Gino Watkins set out inland with two companions to find and rescue him. David Roberts, “veteran mountain climber and chronicler of adventures” (Washington Post), draws on firsthand accounts and archival materials to tell the story of this daring expedition and of the epic survival ordeal that ensued.
Into the Planet: My Life as a Cave Diver
by Jill HeinerthThe renowned cave diver takes readers on “a thrill ride into unfamiliar worlds”—exploring the hidden depths of our oceans and sunken caves (Publishers Weekly).More people have died exploring underwater caves than climbing Mount Everest, and we know more about deep space than we do about the depths of our oceans. In this thrilling firsthand account, Jill Heinerth blends science, adventure, and memoir to bring readers face-to-face with the terror and beauty of earth’s final frontier—and the extremes of human capability.One of the world’s foremost cave divers, Heinerth’s achievements include leading a team that discovered the ancient watery remains of Mayan civilizations and becoming the first person in history to dive deep into an Antarctic iceberg. In Into the Planet, she vividly recounts everything from discovering new species and examining our finite freshwater reserves to the prejudices women face when pursuing careers underwater.
Into the Wild: Beyond the Design Research Lab (Studies in Applied Philosophy, Epistemology and Rational Ethics #48)
by Alan Chamberlain Andy CrabtreeThis edited collection opens up new intellectual territories and articulates the ways in which academics are theorising and practicing new forms of research in ‘wild’ contexts. Many researchers are choosing to leave the familiarity of their laboratory-based settings in order to pursue in-situ studies ‘in the wild’ that can help them to better understand the implications of their work in real-world settings. This has naturally led to ethical, philosophical and practical reappraisals with regard to the taken for granted lab-based modus operandi of scientific, cultural and design-based ways of working. This evolving movement has led to a series of critical debates opening up around the nature of research in the wild, but up until now these debates have not been drawn together in a coherent way that could be useful in an academic context. The book brings together applied, methodological and theoretical perspectives relating to this subject area, and provides a platform and a source of reference material for researchers, students and academics to base their work on. Cutting across multiple disciplines relating to philosophy, sociology, ethnography, design, human–computer interaction, science, history and critical theory, this timely collection appeals to a broad range of academics in varying fields of research.
Intracellular Delivery II
by Aleš Prokop Yasuhiko Iwasaki Atsushi HaradaThis volume is a continuation of Volume 1 following the previously published Editorial. More emphasis is given to novel nanocarrier designs, their characterization and function, and applications for drug discovery and treatment. A number of chapters will deal with nanofibers as a new major application within the biomedical field with a very high success rate particularly in wound healing and diabetic foot and spine injuries. A major new subdivision will deal with mathematical methods for the assembly of nanocarriers both for simulation and function.
Intracellular Signaling Mediators in the Circulatory and Ventilatory Systems
by Marc ThirietThe volumes in this authoritative series present a multidisciplinary approach to modeling and simulation of flows in the cardiovascular and ventilatory systems, especially multiscale modeling and coupled simulations. The cardiovascular and respiratory systems are tightly coupled, as their primary function is to supply oxygen to and remove carbon dioxide from the body's cells. Because physiological conduits have deformable and reactive walls, macroscopic flow behavior and prediction must be coupled to phenomenological models of nano- and microscopic events in a corrector scheme of regulated mechanisms when the vessel lumen caliber varies markedly. Therefore, investigation of flows of blood and air in physiological conduits requires an understanding of the biology, chemistry, and physics of these systems together with the mathematical tools to describe their functioning. Volume 4 is devoted to major sets of intracellular mediators that transmit signals upon stimulation of cell-surface receptors. Activation of signaling effectors triggers the release of substances stored in cellular organelles and/or gene transcription and protein synthesis. Complex stages of cell signaling can be studied using proper mathematical models, once the role of each component is carefully handled. Volume 4 also reviews various categories of cytosolic and/or nuclear mediators and illustrates some major signal transduction pathways, such as NFkappaB axis, oxygen sensing, and mechanotransduction.
Intracorporeal Robotics: From Milliscale to Nanoscale
by Michael Gauthier Nicolas Andreff Etienne DombreA promising long-term evolution of surgery relies on intracorporeal microrobotics. This book reviews the physical and methodological principles, and the scientific challenges to be tackled to design and control such robots. Three orders of magnitude will be considered, justified by the class of problems encountered and solutions implemented to manipulate objects and reach targets within the body: millimetric, sub-millimetric in the 10- 100 micrometer range, then in the 1-10 micrometer range. The most prominent devices and prototypes of the state of the art will be described to illustrate the benefit that can be expected for surgeons and patients. Future developments nanorobotics will also be discussed.
Intracranial EEG: A Guide for Cognitive Neuroscientists (Studies in Neuroscience, Psychology and Behavioral Economics)
by Nikolai AxmacherThis book offers the first, comprehensive guide to planning and conducting intracranial EEG studies, and analyzing intracranial EEG data. The chapters address core questions in the field of intracranial EEG research. They are written by internationally recognized experts in the domain of intracranial EEG and acknowledge the heterogeneity of approaches in this field. The particular format of the book allows readers to find clear guidelines, hands-on expertise and invaluable background information for planning and conducting state-of-the-art intracranial EEG research projects. Besides offering a reference guide to newcomers in the field, it also provides scholarly information for the more experienced researcher and inspiration for the expert. The book covers a wide range of topics, with a special emphasis on aspects in which intracranial EEG data differ from other types of data in the cognitive neurosciences. It discusses typical patient characteristics and implantation schemes, ethical issues, and practical considerations for planning and running intracranial EEG experiments. It addresses signal characteristics and the physiological background of oscillatory and non-oscillatory aspects of intracranial EEG signals. It describes complex pre-processing steps such as advantages and disadvantages of different referencing schemes, and how to identify the location of electrodes. In addition, it answers specific questions on data processing, addressing core aspects of statistical analysis, and suggesting guidelines for data presentation. Further, it covers advanced topics such as causal interventions (i.e. deep brain stimulation), acquisition and analysis of single-unit data and multimodal recordings, and discusses important future challenges and opportunities in the field of intracranial EEG research.
Intrapreneurship Management: Concepts, Methods, and Software for Managing Technological Innovation in Organizations (IEEE Press Series on Technology Management, Innovation, and Leadership)
by Oliver Yu Rainer HasenauerDevelop and deploy industry-leading ideas with this groundbreaking management toolkit The universal modern image of an innovator is a technological entrepreneur, who conceives and develops their groundbreaking ideas outside an existing institution and only subsequently builds infrastructure around it. In reality, however, the bulk of technological innovation comes through Intrapreneurship: innovation that takes place inside an existing organization, taking advantage of the institutional support and economies of scale provided by continuing enterprises. Intrapreneurship Management is an approach that cultivates these internal innovations and the knowledge workers who produce them. Intrapreneurship Management: Concepts, Methods, and Software for Managing Technological Innovation in Organizations offers a guide to this approach, its challenges, and its rewards. Beginning with a simple yet flexible definition of innovation—an idea implemented with impact—it analyzes the processes and organizational tools by which novel ideas can be fostered, supported, and applied, producing industry-leading firms that maximize their internal talent. It also provides access and tools for using IntrapreneurshipREADINESSNavigator (IRN), a unique software already deployed successfully in over 150 innovation projects. Intrapreneurship Management readers will also find: Case studies of technological innovations within a range of organizations A look forward to future challenges facing innovative organizations in the 21st century Detailed treatment of subjects including innovation marketing, systematic creativity, and developing innovative organizational culture Intrapreneurship Management is ideal for intrapreneurs, their managers, and any professionals working in industries driven by technological innovation, as well as researchers and students of management.
Intrinsic Structures and Properties of Energetic Materials
by Chaoyang Zhang Jing Huang Rupeng BuThis book highlights the intrinsic structures of all kinds of energetic compounds and some structure–property relationships therein. Energetic materials are a class of energy materials that can transiently release a large amount of gases and heat by self-redox after stimulated and usually refer to explosives, propellants and pyrotechnics. Nowadays, in combination with various theories and simulation-aided material design technologies, many new kinds of energetic materials like energetic extended solids, energetic ionic salts, energetic metal organic frames, energetic co-crystals and energetic perovskites have been created, in addition to traditional energetic molecular crystals. It is somewhat dazzling, and an issue of how we can understand these new types of energetic materials is raised. In the past about 20 years, we were immersed in the computational energetic materials. By means of defining a concept of intrinsic structures of energetic materials, which refers to the crystal packing structure of energetic materials, as well as molecule for molecular solid specially, the microscopic structures have been mostly clarified, and related with many macroscopic properties and performances, with molecular simulations. This book presents our understanding about it. Thereby, a simply and new way to readily understand energetic materials is expected to be paved, based on this book. It contains energetic molecular crystals, energetic ionic crystals, energetic atomic crystals, energetic metallic crystals and energetic mixed-type crystals and the substructures closest to crystal packing. Meanwhile, the common intermolecular interactions in energetic crystals will be introduced. In addition, theoretical and simulation methods for treating the intrinsic structures will be briefed, as they are the main tools to reveal the molecules and crystals. Besides, the polymorphism as a level of intrinsic structures will be briefly discussed. In the final of this book, we introduce the crystal engineering of energetic materials. This book features the first proposal of intrinsic structure and crystal engineering of energetic materials and the understanding of the properties and performances of energetic materials by maintaining a concept that structure determines property. It helps to promote the rationality in creating new energetic materials, rather than increase experience.
Intrinsically Motivated Learning in Natural and Artificial Systems
by Gianluca Baldassarre Marco MirolliIt has become clear to researchers in robotics and adaptive behaviour that current approaches are yielding systems with limited autonomy and capacity for self-improvement. To learn autonomously and in a cumulative fashion is one of the hallmarks of intelligence, and we know that higher mammals engage in exploratory activities that are not directed to pursue goals of immediate relevance for survival and reproduction but are instead driven by intrinsic motivations such as curiosity, interest in novel stimuli or surprising events, and interest in learning new behaviours. The adaptive value of such intrinsically motivated activities lies in the fact that they allow the cumulative acquisition of knowledge and skills that can be used later to accomplish fitness-enhancing goals. Intrinsic motivations continue during adulthood, and in humans they underlie lifelong learning, artistic creativity, and scientific discovery, while they are also the basis for processes that strongly affect human well-being, such as the sense of competence, self-determination, and self-esteem.This book has two aims: to present the state of the art in research on intrinsically motivated learning, and to identify the related scientific and technological open challenges and most promising research directions. The book introduces the concept of intrinsic motivation in artificial systems, reviews the relevant literature, offers insights from the neural and behavioural sciences, and presents novel tools for research. The book is organized into six parts: the chapters in Part I give general overviews on the concept of intrinsic motivations, their function, and possible mechanisms for implementing them; Parts II, III, and IV focus on three classes of intrinsic motivation mechanisms, those based on predictors, on novelty, and on competence; Part V discusses mechanisms that are complementary to intrinsic motivations; and Part VI introduces tools and experimental frameworks for investigating intrinsic motivations.The contributing authors are among the pioneers carrying out fundamental work on this topic, drawn from related disciplines such as artificial intelligence, robotics, artificial life, evolution, machine learning, developmental psychology, cognitive science, and neuroscience. The book will be of value to graduate students and academic researchers in these domains, and to engineers engaged with the design of autonomous, adaptive robots.The contributing authors are among the pioneers carrying out fundamental work on this topic, drawn from related disciplines such as artificial intelligence, robotics, artificial life, evolution, machine learning, developmental psychology, cognitive science, and neuroscience. The book will be of value to graduate students and academic researchers in these domains, and to engineers engaged with the design of autonomous, adaptive robots.
Intrinsically Motivated Learning in Natural and Artificial Systems
by Marco Mirolli Gianluca BaldassarreIt has become clear to researchers in robotics and adaptive behaviour that current approaches are yielding systems with limited autonomy and capacity for self-improvement. To learn autonomously and in a cumulative fashion is one of the hallmarks of intelligence, and we know that higher mammals engage in exploratory activities that are not directed to pursue goals of immediate relevance for survival and reproduction but are instead driven by intrinsic motivations such as curiosity, interest in novel stimuli or surprising events, and interest in learning new behaviours. The adaptive value of such intrinsically motivated activities lies in the fact that they allow the cumulative acquisition of knowledge and skills that can be used later to accomplish fitness-enhancing goals. Intrinsic motivations continue during adulthood, and in humans they underlie lifelong learning, artistic creativity, and scientific discovery, while they are also the basis for processes that strongly affect human well-being, such as the sense of competence, self-determination, and self-esteem. This book has two aims: to present the state of the art in research on intrinsically motivated learning, and to identify the related scientific and technological open challenges and most promising research directions. The book introduces the concept of intrinsic motivation in artificial systems, reviews the relevant literature, offers insights from the neural and behavioural sciences, and presents novel tools for research. The book is organized into six parts: the chapters in Part I give general overviews on the concept of intrinsic motivations, their function, and possible mechanisms for implementing them; Parts II, III, and IV focus on three classes of intrinsic motivation mechanisms, those based on predictors, on novelty, and on competence; Part V discusses mechanisms that are complementary to intrinsic motivations; and Part VI introduces tools and experimental frameworks for investigating intrinsic motivations.The contributing authors are among the pioneers carrying out fundamental work on this topic, drawn from related disciplines such as artificial intelligence, robotics, artificial life, evolution, machine learning, developmental psychology, cognitive science, and neuroscience. The book will be of value to graduate students and academic researchers in these domains, and to engineers engaged with the design of autonomous, adaptive robots. The contributing authors are among the pioneers carrying out fundamental work on this topic, drawn from related disciplines such as artificial intelligence, robotics, artificial life, evolution, machine learning, developmental psychology, cognitive science, and neuroscience. The book will be of value to graduate students and academic researchers in these domains, and to engineers engaged with the design of autonomous, adaptive robots.
Intrinsische Hybridverbunde für Leichtbautragstrukturen: Grundlagen der Fertigung, Charakterisierung und Auslegung
by Jürgen FleischerDer Einsatz von Leichtbautragstrukturen bietet heutzutage die Möglichkeit eine signifikante Gewichtsreduzierung zu realisieren. Bei der Gestaltung dieser Leichtbautragstrukturen müssen, je nach Anwendungsfall, eine Vielzahl von Anforderungen berücksichtigt werden. Die komplette Substitution eines Werkstoffes ist für die konsequente Nutzung des Leichtbaupotentials nicht immer zielführend. Eine optimale Gesamtstruktur besteht aus einer hybriden Werkstoffkombination, dem sogenannten Multi-Material-Design. Der Ansatz der Hybridisierung von Strukturkomponenten rückt somit immer stärker in den Vordergrund und kann grundsätzlich nach zwei unterschiedlichen Methoden erfolgen. Zum einen können zwei Bauteile aus Faserverbundkunststoff und Metall durch nachgeschaltete Fügeprozesse, wie beispielsweise Nieten, Schrauben oder Kleben, gefügt werden. Nachteil dieses Ansatzes ist neben dem Aufwand für den Fügeprozess die zusätzliche Masse, durch die das Leichtbaupotential nicht vollkommen ausgeschöpft werden kann. Zum anderen besteht die Möglichkeit der Herstellung des Hybridverbunds in einem einstufigen Prozess, wobei die Verbindung der verschiedenen Materialien im Ur- oder Umformprozess ohne einen nachfolgenden Fügeschritt erfolgt. Das entstehende Bauteil dieses einstufigen Prozesses wird als intrinsisches Hybrid bezeichnet. Aufgrund der intrinsischen Hybridisierung entstehen neue Gestaltungsmöglichkeiten und produktionstechnische Vorteile, aber auch Herausforderungen in Bezug auf die Prüfung, Simulation und Herstellung. Im Rahmen des Schwerpunktprogramms 1712 der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft wurde hierzu auf den Fachgebieten Produktionstechnik, Mechanik und Werkstoffwissenschaften intensiv Forschungsarbeit geleistet.
Introducing CTS (SpringerBriefs in Electrical and Computer Engineering)
by Iraj Sadegh Amiri Mahdi AriannejadThis book discusses the enhancement of efficiency in currently used solar cells. The authors have characterized different structures of the solar cell system to optimize system parameters, particularly the performance of the Copper-Tin-Sulphide solar cell using Solar Cell Capacitance Simulator (SCAPS). This research can help scientist to overcome the current limitations and build up new designs of the system with higher efficiency and greater functionality. The authors have investigated the corresponding samples from various viewpoints, including structural (crystallinity, composition and surface morphology), optical (UV–vis–near-IR transmittance/reflectance spectra) and electrical resistivity properties. Describes investigations on Cu2SnS3 solar cells and prospective low cost absorber layer of thin film solar cells;Discusses the potential device structure of Copper-Tin-Sulphide based on thin film technologies;Explains solar cell structure optimization to perform a higher conversion efficiency of Copper-Tin-Sulphide.
Introducing Design Automation for Quantum Computing
by Robert Wille Alwin ZulehnerThis book offers readers an easy introduction into quantum computing as well as into the design for corresponding devices. The authors cover several design tasks which are important for quantum computing and introduce corresponding solutions. A special feature of the book is that those tasks and solutions are explicitly discussed from a design automation perspective, i.e., utilizing clever algorithms and data structures which have been developed by the design automation community for conventional logic (i.e., for electronic devices and systems) and are now applied for this new technology. By this, relevant design tasks can be conducted in a much more efficient fashion than before – leading to improvements of several orders of magnitude (with respect to runtime and other design objectives).Describes the current state of the art for designing quantum circuits, for simulating them, and for mapping them to real hardware;Provides a first comprehensive introduction into design automation for quantum computing that tackles practically relevant tasks;Targets the quantum computing community as well as the design automation community, showing both perspectives to quantum computing, and what impressive improvements are possible when combining the knowledge of both communities.
Introducing Engineering in K-8 Settings: Fostering Children's Powerful Design Ideas
by Elissa Milto Chelsea Andrews Merredith Portsmore Christopher WrightIntroducing Engineering to K-8 Students will provide you with the tools you need to incorporate engineering design into your classroom. Rather than prescribing a specific curriculum to follow, this book will help you engage your students with hands-on, open-ended engineering design problems that can be easily integrated into your existing classroom setup.Beginning with the basics of K-8 engineering, and advancing to topics such as integrating engineering with other disciplines, documentation, and assessments, the chapters provide a how-to on creating open-ended engineering activities, design tasks, and projects that are reflective of the academic, social, emotional, developmental, and community goals of your students. An additional focus is on ways to adapt these pedagogical approaches to meet the needs of all students, representative of racially, ethnically, socioeconomically, and gender diverse populations and students who receive special education services. Case studies and practical implementation strategies are presented alongside more than fifteen lesson plans, with tips on how to modify the tasks presented in the book to work with your classroom and students. This user-centered approach will also help you create your own engineering lessons that meet your individual classroom objectives and interests, and be able to recognize and classify your students’ engineering behaviors to support them in enacting their ideas.No matter your experience or comfort level, this book will be an invaluable resource for elementary and middle school science and technology teachers at all career stages who are looking to introduce engineering design to their students.Additional classroom resources can be found online at introducingengineering.org.
Introducing Food Science
by Robert L. Shewfelt Andrew D. Clarke Alicia Orta-RamirezWritten as an introductory food science textbook that excites students and fosters learning, the first edition of Introducing Food Science broke new ground. With an easy-to-read format and innovative sections such as Looking Back, Remember This!, and Looking Ahead, it quickly became popular with students and professors alike. This newly r
Introducing Microsoft Flow: Automating Workflows Between Apps And Services
by Vijai Anand RamalingamUse Microsoft Flow in your business to improve productivity through automation with this step-by-step introductory text from a Microsoft Flow expert. You’ll see the prerequisites to get started with this cloud-based service, including how to create a flow and how to use different connectors. Introducing Microsoft Flow takes you through connecting with SharePoint, creating approval flows, and using mobile apps. This vital information gives you a head-start when planning your Microsoft Flow implementation.The second half of the book continues with managing connections and gateways, where you’ll cover the configuration, creation, and deletion of connectors and how to connect to a data gateway. The final topic is Flow administration and techniques to manage the environment.After reading this book, you will be able to create and manage Flow from desktop, laptop, or mobile devices and connect with multiple services such as SharePoint, Twitter, Facebook, and other networking sites.What You Will LearnCreate flows from built-in and blank templates Manage flows, connections, and gatewaysCreate approvals, connect with multiple services, and use mobile appsWho This Book Is ForAdministrators and those who are interested in creating automated workflows using templates and connecting with multiple services without writing a single line of code.
Introducing Photonics
by Brian CulshawThe essential guide for anyone wanting a quick introduction to the fundamental ideas underlying photonics. The author uses his forty years of experience in photonics research and teaching to provide intuitive explanations of key concepts, and demonstrates how these relate to the operation of photonic devices and systems. Readers will gain insight into the nature of light and the ways in which it interacts with materials and structures, and learn how these basic ideas are applied in areas such as optical systems, 3D imaging and astronomy. Carefully designed worked examples and end-of-chapter problems enable students to check their understanding, with full solutions available online. Mathematical treatments are kept as simple as possible, allowing readers to grasp even the most complex of concepts. Clear, concise and accessible, this is the perfect guide for undergraduate students taking a first course in photonics, and anyone in academia or industry wanting to review the fundamentals.
Introducing Property Valuation
by Michael BlackledgeThis new edition of bestselling textbook Introducing Property Valuation provides students with a comprehensive introduction to the concepts and methods of valuing real estate, helping them to progress successfully from basic principles to a more sophisticated understanding. Taking a practically oriented rather than purely theoretical approach, the textbook equips readers with the skills to undertake their own valuation calculations. Fully updated to reflect recent developments in regulation and practice, experienced tutor and valuer Michael Blackledge demonstrates how the principles can be applied in professional practice in line with the requirements and guidance provided by the International Valuation Standards Council and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. Online material accompanies the new edition with Q&As and pre-programmed excel spreadsheets enabling students to prepare their own calculations. The five traditional methods of valuation are outlined and the practical applications of the two main approaches, the comparison and investment methods, are fully explored. The use of discounted cash flow and quarterly in advance calculations, topics which are not always adequately covered elsewhere, are also explained. Accessibly written with a full range of worked examples, case studies, clear chapter summaries and extensive further reading suggestions, this book is essential for any student of real estate and its valuation.
Introducing Robotic Process Automation to Your Organization: A Guide for Business Leaders
by Robert Fantina Andriy Storozhuk Kamal GoyalFor your robotic process automation (RPA) program to be successful, you need to follow a general framework and governance model. This book covers, in detail, what they should look like and how to adapt them to your organization.Introducing Robotic Process Automation to Your Organization is structured to enable you, a novice to RPA, to successfully implement an RPA program at your company. RPA is rapidly growing in use, but is only starting to be taught at a university level. Many mid-level managers will be tasked with introducing an RPA program at their organizations as senior management learns of its efficacy, but will be unfamiliar with how to do so. This book provides you with the skills and information you need to make an informed decision. For decades, there has been much discussion about the fast pace of technology, the rapidly changing technology environment, and the need for companies to be on the cutting edge to remain competitive or even relevant. In this ever-changing environment, there is a need to know what can be done in terms of current processes, here and now, that will increase efficiency, benefit customers, and improve profitability. One option is RPA.This book includes information to assist you in getting the required buy-in and identifying the first few processes for automation. A structure for identifying opportunities on an ongoing basis is detailed, along with concepts that must be considered for solution design and deployment. Throughout the book there are several "pause and consider" statements to help you think about how principles pertain to your organization. Additionally, there are tips included that offer short, concrete suggestions on how to help implement the particular step being discussed.What You Will LearnKnow the benefits of robotic process automation (RPA)Understand the limitations of RPAAsk the right questions to determine whether a process is a good candidate for automationObtain buy-in from skeptics at the senior and middle manager levels, and from line workersBe familiar with the structure required for successWho This Book is ForMiddle managers who have either identified the need for robotic process automation (RPA) in their organization or have been directed by senior management to explore the possibility of introducing RPA to their organization; managers at all levels who hear about RPA, either through conferences, professional associations, or industry publications, and want to know more; students of business and technology who wish to broaden their understanding of important current trends.
Introducing Spoken Dialogue Systems into Intelligent Environments
by Wolfgang Minker Tobias HeinrothIntroducing Spoken Dialogue Systems into Intelligent Environments outlines the formalisms of a novel knowledge-driven framework for spoken dialogue management and presents the implementation of a model-based Adaptive Spoken Dialogue Manager(ASDM) called OwlSpeak. The authors have identified three stakeholders that potentially influence the behavior of the ASDM: the user, the SDS, and a complex Intelligent Environment (IE) consisting of various devices, services, and task descriptions. The theoretical foundation of a working ontology-based spoken dialogue description framework, the prototype implementation of the ASDM, and the evaluation activities that are presented as part of this book contribute to the ongoing spoken dialogue research by establishing the fertile ground of model-based adaptive spoken dialogue management. This monograph is ideal for advanced undergraduate students, PhD students, and postdocs as well as academic and industrial researchers and developers in speech and multimodal interactive systems.
Introducing SQLite for Mobile Developers
by Jesse FeilerThis brief book is a basic introduction to SQLite for iOS and Android developers. The book includes a simple introduction to SQL, a discussion of when to use SQLite, and chapters devoted to using SQLite with the most likely programming languages: Java, PHP, Swift and Objective-C. It then goes through adding simple database functionality to an Android or iOS app and finally a chapter on managing the app's life cycle. What you'll learn What You Will Learn:The basics of SQLite The SQL you need to use SQLite effectively How to integrate database functionality into your mobile app. How to maintain the app Who this book is for This book is for Android or iOS developers who wish to use a lightweight but flexible database for their applications. It assumes mobile development experience but does not assume any database knowledge. Table of Contents 1. Getting Up to Speed with Databases and SQLite 2. Understanding What SQLite Is. . . 3. Working with the relationship model and SQLite 4. Using SQLite basics -- storing and retrieving data 5. Using SQLite features -- What you can do with SELECT statements 6. Using SQLite with PHP 7. Using SQLite with Java (Android) 8. Using SQLite with Swift (iOS/Mac) 9. Using SQLite with Objective-C (iOS/Mac) 10. Exploring the simple database (used in Chapters 10-12) 11. Using the simple database with a website (database example code included) 12. Adding the simple database to an Android app (using android. database. sqlite) 13. Adding the simple database to an iOS app (using Core Data) 14. Considering performance issues 15. Managing the SQLite life cyle
Introduction in Synthetic Biology: About Modeling, Computation, And Circuit Design (Learning Materials in Biosciences)
by Mario Andrea MarchisioThe textbook is based on the lectures of the course “Synthetic Biology” for Master’s students in biology and biotechnology at the Harbin Institute of Technology. The goal of the textbook is to explain how to make mathematical models of synthetic gene circuits that will, later on, drive the circuit implementation in the lab. Concepts such as kinetics, circuit dynamics and equilibria, stochastic and deterministic simulations, parameter analysis and optimization are presented. At the end of the textbook, a chapter contains a description of structural motifs (e.g. positive and negative feedback loops, Boolean gates) that carry out specific functions and can be combined into larger networks. Moreover, several chapters show how to build up (an analyse, where possible) models for synthetic gene circuits with four different open-source software i.e. COPASI, XPPAUT, BioNetGeN, and Parts & Pools-ProMoT.
Introduction of Biotechnology in India's Agriculture
by Vasant P. Gandhi Dinesh JainBiotechnology can bring major breakthroughs in agriculture. The book examines the experience of introduction of biotechnology in Indian agriculture, specifically, examining the performance of Bt cotton versus non-Bt cotton across India's major cotton states, namely Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, which together account for nearly 70 percent of the country's cotton production. Major advances in biotechnology have made it possible to directly identify genes, determine their functions, and transfer them from one organism to another. The advances have spawned many technologies and Bt cotton is one important outcome. Bt cotton has become one of the most widely cultivated transgenic crops and is currently grown in 21 countries - 11 developing and 10 industrialized countries. The Government of India was relatively late in permitting biotechnology, only approving the cultivation of three transgenic Bt cotton hybrids from April 2002. Many concerns were raised about their performance there was strong opposition from some quarters. In India, Gujarat and Maharastra were the first states to adopt them, followed by Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh. Based on a sample of 694 farming households, the book examines and analyzes the performance on the yields, pesticide costs, seed costs, overall production costs and profits. It also reports on the environmental impacts, satisfaction with the technology and ways of improving its performance.