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The Irish Repertory Theatre: Celebrating Thirty-Five Years Off-Broadway (New Directions in Irish and Irish American Literature)
by Maria SzaszThe Irish Repertory Theatre: Celebrating Thirty-Five Years Off-Broadway is the first book-length history of the multi-award winning Off-Broadway Irish Repertory Theatre Company, from its beginning in 1988 to its thirty-fifth season in 2023. The book considers how the Irish Rep’s plays and musicals reflect the Irish diaspora, the relationship between Ireland and America, and what it means to be Irish and Irish American, both historically, and in the twenty-first century, including how the Irish Rep is showcasing more diverse voices and experiences, from women, the LGBTQIA+ community, and Irish and Irish American people of color.
Geographies of the Platform Economy: Critical Perspectives (Economic Geography)
by Mário Vale Daniela Ferreira Nuno RodriguesThis book provides a wider understanding of the geographies of the platform economy, focusing on the critical perspectives that have emerged on this new economic and digital context. Technological development, particularly the emergence of big data in combination with platforms, additive manufacturing, advanced robotics, machine learning and the internet of things, has created conditions for the appearance of a new economic context predominantly based on new forms of services. This new economic context has been described as the platform economy or platform capitalism. Other designations have also appeared to describe particular consequences of this new phenomena, such as the gig economy or the sharing economy.There is a significant diversity of scientific fields that are studying topics related to the platform economy. Several studies have emerged from different fields, including, but not limited to, geography, economy, sociology, information science, management, marketing, or the humanities. However, geography has become an important field to understand the platform economy given its critical position over the economic, cultural, and social issues that stem from this new economic context. The purpose of this book is to approach these discussions and offer a critical view of the platform economy from the perspective of geography, stemming from the different subfields of the discipline and not restricted to what has been referred to as Digital Geography.This book will appeal to scholars, undergraduate and postgraduate students in the social sciences. It will be particularly relevant to those with research interests in digital geographies and economic geography, economics and business.
Liberal Constitutionalism and its Contemporary Challenges (AMINTAPHIL: The Philosophical Foundations of Law and Justice #12)
by Joan McGregor Gordon Albert Babst Renée Nicole SourisThe edited volume brings together contemporary work by philosophers, legal scholars, and political theorists. This volume presents relevant understandings of the common good, democracy, liberty, and law, and situates them in the context of contemporary countervailing pressures posed by issues in education, access to medical treatment in a pandemic, and the media. Motivated to ascertain how democracy is threatened by a variety contemporary challenges, the authors examine core aspects of law, representative democracy, and constitutionalism to shed light on worrisome contemporary phenomena such as social media-driven conspiracy theories, unequal access to education and medical treatment, among other topics.
Selected Proceedings of the 6th Space Resources Conference: KGK 2023 (Springer Aerospace Technology)
by Katarzyna Malinowska Agata Kołodziejczyk Joanna Pyrkosz-Pacyna Krzysztof Grabowski Olga SergijenkoThis book collects advances, innovations, and applications in the field of space resources and exploration, as presented by international researchers at the 6th Space Resources Conference (KGK), held in Kraków, Poland on May 15-16, 2023. The conference serves as a forum for discussion on the state-of-the-art technologies applicable to current challenges of space exploration, the use of space resources to improve the living conditions of humans and protect Earth’s natural environment, and the latest research results on space resource extraction, transportation, manufacturing in space, and how to develop settlements on the Moon and Mars. Topics include bioastronautics and life support systems, Earth observation and sensors issues, space law, subspace missions, space industry, society and space, space education, and space structures design and operations. The book, which was selected by means of a rigorous peer-review process, presents a wealth of exciting ideas that will open novel research directions and foster multidisciplinary collaboration among different specialists.
Innovations for Healthcare and Wellbeing: Digital Technologies, Ecosystems and Entrepreneurship (Contributions to Management Science)
by Tessaleno Devezas Serena Cubico Igor Ilin João Carlos Correia Leitão Evgeny SchlyakhtoVarious socio-demographic, medical, technological, and managerial trends determine the emergence and development of the concept of the “Smart Hospital”, as well as the development and implementation of appropriate complex architectural models in the management practice of medical organizations. In turn, such medical organizations require an innovative health care ecosystem to provide medically and economically efficient healthcare services. This book examines various approaches to the modern healthcare system to provide an effective internal environment for the medical organization as well as an effective external environment for better interaction with all stakeholders of the greater healthcare system. It addresses the challenges of digital technology adoption in specialized areas (e.g., cardiology, surgery, neonatology, etc.) and of the dissemination of knowledge, technology, innovation, and entrepreneurial initiatives as well as communication between stakeholders. It then explores the development of the Smart Hospital by analyzing the internal architecture of medical organizations, key factors of their transformation, architecture of IT and digital technologies and data-driven management. Finally, this book explores the ways in which entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial leadership promote innovation and well-being in different organizational contexts, with special emphasis on human resource management, intellectual capital, and abusive leadership of public, social, and business sector contexts.
Artificial Intelligence Valuation: The Impact on Automation, BioTech, ChatBots, FinTech, B2B2C, and Other Industries
by Roberto Moro-ViscontiThe book discusses the main valuation methodologies of artificial intelligence (AI). Company valuation goes hand in hand with estimating intangible assets like AI, which are linked to higher risk and lower collateral value. Their accounting is controversial, and the most widely used valuation approaches are based on market, income, or cost-related metrics.The volume discusses in detail the valuation approaches such as the discounted cash flows (remembering that “cash is king”) or the empirical market multipliers and comparables. The approaches are complemented by several models, including advanced business planning that incorporates machine learning, digital scalability networks, or validating blockchains. The book, with a tailor-made theoretical background backed by empirical cases, shows how to evaluate AI products, such as chatbots or virtual assistants, for AI established producers, startups, or traditional “brick-and-mortar” AI users. The comprehensive set of techniques and methodologies will interest researchers, students, and practitioners in corporate finance, intellectual property valuation, and financial technology.
Healthcare Management Engineering In Action: Applying Fundamental Management Principles for Operational Decision Making in Healthcare (Business Guides on the Go)
by Alexander KolkerThe updated 2nd edition of Healthcare Management Engineering In Action in the Business Guides on the Go series provides a comprehensive exploration of healthcare management operations. Through a systematic comparison of predictive and analytic decision-making methodologies with traditional management approaches, the book employs case studies derived from real-world hospital and clinic scenarios. It addresses a spectrum of problem encompassing patient flow, capacity management, resource allocation, staffing and scheduling, statistical data analytics, and cost distribution among cooperating providers.The revised edition contains enhanced content, spotlighting key management principles vital for effective operational decision-making. The book encompasses a wide array of quantitative methods, including discrete event simulation, queuing analytic theory, linear, integer and probabilistic optimization, among others. By acting as a bridge between management engineering experts and healthcare administrators, Healthcare Management Engineering is an invaluable resource for hospital and clinic leadership, aiding them in their managerial roles. Furthermore, it serves as a comprehensive repository of introductory challenges and projects suitable for graduate-level students in healthcare management and administration.
Color in QCD: An Introduction Featuring the Birdtrack Pictorial Technique (SpringerBriefs in Physics)
by Stéphane PeignéThis book introduces readers to the fascinating world of quantum chromodynamics (QCD) and quarks and gluons, the elementary constituents of protons, neutrons, and all hadrons. Specifically, it focuses on the color of quarks and gluons, responsible for their mutual interactions via the strong force. The book provides an elementary introduction to the birdtrack technique, which is a powerful tool for addressing the color structure of QCD in a pictorial way. The technique shows how quark and gluon colors are combined and mixed in QCD. The author discusses color conservation, shows how to project on color states of systems of quarks, antiquarks, and gluons, how to derive their color charges. The book is enriched with many exercises integrated in the text to learn by doing.This book is primarily intended for particle physics students, graduates, and researchers working in the field of QCD. However, it requires no specific prerequisites in QCD, so it may also be of interest to students of mathematics, as an illustration of the use of the birdtrack pictorial technique in representation theory.
Sustainable Finance in Europe: Corporate Governance, Financial Stability and Financial Markets (EBI Studies in Banking and Capital Markets Law)
by Guido Ferrarini Danny Busch Seraina GrünewaldThis second edition brings together the views of expert academics and practitioners on the latest regulatory developments in sustainable finance in Europe and includes 5 new chapters on sustainable remuneration, reporting, lending, green monetary policy and ESG. The volume includes a wide range of cutting-edge issues, which relate to three main themes along which the volume is structured: (1) corporate governance; (2) monetary policy and financial stability ; and (3) financial markets. With individual contributions deploying different methods of analysis, including theoretical contributions on the status quo of macro-financial research as well as law and economics approaches, the collection encourages interdisciplinary readership and will appeal to those researching capital markets law, European financial law, and sustainable finance, as well as practitioners within the finance industry.
Preventive Cardiovascular Nursing: Resilience across the Lifespan for Optimal Cardiovascular Wellness
by Sandra B. Dunbar Lynne T. BraunThis book provides a comprehensive overview of essential concepts and evidence that guide the practice of contemporary preventive cardiovascular nursing. The sections incorporate a lifespan approach to cardiovascular wellness, and provide perspectives on sources of known and emerging cardiovascular risk factors as well as the spectrum of multidimensional factors including biological, behavioral, psychological and sociocultural influences on cardiovascular wellness, risk, and the evolution of cardiovascular conditions. Unique features address: 1) building resilience across the lifespan such that optimal cardiovascular wellness can be attained within multiple contexts of health states to increase a healthy lifespan and longevity; 2) behavior change skills for risk factor reduction; 3) risk factors and risk reduction approaches with special populations defined by gender, , age and aging, heath states, and health equity issues; and 4) high level roles for cardiovascular nurses as provider - risk assessor, communicator and care provider; educator, leader, patient and health advocate. Relevant case studies are included throughout to facilitate the application of the content. This book fills a gap in that there is no other book on preventive cardiovascular nursing care and roles , and it provides support for the nurse to lead relevant interdisciplinary teams. The book will empower nurses to build knowledge and skills for cardiovascular prevention and to provide leadership for optimal cardiovascular wellness for patients and communities.
Semi-Peripheral Realism: Nation and Form on the Borders of Europe (New Comparisons in World Literature)
by Christinna HazzardThis book explores the geopolitical and symbolic borders of Europe through the concept of the semi-periphery. Focusing on the North Atlantic island nations, Iceland and the Faroe Islands, and Turkey – a set of very different social and cultural landscapes – the book compares the semi-peripheral aesthetics of Halldór Laxness’s and William Heinesen’s novels with the semi-peripheral city and borderscapes in works by Orhan Pamuk and Latife Tekin. It offers new readings of texts such as Laxness’s The Atom Station and Pamuk’s Snow, and provides original readings of works that little has been written about in English, such as Heinesen’s The Black Cauldron and Tekin’s Swords of Ice. Making use of the theory of uneven and combined development and world systems theory, the book illustrates that the experience of nation-building and capitalist modernisation in the semi-periphery results in a particular realist aesthetic that is remarkably similar across different regional literatures. The book’s world-literary method shows that the semi-periphery constitutes a vital and productive area of study both for world literature and for broadening our understanding of colonialism and imperialism on the margins of continental Europe.
The World Trade Organization and Food Security in West Africa: Prospects for the ECOWAS Region (Contemporary African Political Economy)
by Godwin S. IchimiThis book explores the multilateral control of agro-economic spaces in West African developing countries through international trade, spearheaded by the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on Agriculture. Responding to growing food insecurity in the region, Ichimi here examines the web of intricacies in this arrangement by discussing some of the main international trade policies directly and indirectly impacting on food security in West Africa and critically engaging with empirical praxis as well as the theoretical underpinnings vis-a-vis multilateral strategies adopted for the amelioration of the crisis. In so doing, he expose how multilateral trading agreements under the auspices of the World Trade Organization produce negative outcomes for the food security status of a large and growing population in West Africa, privileging primary commodity production and export, maintaining the preference for food imports, and driving the pattern of agricultural investment towards an inexorable dependence of the sector on the dictates of the international market.
Wastewater Surveillance for Covid-19 Management (The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry #125)
by Manish Kumar Vinay Kumar Tyagi Santanu Mukherjee Meththika Vithanage Keisuke Kuroda Long D. NgiehmThis book reviews the recent challenges and future perspectives involved in the wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) for COVID-19. The book aims to improve the monitoring of COVID-19 in wastewater by focusing on recent scientific studies in the surveillance and treatment of wastewater containing SARS-CoV-RNA, assessment of COVID-19 in the community and delivering a new scientific understanding of prevalence and re-emergence based on the WBE. It also provides a global perspective on effective detection methods for the analysis and interpretation of the RNA count of SARS-CoV-2 virus in wastewater and predicts the effects wastewater may have on the infection rate.Readers will find in this book case studies from France, India and Southeast Asian of non-invasive population-based monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 through sewage surveillance, and will learn more about the virus behaviour and transmission in different environmental settings. The significance of membrane technologies for virusremoval from water is also addressed in this book, as well as advanced techniques for identifying, quantifying, and characterizing SARS-CoV-2 in activated sludge and wastewater. The book provides a great interface to researchers such as microbiologists, environmental engineers, data scientists and civil engineers, emphasizing issues related to the current monitoring methodology. Furthermore, it also encourages researchers and policymakers by raising awareness of potential new methodologies for wastewater surveillance and accurate monitoring of COVID-19.
The Financial Metaverse: Tokens, Derivatives and Other Synthetic Assets
by Albin SpinnerDerivative trading? That's something for Wall Street types, right? Maybe, but it also affects everyone else in ways that are still little appreciated. Futures traders have paralysed the global trade of nickel, a key component in the battery of your neighbour’s Tesla. For a few minutes one trading day during the pandemic, sellers of crude oil were paying buyers to take the stuff, defying the very notion of trading, in an episode straight out of “Alice in Wonderland”.Understanding how this obscure corner of finance works (and what happens when it doesn't) is a key pillar of financial literacy today. If you are a financial markets practitioner, everyday investor, academic, regulator, policy maker or kitchen-table economist, you need to know how financial derivatives really work and be aware of the emerging digital innovations that makes this market the highest stake metaverse.
A New Approach to Dogs and Dog Training: Human-Canine Synergy in Theory and Practice
by Theovoulos KoutsopoulosThis book presents a new and innovative concept in dealing with dogs: the human-canine synergy (HCS), characterized by a holistic nature and its differentiation from unidimensional terms expressing the affiliation of humans and dogs (Relationship, Interaction, Bonding). Related to the use and training by humans, it applies three main categories of dogs: a) the empathy/therapeutic individuals, which are dogs helping persons with empathy- or therapeutic needs; b) assisting/working dogs carrying out specific actions to aid or assist humans perform specific tasks; and c) the facilitating/inspiring dogs, which enable or improve various human activities, including classroom dogs for teaching and learning purposes in almost all educational subjects.Organized in three parts, chapters address the following needs:• The first section illuminates the concept of HCS as well as basic principles determining this synergy and consequently the process of training dogs (owners and professional trainers). Readers will understand the role of a dog's personality, behavior and especially temperament in its successful training.• In a scientifically documented way, the second part guides those who wish to engage in dog training (amateur or professional). It describes basic training forms within the HCS framework (obedience, protection, detection and classroom dog) and necessary steps for proper completion.• The third book part describes the business of dog training with multi-dimensional approach by emphasizing a good understanding and knowledge of interactions and the environment in which trainer, owner and dog typically operate.Overall, this work is a valuable read for anyone who deals with our four-legged companions for business or pleasure.
Poisson Hyperplane Tessellations (Springer Monographs in Mathematics)
by Rolf Schneider Daniel HugThis book is the first comprehensive presentation of a central topic of stochastic geometry: random mosaics that are generated by Poisson processes of hyperplanes. It thus connects a basic notion from probability theory, Poisson processes, with a fundamental object of geometry. The independence properties of Poisson processes and the long-range influence of hyperplanes lead to a wide range of phenomena which are of interest from both a geometric and a probabilistic point of view. A Poisson hyperplane tessellation generates many random polytopes, also a much-studied object of stochastic geometry. The book offers a variety of different perspectives and covers in detail all aspects studied in the original literature. The work will be useful to graduate students (advanced students in a Master program, PhD students), and professional mathematicians. The book can also serve as a reference for researchers in fields of physics, computer science, economics or engineering.
The Palgrave Handbook of Philosophy and Money: Volume 1: Ancient and Medieval Thought
by Joseph J. TinguelyThe Palgrave Handbook of Philosophy and Money surveys the role of money in the history of ideas. Volume 1: Ancient and Medieval Thought explores the worldviews of societies in the process of monetization. The volume is divided into sections on early Civilizations, classical Greece, the Roman era, and Medieval and Renaissance thought.
Screening by International Aid Organizations Operating in the Global South: Mitigating Risks of Generosity
by Beata ParagiAid organizations usually embrace the idea of digitalization, both in terms of using diverse technologies and processing data digitally for improving their services, making their operations more efficient and even mitigating various risks. While digital fundraising, the use of biometric ID systems or digitalized cash and voucher assistance enjoys widespread attention both in academic and practitioner circles, it is less known how aid organizations navigate between counterterrorism legislations and data protection laws in technical terms. Limiting the discussion to the EU General Data Protection Regulation and by conceptualizing screening — commonly used to prevent the use of donor money for illicit purposes, money-laundering, terrorism finance or corruption — as a data processing operation conducted by larger international aid organizations operating in the Global South, this book focuses on the matter of ‘transparency’ and ‘right to information’ being at the nexus ofsurveillance studies and privacy studies. By means of legal and social science methods, it simultaneously explores screening in light of classic surveillance and analyses whether opacity around screening by NGOs (data controllers) is in line with the spirit of European Union data protection regime from the perspective of individuals (data subjects). In so doing, Paragi also contributes to the discussion on the politics of transparency and highlights the dilemmas and challenges aid organizations operating in authoritarian regimes or conflict settings may face.
Handbook of Geometry and Topology of Singularities VI: Foliations
by Lê Dũng Tráng Felipe Cano José Luis Cisneros-Molina José SeadeThis is the sixth volume of the Handbook of Geometry and Topology of Singularities, a series which aims to provide an accessible account of the state-of-the-art of the subject, its frontiers, and its interactions with other areas of research. Singularities are ubiquitous in mathematics and science in general, and singularity theory is a crucible where different types of mathematical problems converge, surprising connections are born and simple questions lead to ideas which resonate in other parts of the subject, and in other subjects.This Volume VI goes together with Volume V and focuses on singular holomorphic foliations, which is a multidisciplinary field and a whole area of mathematics in itself. Singular foliations arise, for instance, by considering:The fibers of a smooth map between differentiable manifolds, with singularities at the critical points.The integral lines of a vector field, or the action of a Lie group on a manifold. The singularities are the orbits with special isotropy.The kernel of appropriate 1-forms. The singularities are the zeroes of the form.Open books, which naturally appear in singularity theory, are foliations with singular set the binding.These important examples highlight the deep connections between foliations and singularity theory. This volume consists of nine chapters, authored by world experts, which provide in-depth and reader-friendly introductions to some of the foundational aspects of the theory. These introductions also give insights into important lines of further research. Volume VI ends with an Epilogue by one of the current world leaders in the theory of complex foliations, with plenty of open questions and ideas for further research.The book is addressed to graduate students and newcomers to the theory, as well as to specialists who can use it as a guidebook.
Governing Partially Independent Nation-Territories: Evidence from Northern Europe (Palgrave Studies in Sub-National Governance)
by Stefan Sjöblom Jan SundbergThis book assesses the quality of self-government in four northern European regions with strong autonomy rights. Examining the experiences of Scotland, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and the Åland Islands, it considers how these regions have developed their own political and administrative systems within the larger states they form part of. The book looks to understand the key democratic and administrative qualities of a functioning self-government, and how geographic size and economic and human resources can impact the ways in which partially independent territories govern. It also assesses the emotional dimensions of regional nationalism, and how this impacts the concept and public perception of partially independent nation-territories. By focusing on the quality of self-government within these nation-territories, the book considers whether strong autonomy contributes to peaceful co-existence within established national borders, or provides new munition for secessionist movements. It will appeal to students and scholars of sub-national governance, European politics, territorial politics and conflict management.
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.
Structural Dynamics
by Einar N. StrømmenThe first part of this book covers the general theory of structural dynamics, in a calculous format as well as a finite element formulation. Secondly, it contains methods of eigenvalue calculations of civil engineering structural systems. And third, it contains a major part covering dynamic displacement response calculations as induced by earthquake, turbulent wind, vortex shedding and moving vehicles, enabling the designer to evaluate structural safety from the effects of fluctuating internal forces.The general theory contains comprehensive development of the principle of virtual displacements, as well as the Galerkin solution to eigenvalue problems. A separate chapter has been dedicated to the suspension bridge. The theory of single or multiple tuned mass dampers is included, a theory not presented elsewhere.The book contains a chapter covering the theory of structural damping, as well as comprehensive data of the structural damping properties that are necessary forany dynamic response calculation. The book is intended for students as well as practising engineers. It contains numerous relevant examples, covering numerical solutions that are well suited for computer programming.
Molecular Mechanisms in Nutritional Epigenetics (Epigenetics and Human Health #12)
by Luis M. VaschettoThis volume in the Epigenetics and Human Health series explores the intersection of diet and epigenetic modifications. It provides the reader with the latest research on how diet can influence our genetic and epigenetic profiles, thereby affecting our health and susceptibility to disease. In recent years, the field of nutritional epigenetics/nutri-epigenetics has expanded significantly, shedding light on how environmentally-driven epigenetic pathways can be modulated through nutrition and eating habits. The book provides a comprehensive introduction to the various epigenetic mechanisms affected by dietary compounds and focuses on specific topics such as the relationship between diet and the gut microbiome, the impact of diet on cardiovascular disease and psychopathology and the role of diet in pregnancy. Written by an international team of experts, this book reveals the molecular mechanisms underlying the influence of diet on epigenetic modifications and discusses the prospect of personalized medicine using dietary strategies to promote well-being and protect against diseases. The book is aimed at researchers and students in the fields of human nutrition, genetics, and medicine.
The Interplay of Civic Engagement and Institutionalised Politics: In Search of Intermediating Capacities (Palgrave Studies in Third Sector Research)
by Adalbert Evers Johan Von EssenThis volume focusses on the interplay of civic engagement and institutionalised politics and its role in both the erosion and retrieval of intermediate capabilities and procedures. Rather than discussing democracy as a relationship between citizens as individual voters and state power, the book studies the relationship between citizens engaged in or through organisations, movements and networks in civil society, and their impact in the context of institutionalised politics, be that through representative institutions and political parties or participation in administrative governance. The aim of this volume is to renew the scholarly discussion on the prospects of liberal democracy by looking for opportunities to curb antagonisms and instead strengthen intermediary capabilities. The book will therefore be of interest to students in relevant disciplines as political science, civil society research, sociology, and research on social movements. Chapter 1 and Chapter 10 are available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.
Integrating Landscapes: Agroforestry for Biodiversity Conservation and Food Sovereignty (Advances in Agroforestry #14)
by Florencia MontagniniThis updated and expanded second edition summarizes advances in agroforestry research and practice and proposes alternatives to increase the effectiveness of agroforestry systems. It offers an important contribution to help solve the most pressing development and environmental challenges in this sector today. The contributing authors present views from the academic, the practitioner and the development areas. Chapters offer alternatives and suggestions for facing challenges in agroforestry adoption, profitability, and in the implementation of integrated landscape management approaches.With new chapters and substantial revisions made in many others, the scope was broadened both geographically and thematically. Students, Scientists and practitioners will therefore gain more insights from Africa and Asia, as well as the Americas.