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The Afghan Patchwork State: Political Ideology, Infrastructural Power, and the Critical Juncture of 1929 (Politics of South Asia)
by Ryan S. BrasherThis book provides a theoretically grounded and empirically fine-grained analysis of uneven state development in Afghanistan beginning in the early 20th Century. Based on archival research, the book shows that after Amanullah Shah’s abortive modernist authoritarian experiment and Habibullah Kalakani’s brief rule, a newly empowered Musahiban dynasty charted a patrimonial absolutist course. The new regime delegated considerable authority to traditional tribal areas in the southeastern and eastern part of the country, while pursuing a coercive strategy in other parts of the country that usurped traditional leadership at the regional and local levels. Previous explanations of the weakness of the Afghan state tend to emphasize structural determinants such as difficult geography, acephalous tribal organization, ethnic heterogeneity, as well as colonial interventions. Others have focused only on events after the Soviet or NATO interventions, pointing out faulty external decision-making, corrupt government officials and warlords, neighboring insurgent safe havens, or the international aid-fueled rentier economy. This book proposes an intermediate explanation for the patchwork nature of the Afghan state rooted in institutional choices made by a new ruling elite that took over in 1929. The year represents one critical juncture in Afghan history, where individual agency based on certain ideological preferences set in motion a path-dependent process that shaped its politics well into the latter half of the century.
Environmental Sustainability and Resilience: Policies and Practices (World Sustainability Series)
by Ayyoob SharifiThis volume offers a comprehensive exploration of the environmental challenges and innovations shaping our world. It represents a collective effort to understand and address the pressing issues that define our era, from climate change to resource management. Through a series of expert contributions, it examines the intricate relationship between human activity and the environment, seeking pathways to a more sustainable and just future. The insights presented are crucial for anyone looking to contribute to the global pursuit of Sustainable Development Goals. This volume is an invaluable resource for policymakers, researchers, educators, students, and activists alike; offering a well-rounded perspective on the multifaceted aspects of environmental sustainability - it's both a call to collective action as well as reminder urging us all—to rethink our strategies collaboratively towards achieving healthier world and more resilient planet.
Carbon Neutrality Science: A Theoretical and Technical Framework and Energy Development Strategies
by Caineng ZouThis book focuses on the connotation and extension of carbon neutrality. It presents a full collection of various topics in carbon neutrality, including carbon production, reduction, utilization, storage, capture, markets, and society, etc. It concludes that carbon neutrality is the pathway to global green and low-carbon sustainable development and the foundation for building harmonious ecological civilization. This book is a valuable reference for researchers, practitioners, and policy-makers in the field of earth and environmental sciences.
Advanced Techniques in Optimization for Machine Learning and Imaging (Springer INdAM Series #61)
by Alessandro Benfenati Federica Porta Tatiana Alessandra Bubba Marco ViolaIn recent years, non-linear optimization has had a crucial role in the development of modern techniques at the interface of machine learning and imaging. The present book is a collection of recent contributions in the field of optimization, either revisiting consolidated ideas to provide formal theoretical guarantees or providing comparative numerical studies for challenging inverse problems in imaging. The work of these papers originated in the INdAM Workshop “Advanced Techniques in Optimization for Machine learning and Imaging” held in Roma, Italy, on June 20-24, 2022. The covered topics include non-smooth optimisation techniques for model-driven variational regularization, fixed-point continuation algorithms and their theoretical analysis for selection strategies of the regularization parameter for linear inverse problems in imaging, different perspectives on Support Vector Machines trained via Majorization-Minimization methods, generalization of Bayesian statistical frameworks to imaging problems, and creation of benchmark datasets for testing new methods and algorithms.
Nano-Biomaterials in Tissue Repair and Regeneration: Clinical Aspect—Soft Tissues (Tissue Repair and Reconstruction)
by Necdet Sağlam Feza Korkusuz Mesut ŞamThis book covers the clinical application of nano-bio-materials in hard tissue repair and regeneration which are materials designed to interact with biological systems to restore and regenerate damaged tissues. These materials serve as scaffolds that mimic the natural extracellular matrix (ECM), providing structural support and biochemical cues necessary for cellular activities. The physical and chemical properties of biomaterials can be tailored to specific applications, such as bone regeneration, cartilage repair, wound healing, and organ transplantation. Biomaterials influence cell behavior and tissue formation by controlling factors like mechanical strength, porosity, and surface topography. This book is suitable for students, academics, and clinical practitioners who are interested in the advancements of regenerative medicine.
Recent Trends in Artificial Intelligence Towards a Smart World: Applications in Industries and Sectors (Frontiers of Artificial Intelligence, Ethics and Multidisciplinary Applications)
by Ajit Kumar Verma Brijesh Iyer Rajeev Arya Subhash Chander SharmaThis book compiles artificial intelligence (AI) applications in new communication technologies such as the cognitive radio networks, internet of things (IoT), internet of drones (IoD), internet of vehicles (IoV), and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV), which are expected to increase the amount of data traffic. Recognizing that AI is revolutionizing industries with its applications and helping us solve complex problems with ease, the book tackles a variety of industries and sectors such as agriculture, logistics, infrastructure, manufacturing, education, disaster management, transport, surveillance, and more. Contributions included in the book are useful for students, engineers (disciplines like telecommunication, mechanical and computer science, etc.), teachers, people studying and working for strategic, tactical and operational management. It is also useful for data scientists and anyone else who wants to have an insight into the impact of artificial intelligence on various industries. Due to its focus on healthcare and agriculture, the horizon of the book is enhanced to include healthcare industry personnels and agriculture sector. Additionally, it provides guidance for government personnel who are working towards system upgradation for managing dynamic traffic demands.
Nanotechnology: Agriculture, Environment and Health
by Acharya Balkrishna Naveen Thakur Vedpriya Arya Ashwani KumarThis book presents an update on the state of the art in nanobiology and various nanoparticle synthesis and characterization methods. Further, the application of nanomaterials in agriculture (nanobiofertilizers and nanobiopesticides), environmental remediation (bio-nanoaugmentation), and public health (diagnosis, treatment, and drug delivery) is also a key area of this book. This book serves as a roadmap for researchers to fill various gaps by designing and organizing future research. It offers a crucial reference for academic researchers in nanotechnology, medicine, material science, toxicology, agriculture, environmental science, and biomedical science.
Risk Management in Public Health (Innovation in Risk Analysis)
by Jue LiuThis book provides readers with a conceptual and applied understanding of the role of risk management in public health issues. In recent years, public health emergencies of international concern have occurred frequently, such as COVID-19 pandemic and multi-country outbreak of monkeypox. Due to the diversity of pathogens, epidemic uncertainty, rapid transmission, extensive impact, and difficulty in governance of emerging infectious diseases, there is a great threat to global health, security and economy. With the development of science and technology, new technologies have also been applied to respond to major public health events, such as big data analysis and active monitoring technology, which have also played an important role in risk management of COVID-19. The progress of health data science has enriched the practice of preparedness and response to major global public health issues. In addition to classic theory and practice on risk management, this book introduces new progresson theories and practices of risk management in public health. The ten chapters are organized under two parts including theories and practices in major public health issues. This book is an essential and timely resource for public health managers, donors, practitioners, organizations, researchers, teachers who are interested and engaged in prevention and control on public health issues and risk management. These audiences should benefit from this approach as the book highlights the theory and practice of public health risk management from a more comprehensive perspective, which were seldom covered before.
Ethico-Legal Aspect of AI-driven Driverless Cars: Comparing Autonomous Vehicle Regulations in Germany, California, and India (Frontiers of Artificial Intelligence, Ethics and Multidisciplinary Applications)
by Sadaf FahimThis book is a comparative study of the laws and regulations involving legal and ethical issues related to Artificial Intelligence (AI), in particular for self-driving cars or autonomous vehicles (AVs). It identifies, analyzes, and points out such issues via a study of laws and regulations in India, Germany, and California, determining the legal liabilities of designer, developer/programmer, manufacturer, producer, users, or AI in the case of AVs. AV technology is being touted as one that is poised to bring revolution in the mobility ecosystem by lessening the number of accidents and by providing other benefits, such as potential to reduce traffic, increase safety and mobility, lower energy usage and generate free time. Despite having such a potential to shape and transform the future, and involvement of tech-giants like Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Microsoft, regulations around AI and AVs are still on the drawing board stage in many countries, as they grapple on how to address this issue which has both local and global players involved and affects both local and global populace. The book studies and compares the existing and evolving regulations in three different regions to bring out the lacunae, loopholes and best practices. It highlights when AI deserves legal personhood, and when it requires to be granted legal standing. It also points out the civil and criminal legal liabilities arising when AV is involved in an accident, and the ethical issues involved in the deployment of AI. The book goes beyond new regulations to analyze whether challenges and problems arising from AI technology can be addressed within existing civil and criminal laws - procedural and substantive law – or whether a sui generis law on AI technology is required. The analysis and the results showcased here would be highly useful for multi-disciplinary research on the topic. Regulators of both industry and governance would find the contents invaluable in getting a broader picture of the issues and concerns around this topic, along with policy makers would be able to come up with more effective regulations on AI and AVs.
The Learning and Teaching of Phonological Decoding in Chinese EFL Children
by Keren HuaThis book presents the learning and teaching of phonological decoding in Chinese EFL primary classrooms. The phonological decoding ability of the children is described, interpreted, and evaluated, the teaching materials are analyzed and the classroom instruction observed, and the links between these various facets are explored using both quantitative and qualitative techniques (textbook analysis, classroom observations, interviews with teachers and a textbook writer, reading test and nonword reading test). This book provides insights into Chinese children’s phonological decoding profile, including performance in decoding different types of orthographic units, the strategies children at different levels of reading ability use to sound out vowel graphemes, and their decoding ability in relation to reading ability. The investigation of the teaching practices reveals how the decoding instruction is designed, developed, and delivered to the children and thereby informs the interplay between the classroom instruction and children’s development of phonological decoding skills.
The Aesthetic Thought and View of Art of Thomas Aquinas
by Zhiqing ZhangThis book examines Aquinas's aesthetic thought and view of art within the broader context of medieval aesthetics and the history of aesthetic development, emphasizing its profound influence on later aesthetics. The book not only elaborates on Aquinas's efforts to establish coherence between faith and reason, the transcendent and empirical, as well as its significance, but also discusses the main contents and characteristics of Aquinas's aesthetic thought from the three aspects of the ontology of beauty, the theory of form, and the theory of experience. By examining Aquinas's aesthetic thought and view of art in relation to modern aesthetics and twentieth-century aesthetics, this book reveals the immense vitality of Aquinas's aesthetic thought.
Good Faith Obligation: A Comparative Perspective (International and Comparative Law in the Asia Pacific)
by Peng Guo Alex WanThis book provides a study on the relevance of good faith obligation with a specific focus on Australia and China. Good faith has been hailed as one of the most important unresolved contractual issues in contract law. There have been numerous judicial approaches over the years to articulate a baseline for good faith application; however, the direction taken in dealing with this important issue is generally unsatisfactory, both in producing a coherent understanding of the role and sustaining a uniform application of good faith in contracts. This book concentrates on examining whether the continued relevance of good faith in arm’s length contractual relationships based on the reasonable expectations of the contracting parties can be maintained. To accomplish this, good faith is examined by revisiting the legal approaches from a comparative perspective in understanding whether there is a continuing role for good faith in commercial contracts.
Proceedings of the 4th International Symposium on New Energy and Electrical Technology (Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering #1255)
by Fushuan Wen Ishak Bin ArisThe book bring together leading experts in the field of energy science and technology to share cutting-edge research and advancements in areas such as renewable energy sources, smart grid technology, and power management solutions. Through these contributions, readers will gain valuable insights into the future of energy technology and be inspired to further their own research in pursuit of sustainable energy solutions. This book serves as a valuable resource for scholars, engineers, and professionals looking to stay informed on the latest developments in the field.
New Energy Power Generation Automation and Intelligent Technology: The Eighth Seminar on Digital Instrumentation and Control Technology for Nuclear Power Plant (Volume 2) (Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering #1250)
by Pengfei Gu Yang Xu Weihua Chen Zhongqiu Wang Yongbin Sun Zheming LiuThis book is the 2nd volume of proceedings of the 1st Smart Nuclear Power Technology Forum and the 8th China Nuclear Power Plant Digital Technology and Application Seminar held in Shenzhen, China in June 2024. This seminar aims to explore the software and hardware of digital and instrument control (I&C) systems in nuclear power plants, such as inspection, testing, certification and research of sensors, actuators and control systems, and the application of electrical and intelligent operation and maintenance technologies. It aims to provide a platform for experts, scholars and nuclear power practitioners to exchange technology and share experience. At the same time, it also provides a platform for the combination of universities and enterprises in the aspects of production, education and research, and promotes the safe development of nuclear power plants. In addition, readers will encounter new ideas to achieve more efficient and safer instruments and control systems.
Implementation of Digital Law as a Legal Tool in the Current Digital Era
by Jamil AfzalThis book provides a deep dive into the important issue of digital law. Researchers, students, and policymakers interested in digital law will find this book invaluable for its exploration of the nuances of a modern scenario of law. In the first part of the book, the author explains the basics of digital law and why they are so important in today's world. Next, it delves into the promise of cutting-edge digital law. This book is an important resource for anybody, from seasoned professionals who want to keep up with the latest in digital laws to students. To aid you in understanding digital laws and making important contributions to the future of digital laws, it provides a variety of insights, case studies, and practical recommendations. This book takes a multidisciplinary approach, making it useful for a broad audience, including researchers, politicians, and students, all of whom have a stake in the direction in which our digital law are headed.
2023 International Conference on Energy Engineering (Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering #1257)
by Zhe Chen Wenming Yang Hao ChenThis book contains the selected proceedings of the 2023 International Conference on Energy Engineering, held in Xi'an, China, December 15-17, 2023. The conference explores advances and practical applications in energy research and engineering, and delves into innovative approaches in four specialized tracks: New Transportation Energy, Power and Energy, Applied Thermal Energy, and Oil and Natural Gas Engineering. It explores strategies for accelerating the transition to renewable energy, optimizing power systems, harnessing thermal energy, and advancing oil and gas engineering practices. It benefits from a wealth of knowledge shared by academics and practitioners, fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration. The latest findings in electric vehicles, smart grids, thermal systems, and reservoir engineering will be explored to find solutions that promote sustainability, efficiency, and environmental stewardship.
Advances in Swarm Intelligence: 15th International Conference on Swarm Intelligence, ICSI 2024, Xining, China, August 23–26, 2024, Proceedings, Part I (Lecture Notes in Computer Science #14788)
by Ying Tan Yuhui ShiThis two-volume set LNCS 14788 and 14789 constitutes the refereed post-conference proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Advances in Swarm Intelligence, ICSI 2024, held in Xining, China, during August 23–26, 2024. The 74 revised full papers presented in these proceedings were carefully reviewed and selected from 156 submissions. The papers are organized in the following topical sections: Part I - Particle swarm optimization; Swarm intelligence computing; Differential evolution; Evolutionary algorithms; Multi-agent reinforcement learning & Multi-objective optimization. Part II - Route planning problem; Machine learning; Detection and prediction; Classification; Edge computing; Modeling and optimization & Analysis of review.
Advances in Swarm Intelligence: 15th International Conference on Swarm Intelligence, ICSI 2024, Xining, China, August 23–26, 2024, Proceedings, Part II (Lecture Notes in Computer Science #14789)
by Ying Tan Yuhui ShiThis two-volume set LNCS 14788 and 14789 constitutes the refereed post-conference proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Advances in Swarm Intelligence, ICSI 2024, held in Xining, China, during August 23–26, 2024. The 74 revised full papers presented in these proceedings were carefully reviewed and selected from 156 submissions. The papers are organized in the following topical sections: Part I - Particle swarm optimization; Swarm intelligence computing; Differential evolution; Evolutionary algorithms; Multi-agent reinforcement learning & Multi-objective optimization. Part II - Route planning problem; Machine learning; Detection and prediction; Classification; Edge computing; Modeling and optimization & Analysis of review.
Web and Big Data: 8th International Joint Conference, APWeb-WAIM 2024, Jinhua, China, August 30 – September 1, 2024, Proceedings, Part I (Lecture Notes in Computer Science #14961)
by Wenjie Zhang Anthony Tung Zhonglong Zheng Zhengyi Yang Xiaoyang Wang Hongjie GuoThe five-volume set LNCS 14961, 14962, 14963, 14964 and 14965 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 8th International Joint Conference on Web and Big Data, APWeb-WAIM 2024, held in Jinhua, China, during August 30–September 1, 2024. The 171 full papers presented in these proceedings were carefully reviewed and selected from 558 submissions. The papers are organized in the following topical sections: Part I: Natural language processing, Generative AI and LLM, Computer Vision and Recommender System. Part II: Recommender System, Knowledge Graph and Spatial and Temporal Data. Part III: Spatial and Temporal Data, Graph Neural Network, Graph Mining and Database System and Query Optimization. Part IV: Database System and Query Optimization, Federated and Privacy-Preserving Learning, Network, Blockchain and Edge computing, Anomaly Detection and Security Part V: Anomaly Detection and Security, Information Retrieval, Machine Learning, Demonstration Paper and Industry Paper.
Web and Big Data: 8th International Joint Conference, APWeb-WAIM 2024, Jinhua, China, August 30 – September 1, 2024, Proceedings, Part II (Lecture Notes in Computer Science #14962)
by Wenjie Zhang Anthony Tung Zhonglong Zheng Zhengyi Yang Xiaoyang Wang Hongjie GuoThe five-volume set LNCS 14961, 14962, 14963, 14964 and 14965 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 8th International Joint Conference on Web and Big Data, APWeb-WAIM 2024, held in Jinhua, China, during August 30–September 1, 2024. The 171 full papers presented in these proceedings were carefully reviewed and selected from 558 submissions. The papers are organized in the following topical sections: Part I: Natural language processing, Generative AI and LLM, Computer Vision and Recommender System. Part II: Recommender System, Knowledge Graph and Spatial and Temporal Data. Part III: Spatial and Temporal Data, Graph Neural Network, Graph Mining and Database System and Query Optimization. Part IV: Database System and Query Optimization, Federated and Privacy-Preserving Learning, Network, Blockchain and Edge computing, Anomaly Detection and Security Part V: Anomaly Detection and Security, Information Retrieval, Machine Learning, Demonstration Paper and Industry Paper.
Web and Big Data: 8th International Joint Conference, APWeb-WAIM 2024, Jinhua, China, August 30 – September 1, 2024, Proceedings, Part III (Lecture Notes in Computer Science #14963)
by Wenjie Zhang Anthony Tung Zhonglong Zheng Zhengyi Yang Xiaoyang Wang Hongjie GuoThe five-volume set LNCS 14961, 14962, 14963, 14964 and 14965 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 8th International Joint Conference on Web and Big Data, APWeb-WAIM 2024, held in Jinhua, China, during August 30–September 1, 2024. The 171 full papers presented in these proceedings were carefully reviewed and selected from 558 submissions. The papers are organized in the following topical sections: Part I: Natural language processing, Generative AI and LLM, Computer Vision and Recommender System. Part II: Recommender System, Knowledge Graph and Spatial and Temporal Data. Part III: Spatial and Temporal Data, Graph Neural Network, Graph Mining and Database System and Query Optimization. Part IV: Database System and Query Optimization, Federated and Privacy-Preserving Learning, Network, Blockchain and Edge computing, Anomaly Detection and Security Part V: Anomaly Detection and Security, Information Retrieval, Machine Learning, Demonstration Paper and Industry Paper.
Web and Big Data: 8th International Joint Conference, APWeb-WAIM 2024, Jinhua, China, August 30 – September 1, 2024, Proceedings, Part IV (Lecture Notes in Computer Science #14964)
by Wenjie Zhang Anthony Tung Zhonglong Zheng Zhengyi Yang Xiaoyang Wang Hongjie GuoThe five-volume set LNCS 14961, 14962, 14963, 14964 and 14965 constitutes the refereed conference proceedings of the 8th International Joint Conference on Web and Big Data, APWeb-WAIM 2024, held in Jinhua, China, during August 30–September 1, 2024. The 171 full papers presented in these proceedings were carefully reviewed and selected from 558 submissions. The papers are organized in the following topical sections: Volume I: Natural language processing, Generative AI and LLM, Computer Vision and Recommender System. Volume II: Recommender System, Knowledge Graph and Spatial and Temporal Data. Volume III: Spatial and Temporal Data, Graph Neural Network, Graph Mining and Database System and Query Optimization. Volume IV: Database System and Query Optimization, Federated and Privacy-Preserving Learning, Network, Blockchain and Edge computing, Anomaly Detection and Security Volume V: Anomaly Detection and Security, Information Retrieval, Machine Learning, Demonstration Paper and Industry Paper.
Web and Big Data: 8th International Joint Conference, APWeb-WAIM 2024, Jinhua, China, August 30 – September 1, 2024, Proceedings, Part V (Lecture Notes in Computer Science #14965)
by Wenjie Zhang Anthony Tung Zhonglong Zheng Zhengyi Yang Xiaoyang Wang Hongjie GuoThe five-volume set LNCS 14961, 14962, 14963, 14964 and 14965 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 8th International Joint Conference on Web and Big Data, APWeb-WAIM 2024, held in Jinhua, China, during August 30–September 1, 2024. The 171 full papers presented in these proceedings were carefully reviewed and selected from 558 submissions. The papers are organized in the following topical sections: Part I: Natural language processing, Generative AI and LLM, Computer Vision and Recommender System. Part II: Recommender System, Knowledge Graph and Spatial and Temporal Data. Part III: Spatial and Temporal Data, Graph Neural Network, Graph Mining and Database System and Query Optimization. Part IV: Database System and Query Optimization, Federated and Privacy-Preserving Learning, Network, Blockchain and Edge computing, Anomaly Detection and Security Part V: Anomaly Detection and Security, Information Retrieval, Machine Learning, Demonstration Paper and Industry Paper.
Delta Sustainability: A Report to the Mega-Delta Programme of the UN Ocean Decade
by Weiguo Zhang Huib De VriendThis book examines sustainability issues of 15 deltas in the world. Each delta is described in five sections: physical setting, socioeconomic characteristics, current issues, management measures and perspective for future pathways to greater sustainability. These deltas, diverse in their geographical and economic conditions, are all confronted with natural hazards and pollution issues, posing threats to ecological health, human security and economic development. The book offers an overview of delta challenges in an integrated natural and social science approach. It is intended for researchers, graduate students and the public, especially those dwelling in deltas. It aims to improve knowledge of the current situation and to enhance awareness of the urgency of collective action to prepare for the uncertain future of these deltas. Possible future pathways towards delta sustainability are also addressed in the book.
Lightning Transients and Protection for Renewable Energy System
by Li Zhang Xiao Zhong Qiuqin Sun Feng Bin Zhi ZhengThis book is dedicated to lightning transients and protection for renewable energy systems, including both wind and solar energy. In addition to the formation mechanism of lightning transients, the practical engineering application has also been addressed. This book is comprehensive and covers the methodology of electromagnetic transient modelling, electromagnetic coupling for PV system, lightning protection design, testing and evaluation. This book is particularly suitable for readers interested in lightning phenomena and renewable energy systems. It would benefit researchers, engineers and graduate students in the fields of electrical engineering, renewable energy, computational electromagnetism, etc.