- Table View
- List View
Model-Based Reasoning, Abductive Cognition, Creativity: Inferences and Models in Science, Logic, Language, and Technology (Studies in Applied Philosophy, Epistemology and Rational Ethics #70)
by Emiliano Ippoliti Lorenzo Magnani Selene ArfiniThis book discusses how scientific and other types of cognition make use of models, abduction, and explanatory reasoning in order to produce important, innovative, and possibly creative changes in theories and concepts. Gathering revised contributions presented at the international conference on Model-Based Reasoning (MBR023), held on June 7–9, 2023 in Rome, Italy, the book addresses various intertwined topics ranging from the epistemology and applications of models also concerning the problem of knowledge production and scientific methodology (information visualization, experimental methods, and design) to the analysis of their role in cognition, decision-making, also with respect to social implications. The problem of model-based cognition is also illustrated taking advantage of recent results regarding problem-solving, abduction, and logic, paying attention to a critique of the dominant and received approaches, to the aim of fostering new discussions and stimulate new ideas. All in all, the book provides researchers and graduate students in the fields of applied philosophy, epistemology, cognitive science, and artificial intelligence alike with an authoritative snapshot of the latest theories and applications of model-based reasoning.
Computer Vision – ECCV 2024: 18th European Conference, Milan, Italy, September 29–October 4, 2024, Proceedings, Part LXXXVII (Lecture Notes in Computer Science #15145)
by Aleš Leonardis Elisa Ricci Stefan Roth Olga Russakovsky Torsten Sattler Gül VarolThe multi-volume set of LNCS books with volume numbers 15059 up to 15147 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 18th European Conference on Computer Vision, ECCV 2024, held in Milan, Italy, during September 29–October 4, 2024. The 2387 papers presented in these proceedings were carefully reviewed and selected from a total of 8585 submissions. They deal with topics such as computer vision; machine learning; deep neural networks; reinforcement learning; object recognition; image classification; image processing; object detection; semantic segmentation; human pose estimation; 3d reconstruction; stereo vision; computational photography; neural networks; image coding; image reconstruction; motion estimation.
Performance Evaluation of Financial Holding Companies
by Xiao NingThis book attempts to illustrate the case of performance evaluation of Chinese financial holding companies. The question motivating the book is: with the deepening of reforms such as interest rate liberalization, the profitability of some traditional commercial banks has declined. In this context, how to maintain continuous improvement in operating performance of traditional commercial banks to resist the profitability declines. This book selects 13 Chinese financial holding companies as the research objects. With the authentic and reliable data, the author uses factor analysis method to conduct an empirical study on their performance evaluation and case analysis on three typical companies. Based on the research on the performance evaluation of financial holding companies, the evaluation methods are discussed and suggestions for improvement are provided.
Renewable Energy: Requirements and Sources (Synthesis Lectures on Renewable Energy Technologies)
by Richard A. DunlapThe transition to renewable energy is essential for ensuring energy supply, and to mitigate environmental effects of fossil fuels, particularly climate change. However, because renewable energy resources do not provide a constant supply of energy and they are not sufficiently portable for many applications, the development of energy storage methods is necessary. The book reviews historical and current energy use, as well as provides predictions for future energy demands. The main sources of renewable energy are introduced including hydroelectric, wind, solar, geothermal, and biofuels, along with an analysis of the need for energy storage.
Fluoride and Fluorocarbon Toxicity: Sources, Issues, and Remediation (Environmental Science and Engineering)
by Nitish KumarThis book presents fluoride and fluorocarbon toxicity with respect to remediation and health issues. It covers sources of fluoride and fluorocarbon contamination, its impact on human health, and prospective remediation by multi-disciplinary approaches with the application of recent advanced technology. This book brings together a diverse group of researchers from different disciplines to address the challenges posed by global mass poisoning caused by fluoride and fluorocarbon contamination. The book sheds light on the global environmental issues and proposes solutions to contamination through multi-disciplinary approaches. The book contains three parts. The first part describes the different sources and distribution of fluoride and fluorocarbon in soil and water. The second part explains the health risks linked to fluoride and fluorocarbon toxicity. The third part addresses sustainable fluoride and fluorocarbon toxicity mitigation strategies and the potential applications of recent biotechnology in providing solutions. This book is a valuable resource to students, academics, researchers, and environmental professionals working in the field of fluoride and fluorocarbon contamination.
Media Capture in Africa and Latin America: Power and Resistance (Palgrave Studies in Journalism and the Global South)
by Hayes Mawindi Mabweazara Bethia PearsonHow can current debates on ‘media capture’ be understood within the contexts of Africa and Latin America? This edited collection provides a nuanced exploration of media capture—a critical yet contested concept that examines and illuminates how media can become skewed in favour of power—while also highlighting spaces and strategies of resistance. By adopting a South-South perspective, it brings together scholars focused on these issues in both regions, featuring a dialogue between two leading scholars, Herman Wasserman and Silvio Waisbord in the Foreword. The book not only demonstrates how media practices in Africa and Latin America are influenced by the political economy of their media systems, but also contributes significantly to advancing empirical, theoretical, and comparative research on media in non-Western settings.
Discrete Stochastic Processes: Tools for Machine Learning and Data Science (Springer Undergraduate Mathematics Series)
by Nicolas PrivaultThis text presents selected applications of discrete-time stochastic processes that involve random interactions and algorithms, and revolve around the Markov property. It covers recurrence properties of (excited) random walks, convergence and mixing of Markov chains, distribution modeling using phase-type distributions, applications to search engines and probabilistic automata, and an introduction to the Ising model used in statistical physics. Applications to data science are also considered via hidden Markov models and Markov decision processes. A total of 32 exercises and 17 longer problems are provided with detailed solutions and cover various topics of interest, including statistical learning.
Computer Vision – ECCV 2024: 18th European Conference, Milan, Italy, September 29–October 4, 2024, Proceedings, Part LXVIII (Lecture Notes in Computer Science #15126)
by Aleš Leonardis Elisa Ricci Stefan Roth Olga Russakovsky Torsten Sattler Gül VarolThe multi-volume set of LNCS books with volume numbers 15059 up to 15147 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 18th European Conference on Computer Vision, ECCV 2024, held in Milan, Italy, during September 29–October 4, 2024. The 2387 papers presented in these proceedings were carefully reviewed and selected from a total of 8585 submissions. They deal with topics such as computer vision; machine learning; deep neural networks; reinforcement learning; object recognition; image classification; image processing; object detection; semantic segmentation; human pose estimation; 3d reconstruction; stereo vision; computational photography; neural networks; image coding; image reconstruction; motion estimation.
Handbuch Kulturpolitik
by Johannes Crückeberg Julius Heinicke Jan Christopher Kalbhenn Katrin Lohbeck Henning Mohr Friederike Landau-DonnellyDas Handbuch bietet einen Überblick über den aktuellen Stand der Kulturpolitik und Kulturpolitikforschung in Deutschland. Aus verschiedenen Perspektiven werden die historischen Entwicklungen, Theorie(n) der Kulturpolitik und aktuelle Herausforderungen der Praxis erörtert. Darüber hinaus informiert das Handbuch über die Methoden der Kulturpolitikforschung und Positionen in unterschiedlichen Wirkungsfeldern.
Lefschetz Properties: Current and New Directions (Springer INdAM Series #59)
by Uwe Nagel Karim Adiprasito Roberta Di Gennaro Sara Faridi Satoshi MuraiThe study of Lefschetz properties for Artinian algebras was motivated by the Lefschetz theory for projective manifolds. Recent developments have demonstrated important cases of the Lefschetz property beyond the original geometric settings, such as Coxeter groups or matroids. Furthermore, there are connections to other branches of mathematics, for example, commutative algebra, algebraic topology, and combinatorics. Important results in this area have been obtained by finding unexpected connections between apparently different topics. A conference in Cortona, Italy in September 2022 brought together researchers discussing recent developments and working on new problems related to the Lefschetz properties. The book will feature surveys on several aspects of the theory as well as articles on new results and open problems.
A Clinical Guide for Cancer Prostate Patient
by Narmada GuptaThis book imparts a thorough understanding of the proper diagnosis, evaluation, and management of a patient with prostate cancer. The book provides guidelines for evaluation and investigation to reach a diagnosis with appropriate risk stratification of the disease, which is essential to evaluate the patient's survival and quality of life after the treatment. The book offers assistance, as per the patient and disease factors, appropriate treatment planning for an individual patient, and treatment outcomes for a better follow-up. This book aims to cover all aspects of prostate cancer with an additional supplement to the existing books in urology. This book targets postgraduates in urology, oncology, uro-oncology, practicing urologists, oncologists, and prostate cancer patients to know all aspects of the disease.
Building Modern Active Directory: Engineering, Building, and Running Active Directory for the Next 25 Years
by Evgenij SmirnovBreak the vicious circle of designs perpetuating the errors of the past and “just click next and accept the defaults” implementations preventing a secure and reliable future. This book looks at the typical patterns and antipatterns in Active Directory (AD) design, deployment, and operations and provides an approach to building and operating AD that is based on engineering (analyzing and fulfilling requirements) rather than design (formulating requirements). The book starts with an historical overview of AD and its future 25 years later. You then learn about the challenges that organizations running AD are facing today followed by understanding how to avoid them while learning modern requirements for more efficient and effective AD performance. After that, you go through business requirements influencing the AD topology along with ways to engineer information lookup to protect high-value objects. The book looks at two main protocols and the many dialects that AD offers to engineer an authentication service that fulfills modern requirements while leaving insecure legacy configurations behind. Managing AD from both the security and usability perspectives is discussed next in the book. Building, operating, and transitioning to a modern AD is demonstrated in detail. The book guides you with the next steps of your journey to achieve a secure and reliable AD. After reading this book, you will be able to bridge the gap between the two approaches by analyzing real-world business requirements, explaining the decision-making process in both design and engineering, and ultimately providing concrete engineering guidelines for typical implementation scenarios. What Will You Learn Build a modern Active Directory (AD), leaving behind design antipatterns that are not valid anymore Build a “secure by design” AD and accommodate legacy technology without compromising the overall security Understand advanced AD functionality such as controlling object visibility and partitioning Kerberos authentication by Authentication Policies Operate a modern AD, react to changing business requirements, and respond to ever-evolving security threats Who This Book Is For Active Directory (AD) architects and consultants who need to provide design and engineering advice to customers; AD administrators tasked with modernizing and securing AD in their organizations; security architects wishing to learn the AD design patterns to watch out for
Nutrition, Metabolism and Kidney Support: A Critical Care Approach
by Antonella Cotoia Silvia De Rosa Fiorenza Ferrari Vincenzo Pota Michele UmbrelloThis book draws a pathway from metabolic assessment and nutrition support to advances in renal replacement therapy and organ support in critical care, underling the specific clinical aspect and focusing on medical clinical management in critical care. Metabolic alterations in critically ill patients have been studied for many years. Despite everything, the heterogeneity of critically ill patients, the duration and variable severity of the acute phase of the disease and the numerous confounding factors have hindered progress in this field. A cornerstone of metabolic care is nutrition, that is an essential part of the care for critically ill patients, although the optimal feeding strategy for patients in the intensive care unit is still debated and often remains a challenge for the intensive care team in clinical practice. In addition, acute loss of renal function interferes with the metabolism of all macronutrients, responsible for pro-inflammatory, pro-oxidative and hyper-catabolic situations. The physiological and biological modifications related to acute renal failure in critically ill patients, including the current use of continuous renal replacement therapies, have dramatically changed the type and importance of the metabolic and nutrition disturbances observed during treatment of renal failure. This book - addressed to healthcare providers working in intensive care units - aims to provide a comprehensive synthesis and interpretation of the adult critical care nutrition and critical care nephrology literature, with a particular focus on continuing practice gaps and areas with new data, to assist clinicians in making practical, yet evidence-based decisions regarding nutrition management during the different stages of critical illness.
Johannes Cabal the Necromancer (Johannes Cabal Series #1)
by Jonathan L. HowardThe page-turning first novel in the charmingly gothic, fiendishly funny Faustian series about a brilliant scientist who makes a deal with the Devil, twice. • "The spot-on work of a talented writer." —The Denver Post Johannes Cabal sold his soul years ago in order to learn the laws of necromancy. Now he wants it back. Amused and slightly bored, Satan proposes a little wager: Johannes has to persuade one hundred people to sign over their souls or he will be damned forever. This time for real. Accepting the bargain, Jonathan is given one calendar year and a traveling carnival to complete his task. With little time to waste, Johannes raises a motley crew from the dead and enlists his brother, Horst, a charismatic vampire to help him run his nefarious road show, resulting in mayhem at every turn.
Bad Cree: A Novel
by Jessica JohnsIn this gripping, horror-laced debut, a young Cree woman&’s dreams lead her on a perilous journey of self-discovery that ultimately forces her to confront the toll of a legacy of violence on her family, her community and the land they call home."A mystery and a horror story about grief, but one with defiant hope in its beating heart." —Paul Tremblay, author of A Head Full of Ghosts and The Pallbearers ClubWhen Mackenzie wakes up with a severed crow's head in her hands, she panics. Only moments earlier she had been fending off masses of birds in a snow-covered forest. In bed, when she blinks, the head disappears. Night after night, Mackenzie&’s dreams return her to a memory from before her sister Sabrina&’s untimely death: a weekend at the family&’s lakefront campsite, long obscured by a fog of guilt. But when the waking world starts closing in, too—a murder of crows stalks her every move around the city, she wakes up from a dream of drowning throwing up water, and gets threatening text messages from someone claiming to be Sabrina—Mackenzie knows this is more than she can handle alone.Traveling north to her rural hometown in Alberta, she finds her family still steeped in the same grief that she ran away to Vancouver to escape. They welcome her back, but their shaky reunion only seems to intensify her dreams—and make them more dangerous.What really happened that night at the lake, and what did it have to do with Sabrina&’s death? Only a bad Cree would put their family at risk, but what if whatever has been calling Mackenzie home was already inside?
Misconduct
by Penelope DouglasA compelling standalone novel from the New York Times bestselling author of the Fall Away series—who never fails to deliver a &“powerfully written contemporary love story&”(Booklist). Former tennis player Easton Bradbury is trying to be the best teacher she can be, trying to reach her bored students, trying to forget her past. What brought her to this stage in her life isn&’t important. She can&’t let it be. But now one parent-teacher meeting may be her undoing.... Meeting Tyler Marek for the first time makes it easy for Easton to see why his son is having trouble in school. The man knows how to manage businesses and wealth, not a living, breathing teenage boy. Or a young teacher, for that matter, though he tries to. And yet…there is something about him that draws Easton in—a hint of vulnerability, a flash of attraction, a spark that might burn. Wanting him is taboo. Needing him is undeniable. And his long-awaited touch will weaken Easton&’s resolve—and reveal what should stay hidden....
Love from the Little Engine That Could (The Little Engine That Could)
by Watty PiperRing in Valentine's Day--and love--with Love from the Little Engine That Could! This charming original title, featuring everyone's favorite little train is the perfect gift for that special someone on Valentine's Day--or any day of the year.The Little Engine That Could is turning ninety! And now this special gift book, complete with beautiful illustrations and timeless messages of belief and acceptance, is the perfect way to tell a loved one that they can do anything they set their minds to.
Taylor Swift Lines to Live By Volume II: Empowering Wisdom for Every Era
by Pop Press‘You should celebrate who you are now, where you’re going, and where you’ve been’Despite facing media scrutiny, sexist backlash and a battle to take ownership of her own music, Taylor Swift has shown her fans how to rise above the haters.Organised into ten life lessons that have shaped Taylor’s eras, this collection of quotes will inspire swifties to be creative, emotional and rebellious.This is Taylor’s precious wisdom, and the ultimate celebration of every era of Taylor’s life so far.
Stop Lying to Yourself: 101 Hard Truths to Help You Change Your Life: The Instant Sunday Times Bestseller
by Simon GilhamThese are the hard truths no one will tell you, but what you most need to hear.THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERWherever you are in your life, if you do not feel like the happiest, most honest version of yourself, this book is for you. Stop making excuses for your partner’s behaviour, stop ignoring the ways your friend lets you down, stop selling yourself short at work. Start living a life that makes you happy.Simon Gilham has built a dedicated community of over 9 million people worldwide through his videos that tell you what you need to hear, even if it’s not what you want to hear. In Stop Lying to Yourself, for the first time, he brings all his most sought-after advice together with completely new quotes, prompts and practical self-help steps to create a straight-talking, inspirational handbook for us all.Read in one sitting or dip in and out, this book might sometimes feel challenging, but it will always feel empowering, so that you can finally make the positive change you deserve, today.Sunday Times Bestseller August 2024
The Brain Health Puzzle Book: Over 150 Puzzles to Boost Your Memory and Train Your Brain
by Alzheimer's SocietyNot just good for you. Hugely challenging and hugely enjoyable - Jeremy VineSolve over 150 mind-bending puzzles - and boost your brain health at the same time!Challenge your memory, test your logic and sharpen your focus with brilliantly fun pictures, words, numbers puzzles. With regular practice, puzzles may help to improve brain function and prevent age-related cognitive decline. The Brain Health Puzzle Book offers a workout for a wide range of brain functions. Featuring over 150 puzzles of varying difficulty, this book aims to target different areas of the brain and improve cognition. This book includes a 7-day programme, plus practical tips and advice to keep your mind active and engaged.But The Brain Health Puzzle Book is more than just a collection of puzzles - this book will help you to create new habits to keep your grey matter active and healthy. Here, Dr. Tim Beanland, Head of Knowledge at Alzheimer's Society, provides expert insights into the science of brain health and the benefits of regular mental exercise.Whether you're looking to improve your memory, sharpen your focus, or reduce your risk of dementia, The Brain Health Puzzle Book will help you achieve your goals. With its comprehensive range of puzzles and expert guidance, this book is the ultimate resource to improve your brain health and enhance mental agility.Part of the proceeds of sale of this publication (estimated to be an amount of no less than £50,000) will be paid to Alzheimer's Trading Limited (a registered charity, charity number 296645). Alzheimer's Trading Limited pays all of its taxable profits through 'gift aid' to Alzheimer's Society.*Previously titled Mind Games
Artemis & the Dog's Diamond: A QUIX Book (Little Goddess Girls #12)
by Joan Holub Suzanne WilliamsArtemis and Orion help each other on their quests in this twelfth Little Goddess Girls story—part of the Aladdin QUIX line!Artemis is on the final quest to bring the last missing jewel—a diamond—back to Zeus. She ends up in the Forest of Lost and Found, where she meets a young hunter named Orion. He&’s looking for something, too: a dog! With some extra magic and the power of friendship, can Artemis and Orion both find what they are looking for?
The Challenger: The Challenger (Phantom Stallion #6)
by Terri FarleyThe beloved sixth book in the middle grade Phantom Stallion series about a girl, her horse, and the beauty of the American West returns with a brand-new, stunning cover and bonus material! Perfect for fans of Canterwood Crest and classic horse stories like Black Beauty and My Friend Flicka.Cougars have been spotted nearby, but they haven&’t hurt the ranch horses—yet. So Samantha is outraged when a neighboring rancher vows to kill the cats on sight. And her family&’s horses may be safe, but out on the range, Sam spots a wild young stallion without a herd. Being alone puts this horse in danger. But can Sam protect the rebellious mustang and still save the cougars?
The Legendary Mo Seto (The Legendary Mo Seto #1)
by A. Y. Chan&“An exciting mystery-adventure story that packs a punch&” (Kirkus Reviews) and is Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon meets Stand Up, Yumi Chung as a young Taekwondo artist uses an ancient book to help save her dreams—and her father.Twelve-year-old Modesty &“Mo&” Seto dreams of being a Taekwondo champion. Even though her mom disapproves, Mo can always count on her dad, who is her number one fan and biggest supporter. Lately, Mo has been on a losing streak, and it doesn&’t help that she keeps losing to her archnemesis, Dax, who&’s much bigger than her. If only she were faster, stronger, not so petite. Mo can&’t even lean on her dad like usual with how distracted he&’s been lately. When Mo learns about the chance to audition to star alongside her idol and legendary martial artist and movie star Cody Kwok, she knows this her chance to prove to her dad, to the world, and to herself that she can compete with anyone, no matter her size. Unfortunately, Dax is auditioning, too. As Mo and her nemesis progress to callbacks, someone attempts to sabotage the movie set and Mo&’s dad disappears—and both events seem linked to a mysterious book, the Book of Joy. The book contains information on Xiaoxi Fu, a secret dance-like martial art developed by Mo&’s ancestral grandmother. Armed with these secret moves and an unexpected ally, Mo embarks on a high-octane adventure to rescue her father, save the movie, and discover an unexpected joy in being small.
Knit Fast, Die Young: A Knitting Mystery
by Mary KrugerThis lively and engaging novel in Mary Kruger's cozy mystery series follows the adventures of amateur sleuth and yarn shop owner Ariadne Evans as she untangles another knitting-related murder at a Massachusetts Yarn and Wool Festival. She found the body. Again. Sensing a pattern? Ariadne Evans swore her sleuthing days were over after her very own knitting shop became a crime scene a few months back. But she hadn't anticipated that the Freeport Wool and Yarn Festival would become the site of another murder -- with hers truly as a prime suspect. Since Ari was the one to find the body of Felicia Barr -- the much detested and influential owner of Knit It Up magazine -- with a knitting needle stuck in her back, the cops are needling Ari for answers. In a stitch, Ari dons her hand-knit detective cap and helps her on-and-off boyfriend, Detective Josh Pierce, untangle the day's events and solve a very woolly crime -- before the killer strikes again....
Not If You Break Up with Me First
by G.F. MillerTwo friends who have unhappily found themselves accidentally dating try to drive the other one to call things off in this witty and heartfelt middle school romance.Childhood friends Eve and Andrew are destined to be together—everyone says so, especially their friends and classmates who are all suddenly crush-obsessed. So when Eve and Andrew&’s first eighth grade school dance rolls around and Eve, feeling the pressure, awkwardly asks Andrew to go with her, everyone assumes they are Officially Dating and Practically in Love. Overwhelmed, Eve and Andrew just…go with it. And it&’s weird. Neither of them wants this dating thing to mess up their friendship, and they don&’t really see each other that way. But they also don&’t want to be the one to call things off, the one to make things super awkward. So they both—separately—pledge to be the worst boyfriend or girlfriend ever, leaving it to the other person to break up with them. It would be genius…if the other person weren&’t doing the exact same thing.