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Experimental IR Meets Multilinguality, Multimodality, and Interaction: 9th International Conference of the CLEF Association, CLEF 2018, Avignon, France, September 10-14, 2018, Proceedings (Lecture Notes in Computer Science #11018)
by Patrice Bellot Chiraz Trabelsi Josiane Mothe Fionn Murtagh Jian Yun Nie Laure Soulier Eric SanJuan Linda Cappellato Nicola FerroThis book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 9th International Conference of the CLEF Initiative, CLEF 2018, jointly organized by Avignon, Marseille and Toulon universities and held in Avignon, France, in September 2018. The conference has a clear focus on experimental information retrieval with special attention to the challenges of multimodality, multilinguality, and interactive search ranging from unstructured to semi structures and structured data. The 13 papers presented in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected from 39 submissions. Many papers tackle the medical ehealth and ehealth multimedia retrieval challenges, however there are many other topics of research such as document clustering, social biases in IR, social book search, personality profiling. Further this volume presents 9 “best of the labs” papers which were reviewed as a full paper submission with the same review criteria. The labs represented scientific challenges based on new data sets and real world problems in multimodal and multilingual information access. In addition to this, 10 benchmarking labs reported results of their yearlong activities in overview talks and lab sessions. The papers address all aspects of information access in any modularity and language and cover a broad range of topics in the field of multilingual and multimodal information access evaluation.
High-Rate, High-Dimensional Quantum Key Distribution Systems (Springer Theses)
by Nurul T. IslamThis book describes a broad research program on quantum communication. Here, a cryptographic key is exchanged by two parties using quantum states of light and the security of the system arises from the fundamental properties of quantum mechanics. The author developed new communication protocols using high-dimensional quantum states so that more than one classical bit is transferred by each photon. This approach helps circumvent some of the non-ideal properties of the experimental system, enabling record key rates on metropolitan distance scales. Another important aspect of the work is the encoding of the key on high-dimensional phase-randomized weak coherent states, combined with so-called decoy states to thwart a class of possible attacks on the system. The experiments are backed up by a rigorous security analysis of the system, which accounts for all known device non-idealities. The author goes on to demonstrate a scalable approach for increasing the dimension of the quantum states, and considers attacks on the system that use optimal quantum cloning techniques. This thesis captures the current state-of-the-art of the field of quantum communication in laboratory systems, and demonstrates that phase-randomized weak coherent states have application beyond quantum communication.
The Measurement of Association: A Permutation Statistical Approach
by Kenneth J. Berry Janis E. Johnston Paul W. Mielke<p>This research monograph utilizes exact and Monte Carlo permutation statistical methods to generate probability values and measures of effect size for a variety of measures of association. Association is broadly defined to include measures of correlation for two interval-level variables, measures of association for two nominal-level variables or two ordinal-level variables, and measures of agreement for two nominal-level or two ordinal-level variables. Additionally, measures of association for mixtures of the three levels of measurement are considered: nominal-ordinal, nominal-interval, and ordinal-interval measures. Numerous comparisons of permutation and classical statistical methods are presented. <p>Unlike classical statistical methods, permutation statistical methods do not rely on theoretical distributions, avoid the usual assumptions of normality and homogeneity of variance, and depend only on the data at hand. This book takes a unique approach to explaining statistics by integrating a large variety of statistical methods, and establishing the rigor of a topic that to many may seem to be a nascent field. This topic is relatively new in that it took modern computing power to make permutation methods available to those working in mainstream research. <p>Written for a statistically informed audience, it is particularly useful for teachers of statistics, practicing statisticians, applied statisticians, and quantitative graduate students in fields such as psychology, medical research, epidemiology, public health, and biology. It can also serve as a textbook in graduate courses in subjects like statistics, psychology, and biology.</p>
Sustainable Interdependent Networks II: From Smart Power Grids to Intelligent Transportation Networks (Studies in Systems, Decision and Control #186)
by M. Hadi Amini Kianoosh G. Boroojeni S. S. Iyengar Panos M. Pardalos Frede Blaabjerg Asad M. MadniThis book paves the way for researchers working on the sustainable interdependent networks spread over the fields of computer science, electrical engineering, and smart infrastructures. It provides the readers with a comprehensive insight to understand an in-depth big picture of smart cities as a thorough example of interdependent large-scale networks in both theory and application aspects. The contributors specify the importance and position of the interdependent networks in the context of developing the sustainable smart cities and provide a comprehensive investigation of recently developed optimization methods for large-scale networks. There has been an emerging concern regarding the optimal operation of power and transportation networks. In the second volume of Sustainable Interdependent Networks book, we focus on the interdependencies of these two networks, optimization methods to deal with the computational complexity of them, and their role in future smart cities. We further investigate other networks, such as communication networks, that indirectly affect the operation of power and transportation networks. Our reliance on these networks as global platforms for sustainable development has led to the need for developing novel means to deal with arising issues. The considerable scale of such networks, due to the large number of buses in smart power grids and the increasing number of electric vehicles in transportation networks, brings a large variety of computational complexity and optimization challenges. Although the independent optimization of these networks lead to locally optimum operation points, there is an exigent need to move towards obtaining the globally-optimum operation point of such networks while satisfying the constraints of each network properly. The book is suitable for senior undergraduate students, graduate students interested in research in multidisciplinary areas related to future sustainable networks, and the researchers working in the related areas. It also covers the application of interdependent networks which makes it a perfect source of study for audience out of academia to obtain a general insight of interdependent networks.
Psychology of Retention: Theory, Research And Practice
by Nadia Ferreira Ingrid L. Potgieter Melinde CoetzeeThis book offers a contemporary review of talent retention from the viewpoint of human resource management and industrial/organisational psychology. With a practical and relevant perspective it enriches critical knowledge and insight in the psychology of talent retention. It offers interpretation of difficult factors facing organisations such as the conceptualisation of talent, the forecasting of talent demand and supply, external and internal factors that influence talent attraction, development and retention, the alignment between talent management and business strategy. Also covered is the implementation of human resource practices and strategies in response to the needs of different organisational contexts and workforce characteristics. The chapter contributions will not only enrich knowledge and insight in the complex phenomenon of talent retention, but also advance new original ways of thinking and researching this critically important area of inquiry. The book is intended for graduate students and researchers as an overview of the topic of talent retention, practitioners will also find it informative.
Diversity, Affect and Embodiment in Organizing
by Marianna Fotaki Alison PullenBringing together research from critical diversity studies and organization theory, this edited collection challenges unspoken norms and patterns of discrimination in organizational bodies. The authors problematize the management of diversity by focusing on the differentiations between racialized, aged, gendered and sexed bodies. By taking a fresh approach and placing the body at the forefront of power relations, this thought-provoking book seeks to challenge the homogenizing and oppressive dimensions of organizational governance, structure and culture that deny bodily difference. An insightful read for scholars of HRM, diversity management and organization, Diversity, Affect and Embodiment in Organizing encourages an active approach to tackling discrimination and recognizes the diversity of embodied lives.
Sustainable Agriculture Reviews 32: Waste Recycling and Fertilisation (Sustainable Agriculture Reviews #32)
by Eric LichtfouseThis book summarise advanced knowledge and methods to recycle waste and fertilise soils in agriculture. In the near future, waste recycling will no longer be an option because natural resources become rare and costly, urbanisation is blooming and population is growing. In theory, most waste could be recycled. In practice, most waste is wasted. Remarkable aspects include the concepts of waste hierarchy eco-houses in smart cities, microbes and fungi for plant nutrition, and benefits of legume cultivation, biochar application and agropastoralism.
Business Transformation through Blockchain: Volume I
by Roman Beck Horst TreiblmaierThis edited collection offers a number of contributions from leading scholars investigating Blockchain and its implications for business. Focusing on the transformation of the overall value chain, the sections cover the foundations of Blockchain, its drivers and barriers, business modelling and a range of examples from industry. Using a number of theoretical and methodological approaches, this innovative publication aims to further the cause of this ground-breaking technology and its use within information technology, supply chain and wider business management research.
The Shoulder Made Easy
by Charalambos Panayiotou CharalambousThis book provides a concise and up-to-date resource on common shoulder disorders. The reader will learn about various shoulder conditions, their presentation, evaluation and management. Anatomy, biomechanics, function, clinical history taking and examination, radiological imaging and other investigations, as well as principles of non-surgical and surgical management of the troublesome shoulder are presented first. The Shoulder Made Easy conveys clear, easily understood information to help practitioners in day-to-day clinical practice as well as in preparation for undergraduate or postgraduate exams. The book focuses on:Commonly encountered clinical symptoms of the shoulder: patients don't present with a clinical diagnosis but with symptoms such as pain, stiffness, weakness or instability and a thorough consideration of what could be accounting for such symptoms and how such symptoms may be dealt with is presented.Commonly encountered clinical disorders of the shoulder: each clinical disorder is concisely presented with the background, clinical symptoms, investigations, differential diagnosis, treatment and a further reading section. This book attempts to present information in an easily read, succinct way. In particular, this book tries to unpick and explain those concepts of shoulder disorders that may be difficult to understand. An attempt is made to pass on knowledge but more importantly also stimulate lateral thinking. Key diagrams, clinical photographs and radiographs are used as necessary to highlight important points; references to relevant landmark articles are also provided in each chapter. The book will be of great interest to medical students, junior orthopaedic doctors, GP’s and physiotherapists.
Structure and Reactivity of Metals in Zeolite Materials (Structure and Bonding #178)
by Manuel Sánchez-Sánchez Joaquín Pérez ParienteThis volume provides the reader with the most up-to-date and relevant knowledge on the reactivity of metals located in zeolite materials, either in framework or extra-framework positions, and the way it is connected with the nature of the chemical environment provided by the host. Since the first report of the isomorphous substitution of titanium in the framework of zeolites giving rise to materials with unusual catalytic properties, the incorporation of many other metals have been investigated with the aim for developing catalysts with improved performance in different reactions. The continuous expansion of the field, both in the variety of metals and zeolite structures, has been accompanied by an increasing focus on the relationship between the reactivity of metal centers and their unique chemical environment. The concepts covered in this volume are of interest to people working in the field of inorganic and physical chemistry, catalysis and chemical engineering, but also for those more interested in theoretical approaches to chemical reactivity. In particular the volume is useful to postgraduate students conducting research in the design, synthesis and catalytic performance of metal-containing zeolites in both academic and application contexts.
Comprehensive Rectal Cancer Care
by Mary Kwaan Andrew ZbarThis book is a comprehensive guide to rectal cancer care that will provide general and colorectal surgeons details regarding the latest developments in the field. The book aims to cover the dynamic shifts in rectal cancer care that have taken place over recent years. Management approaches, such as watch-and-wait and transanal approaches, are evaluated and assessed by experienced physicians to give readers a full understanding of the available treatment options. Chapter summaries are included to give a clinical overview of each approach and to assist the understanding of each topic covered, and make the book applicable to both general surgeons and specialist practice nurses, as well as rectal cancer specialists.
Oligarchic Party-Group Relations in Bulgaria: The Extended Parentela Policy Network Model
by Mihail PetkovThis book argues that the relationship between political parties, civil service and party insider groups in Bulgaria is oligarchic. It also argues that these oligarchic dynamics overlap with the parentela policy network, which is a relationship where a ruling party interferes with the civil service to the benefit of its own insider group. In Bulgaria, party-wide executive appointments attract businesses to seek insider status hoping to expand their activities through prejudiced regulatory inspections as one form of executive interference. Such inspections constitute a veiled attempt to coerce a business, which is in a direct market competition with the party insider or in party political opposition. Any such successful party-insider relationship forms an oligarchic elite, which then converts political access into capital and coerces its rivals into losing parliamentary elections. When ruling parties change, the cycle is repeated, as the newly formed elite seeks to check all and any rivals.
McDowell and Hegel: Perceptual Experience, Thought and Action (Studies in German Idealism #20)
by Federico Sanguinetti André J. AbathThis book presents a comprehensive and detailed exploration of the relationship between the thought of G.W.F. Hegel and that of John McDowell, the latter of whom is widely considered to be one of the most influential living analytic philosophers. It serves as a point of entry in McDowell’s and Hegel’s philosophy, and a substantial contribution to ongoing debates on perceptual experience and perceptual justification, naturalism, human freedom and action. The chapters gathered in this volume, as well as McDowell’s responses, make it clear that McDowell’s work paves the way for an original reading of Hegel’s texts. His conceptual framework allows for new interpretive possibilities in Hegel’s philosophy which, until now, have remained largely unexplored. Moreover, these interpretations shed light on various aspects of continuity and discontinuity between the philosophies of these two authors, thus defining more clearly their positions on specific issues. In addition, they allow us to see Hegel’s thought as containing a number of conceptual tools that might be useful for advancing McDowell’s own philosophy and contemporary philosophy in general.
Theatre in the Context of the Yugoslav Wars
by Jana Dolečki Senad Halilbašić Stefan HulfeldThis book assembles texts by renowned academics and theatre artists who were professionally active during the wars in former Yugoslavia. It examines examples of how various forms of theatre and performance reacted to the conflicts in Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, and Kosovo while they were ongoing. It explores state-funded National Theatre activities between escapism and denial, the theatre aesthetics of protest and resistance, and symptomatic shifts and transformations in the production of theatre under wartime circumstances, both in theory and in practice. In addition, it looks beyond the period of conflict itself, examining the aftermath of war in contemporary theatre and performance, such as by considering Ivan Vidić’s war trauma plays, the art campaigns of the international feminist organization Women in Black, and Peter Handke’s play Voyage by Dugout. The introduction explores correlations between the contributions and initiates a reflection on the further development of the research field. Overall, the volume provides new perspectives and previously unpublished research in the fields of theory and historiography of theatre, as well as Southeast European Studies.
The Human Gut-Liver-Axis in Health and Disease
by Aleksander Krag Torben HansenThe book brings together the current knowledge and future perspectives of the complex physiology and pathophysiology of gut-liver interactions in health and disease. It provides readers with a unique overview and access to knowledge that cannot be obtained elsewhere.The structure is logical and covers all aspect including the normal physiology, changes in various liver diseases, technology, sample collection and various interventions. Thus suitable for general reading, lookup for specific questions or as a reference book within the area.The book allows the reader to access all the knowledge that has been generated within the last 10 years in this field.
Relational Intentionality: Brentano and the Aristotelian Tradition (Primary Sources in Phenomenology)
by Hamid TaiebThis book sheds new light on the history of the philosophically crucial notion of intentionality, which accounts for one of the most distinctive aspects of our mental life: the fact that our thoughts are about objects. Intentionality is often described as a certain kind of relation. Focusing on Franz Brentano, who introduced the notion into contemporary philosophy, and on the Aristotelian tradition, which was Brentano’s main source of inspiration, the book reveals a rich history of debate on precisely the relational nature of intentionality. It shows that Brentano and the Aristotelian authors from which he drew not only addressed the question whether intentionality is a relation, but also devoted extensive discussions to what kind of relation it is, if any. <P><P> The book aims to show that Brentano distinguishes the intentional relation from two other relations with which it might be confused, namely, causality and reference, which also hold between thoughts and their objects. Intentionality accounts for the aboutness of a thought; causality, by contrast, explains how the thought is generated, and reference, understood as a sort of similarity, occurs when the object towards which the thought is directed exists. Brentano claims to find some anticipation of his views in Aristotle. This book argues that, whether or not Brentano’s interpretation of Aristotle is correct, his claim is true of the Aristotelian tradition as a whole, since followers of Aristotle more or less explicitly made some or all of Brentano’s distinctions. This is demonstrated through examination of some major figures of the Aristotelian tradition (broadly understood), including Alexander of Aphrodisias, the Neoplatonic commentators, Thomas Aquinas, Duns Scotus, and Francisco Suárez. <P><P> This book combines a longue durée approach – focusing on the long-term evolution of philosophical concepts rather than restricting itself to a specific author or period – with systematic analysis in the history of philosophy. By studying Brentano and the Aristotelian authors with theoretical sensitivity, it also aims to contribute to our understanding of intentionality and cognate features of the mind.
Leading in a VUCA World: Integrating Leadership, Discernment and Spirituality (Contributions to Management Science)
by Jacobus Kobus Kok Steven C. van den HeuvelThis open access book brings together works by specialists from different disciplines and continents to reflect on the nexus between leadership, spirituality and discernment, particularly with regard to a world that is increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA). The book spells out, first of all, what our VUCA world entails, and how it affects businesses, organizations, and societies as a whole. Secondly, the book develops new perspectives on the processes of leadership, spirituality, and discernment, particularly in this VUCA context. These perspectives are interdisciplinary in nature, and are informed by e.g. management studies, leadership theory, philosophy, and theology.
Software Engineering Research, Management and Applications (Studies in Computational Intelligence #789)
by Roger LeeThis book presents the outcomes of the 16th International Conference on Software Engineering, Artificial Intelligence Research, Management and Applications (SERA 2018), which was held in Kunming, China on June 13–15, 2018. The aim of the conference was to bring together researchers and scientists, businessmen and entrepreneurs, teachers, engineers, computer users, and students to discuss the various fields of computer science, to share their experiences, and to exchange new ideas and information in a meaningful way. The book includes findings on all aspects (theory, applications and tools) of computer and information science, and discusses related practical challenges and the solutions adopted to solve them.The conference organizers selected the best papers from those accepted for presentation. The papers were chosen based on review scores submitted by members of the program committee and underwent a further rigorous round of review. From this second round, 13 of the conference’s most promising papers were then published in this Springer (SCI) book and not the conference proceedings. We eagerly await the important contributions that we know these authors will make to the field of computer and information science.
Innovations and Interdisciplinary Solutions for Underserved Areas: Second International Conference, InterSol 2018, Kigali, Rwanda, March 24–25, 2018, Proceedings (Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering #249)
by Cheikh M.F. Kebe Assane Gueye Ababacar Ndiaye Aminata GarbaThis book constitutes the refereed post-conference proceedings of the Second International Conference on Innovations and Interdisciplinary Solutions for Underserved Areas, InterSol 2018, and the 7th Collogue National sur la Recherche en Informatique et ses Applications, CNRIA 2018, held in Kigali, Rwanda, in March 2018. The 23 papers presented were selected from 56 submissions and issue the following themes: papers dealing with the evolution of performances of solar systems in Africa, papers addressing the issues is public health, telecom papers studying the business model of telecommunication, math models presenting the climatic phenomenon and finally health papers dealing with medical devices that are suitable to underserved areas. The proceedings also contain 7 papers from the co-located 7th CNRIA (Collogue National sur la Recherche en Informatique et ses Applications) focusing on network architecture and security, software engineering, data management, and signal processing.
Spine Surgery: A Case-Based Approach
by Bernhard Meyer Michael RauschmannThis book covers the content of European postgraduate spine surgery courses, using a case-based approach. It describes a stepwise solution to a real-world clinical problem and compares this with the best available evidence. It then provides suggestions on how to bridge the gap (if there is one) between standard of care and evidence-based medicine. Spine Surgery: A Case-Based Approach is aimed at postgraduate students of spine surgery (both trainee neurosurgeons and trainee orthopedic surgeons), and is also of interest to medical students.
Methodologies and Intelligent Systems for Technology Enhanced Learning, 8th International Conference (Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing #804)
by Tania Di Mascio Pierpaolo Vittorini Rosella Gennari Fernando De la Prieta Sara Rodríguez Marco Temperini Ricardo Azambuja Silveira Elvira Popescu Loreto LanciaThis book presents the outcomes of the 8th International Conference in Methodologies and Intelligent Systems for Technology Enhanced Learning held in Toledo (Spain) hosted by the University of Castilla-La Mancha from 20 th to 22nd June 2018. Further expanding the topics of the previous editions, the conference provided an open forum for discussing intelligent systems for technology enhanced learning (TEL) and their roots in novel learning theories, empirical methodologies for their design or evaluation, stand-alone and web-based solutions and maker spaces, and also fostering entrepreneurship and increasing business startup ideas. It brought together researchers and developers from industry, the education field and the academic world to report on the latest scientific research, technical advances and methodologies.
Hot Stamping of Ultra High-Strength Steels: From A Technological And Business Perspective
by Eren BillurProviding a comprehensive overview of hot stamping (also known as ‘press hardening’), this book examines all essential aspects of this innovative metal forming method, and explores its various uses. It investigates hot stamping from both technological and business perspectives, and outlines potential future developments. Individual chapters explore topics such as the history of hot stamping, the state of the art, materials and processes employed, and how hot stamping is currently being used in the automotive industry to create ultra-high-strength steel components. Drawing on experience and expertise gathered from academia and industry worldwide, the book offers an accessible resource for a broad readership including students, researchers, vehicle manufacturers and metal forming companies.
Sensuous Learning for Practical Judgment in Professional Practice: Volume 1: Arts-based Methods (Palgrave Studies in Business, Arts and Humanities)
by Elena P. Antonacopoulou Steven S. TaylorThe first volume of this ground-breaking book critically examines how and why arts-based methods such as choir conducting workshops and dialogue improvisation can make a difference in improving professional practice. Taking a ‘human-centred’ approach, it delivers an insightful account of what these approaches do differently to achieve a new mode of learning – ‘sensuous learning’ – that cultivates professional judgment to serve the common good, simultaneously supporting personal and collective growth. The chapters present cutting edge examples of multiple ways arts-based methods underpin learning arenas for expanding leadership and improving professional practice. The reflexivity cultivated through these learning arenas has the unique potential to improve professional practice, not merely by enhancing competence but also by cultivating character and conscience, which is central in making judgments that serve the common good. These benefits are relevant for professional practitioners sharpening the skills and behaviours needed in organisations, including creativity, diversity, imagination, and improvisation.
Cultural Governance in a Global Context: An International Perspective On Art Organizations (Palgrave Studies In Business, Arts And Humanities Ser.)
by Ian W. King Annick SchrammeThis original book explores the character of cultural governance of arts and cultural institutions in eight countries across five continents. Examining strategy and decision-making at an organisational level, this is the first empirical contribution on cultural policy and management, revealing how it is applied across the globe in otherwise unexplored countries. Concerned with the assumption that ‘one-size fits all’, the chapter authors analyse how cultural governance is managed within arts organizations in a range of countries to assess whether some locations are trying to apply unsuitable models. The chapters aim to discover and assess new practices to benefit the understanding of cultural governance and the arts sector which have as yet been excluded from the literature. As a collection of local accounts, this book offers a broad and rich perspective on managing cultural governance around the world.
Instruments for Health Surveys in Children and Adolescents (Springer Series On Epidemiology And Public Health)
by Karin Bammann Lauren Lissner Iris Pigeot Wolfgang AhrensThis book describes key methods and instruments for assessing diet-related factors, physical activity, social and environmental factors, physical characteristics and health-related outcomes in children and adolescents. These tools were developed and deployed within the framework of the pan-European IDEFICS and I.Family cohort studies. These population-based field studies were funded within the 6th and 7th European Framework Programme, respectively, and were intended to assess the prevalence and aetiology of lifestyle-related diseases in children, focusing on overweight and obesity, and to develop effective strategies for primary prevention. In the course of a decade we undertook a major research endeavour, collecting standardised data from children, families, neighbourhoods, kindergartens, pre-schools and schools in eight European countries, employing a uniform cross-cultural methodology. This resulted in a rich picture of the daily lives and living contexts of children and their families. Studies encompassing childhood and adolescence face the particular challenge of the transitions from pre-school to primary school and from childhood to adolescence; accordingly, the instruments used need to be adapted to different developmental stages while maintaining their comparability across the age range. In young children, questionnaires have to be completed by proxies, usually their parents, while older children, particularly adolescents, can provide a major part of the requested information themselves. This book presents suitable designs, methods and instruments for data collection in studies of children and adolescents. Each chapter explains the development and background of the instruments applied in the surveys and summarises the current state of knowledge. All chapters were written by key experts in their respective research fields. We are grateful for their valuable contributions and their enthusiastic support in producing this book, which also presents survey experiences in which practice does not always follow theory. Participants’ responses can on occasion be unexpected and unpredictable, but meeting these challenges can also enrich epidemiological surveys and yield methodological refinements. We sincerely hope that the book and the online material will be of considerable value to other research teams.