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Transforming the IT Services Lifecycle with AI Technologies (SpringerBriefs in Computer Science)
by Dorothea Wiesmann Maheswaran Surendra Larisa Shwartz Amit Paradkar Stefan Pappe Giovanni Lanfranchi Nicholas C. Fuller John Davis Kristof KloecknerAs more and more industries are experiencing digital disruption, using information technology to enable a competitive advantage becomes a critical success factor for all enterprises. This book will cover the authors’ insights on how AI technologies can fundamentally reshape the IT services delivery lifecycle to deliver better business outcomes through a data-driven and knowledge-based approach. Three main challenges and the technologies to address them are discussed in detail:· Gaining actionable insight from operational data for service management automation and improved human decision making· Capturing and enhancing expert knowledge throughout the lifecycle from solution design to ongoing service improvement · Enabling self-service for service requests and problem resolution, through intuitive natural language interfacesThe authors are top researchers and practitioners with deep experience in the fields of artificial intelligence and IT service management and are discussing both practical advice for IT teams and advanced research results. The topics will appeal to CIOs and CTOs as well as researchers who want to understand the state of the art of applying artificial intelligence to a very complex problem space. There is no other book on this subject currently available. Although the book is planned to be concise, it will comprehensively discuss topics like gaining insight from operational data for automatic problem diagnosis and resolution as well as continuous service optimization, AI for solution design and conversational self-service systems.
Developing and Managing Innovation in a Fast Changing and Complex World: Benefiting from Dynamic Principles
by Stig OttossonThis book provides essential insights into how to rapidly and safely develop new sustainable products, no matter whether it is in the private sector, the public sector or the non-profit sector, and regardless of the specific national or business culture.The principles discussed were distilled from experiences and insights gained in numerous practical innovation endeavors, and from insider action research in connection with ongoing development, change management, and innovation projects in various areas and branches of the business world and non-commercial sector.In short, the practical work and research has revealed that, regardless of the specific product and/or business to be developed, clear advantages can be gained by using dynamic or agile methods based on modern theories. These advantages include: reduced risk of failure, shorter time to market, less money and effort spent, better outcome solutions, etc. than when classical methods are used. Accordingly, the book also highlights the differences between the classical/traditional and dynamic mindset and approaches. It offers suggestions on how to think, organize, lead, and act in order to excel in an increasingly complex and non-linear world. The more you can assimilate the theories, principles and methods – and integrate them in the culture you operate in – the greater the benefits will be for you and your organization.
The NIPS ’17 Competition: Building Intelligent Systems (The Springer Series on Challenges in Machine Learning)
by Markus Weimer Sergio EscaleraThis book summarizes the organized competitions held during the first NIPS competition track. It provides both theory and applications of hot topics in machine learning, such as adversarial learning, conversational intelligence, and deep reinforcement learning. Rigorous competition evaluation was based on the quality of data, problem interest and impact, promoting the design of new models, and a proper schedule and management procedure. This book contains the chapters from organizers on competition design and from top-ranked participants on their proposed solutions for the five accepted competitions: The Conversational Intelligence Challenge, Classifying Clinically Actionable Genetic Mutations, Learning to Run, Human-Computer Question Answering Competition, and Adversarial Attacks and Defenses.
Power in Economic Thought (Palgrave Studies in the History of Economic Thought)
by Manuela MoscaThis book offers a pluralistic vision of the way economists have dealt with the question of power in society over the last two centuries. Economists’ ideas about power are examined from political, theoretical and policy-making points of view, with additional discussion of the active participation of economists in the management of power.The book is organized into four main conceptions of power relations: i) Power as embedded in political institutions; ii) Power as emerging from the asymmetric relations caused by the unequal distribution of income and wealth; iii) Power as associated to the monopolistic or oligopolistic position held by some firms in the market; and iv) Power as the management of economic policies by the state.Mosca brings together contributions from a range of scholars to analyse how economists have considered the role of power, putting the discussion into a much needed historical context.
Developing Socio-Emotional Intelligence in Higher Education Scholars
by Camila Devis-RozentalThis book explores the impact of socio-emotional intelligence on wellbeing in higher education. Stemming from years of investigation and educational expertise with trainee teachers and academics, the book identifies ways in which socio-emotional intelligence can be developed in university environments. The author begins by analysing the concept of socio-emotional intelligence and its development, before confronting distinctive areas for improvement within the context of teaching and learning in higher education. The book explores the importance of understanding and labelling emotions, and how opportunities for self-reflection arise through an environment that meets practical needs. The author contends that support from other scholars is vital to the development of socio-emotional intelligence. The book concludes with a set of practical suggestions for promoting personal development. It will be a valuable resourse for anyone working in higher education who is interested in improving their own wellbeing and that of those around them.
Geometric and Topological Aspects of the Representation Theory of Finite Groups: Pims Summer School And Workshop, July 27-august 5 2016 (Springer Proceedings in Mathematics & Statistics #242)
by Jon F. Carlson Srikanth B. Iyengar Julia PevtsovaThese proceedings comprise two workshops celebrating the accomplishments of David J. Benson on the occasion of his sixtieth birthday. The papers presented at the meetings were representative of the many mathematical subjects he has worked on, with an emphasis on group prepresentations and cohomology. The first workshop was titled "Groups, Representations, and Cohomology" and held from June 22 to June 27, 2015 at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. The second was a combination of a summer school and workshop on the subject of "Geometric Methods in the Representation Theory of Finite Groups" and took place at the Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver from July 27 to August 5, 2016. The contents of the volume include a composite of both summer school material and workshop-derived survey articles on geometric and topological aspects of the representation theory of finite groups. The mission of the annually sponsored Summer Schools is to train and draw new students, and help Ph.D students transition to independent research.
Machine Learning Paradigms: Advances in Data Analytics (Intelligent Systems Reference Library #149)
by George A. Tsihrintzis Dionisios N. Sotiropoulos Lakhmi C. JainThis book explores some of the emerging scientific and technological areas in which the need for data analytics arises and is likely to play a significant role in the years to come. At the dawn of the 4th Industrial Revolution, data analytics is emerging as a force that drives towards dramatic changes in our daily lives, the workplace and human relationships. Synergies between physical, digital, biological and energy sciences and technologies, brought together by non-traditional data collection and analysis, drive the digital economy at all levels and offer new, previously-unavailable opportunities. The need for data analytics arises in most modern scientific disciplines, including engineering; natural-, computer- and information sciences; economics; business; commerce; environment; healthcare; and life sciences. Coming as the third volume under the general title MACHINE LEARNING PARADIGMS, the book includes an editorial note (Chapter 1) and an additional 12 chapters, and is divided into five parts: (1) Data Analytics in the Medical, Biological and Signal Sciences, (2) Data Analytics in Social Studies and Social Interactions, (3) Data Analytics in Traffic, Computer and Power Networks, (4) Data Analytics for Digital Forensics, and (5) Theoretical Advances and Tools for Data Analytics. This research book is intended for both experts/researchers in the field of data analytics, and readers working in the fields of artificial and computational intelligence as well as computer science in general who wish to learn more about the field of data analytics and its applications. An extensive list of bibliographic references at the end of each chapter guides readers to probe further into the application areas of interest to them.
The Mystery of Rationality: Mind, Beliefs and the Social Sciences (Lecture Notes in Morphogenesis)
by Gérald Bronner Francesco Di IorioThis book contributes to the developing dialogue between cognitive science and social sciences. It focuses on a central issue in both fields, i.e. the nature and the limitations of the rationality of beliefs and action. The development of cognitive science is one of the most important and fascinating intellectual advances of recent decades, and social scientists are paying increasing attention to the findings of this new branch of science that forces us to consider many classical issues related to epistemology and philosophy of action in a new light. Analysis of the concept of rationality is a leitmotiv in the history of the social sciences and has involved endless disputes. Since it is difficult to give a precise definition of this concept, and there is a lack of agreement about its meaning, it is possible to say that there is a ‘mystery of rationality’. What is it to be rational? Is rationality merely instrumental or does it also involve the endorsement of values, i.e. the choice of goals? Should we consider rationality to be a normative principle or a descriptive one? Can rationality be only Cartesian or can it also be argumentative? Is rationality a conscious skill or a partly tacit one? This book, which has been written by an outstanding collection of authors, including both philosophers and social scientists, tries to make a useful contribution to the debates on these problems and shed some light on the mystery of rationality. The target audience primarily comprises researchers and experts in the field.
Landscape as a Geosystem
by László Miklós Erika Kočická Zita Izakovičová Dušan Kočický Anna Špinerová Andrea Diviaková Viktória MiklósováThe book analyses the landscape as a geosystem in all its complexity (from the abiotic environment, and land use to socio-economic character) as an integrated natural resource, as society’s life space, as well as an object of planning and decision making on sustainable land use. It presents the landscape properties in the form of databases that comply with the INSPIRE Directive 2007/2/EC (INSPIRE – Infrastructure for Spatial InfoRmation in Europe) requirements, which can be used for a variety of purposes and can serve as a national spatial information database for the needs of applied landscape-ecological research and real-world spatial planning processes. The book also provides overview legends with complete domain values of selected attributes of all three landscape structures (primary, secondary and tertiary) routinely used in Slovakia. Lastly, the book offers an example of the construction and mapping of geocomplexes as well as the database creation on the model territory at the regional level.
Landscape-ecological Planning LANDEP
by László Miklós Anna ŠpinerováThis book provides a comprehensive description of the landscape-ecological planning system LANDEP, and introduces the methodical procedure. LANDEP was developed at the Institute of Landscape Ecology of Slovak Academy of Sciences in Bratislava and has been applied in various planning processes at home and abroad. Despite the fact that the LANDEP methodology was defined in 1979, the methodological content, sequence of procedures and the application of concept in practice are still valid. The first two steps – analyses and syntheses – have the nature of fundamental research and result in the design and characteristics of complex landscape-ecological-spatial units. The final two steps – evaluations and proposals – address the needs of planning practice. The intermediate step – interpretations – has the character of applied research and forms the arguments and criteria for the assessment of landscape for its utilisation by humans.
Ecological Networks and Territorial Systems of Ecological Stability
by László Miklós Andrea Diviaková Zita IzakovičováThis book provides a wealth of information for all those involved in using ecological networks for biodiversity protection and environmental management, as well as their significance for planning. It describes the concept of ecological networks, and presents methods and real-world examples of the use of a territorial system of ecological stability (TSES) in Slovakia at national, regional and local levels, including the assessment of the significance of biocentres, biocorridors and interactive elements. Using both a functional model for preserving the living conditions of habitats or preventing their collapse, and the connectivity of biotopes in a landscape as an original type of ecological network based on landscape-ecological principles, TSES represents a modern concept of nature and biodiversity protection based on the principles of protection of the conditions and forms of biota.
Advances in Mathematics and Applications: Celebrating 50 years of the Institute of Mathematics, Statistics and Scientific Computing, University of Campinas
by Carlile Lavor Francisco A. GomesThis book celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Institute of Mathematics, Statistics and Scientific Computing (IMECC) of the University of Campinas, Brazil, by offering reviews of selected research developed at one of the most prestigious mathematics institutes in Latin America. Written by senior professors at the IMECC, it covers topics in pure and applied mathematics and statistics ranging from differential geometry, dynamical systems, Lie groups, and partial differential equations to computational optimization, mathematical physics, stochastic process, time series, and more. A report on the challenges and opportunities of research in applied mathematics - a highly active field of research in the country - and highlights of the Institute since its foundation in 1968 completes this historical volume, which is unveiled in the same year that the International Mathematical Union (IMU) names Brazil as a member of the Group V of countries with the most relevant contributions in mathematics.
Industrial, Trade, and Employment Policies in Iran: Towards a New Agenda
by Pooya Alaedini Mohamad R. RazaviThis volume explores Iran’s industrial and trade policy options for achieving sustainable, export-oriented, and pro-employment growth. The first part of the book discusses Iran’s economic and industrial development performance, as well as strategies for enhancing capabilities, fostering productive transformation, and developing employment that can result in faster and more inclusive economic growth. It also presents a case study on a leading manufacturing subsector—the automotive industry. The book then offers a set of analyses concerning the country’s trade sector, including exchange rate policies, ways to connect to global markets, and accession to the World Trade Organization. In turn, the closing chapters investigate various aspects of Iran’s labor market and offer policy recommendations on the creation of productive jobs. Readers will learn about effective industrial, trade, and employment policies that can complement macroeconomic measures adopted by the government. As such, the book will appeal not only to scholars and policy-makers, but also to international investors seeking to understand various core aspects of Iran’s industrial and employment structures and trade regime.
Enhancement Cavities for the Generation of Extreme Ultraviolet and Hard X-Ray Radiation (Springer Theses)
by Henning CarstensThis thesis discusses the power scaling of ultrashort pulses in enhancement cavities, utilized in particular for frequency conversion processes, such as Thomson scattering and high-harmonic generation. Using custom optics for ultrashort-pulse enhancement cavities, it demonstrates for the first time that at the envisaged power levels, the mitigation of thermal effects becomes indispensable even in cavities comprising solely reflective optics. It also studies cavities with large beams, albeit with low misalignment sensitivity, as a way to circumvent intensity-induced mirror damage. Average powers of several hundred kilowatts are demonstrated, which benefit hard x-ray sources based on Thomson scattering. Furthermore, pulses as short as 30 fs were obtained at more than 10 kW of average power and employed for high-harmonic generation with photon energies exceeding 100 eV at 250 MHz repetition rate, paving the way for frequency comb spectroscopy in this spectral region.
The Variable-Order Fractional Calculus of Variations (SpringerBriefs in Applied Sciences and Technology)
by Delfim F. M. Torres Dina Tavares Ricardo AlmeidaThe Variable-Order Fractional Calculus of Variations is devoted to the study of fractional operators with variable order and, in particular, variational problems involving variable-order operators. This brief presents a new numerical tool for the solution of differential equations involving Caputo derivatives of fractional variable order. Three Caputo-type fractional operators are considered, and for each one, an approximation formula is obtained in terms of standard (integer-order) derivatives only. Estimations for the error of the approximations are also provided. The contributors consider variational problems that may be subject to one or more constraints, where the functional depends on a combined Caputo derivative of variable fractional order. In particular, they establish necessary optimality conditions of Euler–Lagrange type. As the terminal point in the cost integral is free, as is the terminal state, transversality conditions are also obtained.The Variable-Order Fractional Calculus of Variations is a valuable source of information for researchers in mathematics, physics, engineering, control and optimization; it provides both analytical and numerical methods to deal with variational problems. It is also of interest to academics and postgraduates in these fields, as it solves multiple variational problems subject to one or more constraints in a single brief.
Knowing, Not-Knowing, and Jouissance: Levels, Symbols, And Codes Of Experience In Psychoanalysis (The\palgrave Lacan Ser.)
by Raul MoncayoThis book explores the practice and transmission of Lacanian and Freudian theory. It discusses the pure versus applied analysis of Lacanian and Freudian theory in practice; and the hierarchical versus circular transmissions within psychoanalytic organizations.Underpinned by extensive practical knowledge of the clinic, this work examines the differences between Freud and Lacan in their understanding of the subject and the unconscious and pushes them in new directions. The book also offers an analysis and commentary of several key Lacanian texts including an accessible study of the notoriously challenging text L'etourdit. Offering both divergent and reinforcing takes on Lacan, the author explores the traits that separate out the psychoanalyst from other twentieth-century thinkers and theorists. This book offers a clear clinical picture of where Lacanian psychoanalysis is today, both in the US and internationally.
Advances in Social and Occupational Ergonomics: Proceedings of the AHFE 2018 International Conference on Social and Occupational Ergonomics, July 21-25, 2018, Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida, USA (Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing #792)
by Richard H. GoossensThis book reports on cutting-edge research on social and occupational ergonomics, presenting innovative contributions to the optimization of sociotechnical management systems related to organizational, policy, and logistical issues. It discusses timely topics related to communication, crew resource management, work design, participatory design, as well as teamwork, community ergonomics, cooperative work, and warning systems, and explores new work paradigms, organizational cultures, virtual organizations, telework, and quality management. The book also describes pioneering infrastructures implemented for different purposes such as urban, health, and enterprise, and examines the changing role of automated systems, offering innovative solutions that address the needs of particular populations. Based on the AHFE 2018 International Conference on Social and Occupational Ergonomics, held in Orlando, Florida, USA on July 21–25, 2018, the book provides readers with a comprehensive overview of the current challenges in both organizational and occupational ergonomics, highlighting key connections between them and underlining the importance of emotional factors in influencing human performance.
Plant and Human Health, Volume 1: Ethnobotany and Physiology
by Khalid Rehman Hakeem Munir OzturkEarly anthropological evidence for plant use as medicine is 60,000 years old as reported from the Neanderthal grave in Iraq. The importance of plants as medicine is further supported by archeological evidence from Asia and the Middle East. Today, around 1.4 billion people in South Asia alone have no access to modern health care, and rely instead on traditional medicine to alleviate various symptoms. On a global basis, approximately 50 to 80 thousand plant species are used either natively or as pharmaceutical derivatives for life-threatening conditions that include diabetes, hypertension and cancers. As the demand for plant-based medicine rises, there is an unmet need to investigate the quality, safety and efficacy of these herbals by the “scientific methods”. Current research on drug discovery from medicinal plants involves a multifaceted approach combining botanical, phytochemical, analytical, and molecular techniques. For instance, high throughput robotic screens have been developed by industry; it is now possible to carry out 50,000 tests per day in the search for compounds, which act on a key enzyme or a subset of receptors. This and other bioassays thus offer hope that one may eventually identify compounds for treating a variety of diseases or conditions. However, drug development from natural products is not without its problems. Frequent challenges encountered include the procurement of raw materials, the selection and implementation of appropriate high-throughput bioassays, and the scaling-up of preparative procedures. Research scientists should therefore arm themselves with the right tools and knowledge in order to harness the vast potentials of plant-based therapeutics. The main objective of Plant and Human Health is to serve as a comprehensive guide for this endeavor. Volume 1 highlights how humans from specific areas or cultures use indigenous plants. Despite technological developments, herbal drugs still occupy a preferential place in a majority of the population in the third world and have slowly taken roots as alternative medicine in the West. The integration of modern science with traditional uses of herbal drugs is important for our understanding of this ethnobotanical relationship. Volume 2 deals with the phytochemical and molecular characterization of herbal medicine. Specifically, it focuess on the secondary metabolic compounds, which afford protection against diseases. Lastly, Volume 3 discusses the physiological mechanisms by which the active ingredients of medicinal plants serve to improve human health. Together this three-volume collection intends to bridge the gap for herbalists, traditional and modern medical practitioners, and students and researchers in botany and horticulture.
Monopoly Restored: How the Super-Rich Robbed Main Street
by Jack Lawrence LuzkowThis book is a work of contemporary economic history focusing primarily on the US and the UK. It shows that, historically, much of the wealth of the ultra-wealthy has been based on inheritance, tax evasion, political influence, or wage theft. Today, much of the wealth of the rentier class—the super-rich—is based on income from ownership or control of scarce assets, or assets artificially made scarce. As a result, the super-rich reap much of their wealth from patents, monopolies, and subsidies. Their banks retain the right to speculate on risky derivatives, and their credit-card companies are not limited by usury laws that reduce interest rates. The super-rich have lowered (or escaped) inheritance taxes, shifted much of their income to lower taxed capital gains, practiced wage theft, fought minimum wage laws, outsourced jobs, and resorted to temps and contract labor to avoid unions and decent wages. They use tax havens where trillions of dollars remain untaxed, transfer profits of their intellectual and financial property to subsidiaries in low-tax regimes, and defend for-profit health insurance that is unaffordable and inequitable for millions. This book states in qualitative and quantitative terms how expensive the super-rich have become, why they are unsustainable for the rest of us, and what the way forward to greater economic equality may be. In sum, the super-rich are unaffordable.
Performing Intimacies with Hawthorne, Austen, Wharton, and George Eliot: A Microsocial Approach
by Maya Higashi WakanaPerforming Intimacies with Hawthorne, Austen, Wharton, and George Eliot analyzes literary reproductions of everyday intimacies through a microsociological lens to demonstrate the value of reading microsocially. The text investigates the interplay between author, character, and reader and considers such concepts as face and moments of embarrassment to emphasize how art and life are inseparable. Drawing on narrative theory, the phenomenological approach, and macro approaches, Maya Higashi Wakana examines Hawthorne’s “The Minister’s Black Veil,” Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Wharton’s Ethan Frome and The Age of Innocence, and George Eliot’s The Mill on the Floss. Through a multidisciplinary approach, this book provides new ways of reading the everyday in literature.
Fundamentals of Power Semiconductor Devices
by B. Jayant BaligaFundamentals of Power Semiconductor Devices provides an in-depth treatment of the physics of operation of power semiconductor devices that are commonly used by the power electronics industry. Analytical models for explaining the operation of all power semiconductor devices are shown. The treatment here focuses on silicon devices but includes the unique attributes and design requirements for emerging silicon carbide devices. The book will appeal to practicing engineers in the power semiconductor device community.
The Evolution of Electronic Procurement: Transforming Business as Usual
by Tobias SchoenherrThis book responds to the increasing speed with which the domain of electronic procurement has been evolving, as well to the significant advances predicted to take place in the near future. Covering the fundamentals of electronic procurement as well as advanced applications, the main focus is on the critical importance of information technology for modern supply management professionals. Tracing the evolution of electronic procurement over the last 20 years, the book illustrates how the concept has evolved from a novel idea into a standard approach that cannot be neglected, fundamentally transforming business as usual. The transformation is highlighted by the evolution of online reverse auctions, as well as the ensuing expansion of technology to virtually all aspects of strategic sourcing in the form of integrated electronic sourcing suites. Several advances and new applications of electronic procurement are presented, with an emphasis on how social media can be leveraged for supply management and its associated significant potential.
Precedents and Judicial Politics in EU Immigration Law (European Administrative Governance)
by Marie De SomerThis study explores the use of precedents in the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). It argues that a strategic use of precedent-based discourses aids the Court in developing its jurisprudence autonomously; that is, independent of the political preferences of EU member states. The study is based on a long-term assessment of CJEU case law in the politically sensitive area of immigration law. It traces the Court’s rulings in this area from the 1970s up until the most recent period. The study identifies a series of consistent discursive patterns that slowly, but surely, moved EU immigration law beyond what member states had intended. The work takes an interdisciplinary approach, engaging with both political science and legal discussions on the Court of Justice and its role in processes of European integration.
Labour Migration in Europe Volume II: Exploitation and Legal Protection of Migrant Workers
by Marco BorraccettiViolence, deception, fraud and abuse have always been commonplace occurrences for migrants, not only in their final country of destination but also in their countries of origin and countries of transit. In today’s world, the link between mobility and security issues is ever-increasing. Acknowledging this, how can we work to protect and improve migrants’ rights? Is the protection for migrants offered by the EU sufficient as-is, or is a more integrated approach that requires greater cooperation from migrants’ country of origin called for? What role can the private sector play in all of this? In this book, Borraccetti brings together contributions that analyse how migrant exploitation can be combatted. All essays focus on the protection and promotion of human rights and pay particular attention to the rights of children and other vulnerable people.
Great Powers and International Hierarchy
by Daniel McCormackHierarchical relationships—rules that structure both international and domestic politics—are pervasive. Yet we know little about how these relationships are constructed, maintained, and dismantled. This book fills this lacuna through a two-pronged research approach: first, it discusses how great power negotiations over international political settlements both respond to domestic politics within weak states and structure the specific forms that hierarchy takes. Second, it deduces three sets of hypotheses about hierarchy maintenance, construction, and collapse during the post-war era. By offering a coherent theoretical model of hierarchical politics within weaker states, the author is able to answer a number of important questions, including: Why does the United States often ally with autocratic states even though its most enduring relationships are with democracies? Why do autocratic hierarchical relationships require interstate coercion? Why do some hierarchies end violently and others peacefully? Why does hierarchical competition sometimes lead to interstate conflict and sometimes to civil conflict?