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Geometry, Topology and Operator Algebras: Global Analysis, Invariants and Their Significance in Theoretical Physics (Mathematical Physics Studies)
by Alexander Cardona Andrés F. Reyes LegaThis book offers a comprehensive exploration of contemporary intersections between geometry, topology, and theoretical physics, emphasizing their mathematical foundations and applications. Originating from lectures presented by experts during two summer schools held in Villa de Leyva, Colombia, the book reflects the synergy between global analysis, operator algebras, and their role in modern physics. The chapters present state-of-the-art developments on a wide range of topics: the geometry and topology of foliations, affine manifolds, C*-algebras, and the pseudo-differential calculus of boundary value problems. These are enriched by applications to the theory of topological quantum matter. The book is suitable for graduate students and researchers, offering detailed introductions to advanced topics such as the longitudinal index theorem for foliations, the geometry of the Poincaré half-space in a C*-algebra, and mathematical frameworks for topological matter. With a balance of foundational material and novel insights, it serves as both a learning resource and a reference for advanced studies at the intersection of mathematics and physics.
Donor
by Charles WilsonYoung ER doctor Michael Sims feels too many of his patients are dying without cause. Shannon Donnelly, the Congressman's beautiful daughter, believes the police are wrong in ruling her father's death a suicide. Now they're teaming up uncover the truth about a terrifying medical experiment involving nerve regeneration and organ transplants. It's backed by millions of dollars. It's protected at the highest levels of government. But there are no volunteers, no donors. There are only ordinary people who check into this Mississippi hospital...and discover that death isn't he worst thing they have to fear. Getting "chosen" is....
Black Mass: Apocalyptic Religion and the Death of Utopia
by John GrayFor the decade that followed the end of the cold war, the world was lulled into a sense that a consumerist, globalized, peaceful future beckoned. The beginning of the twenty-first century has rudely disposed of such ideas—most obviously through 9/11and its aftermath. But just as damaging has been the rise in the West of a belief that a single model of political behavior will become a worldwide norm and that, if necessary, it will be enforced at gunpoint.In Black Mass, celebrated philosopher and critic John Gray explains how utopian ideals have taken on a dangerous significance in the hands of right-wing conservatives and religious zealots. He charts the history of utopianism, from the Reformation through the French Revolution and into the present. And most urgently, he describes how utopian politics have moved from the extremes of the political spectrum into mainstream politics, dominating the administrations of both George W. Bush and Tony Blair, and indeed coming to define the political center. Far from having shaken off discredited ideology, Gray suggests, we are more than ever in its clutches. Black Mass is a truly frightening and challenging work by one of Britain's leading political thinkers.
Demokrasi: Indonesia in the 21st Century
by Hamish McDonaldIndonesia, a nation of thousands of islands and almost 250 million people, straddles the junction of the Pacific and Indian oceans. Current President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has presided over 6 per cent average yearly growth of its economy, to surpass $1 trillion. If this rate continues, Indonesia will join the world's ten biggest economies in a decade or so, just behind the so-called BRIC countries. The much-discussed recent documentary The Act of Killing revived some of its darker past, and Barack Obama's reminiscences about the childhood years he spent there briefly shone the spotlight on a country many Americans know little about. Yet as Indonesia approaches its 2014 parliamentary and presidential elections, its future is wide open. Though the largest Muslim nation by population, it remains a receiver of wisdom from the Arab world, rather than a messenger of multi-religious tolerance. Its pursuit of trade agreements with Japan and South Korea have burnished its economic ambitions, but its diplomacy is long on so-called "soft power," and short on sanctions or force. So what does the future hold for this pivotal place? Award-winning Asia-Pacific journalist Hamish McDonald's Demokrasi is an accessible and authoritative introduction to the modern history and politics of this fascinating country.
The Baby Verdict (Expecting!)
by Cathy WilliamsAssignment: baby?Jessica had tried hard to play down her attractiveness at work. She wasn't interested in office affairs, or so she thought until company boss Bruno Carr personally assigned her to work closely with him on a major lawsuit....Jessica knew she'd won Bruno's professional respect. She also sensed that he saw beyond her neat suits and cool manner-both of which Jessica was forced to abandon on a Caribbean business trip.... Steamy, sensual nights followed, but was it more than an affair? The only verdict Jessica could be certain of was that she was now expecting her boss's baby!She's sexy, successful...and PREGNANT!
Sister of the Bride
by Valerie ParvDeception...or desire?Terise O'Neill has a goal-revenge for her stepsister Clair's unhappy marriage. She needs to get close to Ryan Westmore, and a job in his home-as nanny to his and Clair's twin girls-provides her with the ideal opportunity.Close proximity to Ryan, however, reveals a very different man from the one Clair had portrayed. With thoughts of revenge fast receding, Terise is faced with a new challenge. How will Ryan react when he hears about her deception?
No Impact Man: The Adventures of a Guilty Liberal Who Attempts to Save the Planet and the Discoveries He Makes About Himself and Our Way of Life in the Process
by Colin BeavanBill McKibben meets Bill Bryson in this seriously engaging look at one man's decision to put his money where his mouth is and go off the grid for one year—while still living in New York City—to see if it's possible to make no net impact on the environment.In No Impact Man, a guilty liberal finally snaps, swears off plastic, goes organic, becomes a bicycle nut, turns off his power, and generally becomes a tree-hugging lunatic who tries to save the polar bears and the rest of the planet from environmental catastrophe while dragging his baby daughter and Prada-wearing, Four Seasons–loving wife along for the ride. And that's just the beginning. In other words, no trash, no toxins in the water, no elevators, no subway, no products in packaging, no air-conditioning, no television . . .What would it be like to try to live a no-impact lifestyle? Is it possible? Could it catch on? Is living this way more satisfying or less satisfying? Harder or easier? Is it worthwhile or senseless? Are we all doomed or can our culture reduce the barriers to sustainable living so it becomes as easy as falling off a log? These are the questions at the heart of this whole mad endeavor, via which Colin Beavan hopes to explain to the rest of us how we can realistically live a more "eco-effective" and by turns more content life in an age of inconvenient truths.
The Supermodel and the Brillo Box: Back Stories and Peculiar Economics from the World of Contemporary Art
by Don ThompsonAcquiring contemporary art is about passion and lust, but it is also about branding, about the back story that comes with the art, about the relationship of money and status, and, sometimes, about celebrity. The Supermodel and the Brillo Box follows Don Thompson's 2008 bestseller The $12 Million Stuffed Shark and offers a further journey of discovery into what the Crash of 2008 did to the art market and the changing methods that the major auction houses and dealerships have implemented since then. It describes what happened to that market after the economic implosion following the collapse of Lehman Brothers and offers insights and art-world tales from dealers, auction houses, and former executives of each, from New York and London to Abu Dhabi and Beijing. It begins with the story of a wax, trophy-style, nude upper-body sculpture of supermodel Stephanie Seymour by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, which sold for $2.4 million to New York über-collector and private dealer Jose Mugrabi, and recounts the story of a wooden Brillo box that sold for $722,500. The Supermodel and the Brillo Box looks at the increasing dominance of Christie's, Sotheby's, and a few über dealers; the hundreds of millions of new museums coming up in cities like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Beijing; the growing importance of the digital art world; and the shrinking role of the mainstream gallery.
Professional Training of Psychologists: Dialogues of Cultural Psychology from Latin America to the World (Cultural Psychology of Education #18)
by Julio César Ossa Ana Maria Jacó-Vilela Jean Nikola CudinaThis book represents an intellectual journey through the history, culture, and training of psychologists in Latin America to transcend borders. It analyzes the inception of academic programs in each country in the region, exploring the socio-political and economic context, and delves into the conceptual, methodological, and epistemological aspects of training. Similarly, it discusses how psychology prepares professionals for their roles in society and provides updated data on the discipline's growth in the region. Furthermore, it promotes international and intercultural dialogue, enriching the global understanding of psychology. The book's emphasis on adopting a historical and cultural approach is essentially an effort to introduce a critical component to the analysis of psychologist professional training. This component adds value for the reader and aids in understanding how Latin American psychology has been shaped by historical events, social movements, government policies,and the diverse cultural traditions of the region. Readers will gain a profound understanding of why psychology has developed in a particular way in each Latin American country, shedding light on significant variations in psychological practice and theory in this part of the world. Essentially, this work constitutes an invaluable resource for academics, professionals, and anyone interested in understanding the intersection between psychology and the rich historical and cultural diversity of Latin America.
Simulation Tools and Techniques: 16th EAI International Conference, SIMUtools 2024, Bratislava, Slovakia, December 9–10, 2024, Proceedings (Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering #603)
by Angel A. Juan José-Luis Guisado-Lizar María-José Morón-Fernández Elena Perez-BernabeuThis book constitutes the refereed post-conference proceedings of the 16th EAI International Conference on Simulation Tools and Techniques, SIMUTools 2024, held in Bratislava, Slovakia, in December 2024. The 26 full papers included in this book were carefully reviewed and selected from 63 submissions. They were organized in topical sections as follows: simulation tools and methods, traffic simulations, logistics and manufacturing, robotics simulations, applications of simulations, and network simulations.
Essentials of Financial Economics: A Hands-On Approach (Springer Texts in Business and Economics)
by Michael Donadelli Michele Costola Ivan GuflerThis textbook offers a comprehensive guide to key topics in financial economics, seamlessly blending theoretical insights with practical applications. It covers essential areas such as portfolio allocation, asset pricing, empirical finance, and behavioral finance, providing students with a solid conceptual foundation through a combination of theory and real-world examples. Core topics include mean-variance portfolio theory, linear factor models for asset pricing, consumption-based asset pricing, the Black-Litterman asset allocation model, empirical cross-sectional asset pricing, and event studies. With a strong emphasis on hands-on implementation, the book integrates programming languages such as MATLAB, Python, Julia, and R, enabling students to apply financial models effectively. The book begins with a concise and standard review of decision-making under uncertainty, gradually advancing to topics such as intertemporal consumption choices and their impact on asset prices, before concluding with empirical tools for capturing market sentiment. By bridging fundamental and advanced finance concepts, it equips students with the necessary tools to navigate the financial landscape. Theoretical models are presented with transparency, avoiding the "black box" issue by clearly explaining mathematical derivations. This structured approach enhances learning and empowers students to utilize the provided code for key financial tasks, including portfolio management, risk analysis, and market sentiment analysis.
Post Mortem Imaging of the Fetus & Child: A Comprehensive Guide
by Owen J. ArthursThis book provides state of the art imaging and serves as a reference standard for anyone wanting to begin or improve their post mortem imaging in children. Divided into three parts, the book covers imaging principles and techniques, interpretation of post mortem imaging, and guidance on which imaging technique to use for which clinical scenarios. This is an ideal book for researchers and clinical hospital staff using post mortem imaging for children, including pathologists, radiologists, radiographers, technicians, mortuary staff, fetal medicine & obstetricians, ITU staff, forensic imaging staff and pathologists.
The Combinatory Systems Theory: A Powerful Theory for Understanding, Modeling and Simulating Collective Phenomena (Progress in IS)
by Piero MellaThis book adopts the logic of Systems Thinking and Control Systems, presenting a simple but complete theory called the Theory of Combinatory Systems. This new theory describes, interprets, explains, and simulates collective phenomena and their observable effects. Such collective phenomena – many of which are “one way", non-repeatable or reproducible – can all be described and understood using the model, as simple as it is general, of combinatory systems; that is, systems formed by collectivities, or populations of non-connected and unorganized individuals of some species, which appear to be directed by an invisible hand that guides the analogous actions of similar individuals in order to produce an emerging collective phenomenon. This edition includes enhanced theories such as an analysis of potential interactions between combinatory systems and their dynamics, highlighting the role of the environment in which such systems operate. It also includes new examples and enhanced figures that illustrate how combinatory systems are observed in social, biological and physical contexts.
Alpin- und Höhenmedizin
by Marc Moritz Berger Franz Berghold Hermann Brugger Martin Burtscher Rainald Fischer Peter Paal Wolfgang Schobersberger Günther SumannNamhafte Alpin- und Höhenmedizinexperten aus dem deutschen Sprachraum und darüber hinaus geben mit diesem Fachbuch einen umfassenden Überblick über die Sport- und Unfallmedizin im Gebirge sowie zur Höhenmedizin. Das Buch deckt dabei alle Inhalte zum „International Diploma in Mountain Medicine“ (DIMM) des Weltverbandes der alpinen Vereine (UIAA), der Internationalen Kommission für Alpine Rettung (ICAR) und der Internationalen Gesellschaft für Bergmedizin (ISMM) ab und wird von der Österreichischen Gesellschaft für Alpin- und Höhenmedizin (ÖGAHM), sowie der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Berg- und Expeditionsmedizin (BExMed) empfohlen. Die dritte Auflage wurde ausführlich aktualisiert: Neu dazugekommen sind Kapitel zur Pulsoxymetrie in der Höhe, zu neurologischen und psychiatrischen Notfällen im Gebirge, zum alpinen Polytrauma und zum Hängesyndrom. Zahlreiche andere Kapitel wurden aktualisiert und eingehend überarbeitet. Das Buch wendet sich an Alpinärzte, Sportmediziner, Reisemediziner, Ärzte in der alpinen Rettung und alle an der Alpin- und Höhenmedizin interessierten Ärzte und Berufsgruppen.
Professionelles Handeln Pflegelehrender angesichts ethischer Herausforderungen
by Anne-Christin LindeDie Pflegebildung unterliegt aktuell vielfältigen Veränderungen und wachsenden Anforderungen. Lernende in der Pflegeausbildung sind zunehmend heterogen hinsichtlich ihrer Bildungsbiografien. Die Bedingungen in der praktischen Pflegeausbildung sind vermehrt geprägt durch Arbeitsverdichtung bei gleichzeitig komplexer werdenden Pflegesituationen. Professionelles Handeln bedarf gerade angesichts dieser konstitutiven und aktuellen Anforderungen einer Verantwortungsübernahme durch Pflegelehrende sowie ermöglichende Rahmenbedingungen. Professionell zu handeln bedeutet auch, situativ im Einzelfall ethisch begründete Entscheidungen zu treffen. Hierfür bedarf es einer ethischen Orientierung in Form einer Berufsethik. Für die Entwicklung einer Berufsethik Pflegelehrender muss mehr über deren ethische Herausforderungen in Erfahrung gebracht werden. Das vorliegende Buch beschreibt ethische Herausforderungen Pflegelehrender, um einen professionellen Umgang damit zu befördern.
Deep Learning in Personalized Music Emotion Recognition (BestMasters)
by Yannik VenohrMusic has a unique power to evoke strong emotions in us—bringing us to tears, lifting us into ecstasy or triggering vivid memories. Often described as a universal language, it conveys feelings that transcend words. But are machines, too, able to understand this language and capture emotions conveyed in music? This book delves into the field of Musical Emotion Recognition (MER), aiming to develop a mathematical model to predict the emotional content of music. It explores the fundamentals of this interdisciplinary research area, including the relationship between music and emotions, mathematical representations of music and deep learning algorithms. Two MER models are developed and evaluated: one employing handcrafted audio features with a long short-term memory architecture and the other using embeddings from the pre-trained music understanding model MERT. Results show that MERT embeddings can enhance predictions compared to traditional handcrafted features. Additionally, driven by the subjectivity of musical emotions and the low inter-rater agreement of annotations, this book investigates personalized emotion recognition. The findings suggest that personalized models surpass the limitations of general MER systems and can even outperform a theoretically perfect general MER system.
Modern Approaches to Sīrah Genre: Fethullah Gülen’s Contribution
by Suleyman SertkayaThis book offers a comparative analysis of contemporary approaches to the sīrah genre (biography of Prophet Muhammad). It explores the connection and juxtaposition of the sīrah genre with Islamic systematic theology (kalām), particularly in the context of the emergence of Islamic modernism. It also highlights the inherent interconnectedness of the sīrah and kalām disciplines. The book presents a careful study of Fethullah Gülen&’s reading and interpretation of the sīrah within the broader framework of modern debates, investigating his approach through the lens of the kalām discipline and the philosophy of sīrah. The author argues that reading the sīrah from the perspective of the kalām discipline, kalāmisation of sīrah, is a novel response to modern debates around the life of Prophet Muhammad. Kalāmisation of sīrah together with the notion of sīrah philosophy, represents a significant advancement in the field, providing new methodological and interpretative frameworks that are likely to define future trajectories of sīrah writings. Gülen&’s contributions are both ground-breaking and forward-looking, offering novel ways to engage with and understand the sīrah for a contemporary audience. This book is an essential resource for scholars and researchers in Islamic studies, theology, philosophy of religion, religious movements, and literature.
The 7th International Conference on Wireless, Intelligent and Distributed Environment for Communication: WIDECOM 2024 (Lecture Notes on Data Engineering and Communications Technologies #237)
by Isaac Woungang Sanjay Kumar DhurandherThis book presents the proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Wireless Intelligent and Distributed Environment for Communication (WIDECOM 2024), which took place at Keene State College, Keene, New Hampshire, USA, October 16-18, 2024. The book addresses issues related to new dependability paradigms, design, and performance of dependable network computing and mobile systems, as well as issues related to the security of these systems. The goal of the conference is to provide a forum for researchers, students, scientists and engineers working in academia and industry to share their experiences, new ideas and research results in the above-mentioned areas.
Cries from the Earth: The Outbreak of the Nez Perce War and the Battle of White Bird Canyon—June 17, 1877 (The Plainsmen Series)
by Terry C. JohnstonCries from the EarthTerry C. JohnstonBy mid-1877, trouble in the Northwest is brewing like a foul broth. Ill will is growing between white settlers and the Non-Treaty bands of the Nez Perce. The American government is forcing the Indians from their homelands onto the reservation. Many go quietly, thinking more about their families than of the pride of their warriors. But for a few holdouts, there's no room for compromise. Their history, their heritage and their ancestors are buried beneath that land. Although severely outnumbered and outgunned, a few brave warriors will heed the call of...CRIES FROM THE EARTH.
A Baby in His Stocking
by Hayley GardnerHERO OF THE HOLIDAYSBah, humbug! Some Scrooge was sabotaging the season of joy. Making mincemeat of Shea Burroughs's merriness. And the only man who could save the day was Jared Burroughs, Shea's beloved-estranged-husband. Shea hungered to have Jared home for the holidays. But how to tell love-leary Jared that he'd already given her the best Christmas present ever: a baby-to-be!Trouble was, rugged Jared was terrified of tots. Fearful of fatherhood. And certain the only thing he could give Shea was her freedom. Clearly, Shea needed a little help from Santa to convince Jared to be the hero of her holidays...and the daddy of her dreams!
Deception (9 Months Later)
by Morgan Hayes9 MONTHS LATERHer mistake was falling in love with a cop. Now she's pregnant-and he's missing.Shelby Beaumont is madly in love with homicide detective Johnny Spencer. They've been together for the past year; they've just become engaged. And though Johnny doesn't know it yet, Shelby's pregnant with his child.But Johnny's been investigating a possible case of police corruption. And someone on the force has found out....Then a bomb is rigged on Johnny's boat. And Johnny's on it.Or is he?
Slightly Abridged (Nine Muses Mysteries)
by Ellen PallThere's nothing like murder to cure a case of writer's block.Regency romance writer Juliet Bodine is falling into despair. Instead of writing, she spends her days staring at the pages of her unfinished novel, fantasizing about her inevitable failure. So the arrival of an eighty-four-year-old fan with a trove of yellowing papers to show is a welcome diversion instead of the nuisance it might have been.Demanding, outspoken, stylish, outrageous, and still dripping with sexual flair, Ada Caffrey is everything Juliet is not. But Juliet's bemused delight in her eccentric visitor changes to electric shock when she realizes Ada has stumbled upon a suppressed fragment of the blockbuster memoirs of Harriette Wilson, Regency England's wittiest, most notorious courtesan. One week later, Ada is dead and the manuscript is gone. Could a two-hundred-old sexual indiscretion be worth killing for? In Slightly Abridged, the second installment in Ellen Pall's Nine Muses mystery series, Juliet teams up with NYPD detective Murray Landis to find out.
Tempting Lucas
by Catherine SpencerResisting sin with Dr. FlynnLucas Flynn was still a dish, as tempting as he had been eleven years before when Emily had placed her naive teenage self in his bed and let him seduce her.Those years hadn't made Lucas any more kindly disposed to Emily-who longed to tell him about the consequences of their one-night stand, and that she'd never stopped wanting him. But this time she wasn't going to offer herself to him on a plate. If Lucas ever made love to Emily again, it would be because he had come to her!
Making Mr. Right
by Val DanielsA marriage in the makingParker Chaney was a successful tycoon who had everything he wanted-except a wife! Not just any wife. He seemed to have set his heart on one woman in particular-who happened to be the sister of his best friend, Cindy.Cindy had secretly been in love with Parker for years. So when he asked for advice on how to become her sister's Mr. Right, Cindy was torn! She agreed to help, but was puzzled when Parker began to seem more interested in what she wanted in a husband.... Instead of being the sister of the bride, would Cindy soon find herself saying "I do"?
Murder at the President's Door (Eleanor Roosevelt Mysteries)
by Elliott RooseveltMurder at the President's Door is the 20st installment in the venerable but still very spry Eleanor Roosevelt mystery series, written by no less than the First Lady's own son. In her most intriguing adventure to date, the First Lady traces an assassination attempt to the depths of Washington D. C.'s underworld. It is 1933 and the President and First Lady have just settled into the White House to face a nation in the depths of a depression and a world on the brink of war. When the body of a White House police officer is discovered at the foot of the president's bedroom door, Eleanor knows that the crime must be solved without attracting the attention of the FBI or the press. So with signature determination, the First Lady enlists the confidential aid of District of Columbia Lieutenant Edward Kennelly and trusted Secret Service agent Stanislaw Sxcygiel to help her investigate. Eleanor soon realizes someone may have been trying to assassinate the president, but it is unclear why, after stabbing the officer, the suspect didn't crash into the bedroom and finish the job. Furthermore, it appears the killer knew the White House and its routines sufficiently well, leading the First Lady to question the motives of her White House staffers and grow wary of she and the President's new surroundings. As the intrepid and charming Mrs. Roosevelt engages in her latest bit of Hawkshawing, readers are treated to all the historical re-creation and rich storytelling that have become hallmarks of the series. This satisfying wartime whodunit starring America's First Lady of Mystery is a warmly rewarding look at a fascinating era, and at a woman beloved by her family and her country-Eleanor Roosevelt.