Special Forces are a key component of every modern army, capable of carrying out clandestine operations, reconnaissance, and incisive attacks behind enemy lines. Units such as the British SAS, US Navy SEALs, the US Army’s Delta Force, Polish GROM and the France’s National Gendarmerie Intervention Group are famous for their bravery and formidable record. Aircraft are a key element of their functionality, without which Special Forces would not be able to move quickly to the combat zone. Arranged into chapters divided by transports, gunships, helicopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles, the book includes the AC-130H gunship, which can be armed with weapons such as the M61 Vulcan rotary cannon and can destroy ground targets from a range of 2,000 metres; the CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft, which can land large numbers of men and material in tight spaces because of its STOL capabilities; the Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin II, used by the British Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing (JSFAW) for the insertion of small units behind enemy lines; and the Mil Mi- 171Sh Storm rotorcraft, used by the Russian Spetsnaz commandos for operations in difficult terrain. Illustrated with 140 photographs and artworks, Aircraft of the Special Forces is a dynamic guide to the specialist aircraft and UAVs deployed by Special Forces throughout the world today.

The study of cyberspace is relatively new within the field of social sciences, yet interest in the subject is significant. Conflicts, Crimes and Regulations in Cyberspace contributes to the scientific debate being brought to the fore by addressing international and methodological issues, through the use of case studies. This book presents cyberspace as a socio-technical system on an international level. It focuses on state and non-state actors, as well as the study of strategic concepts and norms. Unlike global studies, the socio-technical approach and "meso" scale facilitate the analysis of cyberspace in international relations. This is an area of both collaboration and conflict for which specific modes of regulation have appeared.

Gamification is being used everywhere; despite its apparent plethora of benefits, the unbalanced use of its main mechanics can end up in catastrophic results for a company or institution. Currently, there is a lack of knowledge of what it is, leading to its unregulated and ad hoc use without any prior planning. This unbalanced use prejudices the achievement of the initial goals and impairs the user's evolution, bringing potential negative reflections. Currently, there are few specifications and modeling languages that allow the creation of a system of rules to serve as the basis for a gamification engine. Consequently, programmers implement gamification in a variety of ways, undermining any attempt at reuse and negatively affecting interoperability. Next-Generation Applications and Implementations of Gamification Systems synthesizes all the trends, best practices, methodologies, languages, and tools that are used to implement gamification. It also discusses how to put gamification in action by linking academic and informatics researchers with professionals who use gamification in their daily work to disseminate and exchange the knowledge, information, and technology provided by the international communities in the area of gamification throughout the 21st century. Covering topics such as applied and cloud gamification, chatbots, deep learning, and certifications and frameworks, this book is ideal for programmers, computer scientists, software engineers, practitioners of technological companies, managers, academicians, researchers, and students.

Artificial Intelligence for Future Generation Robotics offers a vision for potential future robotics applications for AI technologies. Each chapter includes theory and mathematics to stimulate novel research directions based on the state-of-the-art in AI and smart robotics. Organized by application into ten chapters, this book offers a practical tool for researchers and engineers looking for new avenues and use-cases that combine AI with smart robotics. As we witness exponential growth in automation and the rapid advancement of underpinning technologies, such as ubiquitous computing, sensing, intelligent data processing, mobile computing and context aware applications, this book is an ideal resource for future innovation.

The artificial intelligence subset machine learning has become a popular technique in professional fields as many are finding new ways to apply this trending technology into their everyday practices. Two fields that have majorly benefited from this are pattern recognition and information security. The ability of these intelligent algorithms to learn complex patterns from data and attain new performance techniques has created a wide variety of uses and applications within the data security industry. There is a need for research on the specific uses machine learning methods have within these fields, along with future perspectives. Machine Learning Techniques for Pattern Recognition and Information Security is a collection of innovative research on the current impact of machine learning methods within data security as well as its various applications and newfound challenges. While highlighting topics including anomaly detection systems, biometrics, and intrusion management, this book is ideally designed for industrial experts, researchers, IT professionals, network developers, policymakers, computer scientists, educators, and students seeking current research on implementing machine learning tactics to enhance the performance of information security.

Mem-elements for Neuromorphic Circuits with Artificial Intelligence Applications illustrates recent advances in the field of mem-elements (memristor, memcapacitor, meminductor) and their applications in nonlinear dynamical systems, computer science, analog and digital systems, and in neuromorphic circuits and artificial intelligence. The book is mainly devoted to recent results, critical aspects and perspectives of ongoing research on relevant topics, all involving networks of mem-elements devices in diverse applications. Sections contribute to the discussion of memristive materials and transport mechanisms, presenting various types of physical structures that can be fabricated to realize mem-elements in integrated circuits and device modeling. As the last decade has seen an increasing interest in recent advances in mem-elements and their applications in neuromorphic circuits and artificial intelligence, this book will attract researchers in various fields.

Superlubricity - the state between sliding systems where friction is reduced to almost immeasurable amounts - holds great potential for improving both the economic and environmental credentials of moving mechanical systems. Research in this field has progressed tremendously in recent years, and there now exist several theoretical models, recognised techniques for computational simulations and interesting experimental evidence of superlubricity in practise. Superlubricity, Second Edition, presents an extensively revised and updated overview of these important developments, providing a comprehensive guide to the physical chemistry underpinning molecular mechanisms of friction and lubrication, current theoretical models used to explore and assess superlubricity, examples of its achievement in experimental systems, and discussion of potential future applications. Drawing on the extensive knowledge of its expert editors and global team of authors from across academia and industry, Superlubricity, Second Edition, is a great resource for all those with a need to understand, model or manipulate surface interactions for improved performance.

Advances in Imaging and Electron Physics, Volume 219, merges two long-running serials, Advances in Electronics and Electron Physics and Advances in Optical and Electron Microscopy. The series features extended articles on the physics of electron devices (especially semiconductor devices), particle optics at high and low energies, microlithography, image science, digital image processing, electromagnetic wave propagation, electron microscopy and the computing methods used in all these domains.

Professor Judea Pearl won the 2011 Turing Award "for fundamental contributions to artificial intelligence through the development of a calculus for probabilistic and causal reasoning." This book contains the original articles that led to the award, as well as other seminal works, divided into four parts: heuristic search, probabilistic reasoning, causality, first period (1988-2001), and causality, recent period (2002-2020). Each of these parts starts with an introduction written by Judea Pearl. The volume also contains original, contributed articles by leading researchers that analyze, extend, or assess the influence of Pearl's work in different fields: from AI, Machine Learning, and Statistics to Cognitive Science, Philosophy, and the Social Sciences. The first part of the volume includes a biography, a transcript of his Turing Award Lecture, two interviews, and a selected bibliography annotated by him.

This guidance covers the practical application of photogrammetry in recording cultural heritage, with particular reference to structure from motion (SfM) techniques. Our audience for this document includes survey contractors, archaeological contractors, voluntary organisations and specialists. Photogrammetric image acquisition and processing, until recently requiring a considerable investment in hardware and software, are now possible at a fraction of their former cost. This has led to a huge increase in the use of photogrammetry in cultural heritage recording. The skills required to apply the techniques successfully and accurately are discussed, and background information on how various parts of the process work is provided so that better results can be achieved through better understanding. Photogrammetry is characterised by its versatility, and is applicable over a wide range of scales, from landscapes to small objects. The particular requirements needed at these different scales are outlined, and both imaging techniques and useful ancillary equipment are described. The different types of outputs are discussed, including their suitability for further interrogation using a range of established analytical techniques and the presentation options available. A range of case studies illustrates the application of photogrammetry across a variety of projects that broadly reflect the areas discussed in the text. This document is one of a number of Historic England technical advice documents on how to survey historic places.

The security of an organizational information system with the invention of next-generation technologies is a prime focus these days. The industries and institutions in the field of computing and communication, especially in internet of things, cloud computing, mobile networks, next-generation networks, the energy market, banking sector, government sector, and many more, are primarily focused on these security and privacy issues. Blockchain is a new technology that has changed the scenario when it comes to addressing security concerns and resolving traditional safety issues. These industries have started developing applications based on the blockchain underlying platform to tap into this unlimited potential. Blockchain technologies have a great future, but there are still many challenges and issues to resolve for optimal design and utilization of the technology. Revolutionary Applications of Blockchain-Enabled Privacy and Access Control focuses on the recent challenges, design, and issues in the field of blockchain technologies-enabled privacy and advanced security practices in computing and communication. This book provides the latest research findings, solutions, and relevant theoretical frameworks in blockchain technologies, information security, and privacy in computing and communication. While highlighting the technology itself along with its applications and future outlook, this book is ideal for IT specialists, security analysts, cybersecurity professionals, researchers, academicians, students, scientists, and IT sector industry practitioners looking for research exposure and new ideas in the field of blockchain.

The amalgamation of post-quantum cryptography in cyber-physical systems makes the computing system secure and also generates opportunities in areas like smart contracts, quantum blockchain, and smart security solutions. Sooner or later, all computing and security systems are going to adopt quantum-proof cryptography to safeguard these systems from quantum attacks. Post-quantum cryptography has tremendous potential in various domains and must be researched and explored further to be utilized successfully. Advancements in Quantum Blockchain With Real-Time Applications considers various concepts of computing such as quantum computing, post-quantum cryptography, quantum attack-resistant blockchain, quantum blockchains, and multidisciplinary applications and real-world use cases. The book also discusses solutions to various real-world problems within the industry. Covering key topics such as cybersecurity, data management, and smart society, this reference work is ideal for computer scientists, industry professionals, academicians, practitioners, scholars, researchers, instructors, and students.

Machine reading comprehension (MRC) is a cutting-edge technology in natural language processing (NLP). MRC has recently advanced significantly, surpassing human parity in several public datasets. It has also been widely deployed by industry in search engine and quality assurance systems. Machine Reading Comprehension: Algorithms and Practice performs a deep-dive into MRC, offering a resource on the complex tasks this technology involves. The title presents the fundamentals of NLP and deep learning, before introducing the task, models, and applications of MRC. This volume gives theoretical treatment to solutions and gives detailed analysis of code, and considers applications in real-world industry. The book includes basic concepts, tasks, datasets, NLP tools, deep learning models and architecture, and insight from hands-on experience. In addition, the title presents the latest advances from the past two years of research. Structured into three sections and eight chapters, this book presents the basis of MRC; MRC models; and hands-on issues in application. This book offers a comprehensive solution for researchers in industry and academia who are looking to understand and deploy machine reading comprehension within natural language processing.

Structured Light for Optical Communication highlights principles and applications in the rapidly evolving field of structured light in wide-ranging contexts, from classical forms of communication to new frontiers of quantum communication. Besides the basic principles and applications, the book covers the background of structured light in its most common forms, as well as state-of-the-art developments. Structured light has been hailed as affording outstanding prospects for the realization of high bandwidth communication, enhanced tools for more highly secure cryptography, and exciting opportunities for providing a reliable platform for quantum computing. This book is a valuable resource for graduate students and other active researchers, as well as others who may be interested in learning about this cutting-edge research field.