This book presents recent advances in NLP and speech technology, a topic attracting increasing interest in a variety of fields through its myriad applications, such as the demand for speech guided touchless technology during the Covid-19 pandemic. The authors present results of recent experimental research that provides contributions and solutions to different issues related to speech technology and speech in industry. Technologies include natural language processing, automatic speech recognition (for under-resourced dialects) and speech synthesis that are useful for applications such as intelligent virtual assistants, among others. Applications cover areas such as sentiment analysis and opinion mining, Arabic named entity recognition, and language modelling. This book is relevant for anyone interested in the latest in language and speech technology.

The introduction of GaAs/ AIGaAs double heterostructure lasers has opened the door to a new age in the application of compound semiconductor materials to microwave and optical technologies. A variety and combination of semiconductor materials have been investigated and applied to present commercial uses with these devices operating at wide frequencies and wavelengths. Semiconductor modulators are typical examples of this technical evolutions and hsve been developed for commercial use. Although these have a long history to date, we are not aware of any book that details this evolution. Consequently, we have written a book to provide a comprehensive account of semiconductor modulators with emphasis on historical details and experimantal reports. The objective is to provide an up-to-date understanding of semiconductor modulators. Particular attention has been paid to multiple quantum well (MQW) modulators operating at long wavelengths, taking into account the low losses and dispersion in silica fibers occuring at around 1.3 and 1.55 mm. At the present time, MQW structures have been investigated but these have not been sufficiently developed to provide characteristic features which would be instructive enough for readers. One problem is the almost daily publication of papers on semiconductor modulators. Not only do these papers provide additional data, but they often modify the interpretations of particular concepts. Almost all chapters refer to the large number of published papers that can be consulted for future study.

"Video Tracking" provides a comprehensive treatment of the fundamental aspects of algorithm and application development for the task of estimating, over time, the position of objects of interest seen through cameras. Starting from the general problem definition and a review of existing and emerging video tracking applications, the book discusses popular methods, such as those based on correlation and gradient-descent. Using practical examples, the reader is introduced to the advantages and limitations of deterministic approaches, and is then guided toward more advanced video tracking solutions, such as those based on the Bayes' recursive framework and on Random Finite Sets.

Key features: Discusses the design choices and implementation issues required to turn the underlying mathematical models into a real-world effective tracking systems. Provides block diagrams and simil-code implementation of the algorithms. Reviews methods to evaluate the performance of video trackers - this is identified as a major problem by end-users.

The book aims to help researchers and practitioners develop techniques and solutions based on the potential of video tracking applications. The design methodologies discussed throughout the book provide guidelines for developers in the industry working on vision-based applications. The book may also serve as a reference for engineering and computer science graduate students involved in vision, robotics, human-computer interaction, smart environments and virtual reality programmes

Biomedical signals provide unprecedented insight into abnormal or anomalous neurological conditions. The computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system plays a key role in detecting neurological abnormalities and improving diagnosis and treatment consistency in medicine. This book covers different aspects of biomedical signals-based systems used in the automatic detection/identification of neurological disorders. Several biomedical signals are introduced and analyzed, including electroencephalogram (EEG), electrocardiogram (ECG), heart rate (HR), magnetoencephalogram (MEG), and electromyogram (EMG). It explains the role of the CAD system in processing biomedical signals and the application to neurological disorder diagnosis. The book provides the basics of biomedical signal processing, optimization methods, and machine learning/deep learning techniques used in designing CAD systems for neurological disorders.

Proceedings of the Light-Activated Tissue Regeneration and Therapy II Conference covers issues such as the latest advances in the field and measurements including the determination of the mechanisms of light-activated tissue regeneration and therapy. Light sources, narrow and broadband, as well as the metrology and medical outcomes they produce, will be discussed. This book discusses the following topics: Laser therapy; Mechanism; Photodynamic therapy; Cardiovascular; Pain; Neuroscience/Progenitor and Stem cells; Wound healing; Unusual Sources; Electrical Fields, Optical Fields and Other fields; Dentistry; Diabetes. This book is the first to present the mechanism which explains why light is an effective treatment for so many illnesses and diseases. Proceedings of the Light-Activated Tissue Regeneration and Therapy II Conference not only explains this mechanism, but also describes uses for the mechanism, as well as what new work is planned and what changes will be seen in FDA regulations.

The book presents high-quality papers from the Third International Conference on Microelectronics, Computing & Communication Systems (MCCS 2018). It discusses the latest technological trends and advances in MEMS and nanoelectronics, wireless communications, optical communication, instrumentation, signal processing, image processing, bioengineering, green energy, hybrid vehicles, environmental science, weather forecasting, cloud computing, renewable energy, RFID, CMOS sensors, actuators, transducers, telemetry systems, embedded systems, and sensor network applications. It includes papers based on original theoretical, practical and experimental simulations, development, applications, measurements, and testing. The applications and solutions discussed in the book provide excellent reference material for future product development.

Optical Interconnects provides a fascinating picture of the state of the art in optical interconnects and a perspective on what can be expected in the near future. It is composed of selected reviews authored by world leaders in the field, and these reviews are written from either an academic or industrial viewpoint. An in-depth discussion of the path towards fully-integrated optical interconnects in microelectronics is presented. This book will be useful not only to physicists, chemists, materials scientists, and engineers but also to graduate students who are interested in the fields of microelectronics and optoelectronics.

This book first provides a comprehensive review of state-of-the-art IoT technologies and applications in different industrial sectors and public services. The authors give in-depth analyses of fog computing architecture and key technologies that fulfill the challenging requirements of enabling computing services anywhere along the cloud-to-thing continuum. Further, in order to make IoT systems more intelligent and more efficient, a fog-enabled service architecture is proposed to address the latency requirements, bandwidth limitations, and computing power issues in realistic cross-domain application scenarios with limited priori domain knowledge, i.e. physical laws, system statuses, operation principles and execution rules. Based on this fog-enabled architecture, a series of data-driven self-learning applications in different industrial sectors and public services are investigated and discussed, such as robot SLAM and formation control, wireless network self-optimization, intelligent transportation system, smart home and user behavior recognition. Finally, the advantages and future directions of fog-enabled intelligent IoT systems are summarized. Provides a comprehensive review of state-of-the-art IoT technologies and applications in different industrial sectors and public services Presents a fog-enabled service architecture with detailed technical approaches for realistic cross-domain application scenarios with limited prior domain knowledge Outlines a series of data-driven self-learning applications (with new algorithms) in different industrial sectors and public services

This thesis investigates passively mode-locked semiconductor lasers by numerical methods. The understanding and optimization of such devices is crucial to the advancement of technologies such as optical data communication and dual comb spectroscopy. The focus of the thesis is therefore on the development of efficient numerical models, which are able both to perform larger parameter studies and to provide quantitative predictions. Along with that, visualization and evaluation techniques for the rich spatio-temporal laser dynamics are developed; these facilitate the physical interpretation of the observed features. The investigations in this thesis revolve around two specific semiconductor devices, namely a monolithically integrated three-section tapered quantum-dot laser and a V-shaped external cavity laser. In both cases, the simulations closely tie in with experimental results, which have been obtained in collaboration with the TU Darmstadt and the ETH Zurich. Based on the successful numerical reproduction of the experimental findings, the emission dynamics of both lasers can be understood in terms of the cavity geometry and the active medium dynamics. The latter, in particular, highlights the value of the developed simulation tools, since the fast charge-carrier dynamics are generally not experimentally accessible during mode-locking operation. Lastly, the numerical models are used to perform laser design explorations and thus to derive recommendations for further optimizations.

The Seventh Rochester Conference on Coherence and Quantum Optics was held on the campus of the University of Rochester during the four-day period June 7 - 10, 1996. More than 280 scientists from 33 countries participated. This book contains the Proceedings of the meeting. This Conference differed from the previous six in the series in having only a limited number of oral presentations, in order to avoid too many parallel sessions. Another new feature was the introduction of tutorial lectures. Most contributed papers were presented in poster sessions. The Conference was sponsored by the American Physical Society, by the Optical Society of America, by the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics and by the University of Rochester. We wish to express our appreciation to these organizations for their support and we especially extend our thanks to the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics for providing financial assistance to a number of speakers from Third World countries, to enable them to take part in the meeting.

This book highlights new methods and parametric algorithms for the digital coherent processing of signals in airborne radar systems located on air vehicles. Using the autoregressive (AR) model, it delivers more accurate danger assessments for flight in wind shear and atmospheric turbulence, while also suggesting how they could be implemented. Given its scope, the book is intended for technical experts whose work involves the development, production and operation of airborne radio-electronic systems.

The book is a collection of high-quality research papers presented at 7th Euro-China Conference on Intelligent Data Analysis and Applications, hosted by Communication University of Zhejiang, China and technically co-sponsored by Shandong University of Science and Technology, China; Zhejiang Lab, China; and Fujian University of Technology, China. The book covers areas like intelligent data analysis, computational intelligences, signal processing, and all associated applications of artificial intelligence.

"Pattern Recognition, Machine Intelligence and Biometrics" covers the most recent developments in Pattern Recognition and its applications, using artificial intelligence technologies within an increasingly critical field. It covers topics such as: image analysis and fingerprint recognition; facial expressions and emotions; handwriting and signatures; iris recognition; hand-palm gestures; and multimodal based research. The applications span many fields, from engineering, scientific studies and experiments, to biomedical and diagnostic applications, to personal identification and homeland security. In addition, computer modeling and simulations of human behaviors are addressed in this collection of31 chapters by top-ranked professionals from all over the world in the field of PR/AI/Biometrics.
The book is intended for researchers and graduate students in Computer and Information Science, and in Communication and Control Engineering.
Dr. Patrick S. P. Wang is a Professor Emeritus at the College of Computer and Information Science, Northeastern University, USA, Zijiang Chair of ECNU, Shanghai, and NSC Visiting Chair Professor of NTUST, Taipei.

This book describes various manifestations of human factors when interacting with potentially dangerous technical systems: airplanes, launch vehicles and spaceships, nuclear power plants, energy-saturated ground vehicles and infrastructure facilities. The idea of the book arose from the desire to find a common ground between industries that are important for safety. Their similarity lies, in addition to the technological advancement of products and solutions, in equally high safety requirements, in particular taking into account the influence of human factor. Thus, it is of relevance to analyze an impact of human factor in the context of safety. The matter is rather complex: on the one hand humans manage technical systems, on the other hand human errors, negligence or evil intentions can turn the system into a threat with disastrous consequences. However, human interaction with any technical system begins earlier – in the design stage. In this stage, designer, being creator of the system, must ensure a safe operation and take into consideration possible risks, including those caused by human factors itself. The book is interdisciplinary in nature and intended mainly for designers of technical systems, aiming to assist the specialists in understanding the issues of human participation in life cycle of these systems. The examples given are intended to benefit from experiences of not one, but a number of industries.

The speckle phenomenon is ubiquitous, occurring in all regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, as well as in both ultrasound and synthetic-aperture-radar imaging. Speckle occurs whenever radiation is reflected from a surface that is rough on the scale of a wavelength, or is passed through a diffusing surface that introduces random path-length delays on the scale of a wavelength. This book is devoted to simulation of speckle phenomena using the software package Mathematica (R). Various techniques for simulating speckle are discussed. Simulation topics include first-order amplitude and intensity statistics, speckle phenomena in both imaging and free-space propagation, speckle at low light levels, polarization speckle, phase vortices in speckle, and speckle metrology methods.

This book presents a collection of contributions in the field of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs). The themes addressed are multidisciplinary in nature, and closely connected in their ultimate aim to identify features from dynamic realistic signal exchanges and invariant machine representations that can be exploited to improve the quality of life of their end users. Mathematical tools like ANNs are currently exploited in many scientific domains because of their solid theoretical background and effectiveness in providing solutions to many demanding tasks such as appropriately processing (both for extracting features and recognizing) mono- and bi-dimensional dynamic signals, solving strong nonlinearities in the data and providing general solutions for deep and fully connected architectures. Given the multidisciplinary nature of their use and the interdisciplinary characterization of the problems they are applied to - which range from medicine to psychology, industrial and social robotics, computer vision, and signal processing (among many others) - ANNs may provide a basis for redefining the concept of information processing. These reflections are supported by theoretical models and applications presented in the chapters of this book. This book is of primary importance for: (a) the academic research community, (b) the ICT market, (c) PhD students and early-stage researchers, (d) schools, hospitals, rehabilitation and assisted-living centers, and (e) representatives of multimedia industries and standardization bodies.

The book presents the history of time-domain representation and the extent of its development along with that of spectral domain representation in the cognitive and technology domains. It discusses all the cognitive experiments related to this development, along with details of technological developments related to both automatic speech recognition (ASR) and text to speech synthesis (TTS), and introduces a viable time-domain representation for both objective and subjective analysis, as an alternative to the well-known spectral representation. The book also includes a new cohort study on the use of lexical knowledge in ASR. India has numerous official dialects, and spoken-language technology development is a burgeoning area. In fact TTS and ASR taken together constitute the most important technology for empowering people. As such, the book describes time domain representation in such a way that it can be easily and seamlessly incorporated into ASR and TTS research and development. In short, it is a valuable guidebook for the development of ASR and TTS in all the Indian Standard Dialects using signal domain parameters.

The Fundamentals and Applications of Light-Emitting Diodes: The Revolution in the Lighting Industry examines the evolution of LEDs, including a review of the luminescence process and background on solid state lighting. The book emphasizes phosphor-converted LEDs that are based on inorganic phosphors but explores different types of LEDs based on inorganic, organic, quantum dots, perovskite-structured materials, and biomaterials. A detailed description is included about the diverse applications of LEDs in fields such as lighting, displays, horticulture, biomedicine, and digital communication, as well as challenges that must be solved before using LEDs in commercial applications. Traditional light sources are fast being replaced by light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The fourth generation of lighting is completely dominated by LED luminaires. Apart from lighting, LEDs have extended their hold on other fields, such as digital communications, horticulture, medicine, space research, art and culture, display devices, and entertainment. The technological promises offered by LEDs have elevated them as front-runners in the lighting industry.

This book describes the next generation of industry-Industry 4.0-and how it holds the promise of increased flexibility in manufacturing, along with automation, better quality, and improved productivity. The authors discuss how it thus enables companies to cope with the challenges of producing increasingly individualized products with a short lead-time to market and higher quality. The authors posit that intelligent cloud services and resource sharing play an important role in Industry 4.0 anticipated Fourth Industrial Revolution. This book serves the different issues and challenges in cloud resource management CRM techniques with proper propped solution for IT organizations. The book features chapters based on the characteristics of autonomic computing with its applicability in CRM. Each chapter features the techniques and analysis of each mechanism to make better resource management in cloud.

This handbook provides an insight into the advancements in surface engineering methods, addressing the microstructural features, properties, mechanisms of surface degradation failures, and tribological performance of the components. Emphasis is on laser cladding methods because by using laser cladding a new class of materials like nano-composites, nano-tubes, and smart materials can be easily deposited. Handbook of Laser-Based Sustainable Surface Modification and Manufacturing Techniques discusses the main mechanism behind the surface degradation of structural components in strenuous environments. It highlights the capacity of laser cladding to operate on a wide range of substrate materials and shapes as well as presents how laser cladding can offer new possibilities in the reconditioning of components and how in many cases, these approaches are the only solution for economical efficiency. The handbook illustrates how if the type of power of the laser, laser optics, and the parameters of the process are efficiently selected, the number of applications of laser cladding can be large. The standard methods of testing used for various types of biomedical devices and tools, as well as the advantages of combining laser cladding with simultaneous induction heating, are described as well within this handbook. Features: Discusses the main mechanism behind the surface degradation of structural components in strenuous environments Highlights the capacity of laser cladding needed to operate on a wide range of substrate materials and shapes Presents how laser cladding can offer new possibilities in the reconditioning of components and how in many cases, these approaches are the only possible solution and are economically efficient Illustrates how if the type and power of the laser, laser optics, and the parameters of the process are efficiently selected, the number of applications of laser cladding can be large Offers the standard methods of testing used for various types of biomedical devices and tools Goes over the advantages of combining laser cladding with simultaneous induction heating The technical outcomes of these surface engineering methods are helpful for academics, students, and professionals who are working in this field as this enlightens their understanding of the performance of these latest processes. The audience is broad and multidisciplinary.

This book features the proceedings of The EAI International Conference on Big Data Innovation for Sustainable Cognitive Computing (BDCC 2020), which took place 18 - 19 December 2020. The papers feature detail on cognitive computing and its self-learning systems that use data mining, pattern recognition and natural language processing (NLP) to mirror the way the human brain works. This international conference focuses on technologies from knowledge representation techniques and natural language processing algorithms to dynamic learning approaches. Topics covered include Data Science for Cognitive Analysis, Real-Time Ubiquitous Data Science, Platform for Privacy Preserving Data Science, and Internet-Based Cognitive Platform.

1 Basic Laser Mechanisms.- 2 Optics, Resonators and Beams.- 3 Carbon Dioxide Lasers.- 4 Solid State Lasers.- 5 Excimer Lasers.- 6 Semiconductor Lasers.- 7 Safety.- 8 Beam Manipulation.

The increasing prevalence of nanotechnologies has led to the birth of "nanoelectromagnetics," a novel applied science related to the interaction of electromagnetic radiation with quantum mechanical low-dimensional systems. This book provides an overview of the latest advances in nanoelectromagnetics, and presents contributions from an interdisciplinary community of scientists and technologists involved in this research topic. The aspects covered here range from the synthesis of nanostructures and nanocomposites to their characterization, and from the design of devices and systems to their fabrication. The book also focuses on the novel frontier of terahertz technology, which has been expanded by the impressive strides made in nanotechnology, and presents a comprehensive overview of the: - synthesis of various nanostructured materials; - study of their electrical and optical properties; - use of nano-sized elements and nanostructures as building blocks for devices; - design and fabrication of nanotechnology devices operating in the THz, IR and optical range. The book introduces the reader to materials like nanocomposites, graphene nanoplatelets, carbon nanotubes, metal nanotubes, and silicon nanostructures; to devices like photonic crystals, microcavities, antennas, and interconnects; and to applications like sensing and imaging, with a special emphasis on the THz frequency range.

Bidirectional transmission over optical fibre networks may yield a large cost reduction because of the reduction of the network infrastructure by a factor two and the potential cost reduction by an integrated transceiver design. It may also provide a cost-effective way to upgrade distribution networks by adding bidirectional channels. This book is the first to provide a comprehensive overview of bidirectional transmission in optical networks. It handles physical aspects: the behaviour of the fibre itself in bidirectional transmission transmission aspects: the behaviour and design of bidirectional systems and network aspects: the influence of bidirectional transmission on network design. GBP/LISTGBP Practical guidelines are also given for bidirectional system design. Audience:This book is aimed at designers, builders and operators of optical networks, e.g. the manufacturers of optical transmission systems, public-network operators, developers of local-area networks, cable-television operators, etcetera. The intended level of readership is graduate level in physics or electrical engineering.