This book covers some important topics in the construction of computable general equilibrium (CGE) models and examines use of these models for the analysis of economic policies, their properties, and their implications. Readers will find explanation and discussion of the theoretical structure and practical application of several model typologies, including dynamic, stochastic, micro-macro, and simulation models, as well as different closure rules and policy experiments. The presentation of applications to various country and problem-specific case studies serves to provide an informed and clearly articulated summary of the state of the art and the most important methodological advancements in the field of policy modeling within the framework of general equilibrium analysis. The book is an outcome of a recent workshop of the Italian Development Economists Association attended by a group of leading practitioners involved in the generation of CGE models and research on modeling the economy and policy making. It will be of interest to researchers, professional economists, graduate students, and knowledgeable policy makers.

Examines classic algorithms, geometric diagrams, and mechanical principles for enhancing visualization of statistical estimation procedures and mathematical concepts in physics, engineering, and computer programming.

This text is about spreading of information and influence in complex networks. Although previously considered similar and modeled in parallel approaches, there is now experimental evidence that epidemic and social spreading work in subtly different ways. While previously explored through modeling, there is currently an explosion of work on revealing the mechanisms underlying complex contagion based on big data and data-driven approaches. This volume consists of four parts. Part 1 is an Introduction, providing an accessible summary of the state of the art. Part 2 provides an overview of the central theoretical developments in the field. Part 3 describes the empirical work on observing spreading processes in real-world networks. Finally, Part 4 goes into detail with recent and exciting new developments: dedicated studies designed to measure specific aspects of the spreading processes, often using randomized control trials to isolate the network effect from confounders, such as homophily. Each contribution is authored by leading experts in the field. This volume, though based on technical selections of the most important results on complex spreading, remains quite accessible to the newly interested. The main benefit to the reader is that the topics are carefully structured to take the novice to the level of expert on the topic of social spreading processes. This book will be of great importance to a wide field: from researchers in physics, computer science, and sociology to professionals in public policy and public health.

Given the importance of interdisciplinary work in sustainability, Simulation of Ecological and Environmental Models introduces the theory and practice of modeling and simulation as applied in a variety of disciplines that deal with earth systems, the environment, ecology, and human-nature interactions. Based on the author's many years of teaching graduate and undergraduate students in the United States, Spain, and Latin America, the textbook shows how to implement simulations and analyze the results using an open-source software platform. Learn How to Use a Broad Range of Environmental Models The textbook is organized into three parts to allow greater flexibility using the material in various countries and types of curricula. The first part provides a tutorial-style mathematical review and a gentle introduction to the basics of R software. The second part explains the fundamentals of modeling methodology through one-dimensional models. After a review of matrix algebra, the third part progresses to multidimensional models, focusing on structured populations, communities, and ecosystems. The final chapters show how simple models are hooked together to generate more comprehensive models. Build from Fundamental Concepts to Problem Solving Each chapter starts with conceptual and theoretical material to give a firm foundation in how the methods work. Examples and exercises illustrate the applications and demonstrate how to go from concepts to problem solving. Hands-on computer sessions let students grasp the practical implications and learn by doing. Throughout, the computer examples and exercises use seem, an open-source R package developed by the author, which lets students quickly produce simulations and explore the effects of changing conditions in the model. This practical book is a comprehensive, unified presentation of ecological and environmental m

Digital fringe projection (DFP) techniques are used for non-contact shape measurement of 3D images. In the rapidly expanding field of 3D high-speed imaging, the demand for DFP continues to grow due to the technology's fast speed, flexibility, low cost, and high accuracy. High-Speed 3D Imaging with Digital Fringe Projection Techniques discusses the generation of digital fringe with digital video projection devices, covering a variety of core technical aspects. The book begins by establishing the theoretical foundations of fringe pattern analysis, reviewing various 3D imaging techniques while highlighting the advantages of DFP. The author then: Describes the differences between digital light processing (DLP), liquid crystal display (LCD), and liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) Explains how to unwrap phase maps temporally and spatially Shows how to generate fringe patterns with video projectors Demonstrates how to convert phase to coordinates through system calibrations Provides a detailed example of a built-from-scratch 3D imaging system Incorporating valuable insights gained during the author's 15+ years of 3D imaging research, High-Speed 3D Imaging with Digital Fringe Projection Techniques illuminates the pathway to advancement in high-speed 3D optical imaging using DFP.

This book presents a collection of chapters describing the state of the art on computational modelling and fabrication in tissue engineering. Tissue Engineering is a multidisciplinary field involving scientists from different fields. The development of mathematical methods is quite relevant to understand cell biology and human tissues as well to model, design and fabricate optimized and smart scaffolds. The chapter authors are the distinguished keynote speakers at the first Eccomas thematic conference on Tissue Engineering where the emphasis was on mathematical and computational modeling for scaffold design and fabrication. This particular area of tissue engineering, whose goal is to obtain substitutes for hard tissues such as bone and cartilage, is growing in importance.

The complexity of specifications and the number of materials options available today for concrete production mean that the traditional procedure of making trial mixes is now unnecessary, expensive and time consuming. Using J.D Dewar's research, this book shows how a small amount of materials data can be used confidently to predict the composition of the ideal product.

Research into the methods and techniques used in simulating crowds has developed extensively within the last few years, particularly in the areas of video games and film. Despite recent impressive results when simulating and rendering thousands of individuals, many challenges still exist in this area.

The comparison of simulation with reality, the realistic appearance of virtual humans and their behavior, group structure and their motion, and collision avoidance are just some examples of these challenges. For most of the applications of crowds, it is now a requirement to have real-time simulations which is an additional challenge, particularly when crowds are very large.

"Crowd Simulation "analyses these challenges in depth and suggests many possible solutions. Daniel Thalmann and Soraia Musse share their experiences and expertise in the application of:

. Population modeling

. Virtual human animation

. Behavioral models for crowds

. The connection between virtual and real crowds

. Path planning and navigation

. Visual attention models

. Geometric and populated semantic environments

. Crowd rendering

The second edition presents techniques and methods developed since the authors first covered the simulation of crowds in 2007. "Crowd Simulation" includes in-depth discussions on the techniques of path planning, including a new hybrid approach between navigation graphs and potential-based methods. The importance of gaze attention individuals appearing conscious of their environment and of others is introduced, and a free-of-collision method for crowds is also discussed."

This volume explores the complex problems that arise in the modeling and simulation of crowd dynamics in order to present the state-of-the-art of this emerging field and contribute to future research activities. Experts in various areas apply their unique perspectives to specific aspects of crowd dynamics, covering the topic from multiple angles. These include a demonstration of how virtual reality may solve dilemmas in collecting empirical data; a detailed study on pedestrian movement in smoke-filled environments; a presentation of one-dimensional conservation laws with point constraints on the flux; a collection of new ideas on the modeling of crowd dynamics at the microscopic scale; and others. Applied mathematicians interested in crowd dynamics, pedestrian movement, traffic flow modeling, urban planning, and other topics will find this volume a valuable resource. Additionally, researchers in social psychology, architecture, and engineering may find this information relevant to their work.

This book describes issues in modeling unconventional conflict and suggests a new way to do the modeling. It presents an ontology that describes the unconventional conflict domain, which allows for greater ease in modeling unconventional conflict. Supporting holistic modeling, which means that we can see the entire picture of what needs to be modeled, the ontology allows us to make informed decisions about what to model and what to omit. The unconventional conflict ontology also separates the things we understand best from the things we understand least. This separation means that we can perform verification, validation and accreditation (VV&A) more efficiently and can describe the competence of the model more accurately. However, before this message can be presented in its entirety the supporting body of knowledge has to be explored. For this reason, the book offers chapters that focus on the description of unconventional conflict and the analyses that have been performed, modeling, with a concentration on past efforts at modeling unconventional conflict, the precursors to the ontology, and VV&A. Unconventional conflict is a complex, messy thing. It normally involves multiple actors, with their own conflicting agendas and differing concepts of legitimate actions. This book will present a useful introduction for researchers and professionals within the field.

The use of simulation modeling and analysis is becoming increasingly more popular as a technique for improving or investigating process performance. This book is a practical, easy-to-follow reference that offers up-to-date information and step-by-step procedures for conducting simulation studies. It provides sample simulation project support material, including checklists, data-collection forms, and sample simulation project reports and publications to facilitate practitioners' efforts in conducting simulation modeling and analysis projects. Simulation Modeling Handbook: A Practical Approach has two major advantages over other treatments. First, it is independent of any particular simulation software, allowing readers to use any commercial package or programming language. Second, it was written to insulate practitioners from unnecessary simulation theory that does not focus on their average, practical needs. As the popularity of simulation studies continues to grow, the planning and execution of these projects, more and more engineering and management professionals will be called upon to perform these tasks. With its simple, no-nonsense approach and focus on application rather than theory, this comprehensive and easy-to-understand guide is the ideal vehicle for acquiring the background and skills needed to undertake effective simulation projects. Features Presents step-by-step procedures for conducting successful simulation modeling and analysis Addresses every phase of performing simulations, from formulating the problem to presenting study results and recommendations Uses approaches applicable regardless of the specific simulation or software used Includes a summary of the major simulation software packages and discusses the pros and cons of using general purpose programming languages

This book offers a comprehensive overview of cutting-edge approaches for decision-making in hierarchical organizations. It presents soft-computing-based techniques, including fuzzy sets, neural networks, genetic algorithms and particle swarm optimization, and shows how these approaches can be effectively used to deal with problems typical of this kind of organization. After introducing the main classical approaches applied to multiple-level programming, the book describes a set of soft-computing techniques, demonstrating their advantages in providing more efficient solutions to hierarchical decision-making problems compared to the classical methods. Based on the book Fuzzy and Multi-Level Decision Making (Springer, 2001) by Lee E.S and Shih, H., this second edition has been expanded to include the most recent findings and methods and a broader spectrum of soft computing approaches. All the algorithms are presented in detail, together with a wealth of practical examples and solutions to real-world problems, providing students, researchers and professionals with a timely, practice-oriented reference guide to the area of interactive fuzzy decision making, multi-level programming and hierarchical optimization.

The understanding and control of transport phenomena in materials processing play an important role in the improvement of conventional processes and in the development of new techniques. Computer modeling of these phenomena can be used effectively for this purpose. Although there are several books in the literature covering the analysis of heat transfer and fluid flow, Computer Modelling of Heat and Fluid Flow in Materials Processing specifically addresses the understanding of these phenomena in materials processing situations. Written at a level suitable for graduate students in materials science and engineering and subjects, this book is ideal for those wishing to learn how to approach computer modeling of transport phenomena and apply these techniques in materials processing. The text includes a number of relevant case studies and each chapter is supported by numerous examples of transport modeling programs.

'Points, questions, stories, and occasional rants introduce the 24 chapters of this engaging volume. With a focus on mathematics and peppered with a scattering of computer science settings, the entries range from lightly humorous to curiously thought-provoking. Each chapter includes sections and sub-sections that illustrate and supplement the point at hand. Most topics are self-contained within each chapter, and a solid high school mathematics background is all that is needed to enjoy the discussions. There certainly is much to enjoy here.'CHOICEEver notice how people sometimes use math words inaccurately? Or how sometimes you instinctively know a math statement is false (or not known)?Each chapter of this book makes a point like those above and then illustrates the point by doing some real mathematics through step-by-step mathematical techniques.This book gives readers valuable information about how mathematics and theoretical computer science work, while teaching them some actual mathematics and computer science through examples and exercises. Much of the mathematics could be understood by a bright high school student. The points made can be understood by anyone with an interest in math, from the bright high school student to a Field's medal winner.

This book explores four guiding themes - reduced order modelling, high dimensional problems, efficient algorithms, and applications - by reviewing recent algorithmic and mathematical advances and the development of new research directions for uncertainty quantification in the context of partial differential equations with random inputs. Highlighting the most promising approaches for (near-) future improvements in the way uncertainty quantification problems in the partial differential equation setting are solved, and gathering contributions by leading international experts, the book's content will impact the scientific, engineering, financial, economic, environmental, social, and commercial sectors.

Lankhorst and his co-authors present ArchiMate (R) 3.0, enterprise modelling language that captures the complexity of architectural domains and their relations and allows the construction of integrated enterprise architecture models. They provide architects with concrete instruments that improve their architectural practice. As this is not enough, they additionally present techniques and heuristics for communicating with all relevant stakeholders about these architectures. Since an architecture model is useful not only for providing insight into the current or future situation but can also be used to evaluate the transition from 'as-is' to 'to-be', the authors also describe analysis methods for assessing both the qualitative impact of changes to an architecture and the quantitative aspects of architectures, such as performance and cost issues. The modelling language presented has been proven in practice in many real-life case studies and has been adopted by The Open Group as an international standard. So this book is an ideal companion for enterprise IT or business architects in industry as well as for computer or management science students studying the field of enterprise architecture. This fourth edition of the book has been completely reworked to be compatible with ArchiMate (R) 3.0, and it includes a new chapter relating this new version to other standards. New sections on capability analysis, risk analysis, and business architecture in general have also been introduced.

Much has been written about Building Information Modelling (BIM) driving collaboration and innovation, but how will future quality managers and engineers develop digital capabilities in augmented and video realities, with business intelligence platforms, robots, new materials, artificial intelligence, blockchains, drones, laser scanning, data trusts, 3D printing and many other types of technological advances in construction? These emerging technologies are potential game changers that require new skills and processes. Digital Quality Management in Construction is the first 'how to' book on harnessing novel disruptive technology in construction quality management. The book takes a tour of the new technologies and relates them to the management of quality, but also sets out a road map to build on proven lean construction techniques and embed technologically based processes to raise quality professionals' digital capabilities. With the mountain of data being generated, quality managers need to unlock its value to drive the quality of construction in the twenty-first century, and this book will help them do that and allow those working in construction Quality Management to survive and thrive, creating higher quality levels and less waste. This book is essential reading for quality managers, project managers and all professionals in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction industry (AEC). Students interested in new and disruptive technologies will also learn a great deal from reading this book, written by a professional quality manager with nearly thirty years' experience in both the public and private sectors.

The Pacific Symposium on Biocomputing (PSB) 2019 is an international, multidisciplinary conference for the presentation and discussion of current research in the theory and application of computational methods in problems of biological significance. Presentations are rigorously peer reviewed and are published in an archival proceedings volume. PSB 2019 will be held on January 3 - 7, 2019 in Kohala Coast, Hawaii. Tutorials and workshops will be offered prior to the start of the conference.PSB 2019 will bring together top researchers from the US, the Asian Pacific nations, and around the world to exchange research results and address open issues in all aspects of computational biology. It is a forum for the presentation of work in databases, algorithms, interfaces, visualization, modeling, and other computational methods, as applied to biological problems, with emphasis on applications in data-rich areas of molecular biology.The PSB has been designed to be responsive to the need for critical mass in sub-disciplines within biocomputing. For that reason, it is the only meeting whose sessions are defined dynamically each year in response to specific proposals. PSB sessions are organized by leaders of research in biocomputing's 'hot topics.' In this way, the meeting provides an early forum for serious examination of emerging methods and approaches in this rapidly changing field.

Since the early 1980s, CAD frameworks have received a great deal of attention, both in the research community and in the commercial arena. It is generally agreed that CAD framework technology promises much: advanced CAD frameworks can turn collections of individual tools into effective and user-friendly design environments. But how can this promise be fulfilled? CAD Frameworks: Principles and Architecture describes the design and construction of CAD frameworks. It presents principles for building integrated design environments and shows how a CAD framework can be based on these principles. It derives the architecture of a CAD framework in a systematic way, using well-defined primitives for representation. This architecture defines how the many different framework sub-topics, ranging from concurrency control to design flow management, relate to each other and come together into an overall system. The origin of this work is the research and development performed in the context of the Nelsis CAD Framework, which has been a working system for well over eight years, gaining functionality while evolving from one release to the next. The principles and concepts presented in this book have been field-tested in the Nelsis CAD Framework. CAD Frameworks: Principles and Architecture is primarily intended for EDA professionals, both in industry and in academia, but is also valuable outside the domain of electronic design. Many of the principles and concepts presented are also applicable to other design-oriented application domains, such as mechanical design or computer-aided software engineering (CASE). It is thus a valuable reference for all those involved in computer-aided design.

From reviews of the series:
'Many of the articles are indeed accessible to any interested nonspecialist, even without theoretical background.'
Journal of the American Chemical Society
'...an invaluable resource for the serious molecular modeler.' Chemical Design Automation News

In recent years the concept of energy has been revised and a new model based on the principle of sustainability has become more and more pervasive. The appraisal of energy technologies and projects is complex and uncertain as the related decision making has to encompass environmental, technical, economic and social factors and information sources. The scientific procedure of assessment has a vital role as it can supply the right tools to evaluate the actual situation and make realistic forecasts of the effects and outcomes of any actions undertaken. "Assessment and Simulation Tools for Sustainable Energy Systems" offers reviews of the main assessment and simulation methods used for effective energy assessment.

Divided across three sections, "Assessment and Simulation Tools for Sustainable Energy Systems" develops the reader s ability to select suitable tools to support decision making and implementation of sustainable energy projects. The first is dedicated to the analysis of theoretical foundations and applications of multi-criteria decision making. This is followed by chapters concentrating on the theory and practice of fuzzy inference, neural nets and algorithms genetics. Finally, simulation methods such as Monte Carlo analysis, mathematical programming and others are detailed.

This comprehensive illustration of these tools and their application makes "Assessment and Simulation Tools for Sustainable Energy Systems" a key guide for researchers, scientists, managers, politicians and industry professionals developing the field of sustainable energy systems. It may also prompt further advancements in soft computing and simulation issues for students and researchers."

Prevention of Pressure Sores: Engineering and Clinical Aspects collects together material from throughout the literature. The book first discusses the causes of pressure sores and then describes warning signs and behavior to prevent the incidence of pressure sores. It also examines the numerous different devices used to alleviate and prevent pressure sores, including various types of seat cushions, hospital beds, complex pressure relief methods, wheelchair pressure reliefs, and other preventative methods. After comparing the accuracy of various methods of measuring pressure distributions using different types of sensors, the book discusses the treatment of pressure sores. It contains a large number of references, allowing readers to refer back to the important original work in the different fields of this subject.

The International Conference on Design and Decision Support Systems in Architecture and Urban Planning is organised bi-annually by the Eindhoven University of Technology. This volume contains a selection of papers presented at the eighth conference that was held at the Kapellerput Conference Centre in the village of Heeze, near Eindhoven, The Netherlands, from 4 to 7 July, 2006.

Traditionally, the DDSS conferences aim to be a platform for both starting and experienced researchers who focus on the development and application of computer support in the areas of urban planning and architectural design. This results in an interesting mix of well-established research projects and first explorations. It also leads to a very valuable cross-over of theories, methods, and technologies for support systems in the two different areas, architecture and urban planning. This volume contains 31 peer reviewed papers from this yeara (TM)s conference that are organised into seven sections:

a [ Land Use Simulation and Visualisation

a [ Multi-Agent Models for Movement Simulation

a [ Multi-Agent Models for Urban Development

a [ Managing and Deploying Design Knowledge

a [ Urban Decision-Making

a [ Design Interactivity and Design Automation

a [ Virtual Environments and Augmented Reality.

This book will bring researchers together and is a valuable resource for their continuous joint effort to improve the design and planning of our environment.

Concrete-filled stainless steel tubular (CFSST) columns are increasingly used in modern composite construction due to their high strength, high ductility, high corrosion resistance, high durability and aesthetics and ease of maintenance. Thin-walled CFSST columns are characterized by the different strain-hardening behavior of stainless steel in tension and in compression, local buckling of stainless steel tubes and concrete confinement. Design codes and numerical models often overestimate or underestimate the ultimate strengths of CFSST columns. This book presents accurate and efficient computational models for the nonlinear inelastic analysis and design of CFSST short and slender columns under axial load and biaxial bending. The effects of different strain-hardening characteristics of stainless steel in tension and in compression, progressive local and post-local buckling of stainless steel tubes and concrete confinement are taken into account in the computational models. The numerical models simulate the axial load-strain behavior, moment-curvature curves, axial load-deflection responses and axial load-moment strength interaction diagrams of CFSST columns. The book describes the mathematical formulations, computational procedures and model verifications for circular and rectangular CFSST short and slender columns. The behavior of CFSST columns under various loading conditions is demonstrated by numerous numerical examples. This book is written for practising structural and civil engineers, academic researchers and graduate students in civil engineering who are interested in the latest computational techniques and design methods for CFSST columns.