Though humans have been communicating through virtual mediators since the invention of the telephone, new technologies make the use of virtual communications even more immediate and pervasive than ever before. By understanding the theories and models behind virtual communication, one can understand the way society has been changed and how it will continue to do so. Analyzing Digital Discourse and Human Behavior in Modern Virtual Environments examines the implications of virtual communication and online interaction and the theories and trends associated with them. It will discuss and address the differences and challenges that develop when communicating virtually and explore the various influences virtual communication plays in work, education, and quotidian life. This title provides a foundation of emerging trends from which new theories and models of communication can grow. This book will become a cherished resource for academics, researchers, technology developers, students, and government or institutional leaders.

Aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) requires unique information technology to meet the challenges set by today's aviation industry. How do IT services relate to aircraft MRO, and how may IT be leveraged in the future? Leveraging Information Technology for Optimal Aircraft Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) responds to these questions, and describes the background of current trends in the industry, where airlines are tending to retain aircraft longer on the one hand, and rapidly introducing new genres of aircraft such as the A380 and B787, on the other. This book provides industry professionals and students of aviation MRO with the necessary principles, approaches and tools to respond effectively and efficiently to the constant development of new technologies, both in general and within the aviation MRO profession. This book is designed as a primer on IT services for aircraft engineering professionals and a handbook for IT professionals servicing this niche industry, highlighting the unique information requirements for aviation MRO and delving into detailed aspects of information needs from within the industry.

The first book to combine satellite and terrestrial positioning techniques - vital for the understanding and development of new technologies Written and edited by leading experts in the field, with contributors belonging to the European Commission's FP7 Network of Excellence NEWCOM++ Applications to a wide range of fields, including sensor networks, emergency services, military use, location-based billing, location-based advertising, intelligent transportation, and leisure Location-aware personal devices and location-based services have become ever more prominent in the past few years, thanks to the significant advances in position location technology. Sensor networks, geographic information, emergency services, location management, location-based billing, location-based advertising, intelligent transportation, and leisure applications are just some of the potential applications that can be enabled by these techniques. Increasingly, satellite and terrestrial positioning techniques are being combined for maximum performance; to produce the next wave of location-based devices and services, engineers need to combine both components. This book is the first to present a holistic view, covering all aspects of positioning: both terrestrial and satellite, both theory and practice, both performance bounds and signal processing techniques. It will provide a valuable resource for product developers and R&D engineers, allowing them to improve existing location techniques and develop future approaches for new systems.

The advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as an "autonomous author" urges the law to rethink authorship, originality, creativity. AI-generated artworks are in search of an author because current copyright laws offer as a solution only public domain or fragile regulatory mechanisms. During the 20th century visual artists have been posing persistent challenges to the law world: Conceptual Art favoured legal mechanisms alternative to copyright law. The case of AI-art is, however, different: for the first time the artworld is discovering the prospective of an art without human authors. Rather than preserving the status quo in the law world, policy makers should consider a reformative conception of AI in copyright law and take inspiration from innovative theories in the field of robot law, where new frames for a legal personhood of artificial agents are proposed. This would have a spill-over effect also on copyright regulations.

Electric power systems have become much more complex in the past years, due to the integration of distributed generation including renewable energy sources and the challenges caused by intermittency of renewables. This complexity makes power systems potentially more vulnerable. However, use of computer-based protection methods (i.e., digital protection relays) supported by communication technology have helped in protecting electrical networks from faults to which they are subjected to. This second edition of the book covers a comprehensive introduction to the protection of electrical power systems using digital protective relays. The new edition offers a thorough revision and update, and comprehensive additional material. Chapters treat the mathematical background of protection algorithms including, sinusoidal-wave-based algorithms, Walsh function and S-Transform-based techniques, least squares and differential equation-based techniques, travelling wave-based protection, protection of transformers, digital line differential protection, a comparison between digital protection algorithms, and importantly, protection of networks with distributed generation including renewable energy resources. The book is written for researchers in electrical engineering and power engineering, in industry, utilities and universities, and for advanced students. The treatment is logically structured, covering mathematics and principles for the development and implementation of the major algorithms underlying different protection techniques. These techniques can be applied to protection of generator transformers, lines, switchgear and cable circuits: the main components of transmission and distribution systems with and without integrated distributed energy sources including renewables.

Software compiles, executes and runs, but often fails or gives inaccurate results, because it is not tested thoroughly prior to its release. This overview of software testing and quality assurance provides key concepts, case studies, and numerous techniques to ensure software is reliable and secure. Using a "self-teaching" format, the book covers important topics such as black, white, and gray box testing, video game testing, test management, automation, levels of testing, and quality assurance standards and procedures. Includes end of chapter multiple-choice questions/answers to increase mastering of the topics.

For Database Systems and Database Design and Application courses offered at the junior, senior and graduate levels in Computer Science departments. Written by well-known computer scientists, this introduction to database systems offers a comprehensive approach, focusing on database design, database use, and implementation of database applications and database management systems. The first half of the book provides in-depth coverage of databases from the point of view of the database designer, user, and application programmer. It covers the latest database standards SQL:1999, SQL/PSM, SQL/CLI, JDBC, ODL, and XML, with broader coverage of SQL than most other texts. The second half of the book provides in-depth coverage of databases from the point of view of the DBMS implementor. It focuses on storage structures, query processing, and transaction management. The book covers the main techniques in these areas with broader coverage of query optimisation than most other texts, along with advanced topics including multidimensional and bitmap indexes, distributed transactions, and information integration techniques.

Researchers have harnessed the flood of personal information and opinions shared on social media platforms in a variety of ways. People communicate not only what they imagine they are purposely sharing but also unintentionally leak information, which allows others to glimpse a sense of the subconscious and unconscious at a macro level. Electronic Hive Minds on Social Media: Emerging Research and Opportunities explores various research techniques to profile the electronic hive mind around social topics as expressed on various modalities of social media, from human, bot, and cyborg social media accounts, and proposes new research methods for harnessing public data from social media platforms. Highlighting topics such as knowledge sharing, swarm intelligence, and social psychology, this publication is designed for researchers, social psychologists, practitioners, and students in marketing, communications, mass media, and similar fields.

Biostatistics Manual for Health Research: A Practical Guide to Data Analysis is a guide for researchers on how to apply biostatistics on different types of data. The book approaches biostatistics and its application from medical and health researcher's point-of-view and has real and mostly published data for practice and understanding. The interpretation and meaning of the statistical results, reporting guidelines and mistakes are taught with real world examples. This is a valuable resource for biostaticians, students and researchers from medical and biomedical fields who need to learn how to apply statistical approaches to improve their research.

Human computer interaction is constantly evolving in many areas and facets of modern society. Analyzing these interactions can provide a more balanced understanding of these technological advances as they pertain to people's lives. Experience-Based Human-Computer Interactions: Emerging Research and Opportunities is a pivotal reference source that provides in-depth discussions on the progression and contemporary applications of human computer interaction. Highlighting relevant topic areas such as semantic support, software intensive systems, ontology applications, and conceptual objects, this publication is ideal for engineers, academicians, students, and researchers that would like to attain more information on recent advances being made to bridge the gap between human and computer interactions.

Coding for Penetration Testers: Building Better Tools, Second Edition provides readers with an understanding of the scripting languages that are commonly used when developing tools for penetration testing, also guiding users through specific examples of custom tool development and the situations where such tools might be used. While developing a better understanding of each language, the book presents real-world scenarios and tool development that can be incorporated into a tester's toolkit. This completely updated edition focuses on an expanded discussion on the use of Powershell, and includes practical updates to all tools and coverage.

Cyber-Physical Systems: Foundations, Principles and Applications explores the core system science perspective needed to design and build complex cyber-physical systems. Using Systems Science's underlying theories, such as probability theory, decision theory, game theory, organizational sociology, behavioral economics, and cognitive psychology, the book addresses foundational issues central across CPS applications, including System Design -- How to design CPS to be safe, secure, and resilient in rapidly evolving environments, System Verification -- How to develop effective metrics and methods to verify and certify large and complex CPS, Real-time Control and Adaptation -- How to achieve real-time dynamic control and behavior adaptation in a diverse environments, such as clouds and in network-challenged spaces, Manufacturing -- How to harness communication, computation, and control for developing new products, reducing product concepts to realizable designs, and producing integrated software-hardware systems at a pace far exceeding today's timeline. The book is part of the Intelligent Data-Centric Systems: Sensor-Collected Intelligence series edited by Fatos Xhafa, Technical University of Catalonia. Indexing: The books of this series are submitted to EI-Compendex and SCOPUS

Mechanical Behaviors of Carbon Nanotubes: Theoretical and Numerical Approaches presents various theoretical and numerical studies on mechanical behaviors of carbon nanotubes. The main theoretical aspects included in the book contain classical molecular dynamics simulation, atomistic-continuum theory, atomic finite element method, continuum plate, nonlocal continuum plate, and shell models. Detailed coverage is also given to structural and elastic properties, trace of large deformation, buckling and post-buckling behaviors, fracture, vibration characteristics, wave propagation, and the most promising engineering applications. This book not only illustrates the theoretical and numerical methods for analyzing the mechanical behavior of carbon nanotubes, but also contains computational results from experiments that have already taken place.

The last half-decade has seen the rapid and expansive development of video game music studies. As with any new area of study, this significant sub-discipline is still tackling fundamental questions concerning how video game music should be approached. In this volume, experts in game music provide their responses to these issues. This book suggests a variety of new approaches to the study of game music. In the course of developing ways of conceptualizing and analyzing game music it explicitly considers other critical issues including the distinction between game play and music play, how notions of diegesis are complicated by video game interactivity, the importance of cinema aesthetics in game music, the technicalities of game music production and the relationships between game music and art music traditions. This collection is accessible, yet theoretically substantial and complex. It draws upon a diverse array of perspectives and presents new research which will have a significant impact upon the way that game music is studied. The volume represents a major development in game musicology and will be indispensable for both academic researchers and students of game music.

Knowledge is a valuable resource that must be managed well for any organization to thrive. Proper knowledge management can improve business processes by creating value, yet the available tools meant to aid in the creation, collection, and storage of information have drastically changed since the emergence of social media. By using this collaborative online application for engaging with information, organizations are able to precisely decimate knowledge to the correct audience. Harnessing Social Media as a Knowledge Management Tool addresses the challenges and rewards of the proper use of social media, as well as the key enablers and barriers of its application. This publication endeavors to provide thorough insight into the role of social media in knowledge management from both an organizational and individual perspective. This book elucidates emerging strategies perfect for policy makers, managers, advertisers, academics, students, and organizations who wish to optimize performance.