This collection of proceedings from the International Conference on Systems Engineering, Las Vegas, 2014 is orientated toward systems engineering, including topics like aero-space, power systems, industrial automation and robotics, systems theory, control theory, artificial intelligence, signal processing, decision support, pattern recognition and machine learning, information and communication technologies, image processing, and computer vision as well as its applications. The volume's main focus is on models, algorithms, and software tools that facilitate efficient and convenient utilization of modern achievements in systems engineering.

Because of its versatility in analyzing a broad range of applications, multibody dynamics has grown in the past two decades to be an important tool for designing, prototyping, and simulating complex articulated mechanical systems. This textbooka "a result of the authora (TM)s many years of research and teachinga "brings together diverse concepts of dynamics, combining the efforts of many researchers in the field of mechanics. Bridging the gap between dynamics and engineering applications such as microrobotics, virtual reality simulation of interactive mechanical systems, nanomechanics, flexible biosystems, crash simulation, and biomechanics, the book puts into perspective the importance of modeling in the dynamic simulation and solution of problems in these fields.

To help engineering students and practicing engineers understand the rigid-body dynamics concepts needed for the book, the author presents a compiled overview of particle dynamics and Newtona (TM)s second law of motion in the first chapter. A particular strength of the work is its use of matrices to generate kinematic coefficients associated with the formulation of the governing equations of motion. Additional features of the book include:

* numerous worked examples at the end of each section

* introduction of boundary-element methods (BEM) in the description of flexible systems

* up-to-date solution techniques for rigid and flexible multibody dynamics using finite- element methods (FEM)

* inclusion of MATLAB-based simulations and graphical solutions

* in-depth presentation of constrained systems

* presentation of the general form of equations of motion ready for computerimplementation

* two unique chapters on stability and linearization of the equations of motion

Junior/senior undergraduates and first-year graduate engineering students taking a course in dynamics, physics, control, robotics, or biomechanics will find this a useful book with a strong computer orientation towards the subject. The work may also be used as a self-study resource or research reference for practitioners in the above-mentioned fields.

The purpose of this monograph is to give the broad aspects of nonlinear identification and control using neural networks. It consists of three parts:- an introduction to the fundamental principles of neural networks;- several methods for nonlinear identification using neural networks;- various techniques for nonlinear control using neural networks.A number of simulated and industrial examples are used throughout the monograph to demonstrate the operation of nonlinear identification and control techniques using neural networks. It should be emphasised that the methods and systems of nonlinear control have not progressed as rapidly as those for linear control. Comparatively speaking, at the present time, they are still in the development stage. We believe that the fundamental theory, various design methods and techniques, and several applications of nonlinear identification and control using neural networks that are presented in this monograph will enable the reader to analyse and synthesise nonlinear control systems quantitatively.

Essential reading on the latest advances in virtual prototyping and rapid manufacturing. Includes 110 peer reviewed papers covering: 1. Biomanufacturing, 2. CAD and 3D data acquisition technologies, 3. Materials, 4. Rapid tooling and manufacturing, 5. Advanced rapid prototyping technologies and nanofabrication, 6. Virtual environments and simulation and 7. Novel Applications. For all thos working on V&RP, focused on inducing increased collaboration between industry and academia.

Beginning with realistic mathematical or verbal models of physical or biological phenomena, the author derives tractable mathematical models that are amenable to further mathematical analysis or to elucidating computer simulations. For the most part, derivations are based on perturbation methods. Because of this, the majority of the text is devoted to careful derivations of implicit function theorems, the method of averaging, and quasi-static state approximation methods. The duality between stability and perturbation is developed and used, relying heavily on the concept of stability under persistent disturbances. This explains why stability results developed for quite simple problems are often useful for more complicated, even chaotic, ones. Relevant topics about linear systems, nonlinear oscillations, and stability methods for difference, differential-delay, integro- differential and ordinary and partial differential equations are developed throughout the book. For the second edition, the author has restructured the chapters, placing special emphasis on introductory materials in Chapters 1 and 2 as distinct from presentation materials in Chapters 3 through 8. In addition, more material on bifurcations from the point of view of canonical models, sections on randomly perturbed systems, and several new computer simulations have been added.

From the prediction of complex weather patterns to the design of swimsuits, modeling has, over the years, quietly but steadily become an essential part of almost every field and industry and steelmaking is no exception. Factors such as visual opacity, high operating temperature, and the relatively large size of industrial reactors often preclude direct experimental observation in steel manufacturing. Therefore the industry is overwhelmingly dependent on modeling to quickly and cost-effectively provide insight into analysis, design, optimization, and control of processing. However, few, if any, books offer the adequate coverage of modeling.

Addresses Fundamental Principles of Physical and Mathematical Modeling in Steelmaking Processes

Modeling of Steelmaking Processes meets that ever-present demand and provides a solid knowledge base on which to build. With content designed to serve professionals and students, this book starts with an overview of steelmaking and develops into a focused description of underlying scientific fundamentals and applications.

This powerful learning tool:

• Presents an overview of steelmaking, the relevance of modeling and measurements, the evolution of steelmaking, and modern technology
• Discusses emerging issues, such as environmental emissions, recycling, and product development and quality
• Reviews computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software
• Analyzes mechanistic, AI-based, and macroscopic models, to provide a holistic view of steelmaking process modeling
• Provides useful questions and problems, as well as a practice session on modeling, to reinforce understanding

Developed as a self-tutorial, this text explores thermodynamic principles, analysis of metallurgical kinetics and transport phenomena, and key numerical methods, helping readers easily navigate a generally complex subject.

Mechanics of Solids provides an introduction to the behaviour of solid materials under various loading conditions, focusing upon the fundamental concepts and principles of statics and stress analysis. As the primary recommended text of the Council of Engineering Institutions for university undergraduates studying mechanics of solids it is essential reading for mechanical engineering undergraduates and also students on many civil, structural, aeronautical and other engineering courses. The mathematics in this book has been kept as straightforward as possible and worked examples are used to reinforce key concepts. Practical stress and strain scenarios are covered, including simple stress and strain, torsion, bending, elastic failure and buckling. Many examples are given of thin-walled structures, beams, struts and composite structures. This third edition includes new chapters on matrix algebra, linear elastic fracture mechanics, material property considerations and more on strain energy methods. The companion website www.routledge.com/cw/bird provides full solutions to all 575 further problems in the text, multiple-choice tests, a list of essential formulae, resources for adopting course instructors, together with several practical demonstrations by Professor Ross.

The aim of the book is to lay out the foundations and provide a detailed treatment of the subject. It will focus on two main elements in dual phase evolution: the relationship between dual phase evolution and other phase transition phenomena and the advantages of dual phase evolution in evolutionary computation and complex adaptive systems. The book will provide a coherent picture of dual phase evolution that encompasses these two elements and frameworks, methods and techniques to use this concept for problem solving.

The Cloud Computing and Services Science book comprises a collection of the best papers presented at the International Conference on Cloud Computing and Services Science (CLOSER), which was held in The Netherlands in May 2011. In netting papers from the conference researchers and experts from all over the world explore a wide-ranging variety of the emerging Cloud Computing platforms, models, applications and enabling technologies. Further, in several papers the authors exemplify essential links to Services Science as service development abstraction, service innovation, and service engineering, acknowledging the service-orientation in most current IT-driven structures in the Cloud.

The Cloud Computing and Services Science book is organized around important dimensions of technology trends in the domain of cloud computing in relation to a broad scientific understanding of modern services emerging from services science. The papers of this book are inspired by scholarly and practical work on the latest advances related to cloud infrastructure, operations, security, services, and management through the global network. This book includes several features that will be helpful, interesting, and inspirational to students, researchers as well as practitioners. Professionals and decision makers working in this field will also benefit from this book

Evolutionary algorithms (EAs) are becoming increasingly attractive for researchers from various disciplines, such as operations research, computer science, industrial engineering, electrical engineering, social science, economics, etc. This book presents an insightful, comprehensive, and up-to-date treatment of EAs, such as genetic algorithms, differential evolution, evolution strategy, constraint optimization, multimodal optimization, multiobjective optimization, combinatorial optimization, evolvable hardware, estimation of distribution algorithms, ant colony optimization, particle swarm optimization, artificial immune systems, artificial life, genetic programming, etc.

It emphasises the initiative ideas of the algorithm, contains discussions in the contexts, and suggests further readings and possible research projects. All the methods form a pedagogical way to make EAs easy and interesting.

This textbook also introduces the applications of EAs as many as possible. At least one real-life application is introduced by the end of almost every chapter. The authors focus on the kernel part of applications, such as how to model real-life problems, how to encode and decode the individuals, how to design effective search operators according to the chromosome structures, etc.

This textbook adopts pedagogical ways of making EAs easy and interesting. Its methods include an introduction at the beginning of each chapter, emphasising the initiative, discussions in the contexts, summaries at the end of every chapter, suggested further reading, exercises, and possible research projects.

Introduction to Evolutionary Algorithms will enable students to:

establish a strong background on evolutionary algorithms;

appreciate the cutting edge of EAs;

perform their own research projects by simulating the application introduced in the book; and

apply their intuitive ideas to academic search.

This book is aimed at senior undergraduate students or first-year graduate students as a textbook or self-study material."

Provides leaders with strategies and methods to change the way learning and training occurs for new engineers Takes a holistic view behind the low numbers of women in engineering using a problem solving approach centered on Lean Development (LD) Provides a direct comparison with the field of STEM and medicine and how the methods of training and learning can help minimizes bias and increase gender confidence Explores the lack of written knowledge (reusable knowledge) and uses methods of Lean Development (LD) to level the playing field between men and women Highlights the critical need for new female engineers to have access to mentors using technical coaching methods

Includes case studies illustrating the business processes that underlines the use of big data and health analytics to improve healthcare delivery Discusses AI based smart paradigms for reliable predictions of infectious disease dynamics which can help or prevent disease transmission Highlights the different aspects of using extended reality for diverse healthcare applications and aggregates the current state of research Offers intelligent models of the smart recommender system for personal well-being services and computer-aided drug discovery and design methods Presents novel innovative techniques for extracting user social behavior known as sentiment analysis for healthcare related purposes

Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing many of these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Asset Condition, Information Systems and Decision Models, is the second volume of the Engineering Asset Management Review Series. The manuscripts provide examples of implementations of asset information systems as well as some practical applications of condition data for diagnostics and prognostics. The increasing trend is towards prognostics rather than diagnostics, hence the need for assessment and decision models that promote the conversion of condition data into prognostic information to improve life-cycle planning for engineered assets. The research papers included here serve to support the on-going development of Condition Monitoring standards. This volume comprises selected papers from the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd World Congresses on Engineering Asset Management, which were convened under the auspices of ISEAM in collaboration with a number of organisations, including CIEAM Australia, Asset Management Council Australia, BINDT UK, and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, China. Asset Condition, Information Systems and Decision Models will be of particular interest to finance, maintenance, and operations personnel whose roles directly affect the capability value of engineering asset base, as well as asset managers in both industry and government.

The focal main objective of the book is to constitute a meaningful linkage among research problems, geoinformation methods and corresponding applications. The research goals, related both to theoretical and practical issues, derive from multidisciplinary fields such as archaeology, history, geography, landscape planning, environment, geoinformation science, geology and geomorphology. All the aforementioned scientific areas have the spatial dimension in common, i.e. the vast amount of spatially referenced data. Their research issues can be addressed and analysed with geoinformation technology; though, the researchers should get familiar to the range of available geoinformation methods. The book provides description of a variety of research problems issues and technological ?solutions?approaches that can be used to support processes of data capturing, mapping and analysis. These techniques and concepts are illustrated on numerous practical examples. along with specific examples, where these have been applied. The current structure of the book includes the following four chapters: introduction, data capturing and mapping, analysis and modelling, and study cases. In the following we provide a more detailed content of each chapter listing the main topics included within the selected articles.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the concept of "Total Exposure Health" and presents details on subject areas which make up the framework. It provides in-depth coverage of the science and technology supporting exposure and risk assessment. This includes advances in toxicology and the "-omics" as well as new techniques for exposure assessment. The book concludes with a discussion on bioethics implications, including ethical considerations related to genetic testing. Discusses advances in exposure monitoring Presents a systems biology approach to human exposures Examines how overall well-being translates to worker productivity Considers the link between work-related risk factors and health conditions Covers the study of genomics in precision medicine and exposure science Explores bioethics in genomic studies Aimed at the exposure professionals (industrial hygienists, toxicologists, public health, environmental engineers), geneticists, molecular biologists, engineers and managers in the health and safety industry as well as professionals in the public administration field.

This book describes all parts of belt conveyors, their functions and different types presented one after the other with necessary illustrations covering all the basic aspects so that the reader can obtain an overall understanding of their operation and implementation within the field of bulk material handling, mining and mineral processing. Dedicated study of this work will also enable engineers to carry out minor repairs on their own without having to wait for maintenance personnel. This is an introductory preliminary book for beginners in the field of bulk material handling, mining and mineral processing, written in lucid, easy-to-understand language, well-illustrated, and with self-explanatory descriptions that do not compromise in maintaining academic standards while dealing with the subject matter. A salient feature of this book is that all the new terminology used to describe the components and their functions has been included and explained. Much of the content of this book has been tested and evaluated positively by graduate and postgraduate students and professional engineers of several bulk material handling plants during training programs over the last twenty-five years in India.

This book offers a comprehensive, easy to understand guide for startup entities and developing companies, providing insight on the various sources of funding that are available, how these funding sources are useful at each stage of a company's development, and offers a comprehensive intellectual property strategy that parallels each stage of development. The IP strategies offered in this book take into consideration the goals that most startups and companies have at each stage of development, as well as the limitations that exist at each stage (i.e., limited available resources earmarked for intellectual property asset development), and provides solutions that startups and companies can implement to maximize their return on intellectual property investments. This book also includes a number of descriptive examples, case studies and scenarios to illustrate the topics discussed, and is intended for use by startups and companies across all industries. Readers will garner an appreciation for the value that intellectual property rights provide to a startup entity or company and will gain an understanding of the types of intellectual property rights that are available to companies and how to procure, utilize and monetize those intellectual property rights to help their company grow.

Internationally, significant attention is given to transport sustainability including planning, design, construction, evaluation, safety and durability of the road system. The 4th International Gulf Conference on Roads: Efficient Transportation and Pavement Systems - Characterization, Mechanisms, Simulation, and Modeling, hosted by the University of Qatar, November 2008, provided a forum for discussions of recent developments and research results and needs on transportation network optimization, traffic management, transportation safety, and pavement design, analysis, material characterization, modeling, and rehabilitation techniques. This book is a collection of 79 fully refereed papers and six keynote lectures from the conference, and includes contributions on a variety of topics:

• Highway Design and Transportation Planning
• Transportation Network and Management System
• Traffic Characteristics and Analysis
• Traffic and Transit Signal Control
• Traffic Simulation, Safety, and Management
• Advances in Road Safety Engineering
• Road Accident Analysis and Prediction
• Work Zone Lane Closures and Dynamic Merging
• Flexible Pavement Design, Analysis, and Evaluation
• Pavement Maintenance and Management
• Binder and Emulsion Characterization - Effect of Binder, Modified Binder, and Fillers on HMA
• HMA Testing and Properties
• Foamed and HMA Recycling
• Impact of Geogrids on Pavement Performance
• Research, Development, and Standardizations
• Case Studies

As science and technology have pervaded modern life to an ever greater degree, social scientists have been led to find questions of the causes and consequences of 'expert' knowledge arising in places that would have been felt unlikely hitherto. Varcoe, McNeil and Yearley's book assembles nine exemplary studies by sociologists, each of which explores an aspect of the current scientific-technological 'revolution'. Some popular ideas are challenged. So, too, implicitly, are certain large-scale social scientific theories claiming to have discerned in science and technology an overall meaning.

Introducing engineering students to numerical analysis and computing, this book covers a range of topics suitable for the first three years of a four year undergraduate engineering degree. The teaching of computing to engineers is hampered by the lack of suitable problems for the students to tackle, so much effort has gone into making the problems in this book realistic and relevant, while at the same time solvable for undergraduates.

Taking a balanced approach to teaching computing and computer methods at the same time, this book satisfies the need to be able to use computers (using both formal languages such as Fortran and other applications such as Matlab and Microsoft Excel), and the need to be able to solve realistic engineering problems.

In this book strategies for using very soft organic clay as a fill material for road embankment constructions are compared, and an optimisation scheme is presented. Computer programs for simulation of evaporative drying, for simulation of consolidation, and for slope stability calculation were used to analyse clay behaviour. Field and laboratory testing programs for a trial embankment were set up in order to study the relations of parameters, to examine suitability and workability of the clay, and to verify the improvement methods. An optimisation technique was applied as a rational method for using very soft organic clay for road embankments leading to an economic construction. Also recommendations are presented based on a rational method for conditioning and emplacing very soft organic clay in a safe and economic way.

Takes an interdisciplinary approach to contribute to the ongoing development of human-AI interaction. Current debate and development of AI is "algorithm-driven" or technical-oriented in lieu of human-centered. At present, there is no systematic interdisciplinary discussion to effectively deal with issues and challenges arising from AI. This book offers critical analysis of the logic and social implications of algorithmic processes. Reporting from the processes of scientific research, the results can be useful for understanding the relationship between algorithms and humans, allowing AI designers to assess the quality of the meaningful interactions with AI systems.