In order to satisfy the needs of their customers, network utilities require specially developed maintenance management capabilities. Maintenance Management information systems are essential to ensure control, gain knowledge and improve-decision making in companies dealing with network infrastructure, such as distribution of gas, water, electricity and telecommunications. Maintenance Management in Network Utilities studies specified characteristics of maintenance management in this sector to offer a practical approach to defining and implementing the best management practices and suitable frameworks.
Divided into three major sections, Maintenance Management in Network Utilities defines a series of stages which can be followed to manage maintenance frameworks properly. Different case studies provide detailed descriptions which illustrate the experience in real company situations. An introduction to the concepts is followed by main sections including:

A Literature Review: covering the basic concepts and models needed for framework design, development and implementation.
Framework Design and Definition: developing the basic pillars of network utilities maintenance management framework.
Performance Evaluation & Maturity: focusing on the reliability concept and maturity models from different viewpoints.

By establishing basic foundations for creating and maintaining maintenance managements strategies, Maintenance Management in Network Utilities acts a practical handbook for all professionals in these companies and across areas such as network development, operations management and marketing.
"

Internet of Multimedia Things (IoMT): Techniques and Applications disseminates research efforts in the security and resilience of intelligent data-centric critical systems to support advanced research in this area. Sections cover the background of IoMT Architectures and Technologies, describe the problems that arise in IoMT Computing and protocols, and illustrate the application of IoMT on Industrial applications. The book will be beneficial for engineers, developers, solution designers, architects, system engineers and specialists from professional environments interested in the IoMT to seek appropriate solutions to their specific problems.

Edge-of-Things in Personalized Healthcare Support Systems discusses and explores state-of-the-art technology developments in storage and sharing of personal healthcare records in a secure manner that is globally distributed to incorporate best healthcare practices. The book presents research into the identification of specialization and expertise among healthcare professionals, the sharing of records over the cloud, access controls and rights of shared documents, document privacy, as well as edge computing techniques which help to identify causes and develop treatments for human disease. The book aims to advance personal healthcare, medical diagnosis, and treatment by applying IoT, cloud, and edge computing technologies in association with effective data analytics.

This proceedings volume of the ISEA 2006 examines sports engineering, an interdisciplinary subject which encompasses and integrates not only sports science and engineering but also biomechanics, physiology and anatomy, and motion physics. This is the first title of its kind in the emerging field of sports technology.

This book presents the results of research into one of the most complex and difficult areas - research into thinking and understanding. The research was carried out at the newly founded Queen Jadwiga Research Institute of Understanding and is focused on the problem of visual understanding and visual thinking. The authors believe this is the first book to attempt to investigate the complexity of visual thinking problems in the context of building the thinking machine.

This work presents the systematics of production metrology starting from the inspection planning, across the recording of the inspected data up to the evaluation of this data. On the one hand, the reader will be supplied with basic knowledge for the understanding of the presented procedures and their practical use. On the other hand, he will also learn about the importance of production metrology for quality control in production processes. It is not only an indispensable reference book for the daily work of the engineer, but also a invaluable and easy to read text book for students. As a supplement for the studies, the book gives a fast overlook to the basics of production metrology and, at the same time, shows how this knowledge is put into practice.

As the 21st century nears, there is a need to seriously reconsider many aspects of modeling and controlling large, complex, man-made systems. Integration of technologies and functions requires deep interdisciplinary expertise and technical breadth for successful implementation. Large scale systems theory can play a central role in this effort and it is a strongly held belief that this approach will continue to be of major importance in the future.

In 2007 INTEROP-VLab defined Enterprise Interoperability as the ability of an enterprise system or application to interact with others at a low cost with a flexible approach . Enterprise Interoperability VI brings together a peer reviewed selection of over 40 papers, ranging from academic research through case studies to industrial and administrative experience of interoperability. It shows how, in a scenario of globalised markets, the capacity to cooperate with other firms efficiently becomes essential in order to remain in the market in an economically, socially and environmentally cost-effective manner, and that the most innovative enterprises are beginning to redesign their business model to become interoperable. This goal of interoperability is vital, not only from the perspective of the individual enterprise but also in the new business structures that are now emerging, such as supply chains, virtual enterprises, interconnected organisations or extended enterprises, as well as in mergers and acquisitions. Establishing efficient and relevant collaborative situations requires managing interoperability from a dynamic perspective: a relevant and efficient collaboration of organizations might require adaptation to remain in line with potentially changing objectives, evolving resources, and unexpected events, for example. Many of the papers contained in this, the seventh volume of Proceedings of the I-ESA Conferences have examples and illustrations calculated to deepen understanding and generate new ideas. The I-ESA 14 Conference is jointly organised by Ecole des Mines Albi-Carmaux, on behalf of PGSO, and the European Virtual Laboratory for Enterprise Interoperability (INTEROP-VLab) and supported by the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP). A concise reference to the state of the art in systems interoperability, Enterprise Interoperability VI will be of great value to engineers and computer scientists working in manufacturing and other process industries and to software engineers and electronic and manufacturing engineers working in the academic environment."

Polyester-Based Biocomposites highlights the performance of polyester-based biocomposites reinforced with various natural fibres extracted from leaf, stem, fruit bunch, grass, wood material. It also addresses the characteristics of polyester-based biocomposites reinforced with rice husk fillers and various nanoparticles. The book explores the widespread applications of fibre-reinforced polymer composites ranging from the aerospace sector, automotive parts, construction and building materials, sports equipment, and household appliances. Investigating the advantages of natural fibres, such as superior damping characteristics, low density, biodegradability, abundant availability at low cost and non-abrasive to tooling, the book discusses what makes them a cost-effective alternative reinforcement material for composites in certain applications. The book serves as a useful reference for researchers, graduate students, and engineers in the field of polymer composites.

A proper quality of a track and other infrastructure objects represents a basic requirement for train safety and punctuality. Most of the physical systems and their components deteriorate over time. This affects performance and may lead to failures. Albert Einstein said, "You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else." Only if we understand how the whole system works, taking into account its imperfections and how they influence its quality and performance will we be able to learn the rules of the game and "play better." The book provides the readers with the necessary functional knowledge of track behaviour and comprehensively covers the function of the various track components, their interaction as elements of the track system, as well as the interaction of the track with railway vehicles. By presenting important tools for a deep understanding of track-behaviour this book aims to be a reference guide for infrastructure managers and to help them to find ways improving track quality for optimum long-term behaviour.

This work delivers ideas, comments and projects on energy, communications, transport, management, human resources, and financial and legal issues which macroengineering can contribute towards the solution of the Earth's environmental problems. Some 20 engineers and scholars identify problems in the next century whose solutions call for international policy planning and a more collaborative, peaceful and prosperous world order.
Imaginative concepts employ forward thinking for applying technology in revolutionary projects. The book presents results of research on a triple helical turbine capable of extracting vast amounts of energy from slow-moving water, an invention which could harness rivers and ocean currents, rendering high dams (with their political, social and ecological implications) redundant. These turbines are already in mass production in the USA for use in the Gulf Stream to produce energy and hydrogen fuel, and can also be used to harness power from the wind.
Another project, for which the technology is already available, will harvest solar energy by satellites stationed beyond our atmosphere and beam it to the Earth; and yet another calls for planetary defence of Earth against asteroid collisions. The environmental section discusses large projects for changing our climate, planning and costing for a sub-Mediterranean aqueduct connecting the River Rhone in France with Algeria, and plans for intensive fish farming of the oceans. The role of satellites includes telemedicine, and there are Swiss plans for further tunnelling through the Alps. Project management sections include the formation of a military-civilian conservation corps, financial and legal issues, macro-projects in China, and a forecast of 21st century macro-problems.
Delivers ideas, comments and projects on energy, communications, transport, management, human resources, and financial and legal issues which macroengineering can contribute to the solution of the Earth s environmental problemsIdentifies problems in the next century whose solutions call for international policy planning and a more collaborative, peaceful and prosperous world orderPresents research on a triple helical turbine capable of extracting vast amounts of energy from slow-moving water"

Many of the initial developments towards the Internet of Things have focused on the combination of Auto-ID and networked infrastructures in business-to-business logistics and product lifecycle applications. However, the Internet of Things is more than a business tool for managing business processes more efficiently and more effectively it will also enable a more convenient way of life.

Since the term "Internet of Things" first came to attention when the Auto-ID Center launched their initial vision for the EPC network for automatically identifying and tracing the flow of goods within supply-chains, increasing numbers of researchers and practitioners have further developed this vision.

The authors in this book provide a research perspective on current and future developments in the Internet of Things. The different chapters cover a broad range of topics from system design aspects and core architectural approaches to end-user participation, business perspectives and applications.

Parametric cost estimating, when properly used, is a very powerful and cost effective technique. Unfortunately, this technique is often misunderstood and rejected by many potential users for whom it could be a beneficial tool. The development of an agreement on how to use it and how to recognise its limitations is a major benefit to the cost estimating community.

From Product Description to Cost: A Practical Approach:

a [ presents different ways of parametrically forecasting costs, and the advantages and disadvantages of these methods by using real examples from the mechanical, software and building industries;

a [ discusses most of the mathematical procedures which are useful for parametrically forecasting costs;

a [ introduces the judgement needed to audit the ways in which these forecasting techniques are used, firstly as a process, and secondly as a tool to generate estimates.

Volume 1: The Parametric Approach contains four parts. Over the course of this volume, cost estimating is introduced; the preparation of data before utilization is discussed; the basic concepts of a ~generala (TM) cost estimating models are examined; the use of cost models is considered and finally, risk analysis (as it can be used during parametric cost estimating) is introduced.

This book highlights the work of several world-class researchers on smart modeling of complex systems. The contributions are grouped into the four main categories listed below. * Numerical schemes construction for the solution of partial differential equations. * Numerical methods in continuum media mechanics problems. * Mathematical modeling in aerodynamics, plasma physics, deformable body mechanics, and geological hydrocarbon exploration. * Mathematical modeling in medical applications. The book offers a valuable resource for theoreticians and application scientists and engineers, as well as postgraduate students, in the fields of computational methods, numerical experiments, parallel algorithms, deformable solid bodies, seismic stability, seismic prospecting, migration, elastic and acoustic wave investigation, gas dynamics, astrophysics, aerodynamics, fluid dynamics, turbulent flows, hypersonic flows, detonation waves, composite materials, fracture mechanics, melting of metals, mathematical economics, medicine, and biology.

This book represents the compilation of papers presented at the second Atomic Force Microscopy/Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (AFM/STM) Symposium, held June 7 to 9, 1994, in Natick, Massachusetts, at Natick Research, Development and Engineering Center, now part ofU.S. Army Soldier Systems Command. As with the 1993 symposium, the 1994 symposium provided a forum where scientists with a common interest in AFM, STM, and other probe microscopies could interact with one another, exchange ideas and explore the possibilities for future collaborations and working relationships. In addition to the scheduled talks and poster sessions, there was an equipment exhibit featuring the newest state-of-the-art AFM/STM microscopes, other probe microscopes, imaging hardware and software, as well as the latest microscope-related and sample preparation accessories. These were all very favorably received by the meeting's attendees. Following opening remarks by Natick's Commander, Colonel Morris E. Price, Jr., and the Technical Director, Dr. Robert W. Lewis, the symposium began with the Keynote Address given by Dr. Michael F. Crommie from Boston University. The agenda was divided into four major sessions. The papers (and posters) presented at the symposium represented a broad spectrum of topics in atomic force microscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy, and other probe microscopies.

This book had its origins in a meeting between two (relatively) young particle technology researchers on Rehobeth Beach in Delaware in 1992 near the holiday house of Reg Davies (then Director of the Particle Science and Technology Research Center in Dupont). As we played in the sand, we shared an excitement for developments in particle technology, especially particle characterization, that would lead operations such as granulation to be placed on a sound scientific and engineering footing. The immediate outcome from this interaction was the development of new industry short courses in granulation and related topics which we taught together both in Australia and North America. This book follows closely the structure and approaches developed in these courses, particularly the emphasis on particle design in granulation, where the impact of both formulation properties and process variables on product attributes needs to be understood and quantified. The book has been a long time in the making. We have been actively preparing the book for at least five years. Although the chapters have relatively good bibliographies, this book is not a review of the field. Rather it is an attempt by the authors to present a comprehensive engineering approach to granulator design, scale up and operation. It is exciting for us to see the explosion of research interest around the world in this area in the last five to seven years. Some of the most recent work will have to find its way into the second edition.

This book provides an introduction to the Human Centred Design of autonomous vehicles for professionals and students. While rapid progress is being made in the field of autonomous road vehicles the majority of actions and the research address the technical challenges, with little attention to the physical, perceptual, cognitive and emotional needs of humans. This book fills a gap in the knowledge by providing an easily understandable introduction to the needs and desires of people in relation to autonomous vehicles. The book is "human centred design" led, adding an important human perspective to the primarily technology-driven debates about autonomous vehicles. It combines knowledge from fields ranging from linguistics to electrical engineering to provide a holistic, multidisciplinary overview of the issues affecting the interactions between autonomous vehicles and people. It emphasises the constraints and requirements that a human centred perspective necessitates, giving balanced information about the potential conflicts between technical and human factors. The book provides a helpful introduction to the field of design ethics, to enhance the reader's awareness and understanding of the multiple ethical issues involved in autonomous vehicle design. Written as an accessible guide for design practitioners and students, this will be a key read for those interested in the psychological, sociological and ethical factors involved in automotive design, human centred design, industrial design and technology.

Healthcare Kaizen focuses on the principles and methods of daily continuous improvement, or Kaizen, for healthcare professionals and organizations. Kaizen is a Japanese word that means "change for the better," as popularized by Masaaki Imai in his 1986 book Kaizen: The Key to Japan's Competitive Success and through the books of Norman Bodek, both of whom contributed introductory material for this book. Winner of a 2013 Shingo Research and Professional Publication Award! In 1989, Dr. Donald M. Berwick, founder of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and former administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, endorsed the principles of Kaizen in the New England Journal of Medicine, describing it as "the continuous search for opportunities for all processes to get better." This book shows how to make this goal a reality. Healthcare Kaizen shares some of the methods used by numerous hospitals around the world, including Franciscan St. Francis Health, where co-author Joe Swartz has led these efforts. Most importantly, the book covers the management mindsets and philosophies required to make Kaizen work effectively in a hospital department or as an organization-wide program. All of the examples in the book were shared by leading healthcare organizations, with over 200 full-color pictures and visual illustrations of Kaizen-based improvements that were initiated by nurses, physicians, housekeepers, senior executives and other staff members at all levels. Healthcare Kaizen will be helpful for organizations that have embraced weeklong improvement events, but now want to follow the lead of ThedaCare, Virginia Mason Medical Center, and others who have moved beyond just doing events into a more complete management system based on Lean or the Toyota Production System. It's often said, without much reflection, that people hate change. The experiences shared