Close collaboration across agencies and international borders is mandatory for public health officials. A powerful tool for sharing knowledge, knowledge management (KM) can help public health professionals quickly collaborate and disseminate knowledge for solving public health issues worldwide. The latest initiatives for reforming healthcare have put the spotlight on the need for maximizing resources. In addition to providing a platform for sharing knowledge, KM can help healthcare professionals do more with less. One tool, two problems solved. Yet the sharing of knowledge and KM continues to be a major challenge in the public health field. Knowledge Management in Public Health provides a general introduction to KM and social networking in the public health arena. The book begins with coverage of basic principles, components, and methodologies as well as trends and key issues in public health. It includes ten case studies illustrating applications of KM and social networking in public health. The chapters are written by leading individuals from organizations involved in applying KM in public health worldwide. The editors and chapter authors explore the many elements of KM, delineating how and why to start such an initiative. They provide specific examples of the development and value-added benefits of KM in a variety of public health environments. Tough or quick decision making has always benefitted enormously from knowledge based on the maximum amount of pertinent information available at the time-this has not changed. What is new in the present public health environment is the need to do this more often, with fewer personnel available, and increased expectations relative to the services expected by the public. Better use of information under a KM system is well suited to serve that purpose. This book explores the many ways to use KM to anticipate potential health issues and quickly resolve key incidents when they occur.

Why do enterprise systems have complicated search pages, when Google has a single search box that works better? Why struggle with an expense reimbursement system that is not as easy as home accounting software? Although this seems like comparing apples to oranges, as information and communication technologies increasingly reach into every industry the demand for easy-to-use work tools continues to grow. An exploration of cutting-edge approaches for evaluating the usability of complex user interaction, Usability of Complex Information Systems: Evaluation of User Interaction focuses on improving design and communicating content to the end user. The book continues the conversation about the evolution of usability, asking how we can design and evaluate these complex systems and the complex work they support. It describes and analyzes approaches to teaching, testing, analyzing, or managing usability studies-approaches that involve technical communicators making novel contributions to how we think about and evaluate increasingly complex systems. The book contains case studies on different types of complexity, including: A complex work environment, requiring collaboration among different people or a goal sustained over time, and often in the face of distractions, interruptions, and planned pauses A complex information context, one with no single answer, where the data changes dynamically or where the best answer may rely on other aspects of a fluid environment A complex technology, in which people use many different applications in their work and collaboration A complex topic, requiring advanced technical or domain knowledge Even systems that seem simple are, in fact, complex. The shopping interface for an e-commerce system may not be complex, but the databases, business processes, and logistics behind it certainly are. The examination of different aspects of designing and examining complexity presented in this book brings you a step further in developing a deeper understanding of what it takes to make complex systems work.

In recent years, we have witnessed the mushrooming of pro- democracy and protest movements not only in the Arab world, but also within Europe and the Americas. Such movements have ranged from popular upheavals, like in Tunisia and Egypt, to the organization of large-scale demonstrations against unpopular policies, as in Spain, Greece and Poland. What connects these different events are not only their democratic aspirations, but also their innovative forms of communication and organization through online means, which are sometimes considered to be outside of the State's control. At the same time, however, it has become more and more apparent that countries are attempting to increase their understanding of, and control over, their citizens' actions in the digital sphere. This involves striving to develop surveillance instruments, control mechanisms and processes engineered to dominate the digital public sphere, which necessitates the assistance and support of private actors such as Internet intermediaries. Examples include the growing use of Internet surveillance technology with which online data traffic is analysed, and the extensive monitoring of social networks. Despite increased media attention, academic debate on the ambivalence of these technologies, mechanisms and techniques remains relatively limited, as is discussion of the involvement of corporate actors. The purpose of this edited volume is to reflect on how Internet-related technologies, mechanisms and techniques may be used as a means to enable expression, but also to restrict speech, manipulate public debate and govern global populaces. This book was published as a special issue of the Journal of Information Technology and Politics.

Imagine what you could do if scalability wasn't a problem. With this hands-on guide, you'll learn how the Cassandra database management system handles hundreds of terabytes of data while remaining highly available across multiple data centers. This third edition-updated for Cassandra 4.0-provides the technical details and practical examples you need to put this database to work in a production environment. Authors Jeff Carpenter and Eben Hewitt demonstrate the advantages of Cassandra's nonrelational design, with special attention to data modeling. If you're a developer, DBA, or application architect looking to solve a database scaling issue or future-proof your application, this guide helps you harness Cassandra's speed and flexibility. Understand Cassandra's distributed and decentralized structure Use the Cassandra Query Language (CQL) and cqlsh-the CQL shell Create a working data model and compare it with an equivalent relational model Develop sample applications using client drivers for languages including Java, Python, and Node.js Explore cluster topology and learn how nodes exchange data

Today's high-speed and rapidly changing development environments demand equally high-speed security practices. Still, achieving security remains a human endeavor, a core part of designing, generating and verifying software. Dr. James Ransome and Brook S.E. Schoenfield have built upon their previous works to explain that security starts with people; ultimately, humans generate software security. People collectively act through a particular and distinct set of methodologies, processes, and technologies that the authors have brought together into a newly designed, holistic, generic software development lifecycle facilitating software security at Agile, DevOps speed. -Eric. S. Yuan, Founder and CEO, Zoom Video Communications, Inc. It is essential that we embrace a mantra that ensures security is baked in throughout any development process. Ransome and Schoenfield leverage their abundance of experience and knowledge to clearly define why and how we need to build this new model around an understanding that the human element is the ultimate key to success. -Jennifer Sunshine Steffens, CEO of IOActive Both practical and strategic, Building in Security at Agile Speed is an invaluable resource for change leaders committed to building secure software solutions in a world characterized by increasing threats and uncertainty. Ransome and Schoenfield brilliantly demonstrate why creating robust software is a result of not only technical, but deeply human elements of agile ways of working. -Jorgen Hesselberg, author of Unlocking Agility and Cofounder of Comparative Agility The proliferation of open source components and distributed software services makes the principles detailed in Building in Security at Agile Speed more relevant than ever. Incorporating the principles and detailed guidance in this book into your SDLC is a must for all software developers and IT organizations. -George K Tsantes, CEO of Cyberphos, former partner at Accenture and Principal at EY Detailing the people, processes, and technical aspects of software security, Building in Security at Agile Speed emphasizes that the people element remains critical because software is developed, managed, and exploited by humans. This book presents a step-by-step process for software security that uses today's technology, operational, business, and development methods with a focus on best practice, proven activities, processes, tools, and metrics for any size or type of organization and development practice.

Security without Obscurity: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) complements Jeff Stapleton's three other Security without Obscurity books to provide clear information and answers to the most commonly asked questions about information security (IS) solutions that use or rely on cryptography and key management methods. There are good and bad cryptography, bad ways of using good cryptography, and both good and bad key management methods. Consequently, information security solutions often have common but somewhat unique issues. These common and unique issues are expressed as an FAQ organized by related topic areas. The FAQ in this book can be used as a reference guide to help address such issues. Cybersecurity is based on information technology (IT) that is managed using IS controls, but there is information, misinformation, and disinformation. Information reflects things that are accurate about security standards, models, protocols, algorithms, and products. Misinformation includes misnomers, misunderstandings, and lack of knowledge. Disinformation can occur when marketing claims either misuse or abuse terminology, alluding to things that are inaccurate or subjective. This FAQ provides information and distills misinformation and disinformation about cybersecurity. This book will be useful to security professionals, technology professionals, assessors, auditors, managers, and hopefully even senior management who want a quick, straightforward answer to their questions. It will serve as a quick reference to always have ready on an office shelf. As any good security professional knows, no one can know everything.

Fundamentals of Image, Audio, and Video Processing Using MATLAB (R) introduces the concepts and principles of media processing and its applications in pattern recognition by adopting a hands-on approach using program implementations. The book covers the tools and techniques for reading, modifying, and writing image, audio, and video files using the data analysis and visualization tool MATLAB (R). Key Features: Covers fundamental concepts of image, audio, and video processing Demonstrates the use of MATLAB (R) on solving problems on media processing Discusses important features of Image Processing Toolbox, Audio System Toolbox, and Computer Vision Toolbox MATLAB (R) codes are provided as answers to specific problems Illustrates the use of Simulink for audio and video processing Handles processing techniques in both the Spatio-Temporal domain and Frequency domain This is a perfect companion for graduate and post-graduate students studying courses on image processing, speech and language processing, signal processing, video object detection and tracking, and related multimedia technologies, with a focus on practical implementations using programming constructs and skill developments. It will also appeal to researchers in the field of pattern recognition, computer vision and content-based retrieval, and for students of MATLAB (R) courses dealing with media processing, statistical analysis, and data visualization. Dr. Ranjan Parekh, PhD (Engineering), is Professor at the School of Education Technology, Jadavpur University, Calcutta, India, and is involved with teaching subjects related to Graphics and Multimedia at the post-graduate level. His research interest includes multimedia information processing, pattern recognition, and computer vision.

This internationally conducted study of the latest construction industry practices addresses a broad range of Information and Communication Technology applications. Drawing on research conducted in the US and UK, this book presents the state of the art of various ebusiness processes, and examines BIM, virtual environments and mobile technologies. Innovation is a theme that runs throughout this book, so in addition to the direct impact of these new technical achievements, it also considers the management styles that helped them to emerge. Examples from industry are illustrated with case studies and presented alongside research from some of the best known academics in this field. This book is essential reading for all advanced students and researchers interested in how ICT is changing construction management and the construction industry.

This edition presents the most prominent topics and applications of digital image processing, analysis, and computer graphics in the field of cultural heritage preservation. The text assumes prior knowledge of digital image processing and computer graphics fundamentals. Each chapter contains a table of contents, illustrations, and figures that elucidate the presented concepts in detail, as well as a chapter summary and a bibliography for further reading. Well-known experts cover a wide range of topics and related applications, including spectral imaging, automated restoration, computational reconstruction, digital reproduction, and 3D models.

Breakthroughs in Smart City Implementation provides answers on a wide variety of present social, political and technological problems. Green and long-lasting solutions for improving air quality, quality of life of residents in cities, traffic congestions and many more topics are needed in the coming 10 years and beyond. Society on Communication, Navigation, Sensing and Services (CONASENSE) is a new scientific society with the vision on Communication, Navigation, Sensing and Services (CNSS), 20 to 50 years from now. Two CONASENSE branches, established in China and in India, report in six book chapters on initiatives needed to overcome the obvious shortcomings at present. Three more chapters complete this fifth CONASENSE book: an introductory chapter concerning the Smart City from CONASENSE perspective, a chapter showing that it is not technology but the people in the cities that are most important and a chapter on recent results and prospects of "Human in the Loop" in smart vehicular systems. Topics covered include: Smart Cities, Intelligent Services, Big Data Analysis, Information Technology, Internet of Things, Industrial Upgrading, Social Networks, Human in the loop.

Unit Integration Testing (UIT) had been a challenge because there was no tool that could help in XHR programming and unit integration validations in an efficient way until Cypress arrived. Cypress started releasing versions in 2015 and became popular in 2018 with version 2.0.0. This book explores Cypress scripts that help implement 'shift left testing', which is a dream come true for many software testers. Shift left occurs in the majority of testing projects, but could not be implemented fully because tools were unavailable and knowledge was lacking about the possibilities of testing early in the life cycle. Shift left is a key testing strategy to help testing teams focus less on defect identifications and more on developing practices to prevent defects. Cypress scripts can help front-end developers and quality engineers to work together to find defects soon after web components are built. These components can be tested immediately after they are built with Cypress Test Driven Development (TDD) scripts. Thus, defects can be fixed straight away during the development stage. Testing teams do not have to worry about finding these same defects in a later development stage because Cypress tests keep verifying components in the later stages. Defect fixing has become much cheaper with Cypress than when other tools are used. The book also covers Behaviour Driven Development (BDD)-based Gherkin scripts and the Cypress Cucumber preprocessor, which can improve test scenario coverage. Automated Software Testing with Cypress is written to fulfil the BDD and TDD needs of testing teams. Two distinct open source repositories are provided in Github to help start running Cypress tests in no time!

Image Restoration: Fundamentals and Advances responds to the need to update most existing references on the subject, many of which were published decades ago. Providing a broad overview of image restoration, this book explores breakthroughs in related algorithm development and their role in supporting real-world applications associated with various scientific and engineering fields. These include astronomical imaging, photo editing, and medical imaging, to name just a few. The book examines how such advances can also lead to novel insights into the fundamental properties of image sources. Addressing the many advances in imaging, computing, and communications technologies, this reference strikes just the right balance of coverage between core fundamental principles and the latest developments in this area. Its content was designed based on the idea that the reproducibility of published works on algorithms makes it easier for researchers to build on each other's work, which often benefits the vitality of the technical community as a whole. For that reason, this book is as experimentally reproducible as possible. Topics covered include: Image denoising and deblurring Different image restoration methods and recent advances such as nonlocality and sparsity Blind restoration under space-varying blur Super-resolution restoration Learning-based methods Multi-spectral and color image restoration New possibilities using hybrid imaging systems Many existing references are scattered throughout the literature, and there is a significant gap between the cutting edge in image restoration and what we can learn from standard image processing textbooks. To fill that need but avoid a rehash of the many fine existing books on this subject, this reference focuses on algorithms rather than theories or applications. Giving readers access to a large amount of downloadable source code, the book illustrates fundamental techniques, key ideas developed over the years, and the state of the art in image restoration. It is a valuable resource for readers at all levels of understanding.

When it comes to discovering glitches inherent in complex systems-be it a railway or banking, chemical production, medical, manufacturing, or inventory control system-developing a simulation of a system can identify problems with less time, effort, and disruption than it would take to employ the original. Advantageous to both academic and industrial practitioners, Discrete and Continuous Simulation: Theory and Practice offers a detailed view of simulation that is useful in several fields of study. This text concentrates on the simulation of complex systems, covering the basics in detail and exploring the diverse aspects, including continuous event simulation and optimization with simulation. It explores the connections between discrete and continuous simulation, and applies a specific focus to simulation in the supply chain and manufacturing field. It discusses the Monte Carlo simulation, which is the basic and traditional form of simulation. It addresses future trends and technologies for simulation, with particular emphasis given to .NET technologies and cloud computing, and proposes various simulation optimization algorithms from existing literature. Includes chapters on input modeling and hybrid simulation Introduces general probability theory Contains a chapter on Microsoft (R) Excel (TM) and MATLAB (R)/Simulink (R) Discusses various probability distributions required for simulation Describes essential random number generators Discrete and Continuous Simulation: Theory and Practice defines the simulation of complex systems. This text benefits academic researchers in industrial/manufacturing/systems engineering, computer sciences, operations research, and researchers in transportation, operations management, healthcare systems, and human-machine systems.

Magnetic resonance imaging, semiconductor processing, and RFID are some of the critical applications within the medium frequency (MF) to ultrahigh frequency (UHF) range that require RF designers to have a solid understanding of analytical and experimental RF techniques. Designers need to be able to design components and devices cost effectively, and integrate them with high efficiency, minimal loss, and required power. Computer-aided design (CAD) tools also play an important part in helping to reduce costs and improve accuracy through optimization. RF Circuit Design Techniques for MF-UHF Applications explains how to design, simulate, and implement RF/microwave components and devices for applications within the medium frequency (MF) to ultrahigh frequency (UHF) range. The book makes RF design simple by expertly blending theory, simulation, and practical application examples. A Practical Guide to RF Circuit Design in the MF-UHF Range: Theory, Simulation, and Real-World Application Examples After a review of network parameters used in the analysis of RF components and devices, the book examines MF-UHF design techniques in detail. These include techniques for designing high-power microstrip circuits, directional couplers, transformers, composite and multilayer inductors, filters, combiners/dividers, and RFID systems. For every device, the book gives the required theory and then explains the verification process with CAD tools. In addition, each design is illustrated with real-life implementation examples that use a variety of CAD tools such as MATLAB (R), Mathcad, HFSS (TM), Ansoft Designer (R), Sonnet (R), and PSpice (R). Design tables, curves, and charts are included to demonstrate an efficient design process. Throughout, the book also offers practical hints to help engineers shorten the design time. Design MF-UHF Devices More Cost-Effectively The book reflects the optimum design methodology used in RF engineering, from the application of theory, to simulation for verification, to experimentation. Packed with useful techniques, tips, and examples, it is an invaluable resource for engineers, researchers, and students working in the MF-UHF range.

Multimedia Security: Watermarking, Steganography, and Forensics outlines essential principles, technical information, and expert insights on multimedia security technology used to prove that content is authentic and has not been altered. Illustrating the need for improved content security as the Internet and digital multimedia applications rapidly evolve, this book presents a wealth of everyday protection application examples in fields including multimedia mining and classification, digital watermarking, steganography, and digital forensics. Giving readers an in-depth overview of different aspects of information security mechanisms and methods, this resource also serves as an instructional tool on how to use the fundamental theoretical framework required for the development of extensive advanced techniques. The presentation of several robust algorithms illustrates this framework, helping readers to quickly master and apply fundamental principles. Presented case studies cover: The execution (and feasibility) of techniques used to discover hidden knowledge by applying multimedia duplicate mining methods to large multimedia content Different types of image steganographic schemes based on vector quantization Techniques used to detect changes in human motion behavior and to classify different types of small-group motion behavior Useful for students, researchers, and professionals, this book consists of a variety of technical tutorials that offer an abundance of graphs and examples to powerfully convey the principles of multimedia security and steganography. Imparting the extensive experience of the contributors, this approach simplifies problems, helping readers more easily understand even the most complicated theories. It also enables them to uncover novel concepts involved in the implementation of algorithms, which can lead to the discovery of new problems and new means of solving them.

The manufacture of flash memory, which is the dominant nonvolatile memory technology, is facing severe technical barriers. So much so, that some emerging technologies have been proposed as alternatives to flash memory in the nano-regime. Nonvolatile Memory Design: Magnetic, Resistive, and Phase Changing introduces three promising candidates: phase-change memory, magnetic random access memory, and resistive random access memory. The text illustrates the fundamental storage mechanism of these technologies and examines their differences from flash memory techniques. Based on the latest advances, the authors discuss key design methodologies as well as the various functions and capabilities of the three nonvolatile memory technologies.

Broad in scope, Semantic Multimedia Analysis and Processing provides a complete reference of techniques, algorithms, and solutions for the design and the implementation of contemporary multimedia systems. Offering a balanced, global look at the latest advances in semantic indexing, retrieval, analysis, and processing of multimedia, the book features the contributions of renowned researchers from around the world. Its contents are based on four fundamental thematic pillars: 1) information and content retrieval, 2) semantic knowledge exploitation paradigms, 3) multimedia personalization, and 4) human-computer affective multimedia interaction. Its 15 chapters cover key topics such as content creation, annotation and modeling for the semantic web, multimedia content understanding, and efficiency and scalability. Fostering a deeper understanding of a popular area of research, the text: Describes state-of-the-art schemes and applications Supplies authoritative guidance on research and deployment issues Presents novel methods and applications in an informative and reproducible way Contains numerous examples, illustrations, and tables summarizing results from quantitative studies Considers ongoing trends and designates future challenges and research perspectives Includes bibliographic links for further exploration Uses both SI and US units Ideal for engineers and scientists specializing in the design of multimedia systems, software applications, and image/video analysis and processing technologies, Semantic Multimedia Analysis and Processing aids researchers, practitioners, and developers in finding innovative solutions to existing problems, opening up new avenues of research in uncharted waters.

Embedded and Networking Systems: Design, Software, and Implementation explores issues related to the design and synthesis of high-performance embedded computer systems and networks. The emphasis is on the fundamental concepts and analytical techniques that are applicable to a range of embedded and networking applications, rather than on specific embedded architectures, software development, or system-level integration. This system point of view guides designers in dealing with the trade-offs to optimize performance, power, cost, and other system-level non-functional requirements. The book brings together contributions by researchers and experts from around the world, offering a global view of the latest research and development in embedded and networking systems. Chapters highlight the evolution and trends in the field and supply a fundamental and analytical understanding of some underlying technologies. Topics include the co-design of embedded systems, code optimization for a variety of applications, power and performance trade-offs, benchmarks for evaluating embedded systems and their components, and mobile sensor network systems. The book also looks at novel applications such as mobile sensor systems and video networks. A comprehensive review of groundbreaking technology and applications, this book is a timely resource for system designers, researchers, and students interested in the possibilities of embedded and networking systems. It gives readers a better understanding of an emerging technology evolution that is helping drive telecommunications into the next decade.

Covering the theoretical aspects of image processing and analysis through the use of graphs in the representation and analysis of objects, Image Processing and Analysis with Graphs: Theory and Practice also demonstrates how these concepts are indispensible for the design of cutting-edge solutions for real-world applications. Explores new applications in computational photography, image and video processing, computer graphics, recognition, medical and biomedical imaging With the explosive growth in image production, in everything from digital photographs to medical scans, there has been a drastic increase in the number of applications based on digital images. This book explores how graphs-which are suitable to represent any discrete data by modeling neighborhood relationships-have emerged as the perfect unified tool to represent, process, and analyze images. It also explains why graphs are ideal for defining graph-theoretical algorithms that enable the processing of functions, making it possible to draw on the rich literature of combinatorial optimization to produce highly efficient solutions. Some key subjects covered in the book include: Definition of graph-theoretical algorithms that enable denoising and image enhancement Energy minimization and modeling of pixel-labeling problems with graph cuts and Markov Random Fields Image processing with graphs: targeted segmentation, partial differential equations, mathematical morphology, and wavelets Analysis of the similarity between objects with graph matching Adaptation and use of graph-theoretical algorithms for specific imaging applications in computational photography, computer vision, and medical and biomedical imaging Use of graphs has become very influential in computer science and has led to many applications in denoising, enhancement, restoration, and object extraction. Accounting for the wide variety of problems being solved with graphs in image processing and computer vision, this book is a contributed volume of chapters written by renowned experts who address specific techniques or applications. This state-of-the-art overview provides application examples that illustrate practical application of theoretical algorithms. Useful as a support for graduate courses in image processing and computer vision, it is also perfect as a reference for practicing engineers working on development and implementation of image processing and analysis algorithms.

Many professionals and students in engineering, science, business, and other application fields need to develop Windows-based and web-enabled information systems to store and use data for decision support, without help from professional programmers. However, few books are available to train professionals and students who are not professional programmers to develop these information systems. Developing Windows-Based and Web-Enabled Information Systems fills this gap, providing a self-contained, easy-to-understand, and well-illustrated text that explores current concepts, methods, and software tools for developing Windows-based and web-enabled information systems. Written in an easily accessible style, the book details current concepts, methods, and software tools for Windows-based and web-enabled information systems that store and use data. It is self-contained with easy-to-understand small examples to walk through concepts and implementation details along with large-scale case studies. The book describes data modeling methods including entity-relationship modeling, relational modeling and normalization, and object-oriented data modeling, to develop data models of a database. The author covers how to use software tools in the Microsoft application development environment, including Microsoft Access, MySQL, SQL, Visual Studio, Visual Basic, VBA, HTML, and XML, to implement databases and develop Windows-based and web-enabled applications with the database, graphical user interface, and program components. The book takes you through the entire process of developing a computer and network application for an information system, highlighting concepts and operation details. In each chapter, small data examples are used to manually walk through concepts and operational details. These features and more give you the conceptual understanding and practical skill required, even if you don't have a computer science background, to develop Windows-based or web-enabled applications for your specialized information system.

Edited by Jussi Kantola, the founding faculty member of the world's first university Knowledge Service Engineering Department at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, and Waldemar Karwowski from the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems at UCF, Knowledge Service Engineering Handbook defines what knowledge services engineering means and how it is different from service engineering and service production. This groundbreaking handbook explores recent advances in knowledge service engineering from the accomplished researchers and practitioners in this field from around the world and provides engineering, systemic, industry, and consumer use viewpoints to knowledge service systems and engineering paradigms. The handbook outlines how to acquire and utilize knowledge in the 21st century presenting multiple cultural aspects including US, European, and Asian perspectives. Organized into four parts, it begins with an introduction to the main concepts of knowledge services. It then explores data, information and knowledge based engineering methods and applications that can be used to develop knowledge services, followed by discussions of the importance of human networks in knowledge services. The handbook concludes with descriptions of high-performance knowledge service systems. This structure allows different uses: the information can be looked up as needed or read in the order presented. As with any new field, the excitement lies in seeing how to combine these advances in data, information, and human parts of knowledge services in the future. While most books on this subject concentrate on data, information, or knowledge, this handbook integrates coverage of all three, thus providing a complete examination of sustainable knowledge services. The handbook has been carefully designed to be of use to professionals who develop new knowledge services and related businesses, for academic researchers and lecturers to start new research projects, and for students studying knowledge services, knowledge service production, and knowledge service business.

Large-Scale Simulation: Models, Algorithms, and Applications gives you firsthand insight on the latest advances in large-scale simulation techniques. Most of the research results are drawn from the authors' papers in top-tier, peer-reviewed, scientific conference proceedings and journals. The first part of the book presents the fundamentals of large-scale simulation, including high-level architecture and runtime infrastructure. The second part covers middleware and software architecture for large-scale simulations, such as decoupled federate architecture, fault tolerant mechanisms, grid-enabled simulation, and federation communities. In the third part, the authors explore mechanisms-such as simulation cloning methods and algorithms-that support quick evaluation of alternative scenarios. The final part describes how distributed computing technologies and many-core architecture are used to study social phenomena. Reflecting the latest research in the field, this book guides you in using and further researching advanced models and algorithms for large-scale distributed simulation. These simulation tools will help you gain insight into large-scale systems across many disciplines.

As multimedia applications have become part of contemporary daily life, numerous paradigm-shifting technologies in multimedia processing have emerged over the last decade. Substantially updated with 21 new chapters, Multimedia Image and Video Processing, Second Edition explores the most recent advances in multimedia research and applications. This edition presents a comprehensive treatment of multimedia information mining, security, systems, coding, search, hardware, and communications as well as multimodal information fusion and interaction. Clearly divided into seven parts, the book begins with a section on standards, fundamental methods, design issues, and typical architectures. It then focuses on the coding of video and multimedia content before covering multimedia search, retrieval, and management. After examining multimedia security, the book describes multimedia communications and networking and explains the architecture design and implementation for multimedia image and video processing. It concludes with a section on multimedia systems and applications. Written by some of the most prominent experts in the field, this updated edition provides readers with the latest research in multimedia processing and equips them with advanced techniques for the design of multimedia systems.

Wireless video communications encompass a broad range of issues and opportunities that serve as the catalyst for technical innovations. To disseminate the most recent advances in this challenging yet exciting field, Advanced Video Communications over Wireless Networks provides an in-depth look at the fundamentals, recent technical achievements, challenges, and emerging trends in mobile and wireless video communications. The editors have carefully selected a panel of researchers with expertise in diverse aspects of wireless video communication to cover a wide spectrum of topics, including the underlying theoretical fundamentals associated with wireless video communications, the transmission schemes tailored to mobile and wireless networks, quality metrics, the architectures of practical systems, as well as some novel directions. They address future directions, including Quality-of-Experience in wireless video communications, video communications over future networks, and 3D video communications. The book presents a collection of tutorials, surveys, and original contributions, providing an up-to-date, accessible reference for further development of research and applications in mobile and wireless video communication systems. The range of coverage and depth of expertise make this book the go-to resource for facing current and future challenges in this field.

Dreamers may envision our future, but it is the pragmatists who build it. Solve the right problem in the right way, mankind moves forward. Solve the right problem in the wrong way or the wrong problem in the right way, however clever or ingenious the solution, neither credits mankind. Instead, this misfire demonstrates a failure to appreciate a crucial step in pragmatic problem solving: systems integration. The first book to address the underlying premises of systems integration and how to exposit them in a practical and productive manner, Engineering Systems Integration: Theory, Metrics, and Methods looks at the fundamental nature of integration, exposes the subtle premises to achieve integration, and posits a substantial theoretical framework that is both simple and clear. Offering systems managers and systems engineers the framework from which to consider their decisions in light of systems integration metrics, the book isolates two basic questions, 1) Is there a way to express the interplay of human actions and the result of system interactions of a product with its environment?, and 2) Are there methods that combine to improve the integration of systems? The author applies the four axioms of General Systems Theory (holism, decomposition, isomorphism, and models) and explores the domains of history and interpretation to devise a theory of systems integration, develop practical guidance applying the three frameworks, and formulate the mathematical constructs needed for systems integration. The practicalities of integrating parts when we build or analyze systems mandate an analysis and evaluation of existing integrative frameworks of causality and knowledge. Integration is not just a word that describes a best practice, an art, or a single discipline. The act of integrating is an approach, operative in all disciplines, in all we see, in all we do.