Comprehensive and authoritative, this Handbook provides a nuanced description and analysis of educational systems, practices, and policies in Asian countries and explains and interprets these practices from cultural, social, historical, and economic perspectives.

Using a culture-based framework, the volume is organized in five sections, each devoted to educational practices in one civilization in Asia: Sinic, Japanese, Islamic, Buddhist, and Hindu. Culture and culture identities essentially are civilization identities; the major differences among civilizations are rooted in their different cultures. This framework offers a novel approach to capturing the essence of the diverse educational systems and practices in Asia.

Uniquely combining description and interpretation of educational practices in Asia, this Handbook is a must-have resource for education researchers and graduate students in international and comparative education, globalization and education, multicultural education, sociocultural foundations of education, and Asian studies, and for educational administrators and education policy makers.

The book offers a succinct overview of the technical components of blockchain networks, also known as distributed digital ledger networks. Written from an academic perspective, it surveys ongoing research challenges as well as existing literature. Several chapters illustrate how the mathematical tools of game theory and algorithmic mechanism design can be applied to the analysis, design, and improvement of blockchain network protocols. Using an engineering perspective, insights are provided into how the economic interests of different types of participants shape the behaviors of blockchain systems. Readers are thus provided with a paradigm for developing blockchain consensus protocols and distributed economic mechanisms that regulate the interactions of system participants, thus leading to desired cooperative behaviors in the form of system equilibria. This book will be a vital resource for students and scholars of this budding field.

The application of real options theory to the decision making of multinational enterprises (MNEs) is an exciting new area of research within the field of international business. Such contributions will make existing theories in international business (such as internalization theory) dynamic and more realistic. This important collection presents 20 of the most significant articles that apply real options theory to international business and strategic management. The volume organizes the recent literature so that further advances can be made by international business scholars to capitalize on the power and usefulness of the real options approach. Part I includes articles that help to clarify the definitions of real options and the boundaries of applying real options theory to analyze the decision making of firms. Part II consists of applications to operational flexibility of the multinational network. Part III comprises applications to market entry modes among which joint ventures are most widely studied. Part IV refers to applications to market entry timing. Part V includes several applications to strategic management.

This book takes a serious historical and international look at the digital pencil movement to equip every student with a computing device with wireless connection. Using an ecological perspective as an overarching framework, and drawing on their own studies and available literature that illuminate the issues related to one-to-one computing, the authors present well-reasoned discussions about a set of complex and critical issue facing policy makers, educators, students, parents, and the general public. The Digital Pencil addresses four key questions: Is the digital pencil a good idea? The authors analyze the costs and benefits of one-to-one computing programs through consideration of multiple indicators and examine the evaluation reports of various projects within their analytical framework to present a comprehensive summary of outcomes of one-to-one computing projects. What happens when each child has a networked computer? The authors analyze existing data with the goal of gaining insights and making suggestions and recommendations for policy makers, teachers, and parents. What should schools purchase or lease is there an ideal device? These authors examine the relative advantages and disadvantages of different devices and implementation schemes. How do we know if one-to-one computing is making a difference? The authors review the evaluation plans of the various projects and propose a framework for comprehensive evaluation and research on one-to-one computing. This book is intended for researchers, school administrators, educational technology professionals, and policy makers in the U.S. and around the world, and as a supplemental text for advanced courses in education, technology, and technological innovation.

This book takes a serious historical and international look at the Digital Pencil movement to equip every student with a computing device with wireless connection. Using an ecological perspective as an overarching framework, and drawing on their own studies and available literature that illuminate the issues related to one-to-one computing, the authors present well-reasoned discussions about a set of complex and critical issue facing policy makers, educators, students, parents, and the general public. good idea? The authors analyze the costs and benefits of one-to-one computing programs through consideration of multiple indicators and examine the evaluation reports of various projects within their analytical framework to present a comprehensive summary of outcomes of one-to-one computing projects. What happens when each child has a networked computer? The authors analyze existing data with the goal of gaining insights and making suggestions and recommendations for policy makers, teachers, and parents. What should schools purchase or lease - is there an ideal device? devices and implementation schemes. How do we know if one-to-one computing is making a difference? The authors review the evaluation plans of the various projects and propose a framework for comprehensive evaluation and research on one-to-one computing. What is the future of one-to-one computing? The authors summarize emerging technology trends and define the role of one-to-one computing in preparing students with digital citizenship for a globalized education. This book is intended for researchers, school administrators, educational technology professionals, and policy makers in the U.S. and around the world, and as a supplemental text for advanced courses in education, technology, and technological innovation.

Approx.190 pages

This book contains selective chapters from eminent experts working in the interdisciplinary arena of material science and its use in drug delivery. From their recent research experience, the readers can achieve a wide vision on the new and ongoing potentialities of polysaccharides and its application in the field of advanced drug delivery. This book contains selective polymers that were recently explored in the field of drug delivery such as starch, konjac, chitosan, alginate and other natural polymers originated from sea. It also has one chapter exclusively on nanotechnology that explains multifaceted application of natural polymer in the field of advanced drug delivery. Note: T& F does not sell or distribute the Hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

This book summarizes the research results of carbide control in special steel from the authors. It includes the evolution and control of carbide in special steel in the process of electroslag remelting, rolling, and heat treatment, as well as the effect of alloying treatment (rare earth, magnesium, nitrogen, titanium) as heterogeneous nucleating agent on the carbides in special steel. It helps the readers to understand the formation mechanism and control technology of carbide in special steel deeply for improving the quality of special steel further. The book is useful as a reference for researchers, practitioners, teachers, and engineering management team in the fields of metallurgy and materials.

How can cognition, a concept traditionally associated with the human brain, be applied to satellite systems? For the first time, cognitive system meanings and models are applied to the uncertain environmental processes of satellite systems. The authors of this book go beyond defining 'cognitive satellite systems' to design a cognitive satellite communication system architecture with satellite-to-ground coordination, which has uses in emergency response spacecraft and prediction technology.In this book, the optimal utilization of cognitive satellite system resources is discussed in four aspects:

This book summarizes the research results of carbide control in special steel from the authors. It includes the evolution and control of carbide in special steel in the process of electroslag remelting, rolling, and heat treatment, as well as the effect of alloying treatment (rare earth, magnesium, nitrogen, titanium) as heterogeneous nucleating agent on the carbides in special steel. It helps the readers to understand the formation mechanism and control technology of carbide in special steel deeply for improving the quality of special steel further. The book is useful as a reference for researchers, practitioners, teachers, and engineering management team in the fields of metallurgy and materials.

This book takes an investigative look into the differences between strategies used by students studying in China and Chinese students studying in the United Kingdom when taking the IELTS Listening test. It probes into whether and how studying in the United Kingdom might influence listening skills, and compares the strategies used by students who have taken an IELTS preparation course versus those who have not. This book provides a multidimensional view of listening strategies for ESL/ EFL teachers and students; and has implications for teachers who train students to apply multiple listening strategies.

A fundamental research question addressed by the book is: What are the relative impacts of policy type on policy coordination in governance? It focuses on the variation of coordination pattern between regulatory (food safety policy as the case) and distributive policies (infectious disease policy as the case). Based on the investigation in these two policy areas in China, the study finds that when new coordination structures are appropriate to the characteristics of particular policies, there will be improvements in coordination between levels of government and different public sectors. Otherwise, there will be little or no improvement. In short, government should apply different rather than identical coordination structures to different types of policies.

Statistical time series analysis is a powerful method in characterizing the dynamics of variables in forward contract markets. Modeling univariate and multivariate time series variables will enable the modeler to build forecasting models. Variables in a given forward contract market (for example: basis, volume and weeks-to-expiration) can have causal relationship with each other and with their own lagged values. Variables with significant Granger causality are modeled using vector autoregressive processes, while variables with insignificant Granger causality are modeled using autoregressive and moving average processes. Basis and volume of forward contracted cattle in the United States exhibit behaviors pertinent to seasonal changes. In this thesis, we analyzed weekly data on basis, volume and weeks-to-expiration of forward contracted cattle in the United States. We developed monthly forecasting models for basis and volume contracted that can be utilized by farmers and policy makers.

The Witten Hamiltonian and QSL Hamiltonian yield two qualitatively different quasilocal expressions of the energy-momentum and proofs of the positive energy quasilocalization in gravitational fields. However, the exploration by the two approaches for the angular momentum remains void. We engage in the losing part in this monograph. We are also motivated by the quest for the connection between the gravitating energy and angular momentum. It is believed the connection will offer a further norm for the quasilocal expression of the gravitational angular momentum, which has not yet had sufficiently confining criteria. After trials, we find all of our proposed Hamiltonians based on Witten's conception fail while the QSL Hamiltonian succeeds. This work takes off the slack investigation of the spinor angular momentum. Hopefully this takeoff can provide some insights for the communities of quantum gravity and classical gravitational theory to continue attempting at the possible candidates of the spinor Hamiltonian for the angular momentum by Witten's and, more importantly, unveiling the connection between the gravitational energy and angular momentum.

Vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM), one of a commonly used composite manufacturing processes, is becoming more popular. To optimize the manufacturing process, reduce costs, and maintain consistent part quality, knowledge of mold filling, especially flow through thickness direction is required. This work investigates the mechanism of the thickness variation dynamic change during the infusion and curing/relaxing processes. A numerical model is developed to track the thickness change of the bagging film free surface. In addition, this work analyzes the sources of the uncertainties and quantifies the magnitudes of the uncertainties by error propagation theory to characterize the statistical properties of the permeability values. Factors related to the part thickness variation are identified with design of experiments method and a better tooling design is obtained by configuring the different flow media. The parameter uncertainty that leads to part-to-part thickness variation is also investigated and a stochastic process simulation coupled with optimization is effectively demonstrated.

This open access book deals with a rich variety of taxis-type cross-diffusive equations. Particularly, it intends to show the key role played by quasi-energy inequality in the derivation of some necessary a priori estimates. This book addresses applied mathematics and all researchers interested in mathematical development of reaction-diffusion theory and its application and can be a basis for a graduate course in applied mathematics.

This book helps to solve the problems and challenges of satellite sensing in the current environment of increasing communications bandwidths and multiplicity of electromagnetic signals. It presents technology that makes full use of the broadband low-loss advantages of optoelectronic technology and research into new broadband radio-frequency channelization and receiving technology based on photoelectric sensing. The methods presented allow improvements in system performance in terms of receiving bandwidth, frequency-sensing accuracy, channel equalization, adjacent channel crosstalk, dynamic range, and complexity of the system structure. In addressing the difficulty of satellite spectrum control, including the issue of high-precision and real-time wide-spectrum sensing not being able to be obtained simultaneously, the book solves the problem of accurate and parallel-decomposition sensing technology using the dual-phase optical frequency comb. This method avoids the involvement of fine filtering and does not require fine alignment between the source and the filter but achieves high perceptual accuracy. Satellite Photoelectric Sensing Technology explores the research background, significance, and current challenges associated with the technology, making it relevant and interesting to academics, practitioners, and postgraduate students in this field.

This open access book deals with a rich variety of taxis-type cross-diffusive equations. Particularly, it intends to show the key role played by quasi-energy inequality in the derivation of some necessary a priori estimates. This book addresses applied mathematics and all researchers interested in mathematical development of reaction-diffusion theory and its application and can be a basis for a graduate course in applied mathematics.