This book presents a series of research essays on the state of unions in many different parts of the world. Written by leading researchers in the field it provides insights into the causes of union decline. But it goes beyond historical analyses to investigate the prospects for the future. Can unions organize in segments of the workforce such as the youth, women, low wage workers and those in the informal sector? Can unions network with other organizations such as NGOs nationally and internationally to gain power and influence?

The last decade has seen the emergence of a unified approach for product design which attempts to combine traditionally distinct tasks such as design, management, marketing, analysis, manufacture and materials. Often called "Concurrent Engineering" or "Simultaneous Engineering", this new philosophy aims at improving cost competitiveness by reducing waste of time, money, and other resources inherent in the iterative traditional methods. In view of the importance of this new philosophy, concurrent engineering was selected as the theme for the conference on which this text is based. The main objective of the conference was to bring together researchers and practitioners from government, industries and academia interested in the multi-disciplinary and inter-organizational productivity aspects of advanced manufacturing systems utilizing CAD/CAM, CAE, CIM, parametric technology, AI, robotics, and AGV technology. A selection of the papers presented at the conference are presented in this, and a companion volume, and emphasize aspects of concurrent engineering and flexible automation. This book of proceedings on robotics, automation and production engineering is intended for researchers and practitioners from government, industries and academia interested in advanced manufacturing systems.

A guide to the role microbes play in the enhanced production and productivity of agriculture to feed our growing population Phytomicrobiome Interactions and Sustainable Agriculture offers an essential guide to the importance of 'Phytomicrobiome' and explores its various components. The authors - noted experts on the topic - explore the key benefits of plant development such as nutrient availability, amelioration of stress and defense to plant disease. Throughout the book, the authors introduce and classify the corresponding Phytomicrobiome components and then present a detailed discussion related to its effect on plant development: controlling factors of this biome, its behaviour under the prevailing climate change condition and beneficial effects. The book covers the newly emerging technical concept of Phytomicrobiome engineering, which is an advanced concept to sustain agricultural productivity in recent climatic scenario. The text is filled with comprehensive, cutting edge data, making it possible to access this ever-growing wealth of information. This important book: Offers a one-stop resource on phytomicrobiome concepts Provides a better understanding of the topic and how it can be employed for understanding plant development Contains a guide to sustaining agriculture using phytomicrobiome engineering Presents information that can lead to enhanced production and productivity to feed our growing population Written for students, researchers and policy makers of plant biology, Phytomicrobiome Interactions and Sustainable Agriculture offers a clear understanding of the importance of microbes in overall plant growth and development.

Provides a comprehensive discussion of planar transmission lines and their applications, focusing on physical understanding, analytical approach, and circuit models Planar transmission lines form the core of the modern high-frequency communication, computer, and other related technology. This advanced text gives a complete overview of the technology and acts as a comprehensive tool for radio frequency (RF) engineers that reflects a linear discussion of the subject from fundamentals to more complex arguments. Introduction to Modern Planar Transmission Lines: Physical, Analytical, and Circuit Models Approach begins with a discussion of waves on transmission lines and waves in material medium, including a large number of illustrative examples from published results. After explaining the electrical properties of dielectric media, the book moves on to the details of various transmission lines including waveguide, microstrip line, co-planar waveguide, strip line, slot line, and coupled transmission lines. A number of special and advanced topics are discussed in later chapters, such as fabrication of planar transmission lines, static variational methods for planar transmission lines, multilayer planar transmission lines, spectral domain analysis, resonators, periodic lines and surfaces, and metamaterial realization and circuit models. Emphasizes modeling using physical concepts, circuit-models, closed-form expressions, and full derivation of a large number of expressions Explains advanced mathematical treatment, such as the variation method, conformal mapping method, and SDA Connects each section of the text with forward and backward cross-referencing to aid in personalized self-study Introduction to Modern Planar Transmission Lines is an ideal book for senior undergraduate and graduate students of the subject. It will also appeal to new researchers with the inter-disciplinary background, as well as to engineers and professionals in industries utilizing RF/microwave technologies.