This book investigates the EU's regional growth dynamics and, in particular, the reasons why peripheral and socio-economically disadvantaged areas have persistently failed to catch up with the rest of the Union. It shows that the capability of the knowledge-based growth model to deliver its expected benefits to these areas crucially depends on tackling a specific set of socio-institutional factors which prevents innovation from being effectively translated into economic growth. The book takes an eclectic approach to the territorial genesis of innovation and regional growth by combining different theoretical strands into one model of empirical analysis covering the whole EU-25. An in-depth comparative analysis with the United States is also included, providing significant insights into the distinctive features of the European process of innovation and its territorial determinants. The evidence produced in the book is extensively applied to the analysis of EU development policies.

The Handbook of Local and Regional Development provides a comprehensive statement and reference point for local and regional development. The scope of this Handbook’s coverage and contributions engages with and reflects upon the politics and policy of how we think about and practise local and regional development, encouraging dialogue across the disciplinary barriers between notions of ‘local and regional development’ in the Global North and ‘development studies’ in the Global South. This Handbook is organized into seven inter-related sections, with an introductory chapter setting out the rationale, aims and structure of the Handbook. Section one situates local and regional development in its global context. Section two establishes the key issues in understanding the principles and values that help us define what is meant by local and regional development. Section three critically reviews the current diversity and variety of conceptual and theoretical approaches to local and regional development. Section four address questions of government and governance. Section five connects critically with the array of contemporary approaches to local and regional development policy. Section six is an explicitly global review of perspectives on local and regional development from Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and North America. Section seven provides reflection and discussion of the futures for local and regional development in an international and multidisciplinary context. With over forty contributions from leading international scholars in the field, this Handbook provides critical reviews and appraisals of current state-of-the-art conceptual and theoretical approaches and future developments in local and regional development.

Actors and institutions in localities and regions across the world are seeking prosperity and well-being amidst tumultuous and disruptive shifts and transitions generated by: an increasingly globalised, knowledge-intensive capitalism; global financial instability, volatility and crisis; concerns about economic, social and ecological sustainability, climate change and resource shortages; new multi-actor and multi-level systems of government and governance and a re-ordering of the international political economy; state austerity and retrenchment; and, new and reformed approaches to intervention, policy and institutions for local and regional development. Local and Regional Development provides an accessible, critical and integrated examination of local and regional development theory, institutions and policy in this changing context. Amidst its rising importance, the book addresses the fundamental issues of 'what kind of local and regional development and for whom?', its purposes, principles and values, frameworks of understanding, approaches and interventions, and integrated approaches to local and regional development throughout the world. The approach provides a theoretically informed, critical analysis of contemporary local and regional development in an international and multi-disciplinary context, grounded in concrete empirical analysis from experiences in the global North and South. It concludes by identifying what might constitute holistic, inclusive, progressive and sustainable local and regional development, and reflecting upon its limits and political renewal.

The 4th International Conference on Selenium in the Environment and Human Health was held 18-21 October 2015 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. This conference provided an effective scientific communication platform for researchers in different disciplines worldwide to elucidate and better understand those complex roles of Se as both essential nutrient and environmental contaminant. This proceedings volume includes 98 peer-reviewed extended abstracts prepared by Se researchers from 28 countries. These most recent Se research studies address inter-relationships between the geological and atmospheric environment, agricultural food and selenium-biofortified food crops, human and animal health impacts, and genetic, biochemical, and cell and molecular activities. This book presents a unique myriad of Se research to further our international understanding of the role of Se in the context of biochemistry, food chain transfer, and health-related issues.

Geographers (and other social scientists) working in local and regional development ultimately seek to understand how-and to what extent-local and regional policy can positively affect economic growth and progress. This area of research and study throws up difficult and challenging questions, such as: what are the sources of regional development? And how do we account for the uneven development of regions, an apparent feature of geographical development in general, and one which seems to be reinforced by globalization? This new four-volume collection from Routledge meets the need for a comprehensive reference work to allow users to make better sense of the voluminous scholarly and practical literature on these and other issues. Indeed, the sheer scale of the research output-and the breadth of the field-makes this title especially welcome. Local and Regional Development has been assembled by the same editorial team behind Routledge's award-winning Handbook of Local and Regional Development (2010) (978-0-415-54831-1). The collection is fully indexed and has a comprehensive introduction, newly written by the editors, which places the material in its intellectual context. It is an essential work of reference and is destined to be valued by scholars, advanced students, and policy-makers as a vital one-stop research resource.

The centre may hold, but borders can fray. Frontier Fieldwork explores the work of social scientists, agriculturists, photographers, and missionaries who took to the field in China's southwest at a time when foreign political powers were contesting China's claims over its frontiers. In the early twentieth century, when the threat of imperialism loomed large in the Sino-Tibetan borderlands, these fieldworkers undertook a nation-building exercise to unite a disparate, multi-ethnic population. Andres Rodriguez exposes the transformative power of the fieldworkers' efforts, which placed China's margins at the centre of its nation-making process and race to modernity.

This book investigates the EU's regional growth dynamics and, in particular, the reasons why peripheral and socio-economically disadvantaged areas have persistently failed to catch up with the rest of the Union. It shows that the capability of the knowledge-based growth model to deliver its expected benefits to these areas crucially depends on tackling a specific set of socio-institutional factors which prevents innovation from being effectively translated into economic growth. The book takes an eclectic approach to the territorial genesis of innovation and regional growth by combining different theoretical strands into one model of empirical analysis covering the whole EU-25. An in-depth comparative analysis with the United States is also included, providing significant insights into the distinctive features of the European process of innovation and its territorial determinants. The evidence produced in the book is extensively applied to the analysis of EU development policies.

Industrial and technology parks are commonly regarded as a policy panacea. They tend to be considered as the ideal instrument to alleviate an assortment of institutional, political, economic, social and ultimately, technological weaknesses and often form the centrepiece of development strategies. Yet, the real impact of industrial and technology parks, especially in emerging countries is still poorly understood. Focusing on examples from Latin America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, the book represents a first approach to understand the potential and reality of industrial and technology parks in emerging countries. It is argued that although some parks have been successful in addressing a range of key problems, including underdevelopment, unemployment and a lack of investment, the majority have failed to deliver, rendering the promise of many parks little more than a pipedream.

In a period of deep economic, social, and political transformation, regional disparities seem to be particularly resistant to change. The emergence of a global economy, the shift in production methods, and the greater mobility of capital, labour, and raw materials have not brought about a radical reshuffling of the prevailing regional disparities. There is a greater concentration of economic activity in core areas and very few peripheral regions are taking advantage of the process of global restructuring. The Dynamics of Regional Growth in Europe looks for the reasons behind this persistence in the social, political, and institutional arrangements of a large set of European regions, by trying to relate two scientific approaches concerned with regional economic performance, which share very little in common: the literature on socio-economic restructuring and structural change, and neoclassical and endogenous growth theories. OXFORD GEOGRAPHICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AIMS TO PUBLISH THE BEST ORIGINAL RESEARCH STUDIES IN THE RELATED FIELDS OF GEOGRAPHY AND ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES. IT'S SCOPE IS INTERNATIONAL, PRESENTING A BROAD AND DIVERSE RANGE OF SCHOLARLY APPROACHES FROM ACROSS THE WORLD. SERIES EDITORS: GORDON CLARK, ANDREW GOUDIE, AND CERI PEACH

In the global economy, regional development and innovation are increasingly an imperative to increase the competitive edge of EU economies. While European regions are different in many ways, the innovation capacity of regions, clusters and firms is what makes them capable of building up new and diversified pathways for sustainable growth. For this reason, Innovation Drivers and Regional Innovation Strategies looks to analyze different knowledge drivers (e.g. entrepreneurial or policy-orientation; scientific and practice-based knowledge modes; institutional innovation support) that influence the innovative and competitive capacity of regions, clusters and firms in Europe. The aim of this volume is to develop an in-depth understanding of these drivers and their implications for the way in which regional and cluster growth may be upgraded. Innovation Drivers and Regional Innovation Strategies examines the construction of new innovation pathways for regions and clusters in different geographical contexts. The main themes are cluster evolution, regional innovation systems and business innovation modes and capabilities. The objectives are centred on exploring the logic and mechanisms that can be activated as a means to promote innovation and competitiveness within regions and, within these, across and within firms. Aimed at researchers and academics in the field, this is a thoughtful and innovative new volume that helps define the academic debate.

In the global economy, regional development and innovation are increasingly an imperative to increase the competitive edge of EU economies. While European regions are different in many ways, the innovation capacity of regions, clusters and firms is what makes them capable of building up new and diversified pathways for sustainable growth. For this reason, Innovation Drivers and Regional Innovation Strategies looks to analyze different knowledge drivers (e.g. entrepreneurial or policy-orientation; scientific and practice-based knowledge modes; institutional innovation support) that influence the innovative and competitive capacity of regions, clusters and firms in Europe. The aim of this volume is to develop an in-depth understanding of these drivers and their implications for the way in which regional and cluster growth may be upgraded. Innovation Drivers and Regional Innovation Strategies examines the construction of new innovation pathways for regions and clusters in different geographical contexts. The main themes are cluster evolution, regional innovation systems and business innovation modes and capabilities. The objectives are centred on exploring the logic and mechanisms that can be activated as a means to promote innovation and competitiveness within regions and, within these, across and within firms. Aimed at researchers and academics in the field, this is a thoughtful and innovative new volume that helps define the academic debate.

This book describes deep learning systems: the algorithms, compilers, and processor components to efficiently train and deploy deep learning models for commercial applications. The exponential growth in computational power is slowing at a time when the amount of compute consumed by state-of-the-art deep learning (DL) workloads is rapidly growing. Model size, serving latency, and power constraints are a significant challenge in the deployment of DL models for many applications. Therefore, it is imperative to codesign algorithms, compilers, and hardware to accelerate advances in this field with holistic system-level and algorithm solutions that improve performance, power, and efficiency. Advancing DL systems generally involves three types of engineers: (1) data scientists that utilize and develop DL algorithms in partnership with domain experts, such as medical, economic, or climate scientists; (2) hardware designers that develop specialized hardware to accelerate the components in the DL models; and (3) performance and compiler engineers that optimize software to run more efficiently on a given hardware. Hardware engineers should be aware of the characteristics and components of production and academic models likely to be adopted by industry to guide design decisions impacting future hardware. Data scientists should be aware of deployment platform constraints when designing models. Performance engineers should support optimizations across diverse models, libraries, and hardware targets. The purpose of this book is to provide a solid understanding of (1) the design, training, and applications of DL algorithms in industry; (2) the compiler techniques to map deep learning code to hardware targets; and (3) the critical hardware features that accelerate DL systems. This book aims to facilitate co-innovation for the advancement of DL systems. It is written for engineers working in one or more of these areas who seek to understand the entire system stack in order to better collaborate with engineers working in other parts of the system stack. The book details advancements and adoption of DL models in industry, explains the training and deployment process, describes the essential hardware architectural features needed for today's and future models, and details advances in DL compilers to efficiently execute algorithms across various hardware targets. Unique in this book is the holistic exposition of the entire DL system stack, the emphasis on commercial applications, and the practical techniques to design models and accelerate their performance. The author is fortunate to work with hardware, software, data scientist, and research teams across many high-technology companies with hyperscale data centers. These companies employ many of the examples and methods provided throughout the book.

The Handbook of Local and Regional Development provides a comprehensive statement and reference point for local and regional development. The scope of this Handbook's coverage and contributions engages with and reflects upon the politics and policy of how we think about and practise local and regional development, encouraging dialogue across the disciplinary barriers between notions of 'local and regional development' in the Global North and 'development studies' in the Global South. This Handbook is organized into seven inter-related sections, with an introductory chapter setting out the rationale, aims and structure of the Handbook. Section one situates local and regional development in its global context. Section two establishes the key issues in understanding the principles and values that help us define what is meant by local and regional development. Section three critically reviews the current diversity and variety of conceptual and theoretical approaches to local and regional development. Section four address questions of government and governance. Section five connects critically with the array of contemporary approaches to local and regional development policy. Section six is an explicitly global review of perspectives on local and regional development from Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and North America. Section seven provides reflection and discussion of the futures for local and regional development in an international and multidisciplinary context. With over forty contributions from leading international scholars in the field, this Handbook provides critical reviews and appraisals of current state-of-the-art conceptual and theoretical approaches and future developments in local and regional development.

This textbook is an introduction to some of the most important economic, social and political challenges that the EU currently faces. It covers the issues of competitiveness, cohesion, ageing, migration, employment and social polarization, enlargement, and the emergence of regionalism and nationalism. These structural challenges will in the medium-run determine the place of the EU in the world. Written by a single author, it has greater cohesion than many of the multi-contributor volumes available.

Actors and institutions in localities and regions across the world are seeking prosperity and well-being amidst tumultuous and disruptive shifts and transitions generated by: an increasingly globalised, knowledge-intensive capitalism; global financial instability, volatility and crisis; concerns about economic, social and ecological sustainability, climate change and resource shortages; new multi-actor and multi-level systems of government and governance and a re-ordering of the international political economy; state austerity and retrenchment; and, new and reformed approaches to intervention, policy and institutions for local and regional development. Local and Regional Development provides an accessible, critical and integrated examination of local and regional development theory, institutions and policy in this changing context. Amidst its rising importance, the book addresses the fundamental issues of 'what kind of local and regional development and for whom?', its purposes, principles and values, frameworks of understanding, approaches and interventions, and integrated approaches to local and regional development throughout the world. The approach provides a theoretically informed, critical analysis of contemporary local and regional development in an international and multi-disciplinary context, grounded in concrete empirical analysis from experiences in the global North and South. It concludes by identifying what might constitute holistic, inclusive, progressive and sustainable local and regional development, and reflecting upon its limits and political renewal.

A truly Christian perspective on global economic inequality from a prominent Cardinal and close ally of Pope Francis In this treatise, author Cardinal Rodriguez Maradiaga offers a clear analysis of the expansion of economic inequality and its root causes, followed by a review of suggested solutions, and a hopeful outlook based on new model of economic and human growth. Maradiaga is one of the most outspoken members of the Catholic hierarchy when it comes to the growing inequality around the world. As one of the church's most informed experts on social issues, Maradiaga holds that it is imperative for any Christian community to look at the dire state of social justice in the world, and to work for positive change. However, to do so requires a clear understanding of the issues at hand, and a comprehensive practice based on the laws of ethics. The Challenge of Inequality is perfect for anyone who is ready to study the urgent issue of social disparity, and is willing to work for a better world.

Array Of Light: Through Tribulation is a collection of poems that capture all the regret and realizations we come to make. From the struggle of lost love, anger, depression, self-fulfillment, success and newly found courage, Array Of Light: Through Tribulation tells the secrets of a mind and the feelings of a heavy heart that has opened up to none but pen, paper and a single person.

So you have this great business idea but your're not sure how to get started. You may be a little afraid to venture out and try something new. Don't worry. You are not the only one. However, the most successful people are those who venture out, take chances and go for their dreams. This is your small business handbook. After reading this handbook, you will have all the information needed to start and succeed in your small business. Although starting a business is work, you will see how easy it is start your own business and how to maintain it. You will learn how to plan, organize and market your business with the practical tools outlined in this book. So let's get that business started. Don't hesitate; the world is waiting for you!