This book provides several efficient Kalman filters (linear or nonlinear) under information theoretic criteria. They achieve excellent performance in complicated non-Gaussian noises with low computation complexity and have great practical application potential. The book combines all these perspectives and results in a single resource for students and practitioners in relevant application fields. Each chapter starts with a brief review of fundamentals, presents the material focused on the most important properties and evaluates comparatively the models discussing free parameters and their effect on the results. Proofs are provided at the end of each chapter. The book is geared to senior undergraduates with a basic understanding of linear algebra, signal processing and statistics, as well as graduate students or practitioners with experience in Kalman filtering.

Written for civil, structural and geotechnical engineers, this book presents the latest research and practical experience in the design of high-arch dams in seismically active regions, from an author team that is highly active and experienced in the design, development and construction of 300m high arch dams. The book covers the entire subject of dam design for seismic regions, including seismic input mechanisms and modeling, non-linear analysis techniques for dam structure and foundations, concrete material properties, and simulation techniques for dam design. Of particular value are the real-world experimental data and design case studies that enhance the book and ensure that readers can apply the theoretical content to their own projects.

'Between the ever-open possibilities of the global space, and the nation-state with its still seemingly irreducible hold on territory and imagination, lies the region. In higher education there are many kinds of region. This is by far the best book on regional developments, and one of the first two or three books we must now turn to in order to understand global higher education-it provides an invaluable geo-spatial lens that complements analyses based on political economy and culture.' - Simon Marginson, ESRC/HEFCE Centre for Global Higher Education and University College London, UK This original book provides a unique analysis of the different regional and inter-regional projects, their processes and the politics of Europeanisation, globalisation and education. Collectively, the contributors engage with a range of theories on regionalising to explore new ways of thinking about regionalisms and inter-regionalisms with a focus on the higher education sector. It makes the compelling case that globally, higher education is being transformed by regionalizing and inter-regionalizing projects aimed at resolving ongoing economic, political and cultural challenges within and beyond national territorial states. The chapters range over a wide geography of regional projects and their unique politics - from Europe to Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe, the Gulf, and the Barent region. Collectively they reveal the diverse, uneven, and variegated nature of global regionalisms in higher education. Comprehensive and theoretically informed, this unique book will appeal to academics and postgraduate students, in addition to policymakers and administrators involved in higher education. Contributors include: T. Aljafari, N. Azman, A.A. Bakar, R.Y. Chao Jr., J.-E. Charlier, S. Croche, R. Dale, Q.A. Dang, L.A. Gandin, T.D. Jules, S. Melo, P. Motter, T. Muhr, M.L. Neves de Azevedo, K. Olds, O.M. Panait, D. Perrotta, S.L. Robertson, M. Sirat, M. Sundet, A. Welch

Over the last few decades there has been growing recognition of the importance of a peaceful and stable South China Sea for Indo-Pacific security and development, a recognition that has been underlain, paradoxically, by the increasingly precarious situation in this body of water that straddles critical shipping lanes from the Indian to the Pacific Ocean. This book informs its readership of the most recent developments in the South China Sea with insightful and prescient analyses from both legal and international relations perspectives. It delves into the policy perspectives and deliberations of the various relevant regional and extra-regional actors in the South China Sea dispute, the exercise of international law in the context of the changing regional political landscape, and the promise and pitfalls of past, current, and potential initiatives to manage and settle the dispute. Written by some of the most well-known scholars and knowledgeable insiders in the fields South China Sea studies, the collection offers a wide array of diverse views that should help enrich the ongoing global discussion on conflict management and resolution in the South China Sea.

The purpose of this work is to review recent findings highlighting the mechanisms and functions of the neuronal oscillations that structure brain activity across the sleep-wake cycle. An increasing number of studies conducted in humans and animals, and using a variety of techniques ranging from intracellular recording to functional neuroimaging, has provided important insight into the mechanisms and functional properties of these brain rhythms. Studies of these rhythms are fundamental not only for basic neuroscience, but also for clinical neuroscience. At the basic science level, neuronal oscillations shape the interactions between different areas of the brain and profoundly impact neural responses to the environment, thereby mediating the processing of information in the brain. At the clinical level, brain oscillations are affected in numerous neurological conditions and might provide useful biomarkers that inform about patients' evolution and vulnerability. During sleep, these brain rhythms could provide functional support to internal states that govern the basic maintenance of local circuit and systemic interactions. During wake, the rhythmicity of cortical and subcortical circuits have been linked with sensory processing, cognitive operations, and preparation for action. This book will attempt to link together these sleep and wake functional roles at the level of neuroimaging and electroencephalographic measures, local field potentials, and even at the cellular level.

'Between the ever-open possibilities of the global space, and the nation-state with its still seemingly irreducible hold on territory and imagination, lies the region. In higher education there are many kinds of region. This is by far the best book on regional developments, and one of the first two or three books we must now turn to in order to understand global higher education-it provides an invaluable geo-spatial lens that complements analyses based on political economy and culture.' - Simon Marginson, ESRC/HEFCE Centre for Global Higher Education and University College London, UK This original book provides a unique analysis of the different regional and inter-regional projects, their processes and the politics of Europeanisation, globalisation and education. Collectively, the contributors engage with a range of theories on regionalising to explore new ways of thinking about regionalisms and inter-regionalisms with a focus on the higher education sector. It makes the compelling case that globally, higher education is being transformed by regionalizing and inter-regionalizing projects aimed at resolving ongoing economic, political and cultural challenges within and beyond national territorial states. The chapters range over a wide geography of regional projects and their unique politics - from Europe to Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe, the Gulf, and the Barent region. Collectively they reveal the diverse, uneven, and variegated nature of global regionalisms in higher education. Comprehensive and theoretically informed, this unique book will appeal to academics and postgraduate students, in addition to policymakers and administrators involved in higher education. Contributors include: T. Aljafari, N. Azman, A.A. Bakar, R.Y. Chao Jr., J.-E. Charlier, S. Croche, R. Dale, Q.A. Dang, L.A. Gandin, T.D. Jules, S. Melo, P. Motter, T. Muhr, M.L. Neves de Azevedo, K. Olds, O.M. Panait, D. Perrotta, S.L. Robertson, M. Sirat, M. Sundet, A. Welch

As economic and demographic conditions change, and technology advances, world leaders are becoming increasingly concerned with the future of health care. This comprehensive volume brings together North American and European experts in demographics, public administration, management, and health sciences to examine the challenges confronting health care personnel and systems in the industrialized countries. Following an overview of the general problems and methods of health care planning, contributors discuss such crucial topics as changes in the health status of populations; the impact of an aging population on health care systems; the prospects for reorganizing health care systems; the effects of new technology and drugs on health care; and the future of health care financing.

The current crisis has rocked the financial system worldwide and has cast doubt on the effectiveness of the existing regulatory regime. Thousands of firms have gone bankrupt and many financial institutions were bailed out by governments. The effects of the crisis have shaken emerging and developing markets alike and have not spared neither small nor large businesses.

Many scholars and practitioners attribute the roots of the crisis to failures and weaknesses in the way corporate governance has been practiced since the mid-1990s. Lax board oversight of top management, short-termism and self-interested behavior have been fingered as the culprits behind recent financial turmoil.

This book highlights the recent developments and new trends in corporate governance. The eighteen chapters, written by leading academics and experts, can assist corporate executives, governance bodies, investors, market regulators, and policymakers in having a global picture of major corporate governance issues.

This book highlights the recent developments and new trends in corporate governance. The eighteen chapters, written by leading academics and experts, can assist corporate executives, governance bodies, investors, market regulators, and policymakers in having a global picture of major corporate governance issues.

This book aims to provide knowledge on how infrastructure is planned and built in a typical developing country, and what key variables are there in the system limiting the efficient use of public investments in infrastructure. The book begins with a comprehensive literature review on construction and economic development, and trade and economic development. The focus of the book is on the case of Vietnam, with lessons drawn for other developing economies. The book employs the mixed use of data to provide a stronger basis for analysis and interpretation of related government policies. Based on the research findings, the book recommends significant capacity building work for Vietnam to develop capacities that would remove constraints on the efficient use of public investments in infrastructure. The general principles of significant capacity building work which are useful for policy implications are introduced in the book. Analysts, academics, public and private communities in developing countries can adopt the research findings as guiding principles to bring about changes in their current use of public investments in infrastructure, thus supporting their trade and economic growth in the long term.

This informative text/reference presents a detailed review of the state of the art in industrial sensor and control networks. The book examines a broad range of applications, along with their design objectives and technical challenges. The coverage includes fieldbus technologies, wireless communication technologies, network architectures, and resource management and optimization for industrial networks. Discussions are also provided on industrial communication standards for both wired and wireless technologies, as well as for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Topics and features: describes the FlexRay, CAN, and Modbus fieldbus protocols for industrial control networks, as well as the MIL-STD-1553 standard; proposes a dual fieldbus approach, incorporating both CAN and ModBus fieldbus technologies, for a ship engine distributed control system; reviews a range of industrial wireless sensor network (IWSN) applications, from environmental sensing and condition monitoring, to process automation; examines the wireless networking performance, design requirements, and technical limitations of IWSN applications; presents a survey of IWSN commercial solutions and service providers, and summarizes the emerging trends in this area; discusses the latest technologies and open challenges in realizing the vision of the IIoT, highlighting various applications of the IIoT in industrial domains; introduces a logistics paradigm for adopting IIoT technology on the Physical Internet. This unique work will be of great value to all researchers involved in industrial sensor and control networks, wireless networking, and the Internet of Things.

This book explores situations in which public opinion presents itself as an obstacle to the protection and promotion of human rights. Taking an international law perspective, it primarily deals with two questions: first, whether international law requires States to take an independent stance on human rights issues; second, whether international law encourages States to inform and mobilise public opinion with regard to core human rights standards. The discussion is mainly organised within the framework of the UN system. The work is particularly relevant to situations in which public opinion appears as discriminatory attitudes based on race, gender, age, health, sexual orientation and other factors. It is also pertinent to circumstances in which public opinion is responsible for the existence of certain harmful customs and practices such as female genital mutilation and capital punishment. Noting that the death penalty is increasingly recognised as an infringement of human rights, this study further challenges States' argument that capital punishment cannot be abolished because of public opinion. The book also discusses the role that education bears under international law in moulding favourable attitudes towards human rights. Finally, the book challenges States' acceptance that public opinion cannot be confronted in this respect.

This book continues the discussion on advanced information systems research, cases, and applications in the context of Vietnam, presented by experienced researchers in the field. It provides a comprehensive overview of the field and offers access to practical information systems applications, serving as a guide to comparing the context . Readers can also compare the context of information systems applications in Vietnam as a developing country against the context in developed countries.  The book contributes to the body of knowledge in several ways. It provides comprehensive references for information systems research, promotes the recent progress in its applications in Vietnam, and offers a shared understanding to serve as a blueprint for future research. From a practical point of view, the book helps organizations/companies in Vietnam to keep up with information systems cases, studies, and applications.

This book discusses various aspects of percolation mechanics. It starts with the driving forces and driving modes and then examines in detail the steady state percolation of single-phase incompressible fluids, percolation law of natural gas and percolation of non-Newtonian fluids. Progressing from simple to complex concepts, it also analyzes Darcy's law, providing a basis for the study of reservoir engineering, oil recovery engineering and reservoir numerical simulation. It serves as a textbook for undergraduate students majoring in petroleum engineering, petroleum geology and groundwater engineering, and offers a valuable reference guide for graduate students, researchers and technical engineers engaged in oil and gas exploration and development.

With fascinating source material and activities relevant to students' experiences, this book developed directly in cooperation with the IB, will help students question the nature of knowing. The importance of TOK to everyday experience and to individual subject area knowledge is highlighted throughout with case studies and tasks that encourage awareness of multiple perspectives. Structured around the new syllabus and the conceptual framework, students will have full opportunity to think critically through complex issues of present-day challenges. Each theme will stimulate questions of power, politics and technology relevant to the changing nature of knowledge. All of the required subject Areas of Knowledge are elaborated with historical development and significant links to current practice. The focal point of 'The Knower' is woven throughout the text and within its own core theme chapter. Students will be able to practice 'doing' TOK throughout each of the five themes to help support an assessment that requires students to develop skills. The assessment Essay and Exhibition have separate chapters to guide students through each step, helping them to gain the most from their TOK course and carry this knowledge throughout their lives. About the Series: Oxford's IB Diploma Course Books are essential resource materials designed in cooperation with the IB to provide students with extra support through their IB studies. Course Books provide advice and guidance on specific course assessment requirements, mirroring the IB philosophy and providing opportunities for critical thinking.

This volume brings a fresh, original approach to understand social action in China and Vietnam through the conceptual lens of informal environmental and health networks. It shows how citizens in non-democratic states actively create informal pathways for advocacy and the development of functioning civil societies.

The computational turn in the social sciences and humanities has generated much excitement about the potential to refresh our approaches to the study of the techno-social. From natively digital to digitised data, researchers of digital diasporas increasingly find themselves working with a range of disparate digital objects. These digital objects can include anything from hyperlink to timestamps, from platform behavioural metrics such as react, share, or retweet to different media formats such as text, image, pre-recorded or livestreamed videos. From natively digital to digitised data, researchers of digital diasporas increasingly find themselves working with a range of disparate digital objects – from hyperlink to timestamps, from platform behavioural metrics such as react, share, or retweet to different media formats such as text, image, pre-recorded or livestreamed videos. Taking these disparate objects into account, this book introduces digital methods as research strategies not only for dealing with the ephemeral and unstable nature of tracing the diaspora with digital data, but also for reconceptualizing digital diasporas as assemblages and networks of more-than-human actors. The book also introduces a range of theoretical perspectives and methodological techniques to studying digital diasporas as contingent and processual hybrid collectives of heterogeneous material, cultural, and practice-based assemblages. This book will be essential reading for students and scholars interested in the digital space and transnational communities.