How to deal with the relationship between tradition and modernity has become a global concern under the impact of pluralism. This book explores the relationship between traditional Dai culture and modern school education through a field study in the Dai region of Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China. The study analyses the reasons for conflicts between monastic education and modern school education in the Dai region of Xishuangbanna. It also discusses the logic behind the formation of the Dai people's belief in Southern Theravada Buddhism and its importance in Dai culture. Through the analysis of the changes in monastic education before and after the intervention of the modern school system, the study finds symbiosis in the differences and conflicts between these two forms of education. The author proposes a symbiosis theory of multiple education forms in ethnic areas and offers targeted solutions to specific problems between the Dai monastic education and modern school education in Xishuangbanna. This book will be a great read to students and scholars of Chinese studies, ethnic studies, education, and those who are interested in multi-ethnicity issues in general.

This book addresses the identification and classification of knowledge acquired through experience that results from engaging in professional activities within the software industry. As a result of this study, the book presents an ontology of such professional activities that require and enable the acquisition of experience and that, in turn, are the basis for tacit knowledge creation. The rationale behind the creation of such an ontology was based on the need to externalize this tacit knowledge and then record such externalizations so that these can be shared and disseminated within and across organizations. The book discusses the very concise manner in which experienced software development practitioners in China understand the nature and value of experience in the SW industry, effectively communicate with other stakeholders in the software development process, are able and motivated to actively engage with continuous professional development, are able to share knowledge with peers and the profession at large, and effectively work on projects and exhibit a sound professional attitude both internally to their own company and externally to customers, partners, and even competitors. The book also discusses the ontology and the qualitative process that are generated by bridging two extremely topical aspects of practice in the software industry, namely, employability skills and competencies. The book is of interest to academics in the areas of knowledge management and information systems, as well as human resources practitioners concerned with selection and development and knowledge and information professionals in software organizations.

At the frontier of research, this book offers complete coverage of human ear recognition. It explores all aspects of 3D ear recognition: representation, detection, recognition, indexing and performance prediction. It uses large datasets to quantify and compare the performance of various techniques. Features and topics include: Ear detection and recognition in 2D image; 3D object recognition and 3D biometrics; 3D ear recognition; Performance comparison and prediction.

Biometrics deals with recognition of individuals based on their physiological or behavioral characteristics. The human ear is a new feature in biometrics that has several merits over the more common face, fingerprint and iris biometrics. Unlike the fingerprint and iris, it can be easily captured from a distance without a fully cooperative subject, although sometimes it may be hidden with hair, scarf and jewellery. Also, unlike a face, the ear is a relatively stable structure that does not change much with the age and facial expressions.

Human Ear Recognition by Computer is the first book on the automatic recognition of human ears. It presents an entire range of computational algorithms for recognition of humans by their ears. These algorithms have been tested and validated on the largest databases that are available today. Specific algorithms addressed include:

a [ Ear helix/anti-helix based representation

a [ Global-to-local registration

a [ Ear recognition using helix/anti-helix representation

a [ Ear recognition using a new local surface patch representation

a [ Efficient ear indexing and recognition

a [ Performance prediction for 3D ear recognition

a [ Generality and applications in computer vision and pattern recognition

This state-of-the-art research reference explores all aspects of 3D ear recognition, including representation, detection, recognition, indexing and performance prediction. It has been written for a professional audience of both researchers and practitioners within industry, and is also ideal as aninformative text for graduate students in computer science and engineering.

Professor Bir Bhanu has been director of the Visualization and Intelligent Systems Laboratory (at the University of California at Riverside) since 1991 and serves as the founding Director for the Center for Research in Intelligent Systems. He also has considerable experience working within industry and is the successful author of several books. He is a Fellow of IEEE, AAAS, IAPR, SPIE and was a Senior Fellow at Honeywell Inc.

Dr. Hui Chen works alongside Professor Bhanu and has worked for Siemens Medical solutions and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

This book offers a complete and well-organized review of the latest advances made in developing ultra-weak chemiluminescence techniques for analytical applications. It systematically introduces the current theories, mechanisms, instruments, technologies, and real applications of ultra-weak chemiluminescence. Compared to books devoted to the normal chemiluminescence and bioluminescence, this book covers a wide range of ultra-weak chemiluminescence based on inorganic chemical reactions and nanotechnology from a principle and practical point of view. This book is intended for readers who are interested in expanding their knowledge of chemiluminescence and employing ultra-weak chemiluminescence techniques to develop new detection methods for analytical applications.

Early-Words - for sharing a new language with your children Offers a great way to start your child on the path to learning a new language. Includes pictures to look at with your young learner, as well as words and a pronunciation key. Talk, look, listen. Great fun for family time.

Early-Words - for sharing a new language with your children Offers a great way to start your child on the path to learning a new language. Includes pictures to look at with your young learner, as well as words and a pronunciation key. Talk, look, listen. Great fun for family time.

The diversity and specialization in orchid floral morphology have fascinated botanists and collectors for centuries. In the past 10 years, the orchid industry has been growing substantially worldwide. This interesting book focuses on the recent advances in orchid biotechnology research since the last 10 years in Taiwan. To advance the orchid industry, enhancement of basic research as well as advanced biotechnology will provide a good platform to improve the flower quality and breeding of new varieties. Important topics covered include the new knowledge of basic genome, through floral morphogenesis, floral ontology, embryogenesis, micropropagation, to functional genomics such as EST, virus-induced gene silencing, and genetic transformation.

This book lays a new foundation toward achieving artificial self-intelligence by future machines such as intelligent vehicles. Its chapters provide a broad coverage to the three key modules behind the design and development of intelligent vehicles for the ultimate purpose of actively ensuring driving safety as well as preventing accidents from all possible causes. Self-contained and unified in presentation, the book explains in details the fundamental solutions of vehicle's perception, vehicle's decision-making, and vehicle's action-taking in a pedagogic order.Besides the fundamental knowledge and concepts of intelligent vehicle's perception, decision and action, this book includes a comprehensive set of real-life application scenarios in which intelligent vehicles will play a major role or contribution. These case studies of real-life applications will help motivate students to learn this exciting subject. With concise and simple explanations, and boasting a rich set of graphical illustrations, the book is an invaluable source for both undergraduate and postgraduate courses, on artificial intelligence, intelligent vehicle, and robotics, which are offered in automotive engineering, computer engineering, electronic engineering, and mechanical engineering. In addition, the book will help strengthen the knowledge and skills of young researchers who want to venture into the research and development of artificial self-intelligence for intelligent vehicles of the future.Related Link(s)

STRUCTURE DESIGN FOR WIND TURBINE BLADE discusses design and verification of composite materials and components. The blade is the basic and the most important component of wind turbine. Blade structure reliability is an important feature to ensure the safe operation of blades in a turbine. This book aims to provide all the aspects of the blade structure design, including basic theories and design methods. This book is useful for professionals, technical personnel, students and faculties. KEY FEATURES: * Detailed components and their designs with appropriate examples * Blade structure design, with detailed introduction to blade structure components * One, two and three-dimensional blade structure analysis methods have been discussed * Consequent conversation on I-beam, thin-walled beam theory and finite element theory * Cross section, component, laminate and layer of fiber and resin, micro problems of fiber are studied.

Orchid Biotechnology IV presents a series of recent work on both basic and applied researches in biotechnology progress for Phalaenopsis, Oncidium and Erycina pusila orchids. These include breeding of Phalaenopsis orchids of black flower, big-white flower and small and floriferous flowers, physiology for shipping and photosynthesis, SSR markers and mitochondrial DNA markers, virus detection and antiviral immunity, embyogenesis and relationship with mycorrhiza symbiosis, transposon and retrotransposon, orchid genome and evolution, regulation of orchid floral scent, floral color modification, and abiotic stress tolerance.The diversity and specialization in orchid floral morphology have fascinated botanists and collectors for centuries. The orchid industry has been growing substantially worldwide. To advance the orchid industry, enhancement of basic research as well as advanced biotechnology will provide a good platform to improve the flower quality and the breeding of new varieties. This book provides a first-hand and up-to-date information on orchid breeding, orchid genome evolution, detection of virus in nanotechnology, molecular markers for cultivar identification for orchid lovers, researchers and industry growers.

This book provides a first hand and complete information on orchid biotechnology for orchid lovers, graduate students, researchers and industry growers. It contains comprehensive genomics and transcriptomics data, and a thorough discussion of the molecular mechanism of orchid floral morphogenesis. The contributors to the book are all orchid enthusiasts with more than 20 years' experience in the field.With more than 25,000 species, orchids are the most species-rich of all angiosperm families. They show wide diversity of epiphytic and terrestrial growth forms and have successfully colonized almost every habitat on earth. Orchids are fantastic for their spectacular flowers with highly evolved petal, labellum, and fused androecium and gynoecium, gynostemium, to attract pollinators for effective pollination. In addition, orchids have attracted the interest of many evolutionary biologists due to their highly specialized evolution and adaptation strategies.Orchid Biotechnology III covers the most update knowledge of orchid biotechnology research on Phalaenopsis, Oncidium, Cymbidium, Anoectohilus, Paphiopedilum, and Erycina pusilla. It will provide graduate students, researchers, orchid lovers and breeders with an opportunity to understand the mechanism why the orchids are so mysterious and spectacular. Hopefully, this information will be helpful for breeders to enhance orchid breeding and create even more elegant and grace flowers.

Orchid Biotechnology II presents a series of recent works on both basic and applied researches in biotechnology progress for Phalaenopsis and Oncidium orchids. These include the development of flower, ovule, gynostemium and perianth, the discovery of new orchid-infecting viruses and virus movement, secondary metabolites, technology of DNA endoduplication and genetic transformation, growth regulation by micronutrition and orchid mycorrhiza, and plant growth substances for flowering.

The diversity and specialization in orchid floral morphology have fascinated botanists and collectors for centuries. The orchid industry has been growing substantially in the past ten years worldwide. This book focuses on the recent advances in the research of orchid biotechnology from the past ten years in Taiwan. To advance the orchid industry, enhancement of basic research as well as advanced biotechnology will provide a good platform to improve flower quality and breeding of new varieties.

The concept of medical treatment from a distance (in absentia care) is actually quite ancient, dating back to tribal days where smoke signals were used to warn of serious disease in a community. Nowadays, telemedicine is used to facilitate treatment in rural areas, where the nearest doctor is miles away, through various forms of information technology, including videoconferencing and digital imaging. It can also be used to conveniently monitor chronically ill patients through electronic devices so that they can enjoy a better quality of life. But despite the strides that have been made in utilizing the telemedicine technology, there remain a number of limitations and weaknesses that must be overcome before this treatment paradigm can reach its full potential. In Mobile Telemedicine: A Computing and Network Perspective, noted computer scientists Yang Xiao and Hui Chen examine those computing and networking dilemmas arising from wireless and mobile telemedicine. Comprised of the contributions of many prominent international researchers, the book discusses the relative merits and limitations of the existing technology and sheds light on future developments. It begins with a discussion of patient care and monitoring through items such as personal alarm systems. It then reviews the current methods available to monitor cardiac and diabetic patients, analyzes the security and privacy considerations that arise with respect to the transmission of sensitive information, and examines issues relating to networking support. Finally, it concludes with a section on the opportunities and challenges faced by those involved at this intersection of healthcare and communications. By bridging the fields of medicine and information technology, this volume serves as a useful springboard for those pioneering IT researchers looking for a comprehensive reference. The book also provides information for those involved with either communications or healthcare who want to learn about the current state and potential use of this technology.