This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Machine Learning and Cybernetics, Lanzhou, China, in July 2014. The 45 revised full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 421 submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections on classification and semi-supervised learning; clustering and kernel; application to recognition; sampling and big data; application to detection; decision tree learning; learning and adaptation; similarity and decision making; learning with uncertainty; improved learning algorithms and applications.

Cloud computing is the latest market-oriented computing paradigm which brings software design and development into a new era characterized by "XaaS", i.e. everything as a service. Cloud workflows, as typical software applications in the cloud, are composed of a set of partially ordered cloud software services to achieve specific goals. However, due to the low QoS (quality of service) nature of the cloud environment, the design of workflow systems in the cloud becomes a challenging issue for the delivery of high quality cloud workflow applications. To address such an issue, this book presents a systematic investigation to the three critical aspects for the design of a cloud workflow system, viz. system architecture, system functionality and quality of service. Specifically, the system architecture for a cloud workflow system is designed based on the general four-layer cloud architecture, viz. application layer, platform layer, unified resources layer and fabric layer. The system functionality for a cloud workflow system is designed based on the general workflow reference model but with significant extensions to accommodate software services in the cloud. The support of QoS is critical for the quality of cloud workflow applications. This book presents a generic framework to facilitate a unified design and development process for software components that deliver lifecycle support for different QoS requirements. While the general QoS requirements for cloud workflow applications can have many dimensions, this book mainly focuses on three of the most important ones, viz. performance, reliability and security. In this book, the architecture, functionality and QoS management of our SwinDeW-C prototype cloud workflow system are demonstrated in detail as a case study to evaluate our generic design for cloud workflow systems. To conclude, this book offers a general overview of cloud workflow systems and provides comprehensive introductions to the design of the system architecture, system functionality and QoS management.

Nanomaterials in Rocket Propulsion Systems covers the fundamentals of nanomaterials and examines a wide range of innovative applications, presenting the current state-of-the-art in the field. Opening with a chapter on nano-sized energetic materials, the book examines metal nanoparticles-based fuels, ballistic modifiers, stabilizers and catalysts as the components of rocket propellants. Hydrogen storage materials for rocket propulsion based on nanotubes are then discussed, as are nano-porous materials and metal organic frameworks, nano-gelled propellants, nano-composite ablators and ceramic nano-composites. Other applications examined include high thermal conductivity metallic nano-composite nozzle liners, nano-emitters for Coulomb propulsion of space-crafts, and highly thermostable nano-ceramics for rocket motors. The book finishes with coverage of combustion of nano-sized rocket fuels, nano-particles and their combustion in micro- and nano-electromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS), plasma propulsion and nano-scale physics. Users will find this to be a valuable resource for academic and government institutions, professionals, new researchers and graduate students working in the application of nanomaterials in the aerospace industry.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Cloud Computing, CloudComp 2021, held in December 2021. Due to COVID-19 pandemic the conference was held virtually. The 17 full papers were carefully reviewed and selected from 40 submissions and detail cloud computing technologies for efficient and intelligent computing in secure and smart environments with distributed devices. The theme of CloudComp 2021 was "Cloud Computing for Secure and Smart Applications". The book is organized in three general areas of data analytics for cloud systems with distributed applications, cloud architecture and challenges in real-world use, and security in cloud/edge platforms.

Geoenvironmental Engineering and Geotechnics: Progress in Modeling and Applications (GSP 204), presents 39 papers that represent the latest developments in the application of soil, rock, and groundwater mechanics in geotechnical engineering modeling and practice including: the relationship between geotechnical engineering and sustainability; new evidence and research into the strength and deformational behavior of soil; and recent advances in characterization and modeling of groundwater flow in geological formations of diverse geotechnical properties. This Geotechnical Special Publication examines these and other important areas of geotechnical engineering using three main categories: Geoenvironmental Engineering, Geotechnics and Seepage and Porous Mechanics. These papers were presented at the GeoShanghai 2010 Conference, sponsored by the Geo-Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers, held in Shanghai, China, June 35, 2010.