Low-resource environments call for evidence-based knowledge on resilience strategies. When the stressed contexts associated with low resources also include cumulative and chronic risk (such as HIV & AIDS, high unemployment levels, low household incomes and low literacy levels), demands on varied services are strained even more drastically - compelling empirical understandings of how systems can cushion the impact of stressors. Partnering for resilience is a pioneering book offering insights (spanning eight years) from longitudinal, participatory research based on a strengths-based intervention with teachers in varied schools (primary and secondary; urban and rural) in three South African provinces. Partnering for resilience presents new knowledge pertaining particularly to how existing resources can be managed to both implement and sustain resilience tactics to mediate the effects of ongoing adversity. An evidence-based intervention model (STAR: Supportive Teachers, Assets and Resilience), with validated fidelity of intervention across cases, is presented. STAR demonstrates how varied groups of teachers, who took ownership of the challenges their school communities faced, were able to formulate solutions and reach identified goals in order to create and sustain caring and supportive schools. The methodological nuances of integrating Participatory Reflection and Action (PRA) for collaborative knowledge production are unpacked with case-by-case examples. In addition, the book argues for inventive knowledge production where research integrates community engagement processes with research capacity development of postgraduate students and partners.

The field of enterprise systems integration is constantly evolving, as every new technology that is introduced appears to make all previous ones obsolete. Despite this continuous evolution, there is a set of underlying concepts and technologies that have been gaining an increasing importance in this field. Examples are asynchronous messaging through message queues, data and application adapters based on XML and Web services, the principles associated with the service-oriented architecture (SOA), service composition, orchestrations, and advanced mechanisms such as correlations and long-running transactions. Today, these concepts have reached a significant level of maturity and they represent the foundation over which most integration platforms have been built.

This book addresses integration with a view towards supporting business processes. From messaging systems to data and application adapters, and then to services, orchestrations, and choreographies, the focus is placed on the connection between systems and business processes, and particularly on how it is possible to develop an integrated application infrastructure in order to implement the desired business processes. For this purpose, the text follows a layered, bottom-up approach, with application-oriented integration at the lowest level, followed by service-oriented integration and finally completed by process-oriented integration at the topmost level. The presentation of concepts is accompanied by a set of instructive examples using state-of-the-art technologies such as Java Message Service (JMS), Microsoft Message Queuing (MSMQ), Web Services, Microsoft BizTalk Server, and the Business Process Execution Language (BPEL).

The book is intended as a textbook for advance undergraduate or beginning graduate students in computer science, especially for those in an information systems curriculum. IT professionals with a background in programming, databases and XML will also benefit from the step-by-step description of the various integration levels and the related implementation examples.

Provides insights into the various aspects of microbial genomics and biotechnology for environmental cleanup In recent years, the application of genomics to biodegradation and bioremediation research has led to a better understanding of the metabolic capabilities of microorganisms, their interactions with hazardous and toxic chemical compounds, and their adaptability to changing environmental conditions. Genomics to Bioremediation: Principles, Applications, and Perspectives provides comprehensive and up-to-date information on cutting-edge technologies and approaches in bioremediation and biodegradation of environmental pollutants. Edited by prominent researchers in the field, this authoritative reference examines advanced genomics technologies, next-generation sequencing (NGS), and state-of-the-art bioinformatics tools while offering valuable insights into the unique functional attributes of different microbial communities and their impact on the removal of chemical contaminants. Each chapter includes numerous high-quality illustrations, detailed tables, extensive references, and step-by-step descriptions of various microbial metabolic pathways of degradation and biotransformation of environments containing various inorganic, metallic, organometallic, and organic hydrocarbon contaminants. Describes methodologies and underlying theory for the remediation, detoxification, and degradation of contaminated environments Covers new genomics technologies that address nutrient removal, resource recovery, and other major trends in environmental cleanup Highlights recent advances in microbial biotechnological approaches including the latest description of the relationship between microbes and the environment focusing on their impact on ecosystem services. Offers perspectives on energy saving, production, sustainability, and community involvement Discusses current challenges and future directions in the field of bioremediation Genomics to Bioremediation: Principles, Applications, and Perspectives is an essential resource for biochemical and environmental engineers, environmental microbiologists, academic researchers, process and treatment plant managers, policymakers, and industry professionals working in the areas of microbial degradation, bioremediation, and phytoremediation.

The main goal of this book is to explain the core ideas of process mining, and to demonstrate how they can be implemented using just some basic tools that are available to any computer scientist or data scientist. It describes how to analyze event logs in order to discover the behavior of real-world business processes. The end result can often be visualized as a graph, and the book explains how to use Python and Graphviz to render these graphs intuitively. Overall, it enables the reader to implement process mining techniques on his or her own, independently of any specific process mining tool. An introduction to two popular process mining tools, namely Disco and ProM, is also provided. In this second edition the code snippets have been updated to Python 3, and some smaller errors have been corrected. The book will be especially valuable for self-study or as a precursor to a more advanced text. Practitioners and students will be able to follow along on their own, even if they have no prior knowledge of the topic. After reading this book, they will be able to more confidently proceed to the research literature if needed.

Congress has created multiple trade preference programs designed to foster economic growth, reform and development in less developed countries. These programs give temporary, non-reciprocal, duty-free U.S. market access to select exports of eligible countries. Congress conducts regular oversight of these programs, repeatedly revising and extending them. This book discusses the major U.S. trade preference programs, their possible economic effects, stakeholder interests and legislative options