The Penguin Classics Marvel Collection presents the origin stories, seminal tales, and characters of the Marvel Universe to explore Marvel's transformative and timeless influence on an entire genre of fantasy.

It is impossible to imagine American popular culture without Marvel Comics. For decades, Marvel has published groundbreaking visual narratives that sustain attention on multiple levels: as metaphors for the experience of difference and otherness; as meditations on the fluid nature of identity; and as high-water marks in the artistic tradition of American cartooning, to name a few.

Drawing upon multiple comic book series, this collection includes Captain America's very first appearances from 1941 alongside key examples of his first solo stories of the 1960s, in which Steve Rogers, the newly resurrected hero of World War II, searches to find his place in a new and unfamiliar world. As the contents reveal, the transformations of this American icon thus mark parallel transformations in the nation itself.

A foreword by Gene Luen Yang and scholarly introductions and apparatus by Ben Saunders offer further insight into the enduring significance of Captain America and classic Marvel comics.

The Penguin Classics black spine paperback features full-colour art throughout.

Temporal Data Mining via Unsupervised Ensemble Learning provides the principle knowledge of temporal data mining in association with unsupervised ensemble learning and the fundamental problems of temporal data clustering from different perspectives. By providing three proposed ensemble approaches of temporal data clustering, this book presents a practical focus of fundamental knowledge and techniques, along with a rich blend of theory and practice. Furthermore, the book includes illustrations of the proposed approaches based on data and simulation experiments to demonstrate all methodologies, and is a guide to the proper usage of these methods. As there is nothing universal that can solve all problems, it is important to understand the characteristics of both clustering algorithms and the target temporal data so the correct approach can be selected for a given clustering problem. Scientists, researchers, and data analysts working with machine learning and data mining will benefit from this innovative book, as will undergraduate and graduate students following courses in computer science, engineering, and statistics.

Religion in China survived the most radical suppression in human history--a total ban of any religion during and after the Cultural Revolution (1966-1979). All churches, temples, and mosques were closed down, converted for secular uses, or turned to museums for the purpose of atheist education. China remains under Communist rule. But in the last three decades, religion has revived and thrived. Christianity has been the fastest growing religion for decades. Many Buddhist and Daoist temples have been restored. The state even sponsors large Buddhist gatherings and ceremonies to venerate Confucius and the legendary ancestors of the Chinese people. Traditional Chinese temples have sprung up in some areas. On the other hand, quasi-religious qigong practices, once ubiquitous in public parks throughout the country, are now rare. All the while, the authorities have carried out waves of atheist propaganda, anti-superstition campaigns, severe crackdowns on the underground Christian churches and various ''evil cults.'' How do we explain the religious situation in China today? How do we explain the religious situation in China today? How did religion survive the eradication measures in the 1960s and 1970s? How do various religious groups manage to revive despite strict regulations? Why have some religions grown fast in the reform era? Why have some forms of spirituality gone through dramatic turns? In Religion in China, Fenggang Yang provides a comprehensive overview of the religious change in China under Communism, drawing on his ''political economy'' approach to the sociology of religion.

Scott Adkins and Dolph Lundgren star in this action thriller directed by Eric Styles. When a mysterious river monster in China attacks and kills several people, scientist Travis Preston (Adkins) travels out to investigate. When he arrives in the small fishing village he discovers, to his dismay, notorious hunter Harker (Lundgren) is also searching for the creature but with very different methods. If Travis can find the monster first he intends to capture it and study its existence; if Harker finds it he intends to kill it. Who will get there first?

Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

This forward-thinking Handbook explores cutting-edge research on how employees within firms should be managed in order to increase their wellbeing and performance. Expert contributors explore an emerging stream of research in human resource management (HRM) which suggests that attention should be paid to how line managers implement HR practices and how employees perceive, understand and attribute these HR practices. Chapters consider the implications of employees' and leaders' HR attributions and their performance, HRM system strength, change, talent management and the role of line managers in the HRM process. Providing an overview of the current knowledge in the HR process research, the Handbook also discusses future avenues and directions for the field. Demonstrating the dynamics of how HR practices impact organisational and individual outcomes, this Handbook will be critical reading for scholars and students of human resource management, organisational behaviour and research methods in business and management. It will also be beneficial for HR professionals seeking to understand how they can increase the effectiveness of their HR management.

This Modern Guide captures the evolution of foundational tenets, theories, frameworks and models that buttressed tourism economics into an evolving discipline, shining light on both new and old approaches. It systematically examines current and future trends and issues related to new economic perspectives, consolidating the notion of tourism economics as a discipline. Chapters delve into the theoretical underpinnings of specific topics within the field, providing a range of examples of how to leverage economic theories to better understand, manage, and promote tourism activities to different stakeholders. Offering a kaleidoscope of economic perspectives, the Modern Guide looks at tourism economics from trade theory, choice theory, behavioural economics, public choice, institutional economics, environmental economics, developmental economics, cultural economics and more, with each chapter ending with insights into future research and directions. Written in an accessible style, this will be an invigorating read for hospitality and tourism management scholars, as well as tourism geographies, tourism marketing and sustainable tourism students. It will also be a useful tool for tourism economists and applied economists looking for a wide range of perspectives on the topic.

Cilia Signaling in Development and Disease, Volume 155 in the Current Topics in Developmental Biology series, highlights new advances in the field, with this new volume presenting interesting chapters on topics such as Cilia and mTOR signaling, Cilia and Kidney, Extraciliary functions of IFT proteins, Cilia and eye stem cells, Cilia and eye development, Cryo-EM/ET and cilia structure, and Control of protein and lipid composition of photoreceptor outer segments and the implications for eye diseases.

A Michael L. Printz Award winner, a National Book Award finalist, and a New York Times bestseller! A tour-de-force by New York Times bestselling graphic novelist Gene Yang, American Born Chinese tells the story of three apparently unrelated characters: Jin Wang, who moves to a new neighborhood with his family only to discover that he's the only Chinese-American student at his new school; the powerful Monkey King, subject of one of the oldest and greatest Chinese fables; and Chin-Kee, a personification of the ultimate negative Chinese stereotype, who is ruining his cousin Danny's life with his yearly visits. Their lives and stories come together with an unexpected twist in this action-packed modern fable. American Born Chinese is an amazing ride, all the way up to the astonishing climax. American Born Chinese is the winner of the 2007 Michael L. Printz Award, a 2006 National Book Award Finalist for Young People's Literature, the winner of the 2007 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album: New, an Eisner Award nominee for Best Coloring, a 2007 Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year, and a New York Times bestseller. This title has Common Core Connections

Machine Learning Aided Analysis, Design, and Additive Manufacturing of Functionally Graded Porous Composite Structures presents a state-of-the-art review of the latest advances and cutting-edge technologies in this important research field. Sections provide an introduction to functionally graded porous structures and detail the effects of graded porosities on bending, buckling, and vibration behaviors within the framework of Timoshenko beam theory and first-order shear deformable plate theory. Other sections cover the usage of machine learning techniques for smart structural analysis of porous components as an evolution from traditional engineering and methods and focus on additive manufacturing of structures with graded porosities for end-user applications. The book follows a clear path from design and analysis to fabrication and applications. Readers will find extensive knowledge and examples of functionally graded porous structures that are suitable for innovative research and market needs, with applications relevant to a diverse range of industrial fields, including mechanical, structural, aerospace, energy, and biomedical engineering.

Supply and Demand Management in Ride-Sourcing Markets offers a fundamental modelling framework for characterizing ride-sourcing markets by spelling out the complex relationships among the key endogenous and exogenous variables in the markets. This book establishes several economic models that can approximate matching frictions between drivers and passengers, describes the equilibrium state of ride-sourcing markets, and more. Based on these models, develop an optimum strategy (in terms of trip fare, wage and/or matching) that maximizes platform profit. While the best social optimum solution (for maximizing the social welfare) is generally unsustainable, this book provides options governments can use to encourage second-best solutions. In addition, the authors establish models to analyze ride-pooling services, with traffic congestion externalities incorporated into models to see how both new platforms and government designs can optimize operating strategies in response to the level of traffic congestion.

In this book two fields meet, Technology Education with its long history, and Maker Education, a relative new shoot in the educational field. Both focus on learning through making and both value agency and motivation of learners. The purpose of this book is to understand and analyze the kind of informal and formal educational activities that take place under the umbrella of the Maker Movement and then relate this to the field of Technology Education to uncover what researchers, innovators and teachers in this field can learn from the principles, ideas and practices that are central to the Maker Movement and vice versa. The book contains two types of chapters. The first type is case study chapters that span from Mexico, China, Korea, Denmark, the Netherlands to Kenya and from primary to tertiary level, showing a variety of good practices in maker education including both formal and informal contexts. In the subsequent thematic chapters, dedicated authors have used the case studies to reflect on themes such as curriculum reform, social learning, materiality, spatial thinking, informal versus formal learning as well as the sustainability of learning and relate what is happening in Maker Education with Technology Education to imagine possible futures for Maker Education.

Modelling and Control of Dynamic Spatially Distributed Systems: Pharmaceutical Processes provides a balanced approach to help readers to get started quickly in the field of biochemical pharmaceuticals. From a theoretical perspective, dynamic spatially distributed systems are introduced to address their industrial applications. After identifying problems, the book provides readers with modeling and control system design techniques via a novel fuzzy set (class of objects with a continuum of grades of membership, to describe the grade of the object belonging to this fuzzy set) and intelligent computation methods. From an application perspective, the book provides a thorough understanding of Good Manufacture Practices (GMP) and the importance of identification, modelling, and intelligent control of such systems, reducing the test-and-error cost, and the R&D design time cycle of original drug development.

Geopolymer Concrete Structures with Steel and FRP Reinforcements: Analysis and Design focuses on structural behavior, including the aspects of compression, bending strength and combined action of GPC members, with the book's content based on published studies over the last two decades. Geopolymer concrete (GPC) structural members reinforced with FRP reinforcement have some advantages in resisting forces compared to conventional concrete or steel tubular members. Among the most important are the high strength and bending stiffness, fire and impact performance and favorable, construction ability and durability. To this end, there are no significant applications of these new structural elements worldwide, partly due to the lack of the understanding of their behavior and insufficient design provisions in different design manuals. This book, therefore, seeks to highlight their characteristics and future potential.

In a period of rapid change for welfare states around the world, this insightful book offers a comparative study of three historically small welfare states: the US, Japan and South Korea. Examining various aspects of welfare states, chapters explore the underlying reasons behind the restraint of social security in these countries. Featuring contributions from international distinguished scholars, this book looks beyond the larger European welfare states to unpack the many common political and institutional characteristics - from labor organization to party politics - that have constrained welfare state development in industrialized democracies. Offering insight into welfare-state development outside of Europe, this book will be crucial reading for scholars of welfare states, especially those working on Asian and American social policy specifically. It will also be of interest to policymakers and social policy experts in government, civil institutions and international organizations, particularly for those working in developing countries. Contributors include: M. Estevez-Abe, C. Faricy, S. Haggard, Y.-R, Jung, D. Kim, S.-w. Kim, Y.-S. Kim, J. Klein, S.-M. Kwon, D. Oude Nijuis, J.-j. Yang

Time-Dependent Reliability Theory and Its Applications introduces the theory of time-dependent reliability and presents methods to determine the reliability of structures over the lifespan of their services. The book contains state-of-the-art solutions to first passage probability derived from the theory of stochastic processes with different types of probability distribution functions, including Gaussian and non-Gaussian distributions and stationary and non-stationary processes. In addition, it provides various methods to determine the probability of failure over time, considering different failure modes and a methodology to predict the service life of structures. Sections also cover the applications of time-dependent reliability to prediction of service life and development of risk cost-optimized maintenance strategy for existing structures. This new book is for those who wants to know how to predict the service life of a structure (buildings, bridges, aircraft structures, etc.) and how to develop a risk-cost, optimized maintenance strategy for these structures.

Hydrodynamic Lubrication of Non-Newtonian Fluids covers basic theory, lubrication failure and numerical methods and procedures. The title offers a feasible method for solving the hydrodynamic lubrication problem for non-Newtonian fluids. Whereas hydrodynamic lubrication in Newtonian fluids can be solved using the existing Reynolds equation, hydrodynamic lubrication in non-Newtonian fluid is much more difficult to solve because the non-Newtonian constitutive equation is nonlinear. Engineers and technicians working on non-Newtonian fluid lubrication calculation and analysis will find this to be an invaluable reference on the latest thinking on hydrodynamic lubrication. This book presents a unified solution to hydrodynamic lubrication in non-Newtonian fluids, proposing a flow separation method. In addition, the title gives methods and insights into viscosity in non-Newtonian fluids, the lubrication failure mechanism and fluid lubrication mechanism carrying capacity.

This forward-thinking Handbook explores cutting-edge research on how employees within firms should be managed in order to increase their wellbeing and performance. Expert contributors explore an emerging stream of research in human resource management (HRM) which suggests that attention should be paid to how line managers implement HR practices and how employees perceive, understand and attribute these HR practices. Chapters consider the implications of employees' and leaders' HR attributions and their performance, HRM system strength, change, talent management and the role of line managers in the HRM process. Providing an overview of the current knowledge in the HR process research, the Handbook also discusses future avenues and directions for the field. Demonstrating the dynamics of how HR practices impact organisational and individual outcomes, this Handbook will be critical reading for scholars and students of human resource management, organisational behaviour and research methods in business and management. It will also be beneficial for HR professionals seeking to understand how they can increase the effectiveness of their HR management.

Methods to Assess and Manage Process Safety in Digitalized Process System, Volume Six, the latest release in the Methods in Chemical Process Safety series, highlights new advances in the field, with this new volume presenting interesting chapters written by an international board of authors.

Stress, Strain, and Structural Dynamics: An Interactive Handbook of Formulas, Solutions, and MATLAB Toolboxes, Second Edition is the definitive reference to statics and dynamics of solids and structures, including mechanics of materials, structural mechanics, elasticity, rigid-body dynamics, vibrations, structural dynamics, and structural controls. The book integrates the development of fundamental theories, formulas, and mathematical models with user-friendly interactive computer programs that are written in MATLAB. This unique merger of technical reference and interactive computing provides instant solutions to a variety of engineering problems, and in-depth exploration of the physics of deformation, stress and motion by analysis, simulation, graphics, and animation.