This book explains in an easy-to-understand manner the "check" points to keep in mind when inspecting various social infrastructure structures. It is put together in a way that not only engineers who are on the front line of maintenance and management but also engineers who are not normally involved in maintenance and management of social infrastructures as well as general public can understand the importance of social infrastructure inspection work.

This book is about wireless local area networks (WLANs) based upon the IEEE 802.11 standards. It has three primary objectives: * To introduce the principles of 802.11 wireless networks and show how to con- ure equipment in order to implement various network solutions. * To provide an understandingof the security implicationsof wireless networks and demonstrate how vulnerabilities can be mitigated. * To introduce the underlying 802.11 protocols and build mathematical models in order to analyse performance in a WLAN environment. The book is aimed at industry professionals as well as undergraduate and gra- ate level students. It is intended as a companion for a university course on wireless networking. A practical approach is adopted in this book; examples are provided throughout, supported by detailed instructions. We cover a number of wireless vendors; namely, Cisco's Aironet, Alactel-Lucent's Omniaccess and Meru Networks. While separate vendors, all three systems have a Cisco IOS-like command-line interface. The GNU/Linux operating system is used extensively throughout this book.

Formal Equivalence Checking and Design Debugging covers two major topics in design verification: logic equivalence checking and design debugging. The first part of the book reviews the design problems that require logic equivalence checking and describes the underlying technologies that are used to solve them. Some novel approaches to the problems of verifying design revisions after intensive sequential transformations such as retiming are described in detail. The second part of the book gives a thorough survey of previous and recent literature on design error diagnosis and design error correction. This part also provides an in-depth analysis of the algorithms used in two logic debugging software programs, ErrorTracer and AutoFix, developed by the authors. From the Foreword: With the adoption of the static sign-off approach to verifying circuit implementations the application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) industry will experience the first radical methodological revolution since the adoption of logic synthesis. Equivalence checking is one of the two critical elements of this methodological revolution. This book is timely for either the designer seeking to better understand the mechanics of equivalence checking or for the CAD researcher who wishes to investigate well-motivated research problems such as equivalence checking of retimed designs or error diagnosis in sequential circuits.' Kurt Keutzer, University of California, Berkeley

Operations Research is a field whose major contribution has been to propose a rigorous fonnulation of often ill-defmed problems pertaining to the organization or the design of large scale systems, such as resource allocation problems, scheduling and the like. While this effort did help a lot in understanding the nature of these problems, the mathematical models have proved only partially satisfactory due to the difficulty in gathering precise data, and in formulating objective functions that reflect the multi-faceted notion of optimal solution according to human experts. In this respect linear programming is a typical example of impressive achievement of Operations Research, that in its detenninistic fonn is not always adapted to real world decision-making : everything must be expressed in tenns of linear constraints ; yet the coefficients that appear in these constraints may not be so well-defined, either because their value depends upon other parameters (not accounted for in the model) or because they cannot be precisely assessed, and only qualitative estimates of these coefficients are available. Similarly the best solution to a linear programming problem may be more a matter of compromise between various criteria rather than just minimizing or maximizing a linear objective function. Lastly the constraints, expressed by equalities or inequalities between linear expressions, are often softer in reality that what their mathematical expression might let us believe, and infeasibility as detected by the linear programming techniques can often been coped with by making trade-offs with the real world.

This book provides a new framework for analysis of slope nonlinear stochastic seismic dynamic response based on the new theoretical tool of stochastic dynamics. The coupling effects of uncertainty of geological parameters, strong dynamic nonlinearity, and randomness of ground motion are considered in the process of the seismic dynamic stability assessment of slope. In this book, an intensity frequency non-stationary stochastic ground motion model based on time-domain stochastic process description is preliminarily established to characterize the randomness of earthquakes. The spatial distribution random field model of geotechnical parameters is established to describe the time-space variability of geotechnical parameters. Based on the basic theory of stochastic dynamics, the seismic stability performance evaluation method of slope is established. The slope seismic dynamic model test based on large complex shaking table is performed to verify and modify the proposed framework and method. This book sheds new light on the development of nonlinear seismic stochastic dynamics and seismic design of slope engineering.

Through application of the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) method, this monograph mainly focuses on large deformations and flow failure simulations of geomaterials and movement behavior, which are always involved in geo-disasters. The work covers the theoretical background, numerical techniques, code implementation issues, and many novel and interesting applications. Two-dimensional and three-dimensional SPH models in the framework of both hydrodynamics and solid mechanics are established, with detailed descriptions. The monograph also contains many appealing and practical examples of geo-disaster modeling and analysis, including the fluidized movement of flow-like landslides, lateral spread of liquefied soils, and flow slides in landfills. In the documented SPH simulations, the propagation of geo-disasters is effectively reproduced. Dynamic behaviors of geomaterials during propagation are ascertained, including sliding path, flow velocity, maximum distance reached, and distribution of deposits. In this way, the monograph presents a means for mapping hazardous areas, estimating hazard intensity, and identifying and designing appropriate protective measures.

Intelligent decision support is based on human knowledge related to a specific part of a real or abstract world. When the knowledge is gained by experience, it is induced from empirical data. The data structure, called an information system, is a record of objects described by a set of attributes. Knowledge is understood here as an ability to classify objects. Objects being in the same class are indiscernible by means of attributes and form elementary building blocks (granules, atoms). In particular, the granularity of knowledge causes that some notions cannot be expressed precisely within available knowledge and can be defined only vaguely. In the rough sets theory created by Z. Pawlak each imprecise concept is replaced by a pair of precise concepts called its lower and upper approximation. These approximations are fundamental tools and reasoning about knowledge. The rough sets philosophy turned out to be a very effective, new tool with many successful real-life applications to its credit. It is worthwhile stressing that no auxiliary assumptions are needed about data, like probability or membership function values, which is its great advantage. The present book reveals a wide spectrum of applications of the rough set concept, giving the reader the flavor of, and insight into, the methodology of the newly developed disciplines. Although the book emphasizes applications, comparison with other related methods and further developments receive due attention.

"New Frontiers in Engineering Geology and the Environment" collects selected papers presented at the International Symposium on Coastal Engineering Geology (ISCEG-Shanghai 2012). These papers involve many subjects - such as engineering geology, natural hazards, geoenvironment and geotechnical engineering - with a primary focus on geological engineering problems in coastal regions. The proceedings provide readers with the latest research results and engineering experiences from academic scientists, leading engineers and industry researchers who are interested in coastal engineering geology and the relevant fields. Yu Huang works at the Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Tongji University, China. Faquan Wu works at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Science, China and he is also the Secretary General of the International Association for Engineering Geology and the Environment. Zhenming Shi works at the Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Tongji University, China. Bin Ye works at the Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Tongji University, China.

This book is one out of 8 IAEG XII Congress volumes, and deals with the processes occurring on the coastal zone, which represents a critical interface between land and sea, as the contribution of the ocean to the provision of energy and mineral resources will likely increase in the coming decades. Several related topics fit into this volume, such as: coastal developments and infrastructures; dredging and beach re-nourishment; sediment erosion, transport and accumulation; geohazard assessment; seafloor uses; seabed mapping; exploration and exploitation of the seafloor, of the sub-seafloor, and of marine clean energies and climatic and anthropogenic impacts on coastal and marine environments. Examples of specific themes are coastal management and shore protection, taking into account storm-related events and natural and anthropogenic changes in the relative sea level, planning of waste disposal, remedial works for coastal pollution, seafloor pipeline engineering, slope stability analysis, or tsunami propagation and flooding. The Engineering Geology for Society and Territory volumes of the IAEG XII Congress held in Torino from September 15-19, 2014, analyze the dynamic role of engineering geology in our changing world and build on the four main themes of the congress: environment, processes, issues and approaches. The congress topics and subject areas of the 8 IAEG XII Congress volumes are: 1. Climate Change and Engineering Geology 2. Landslide Processes River Basins 3. Reservoir Sedimentation and Water Resources 4. Marine and Coastal Processes Urban Geology 5. Sustainable Planning and Landscape Exploitation 6. Applied Geology for Major Engineering Projects 7. Education, Professional Ethics and Public Recognition of Engineering Geology 8. Preservation of Cultural Heritage.

Formal Equivalence Checking and Design Debugging covers two major topics in design verification: logic equivalence checking and design debugging. The first part of the book reviews the design problems that require logic equivalence checking and describes the underlying technologies that are used to solve them. Some novel approaches to the problems of verifying design revisions after intensive sequential transformations such as retiming are described in detail. The second part of the book gives a thorough survey of previous and recent literature on design error diagnosis and design error correction. This part also provides an in-depth analysis of the algorithms used in two logic debugging software programs, ErrorTracer and AutoFix, developed by the authors. From the Foreword: `With the adoption of the static sign-off approach to verifying circuit implementations the application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) industry will experience the first radical methodological revolution since the adoption of logic synthesis. Equivalence checking is one of the two critical elements of this methodological revolution. This book is timely for either the designer seeking to better understand the mechanics of equivalence checking or for the CAD researcher who wishes to investigate well-motivated research problems such as equivalence checking of retimed designs or error diagnosis in sequential circuits.' Kurt Keutzer, University of California, Berkeley

This book is about wireless local area networks (WLANs) based upon the IEEE 802.11 standards. It has three primary objectives: * To introduce the principles of 802.11 wireless networks and show how to con- ure equipment in order to implement various network solutions. * To provide an understandingof the security implicationsof wireless networks and demonstrate how vulnerabilities can be mitigated. * To introduce the underlying 802.11 protocols and build mathematical models in order to analyse performance in a WLAN environment. The book is aimed at industry professionals as well as undergraduate and gra- ate level students. It is intended as a companion for a university course on wireless networking. A practical approach is adopted in this book; examples are provided throughout, supported by detailed instructions. We cover a number of wireless vendors; namely, Cisco's Aironet, Alactel-Lucent's Omniaccess and Meru Networks. While separate vendors, all three systems have a Cisco IOS-like command-line interface. The GNU/Linux operating system is used extensively throughout this book.

This book consists of lecture notes for a semester-long introductory graduate course on dynamical systems and chaos taught by the authors at Texas A&M University and Zhongshan University, China. There are ten chapters in the main body of the book, covering an elementary theory of chaotic maps in finite-dimensional spaces. The topics include one-dimensional dynamical systems (interval maps), bifurcations, general topological, symbolic dynamical systems, fractals and a class of infinite-dimensional dynamical systems which are induced by interval maps, plus rapid fluctuations of chaotic maps as a new viewpoint developed by the authors in recent years. Two appendices are also provided in order to ease the transitions for the readership from discrete-time dynamical systems to continuous-time dynamical systems, governed by ordinary and partial differential equations. Table of Contents: Simple Interval Maps and Their Iterations / Total Variations of Iterates of Maps / Ordering among Periods: The Sharkovski Theorem / Bifurcation Theorems for Maps / Homoclinicity. Lyapunoff Exponents / Symbolic Dynamics, Conjugacy and Shift Invariant Sets / The Smale Horseshoe / Fractals / Rapid Fluctuations of Chaotic Maps on RN / Infinite-dimensional Systems Induced by Continuous-Time Difference Equations

Operations Research is a field whose major contribution has been to propose a rigorous fonnulation of often ill-defmed problems pertaining to the organization or the design of large scale systems, such as resource allocation problems, scheduling and the like. While this effort did help a lot in understanding the nature of these problems, the mathematical models have proved only partially satisfactory due to the difficulty in gathering precise data, and in formulating objective functions that reflect the multi-faceted notion of optimal solution according to human experts. In this respect linear programming is a typical example of impressive achievement of Operations Research, that in its detenninistic fonn is not always adapted to real world decision-making : everything must be expressed in tenns of linear constraints ; yet the coefficients that appear in these constraints may not be so well-defined, either because their value depends upon other parameters (not accounted for in the model) or because they cannot be precisely assessed, and only qualitative estimates of these coefficients are available. Similarly the best solution to a linear programming problem may be more a matter of compromise between various criteria rather than just minimizing or maximizing a linear objective function. Lastly the constraints, expressed by equalities or inequalities between linear expressions, are often softer in reality that what their mathematical expression might let us believe, and infeasibility as detected by the linear programming techniques can often been coped with by making trade-offs with the real world.

Intelligent decision support is based on human knowledge related to a specific part of a real or abstract world. When the knowledge is gained by experience, it is induced from empirical data. The data structure, called an information system, is a record of objects described by a set of attributes. Knowledge is understood here as an ability to classify objects. Objects being in the same class are indiscernible by means of attributes and form elementary building blocks (granules, atoms). In particular, the granularity of knowledge causes that some notions cannot be expressed precisely within available knowledge and can be defined only vaguely. In the rough sets theory created by Z. Pawlak each imprecise concept is replaced by a pair of precise concepts called its lower and upper approximation. These approximations are fundamental tools and reasoning about knowledge. The rough sets philosophy turned out to be a very effective, new tool with many successful real-life applications to its credit. It is worthwhile stressing that no auxiliary assumptions are needed about data, like probability or membership function values, which is its great advantage. The present book reveals a wide spectrum of applications of the rough set concept, giving the reader the flavor of, and insight into, the methodology of the newly developed disciplines. Although the book emphasizes applications, comparison with other related methods and further developments receive due attention.

This book focuses on the development of smart education in China and some countries of Central and Eastern Europe. A brief discussion on the idea of smart education was given in the introduction chapter, followed by a series of national smart education profiles of eleven countries. In detail, the profile starts with an overview of ICT in Education or smart education in the country and policies of ICT in Education or smart education. Some key features of smart education in each country were discussed with examples of best practices. The profile ends with a description of trends of smart education in the country. Based on the information above, the final chapter presents an analysis among the eleven countries with six major features they presented and concluded the book with suggestions on advancing smart education by three points.

This book provides a new framework for analysis of slope nonlinear stochastic seismic dynamic response based on the new theoretical tool of stochastic dynamics. The coupling effects of uncertainty of geological parameters, strong dynamic nonlinearity, and randomness of ground motion are considered in the process of the seismic dynamic stability assessment of slope. In this book, an intensity frequency non-stationary stochastic ground motion model based on time-domain stochastic process description is preliminarily established to characterize the randomness of earthquakes. The spatial distribution random field model of geotechnical parameters is established to describe the time-space variability of geotechnical parameters. Based on the basic theory of stochastic dynamics, the seismic stability performance evaluation method of slope is established. The slope seismic dynamic model test based on large complex shaking table is performed to verify and modify the proposed framework and method. This book sheds new light on the development of nonlinear seismic stochastic dynamics and seismic design of slope engineering.  

This book explains in an easy-to-understand manner the "check" points to keep in mind when inspecting various social infrastructure structures. It is put together in a way that not only engineers who are on the front line of maintenance and management but also engineers who are not normally involved in maintenance and management of social infrastructures as well as general public can understand the importance of social infrastructure inspection work.

Nanoscale materials are showing great promise in various electronic, optoelectronic, and energy applications. Silicon (Si) has especially captured great attention as the leading material for microelectronic and nanoscale device applications. Recently, various silicides have garnered special attention for their pivotal role in Si device engineering and for the vast potential they possess in fields such as thermoelectricity and magnetism. The fundamental understanding of Si and silicide material processes at nanoscale plays a key role in achieving device structures and performance that meet real-world requirements and, therefore, demands investigation and exploration of nanoscale device applications. This book comprises the theoretical and experimental analysis of various properties of silicon nanocrystals, research methods and techniques to prepare them, and some of their promising applications.

This book argues for the significance of ideology critique and moral judgment in the fields of literary, cultural, political and philosophical studies. By drawing on Slavoj D; iE; ek's theory of ideology the author examines postmodern horror films like Jonathan Demme's The Silence of the Lambs, multiculturalism, post-September 11 political discourses and the society of enjoyment in terms of paranoia and perversion and reveals patterns of enjoyment structured through ideological fantasy. The Lacanian/D; iE; ekian theory of ideological fantasy and ethics of psychoanalysis is then applied to broader philosophical, political and cultural contexts.