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Forensic Science Laboratory Benchmarking: The FORESIGHT Manual
By Max M. Houck, Paul J. Speaker. 2024
Forensic Science Laboratory Benchmarking: The FORESIGHT Manual takes a step-by-step instructional approach to utilizing FORESIGHT data, detailing how labs can…
participate in the process to improve efficiencies. The FORESIGHT Project—a business benchmarking process for forensic service providers—was created in 2008 to collect and report data while offering improvement to processes through analysis, comparisons, and best practice evaluations. The program has grown to include more than 200 participating forensic laboratories worldwide.FORESIGHT offers the capability for labs to improve core functions, provide and benefit from metrics, and thus, improve the labs capabilities and functioning for the public good, while maintaining their often limited, fixed budgets. Due to ever-increasing caseloads, forensic laboratories are constantly plagued by backlogged casework—cases submitted to the laboratory but not yet worked. This leads to inefficiencies, delays, and unhappy agencies expecting timely results. Unfortunately, even if a lab’s slates were wiped clean and the backlog were erased, many of the inefficient processes—that created the backlog—would still be in place. Eventually, and inevitably, the lab would develop a new backlog.Unique coverage and features: Presents critical and proven cutting-edge measures to utilize FORESIGHT data improve laboratory testing, operational efficiency, and policies without added additional costs. Synthesizes the data input from more than 200 labs and a decade’s worth of analytics to illustrate process improvements and the advantages of participating. Outlines how to develop data-driven responses to solve current and future problems. Forensic Science Laboratory Benchmarking will be of interest to quality assurance specialists, economists, supervisors in the parent agencies of the labs, managers at all levels of any of the hundreds of public laboratories around the world, and anyone concerned about the effectiveness and efficiency of laboratory testing. As an operational guide, the book provides a helpful roadmap to help public science agencies and forensic labs analyze how they operate, improve on what works, and change what doesn’t to better meet their mission and serve their community’s goals.Advances in Electrical Systems and Innovative Renewable Energy Techniques: The Proceedings of the International Conference on Electrical Systems and Automation (Volume 1) (Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation)
By Mohamed Bendaoud, Amine El Fathi, Farhad Ilahi Bakhsh, Siano Pierluigi. 2024
This edited book on “Advances in Electrical Systems and Innovative Renewable Energy Techniques” is an outcome of the selected papers…
presented at the International Conference on Electrical Systems & Automation, (ICESA 2023) held from 29 to 30, May 2023 at the Faculty of Sciences and technologies, Al Hoceïma, Morocco.This edited book is divided into 2 volumes. This volume will be divided into 3 parts, each devoted to distinct yet interconnected aspects of the subject matter.The first part focuses on various advancements in renewable energy techniques. It explores topics ranging from biomass combustion characteristics and hydrogen production using photovoltaics to the assessment of wave energy potential and the performance evaluation of solar collectors. These research papers not only shed light on the current state-of-the-art technologies but also offer valuable insights into their implementation, efficiency, and potential impact on the energy landscape.The second part focuses on interdisciplinary approaches between electrical and renewable energy systems and includes research chapters on photovoltaic (PV) energy, wind energy, and microgrid systems.For PV systems, several topics and issues are addressed such as modeling of PV systems using single diode model and double diode model; analytical and numerical methods for extraction of PV parameters; extraction of maximum power from PV system using integral SMC strategy, sun-pointing orientation, SuDoKu, and ANN algorithms; and fault detection and classification based on metaheuristic technique, and feedforward neural network.For the wind system, its modeling is first discussed, and then the control of the wind system using direct power, PI, fuzzy logic, sliding mode, and time delay strategies is analyzed.In the third part, the chapters focus on efficient energy management, optimization of microgrids, and the use of advancedtechnologies to improve energy performance. Researchers present innovative solutions to address the challenges of energy efficiency, grid responsiveness, and the integration of new energy sources.Digitale Plattformen im industriellen Mittelstand: Strategien, Methoden, Umsetzungsbeispiele (Intelligente Technische Systeme – Lösungen aus dem Spitzencluster it’s OWL)
By Daniel Beverungen, Roman Dumitrescu, Arno Kühn, Christoph Plass. 2024
Dieses Buch stellt neue Strategien, Methoden und Umsetzungsbeispiele vor, mit denen digitale Plattformen zur Realisierung erfolgreicher Geschäftsstrategien im industriellen Mittelstand…
eingesetzt werden. Digitale Plattformen sind Erfolgsgaranten für viele Weltmarktführer im Konsumgüterbereich. Aber auch der industrielle Mittelstand kann mit ihrer Hilfe neue Geschäftsfelder erschließen und Wettbewerbsvorteile realisieren. In diesem Band zeigen wir auf, warum sich produzierende Unternehmen schon heute in diesem Wettbewerbsumfeld positionieren müssen und welche strategischen Handlungsoptionen existieren. Ein strukturierter Transformationspfad zeigt, wie der industrielle Mittelstand über die Etablierung digitaler Dienstleistungen den Sprung in die Plattformökonomie schaffen kann. Innovative Methoden und Werkzeuge bieten konkrete Hilfestellung, um diesen Transformationsprozess strategisch zu planen und umzusetzen. Zwei ausgewählte Praxisbeispiele zeigen schließlich auf, wie der Einstieg in die Plattformökonomie erfolgreich gelingt.Human Minds and Cultures
By Sanjit Chakraborty. 2024
This book puts forward a harmonious analysis of similarities and differences between two concepts—human minds and cultures—and strives for a…
multicultural spectrum of philosophical explorations that could assist them in pondering the striking pursuit of envisaging human minds and cultures as an essential appraisal of philosophy and the social sciences. The book hinges on a theoretical understanding of the indispensable liaison between the dichotomy of minds and objectivity residing in semantic-ontological conjectures. The ethnographic sense of cultures confines the scope of cultural scientism, an evolutionary paradigm on the functionalist turn, where one could enthral the cultural phenomenon from the contentment of the conflict of scientific quandaries. Hence, cultural relativism concedes that cultures have some descriptive contents, like customs, beliefs, moral codes, other minds, etc., that are followed by an individual or a group of people. However, the notion of societalsemiotics embarks on the ‘semiotic conception of culture’ that deploys modernity and values centred on ethical conjectures. Human Minds and Cultures conspicuously attune the cultural edifice of moral minds and cope with the enduring prospects of ethics, genders, laws, and socio-political affairs. Essential reading for anyone with a sparkling interest in human minds and cultures.On the Relation between the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and National Fundamental Rights: A Comparative Analysis in the European Multilevel Court System
By Alexander Heger, Moritz Malkmus. 2024
The sometimes complex and controversial relation between the fundamental rights of the European Union, as enshrined in the EU Charter…
of Fundamental Rights (CFR), and national fundamental rights in the context of constitutional review is reflected in a series of landmark decisions in the multilateral cooperation of European courts, which have reshaped the fundamental rights architecture in the multilevel system in recent decades. This book aims to contribute to a systematic and comprehensive analysis of the EU and constitutional law issues involved, thus serving as a reference point for scholars and practitioners dealing with this emerging topic in depth. Following this approach, it sheds light on the broader Union legal context of these developments, examines the role of the CFR for Constitutional Courts, the relationship between constitutional and ordinary courts, and assesses the key decisions concerning the application of the CFR as a standard of constitutional review. It also draws some initial conclusions on the development of the European fundamental rights architecture, its prospects and possible implications for the Union’s legal order. The book contains several contributions by European legal experts from academia and the judiciary, who examine the different methods of constitutional application of the CFR from a comparative law perspective. These contributions deal with the following aspects: first, the role of the CFR for the respective Constitutional Court with regard to the application of EU law as well as national law falling within the scope of the CFR; second, the relationship between the respective Constitutional Court and the ordinary courts with regard to the application of the CFR; third, the relevant facts and legal reasoning of the most important Constitutional Court decisions on the application of the CFR as a relevant standard of constitutional review; fourth, the relevant case law of the CJEU on the relationship between Union and national fundamental rights, as well as its broader implications for the multilateral cooperation of European courts. The individual chapters examine, inter alia, the following decisions: Verfassungsgerichtshof (Austria), March 14, 2012, U 466/11 et al.; Corte Constituzionale (Italy), January 23, 2019, Sentenza 20/2019; Bundesverfassungsgericht (Germany), November 6, 2019, 1 BvR 276/17; Tribunal Constitucional (Portugal), June 3, 2022, Acórdão 268/2022; Tribunal Constitucional (Spain), June 29, 2022, Sentencia Decision 89/2022.Advances in Design, Simulation and Manufacturing: Proceedings of the International Conference on Design, Simulation, Manufacturing: The Innovation Exchange, DSMIE-2018, June 12-15, 2018, Sumy, Ukraine (Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering)
By Vitalii Ivanov, Yiming Rong, Justyna Trojanowska, Joachim Venus, Oleksandr Liaposhchenko, Jozef Zajac, Ivan Pavlenko, Milan Edl, Dragan Perakovic. 2019
This book reports on topics at the interface between manufacturing, mechanical and chemical engineering. It gives a special emphasis to…
CAD/CAE systems, information management systems, advanced numerical simulation methods and computational modeling techniques, and their use in product design, industrial process optimization and in the study of the properties of solids, structures and fluids. Control theory, ICT for engineering education as well as ecological design and food technologies are also among the topics discussed in the book. Based on the International Conference on Design, Simulation, Manufacturing: The Innovation Exchange (DSMIE-2018), held on June 12-15, 2018, in Sumy, Ukraine, the book provides academics and professionals with a timely overview and extensive information on trends and technologies behind current and future developments of Industry 4.0, innovative design and renewable energy generation.This volume comprises selected contributions by the participants of the second "Functor Categories, Model Theory, Algebraic Analysis and Constructive Methods"…
conference, which took place at the University of Almería, Spain, in July 2022.The conference was devoted to several seemingly unrelated fields: functor categories, model theory of modules, algebraic analysis (including linear control systems), and constructive category theory, to mention just a few. The fact that these fields are actually related is a very recent realization. The connections between these disciplines are changing in real time, and the goal of this volume is to provide an initial reference point for this emerging interdisciplinary field.Besides research articles, the volume includes two extended lectures: one on constructive methods in algebraic analysis and the other on the functorial approach to algebraic systems theory. Hence, in addition to its interestfor researchers, the volume will also be an invaluable resource for newcomers.Ending Aging: The Rejuvenation Breakthroughs That Could Reverse Human Aging in Our Lifetime
By Aubrey De Grey, Michael Rae. 2007
MUST WE AGE? A long life in a healthy, vigorous, youthful body has always been one of humanity's greatest dreams.…
Recent progress in genetic manipulations and calorie-restricted diets in laboratory animals hold forth the promise that someday science will enable us to exert total control over our own biological aging. Nearly all scientists who study the biology of aging agree that we will someday be able to substantially slow down the aging process, extending our productive, youthful lives. Dr. Aubrey de Grey is perhaps the most bullish of all such researchers. As has been reported in media outlets ranging from 60 Minutes to The New York Times, Dr. de Grey believes that the key biomedical technology required to eliminate aging-derived debilitation and death entirely—technology that would not only slow but periodically reverse age-related physiological decay, leaving us biologically young into an indefinite future—is now within reach.In Ending Aging, Dr. de Grey and his research assistant Michael Rae describe the details of this biotechnology. They explain that the aging of the human body, just like the aging of man-made machines, results from an accumulation of various types of damage. As with man-made machines, this damage can periodically be repaired, leading to indefinite extension of the machine's fully functional lifetime, just as is routinely done with classic cars. We already know what types of damage accumulate in the human body, and we are moving rapidly toward the comprehensive development of technologies to remove that damage. By demystifying aging and its postponement for the nonspecialist reader, de Grey and Rae systematically dismantle the fatalist presumption that aging will forever defeat the efforts of medical science.Eating Between the Lines: The Supermarket Shopper's Guide to the Truth Behind Food Labels
By Kimberly Lord Stewart. 2007
So many labels, so little time—just tell me what to buy!If you—like millions of other Americans—still don't know how to…
read food labels and are frustrated by the hundreds of nutrition and health claims as well as statements like free-range and grassfed, it's time to learn what you're really putting into your body…find out how to select the most healthy foods at the supermarket and still get dinner on the table by 6:00 pm with EATING BETWEEN THE LINESShopping is no longer as simple as deciding what's for dinner. Food labels like "organic," "natural," "low carb," and "fat free!" scream out at you from every aisle at the supermarket. Some claims are certified by authoritative groups such as the FDA and USDA, but much of our country's nutrition information is simply a marketing ploy. If you want to know what food labels really mean—and what they could mean to your health—EATING BETWEEN THE LINES will explain why:--Chickens labeled "free range" may never actually see daylight --Organic seafood may be a misnomer. --The words "hormone-free" on pork, eggs and poultry is meaningless --"Low fat" cookies and "heart-healthy" cereals may contain heart damaging trans-fatty acids …and more. Organized by supermarket section, from the vegetable aisle to the dairy case, EATING BETWEEN THE LINES also features more than seventy actual food labels and detachable shopping lists for your convenience—and to help bring the best food to the table for you and your family.Transforming Public Services—Combining Data and Algorithms to Fulfil Citizen’s Expectations (Intelligent Systems Reference Library #252)
By Christophe Gaie, Mayuri Mehta. 2024
This book provides a precise portrayal of the current trends and future perspectives of e-Government. It outlines new approaches that…
optimize public services across diverse sectors. Going beyond traditional boundaries, it offers mathematical models for public services supported by convincing case studies. This book significantly enhances various government services, such as education, healthcare, safety, security, and culture. It also strongly emphasizes safeguarding citizens' personal data, ensuring privacy, and obtaining explicit consent. Tailored for students and academics, the book is an invaluable reference for teaching graduate courses in e-Government, Process Modelling, or Artificial Intelligence. Its impact extends beyond the classroom; civil servants from all domains can find practical insights to navigate the ongoing modernization of public services. Even citizens curious about the transformation in their public services can find this book enlightening. Researchers working in the area of e-Governance can use this book to discover the recent developments in e-Government.Climate Change and Socio-political Violence in Sub-Saharan Africa in the Anthropocene: Perspectives from Peace Ecology and Sustainable Development (The Anthropocene: Politik—Economics—Society—Science #37)
By Jean Chrysostome K. Kiyala, Norman Chivasa. 2024
This book explores the theoretical contribution of peace ecology to the understanding and practice of environmental and conventional peacebuilding. It…
integrates environmental questions and factors that drive socio-political violence and climate change-induced violence in Sub-Saharan Africa in the Anthropocene.· It demonstrates how international peace and global security are no longer solely grounded in conventional peacebuilding that has evolved from liberal to democratic peace theories, but rather in the complex, critical and synergic relations between peace studies and environmental studies.· It provides a pluridisciplinary body of knowledge that emphasises the need for food security, social climate, social good, social capital and sustainable development at the age of climate change and climate wars.· It underscores the potential of peace ecology to reduce the Earth systems' vulnerability, to mitigate anthropogenic global warming's consequences on humanity, the ecosystem and biodiversity.· It yields various models of peacebuilding, conflict-sensitive and climate-sensitive adaptation strategies to enhance the African Region’s security and stability.Finally, this volume argues that planetary boundaries framework remains the safer space within which human and sustainable development can be pursued and attained, and future generations to thrive. A comprehensive and international response to socio-political violence and climate-change induced violence should take into account the vulnerability of individual countries, regions and the global world in order to achieve the dreams of a better future; that makes this book a cutting-edge scholarly work.Geomorphic Risk Reduction Using Geospatial Methods and Tools (Disaster Risk Reduction)
By Raju Sarkar, Sunil Saha, Basanta Raj Adhikari, Rajib Shaw. 2024
This book explores the use of advanced geospatial techniques in geomorphic hazards modelling and risk reduction. It also compares the…
accuracy of traditional statistical methods and advanced machine learning methods and addresses the different ways to reduce the impact of geomorphic hazards.In recent years with the development of human infrastructures, geomorphic hazards are gradually increasing, which include landslides, flood and soil erosion, among others. They cause huge loss of human property and lives. Especially in mountainous, coastal, arid and semi-arid regions, these natural hazards are the main barriers for economic development. Furthermore, human pressure and specific human actions such as deforestation, inappropriate land use and farming have increased the danger of natural disasters and degraded the natural environment, making it more difficult for environmental planners and policymakers to develop appropriate long-term sustainability plans. The most challenging task is to develop a sophisticated approach for continuous inspection and resolution of environmental problems for researchers and scientists. However, in the past several decades, geospatial technology has undergone dramatic advances, opening up new opportunities for handling environmental challenges in a more comprehensive manner.With the help of geographic information system (GIS) tools, high and moderate resolution remote sensing information, such as visible imaging, synthetic aperture radar, global navigation satellite systems, light detection and ranging, Quickbird, Worldview 3, LiDAR, SPOT 5, Google Earth Engine and others deliver state-of-the-art investigations in the identification of multiple natural hazards. For a thorough examination, advanced computer approaches focusing on cutting-edge data processing, machine learning and deep learning may be employed. To detect and manage various geomorphic hazards and their impact, several models with a specific emphasis on natural resources and the environment may be created.Forecast: The Surprising—and Immediate—Consequences of Climate Change
By Stephan Faris. 2009
A vivid and illuminating portrayal of the surprising ways that climate change will affect the world in the near future—politically,…
economically, and culturallyWhile reporting just outside of Darfur, Stephan Faris discovered that climate change was at the root of that conflict, and began to wonder what current and impending—and largely unanticipated—crises such changes have in store for the world. Forecast provides the answers.Global warming will spur the spread of many diseases. Italy has already experienced its first climate-change epidemic of a tropical disease, and malaria is gaining ground in Africa. The warming world will shift huge populations and potentially redraw political alliances around the globe, driving environmentalists into the hands of anti-immigrant groups. America's coasts are already more difficult places to live as increasing insurance rates make the Gulf Coast and other gorgeous spots prohibitively expensive. Crops will fail in previously lush places and thrive in some formerly barren zones, altering huge industries and remaking traditions. Water scarcity in India and Pakistan have the potential to inflame the conflict in Kashmir to unprecedented levels and draw the United States into the troubles there, and elsewhere.Told through the narratives of current, past, and future events, the result of astonishingly wide travel and reporting, Forecast is a powerful, gracefully written, eye-opening account of this most urgent issue and how it has altered and will alter our world.One Thing at a Time: 100 Simple Ways to Live Clutter-Free Every Day
By Cindy Glovinsky. 2004
Simple, effective ways to put things in their placeThose piles of papers, clothes, and other things you thought you'd successfully…
de-cluttered have returned, and this time they brought friends. What's the use of trying to fight the clutter? Is there a better way?This powerful and useful guide delivers solutions that work, no matter how overwhelmed you feel. The answer isn't an elaborate new system, or a solemn vow to start tomorrow. Instead, psychotherapist and organizer Cindy Glovinsky shares 100 simple strategies for tackling the problem the way it grows--one thing at a time. Here's a sampling of the tips explained in the book: *Declare a fix-it day*Purge deep storage areas first *Label it so you can read it*Get a great letter opener*Practice toy population planning *Leave it neater than you found itWritten in short takes and with a supportive tone, this is an essential, refreshing book that helps turn a hopeless struggle into a manageable part of life, one thing at a time.3 Fat Chicks on a Diet: Because We're All In It Together
By Suzanne Barnett, Jennifer Barnett, Amy Barnett, Bev West. 2006
Filled with the sassy attitude and sage advice of three lovable sisters from the South who have been fighting the…
battle of the bulge for most of their lives, 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet tells everyone who has ever wanted to lose a few pounds how to find dieting success. Because every dieter will try most of the popular diets at some point in a weight-loss struggle, the sisters give you the real scoop—as well as anecdotes and wisdom from scores of their online community of women—on the favorites, from South Beach to the Mediterranean Diet, Atkins to the Zone, and celebrity-driven weight-loss programs to Ediets. You'll get so much more than just coffee-klatch gossip:* The pros and cons of each diet* Guilt-free ways to snack and still stay with the program* Straight talk for making the diets work for every meal of the day* Menu suggestions when dining out* Delicious recipes to try at home* And much more!Best of all, the book offers a fool-proof support system of love and encouragement from women just like you who are trying to win the war with their waistlines.Just when you think you're bogged down by calorie counting, the 3 Fat Chicks diet community takes you on a humorous romp through their battles with everything from slimming slippers and fat-away soap to cabbage soup and grapefruit diets. Get the real-world facts that you need to embark on your personal journey to change your weight and your life.Head Cases: Stories of Brain Injury and Its Aftermath
By Michael Paul Mason. 2008
Head Cases takes us into the dark side of the brain in an astonishing sequence of stories, at once true…
and strange, from the world of brain damage. Michael Paul Mason is one of an elite group of experts who coordinate care in the complicated aftermath of tragic injuries that can last a lifetime. On the road with Mason, we encounter survivors of brain injuries as they struggle to map and make sense of the new worlds they inhabit.Underlying each of these survivors' stories is an exploration of the brain and its mysteries. When injured, the brain must figure out how to heal itself, reorganizing its physiology in order to do the job. Mason gives us a series of vivid glimpses into brain science, the last frontier of medicine, and we come away in awe of the miracles of the brain's workings and astonished at the fragility of the brain and the sense of self, life, and order that resides there. Head Cases "[achieves] through sympathy and curiosity insight like that which pulses through genuine literature" (The New York Sun); it is at once illuminating and deeply affecting.By the time she had reached her mid-30s, Tana Amen had nearly given up on good health. Through a lifetime…
of chronic medical ailments, including severe digestive issues, recurrent infections and, most devastatingly, a battle with thyroid cancer, there was never a point when Tana felt consistently healthy. Doctors ascribed her poor health to genetics, bad luck, and a family history of obesity and heart disease. But even when Tana committed to a standard fitness and eating regimen, her health failed to improve.That's when she realized that she needed to make a real change. She needed to figure out how to improve her health . . . for good.The Omni Diet is the culmination of a decade-long quest by Tana Amen to study the relationship between food and the body, and to understand how proper nutrition not only impacts weight loss, but actually holds the key to reversing chronic disease, decreasing inflammation, healing the body, and dramatically improving quality of life. So what is The Omni Diet? It's an easy-to-follow plan based on a 70/30 plant-to-protein model. This is not a restrictive diet or another page in the high-protein vs. vegetarian diet wars, but a universal map to better health, one that Tana has distilled into a lean six-week program. It offers a simple plan that provides an abundance of illness-fighting nutrients from plant-based foods and high-quality protein to keep the brain sharp and muscles and organs functioning at peak condition. The balance of 70% plant-based foods and 30% protein restores energy, slashes risk of disease, optimizes brain and hormone functioning, produces dramatic weight loss, and promotes health from the inside out. With delicious and satisfying recipes, easy-to-follow exercises, and important advice and tips, you will see results -- in your weight and overall health – immediately. Follow this revolutionary, paradigm-shifting plan and experience its life-changing results as you unleash the healing power of food.Time and Space (PHI)
By Maria do Rosário Monteiro, Mário S. Ming Kong. 2024
The texts presented in Proportion Harmonies and Identities (PHI) Time and Space were compiled to establish a multidisciplinary platform for…
presenting, interacting, and disseminating research. It also aims to foster awareness and discussion on Time and Space, focusing on different visions relevant to Architecture, Arts and Humanities, Design and Social Sciences, and its importance and benefits for the sense of identity, both individual and communal. The idea of Time and Space has been a powerful motor for development since the Western Early Modern Age. Its theoretical and practical foundations have become the working tools of scientists, philosophers, and artists, who seek strategies and policies to accelerate the development process in different contexts.Case of a Lifetime: A Criminal Defense Lawyer's Story
By Abbe Smith. 2008
A recent study estimates that thousands of innocent people are wrongfully imprisoned each year in the United States. Some are…
exonerated through DNA evidence, but many more languish in prison because their convictions were based on faulty eyewitness accounts and no DNA is available. Prominent criminal lawyer and law professor Abbe Smith weaves together real life cases to show what it is like to champion the rights of the accused. Smith describes the moral and ethical dilemmas of representing the guilty and the weighty burden of fighting for the innocent, including the victorious story of how she helped free a woman wrongly imprisoned for nearly three decades.For fans of Law and Order and investigative news programs like 20/20, Case of a Lifetime is a chilling look at what really determines a person's innocence.The Civilized Engineer
By Samuel C. Florman. 1987
Civil engineer Samuel C. Florman's The Civilized Engineer is aimed at both those observing and commenting externally on engineering, and…
the practicing engineer—to reveal something of the art behind great engineering achievements, and to stimulate debate upon the author's hypothesis that "in its moment of ascendance, engineering is faced with the trivialization of its purpose and the debasement of its practice."